Descent - Mattheo Riddle

Chapter eight

!Trigger warning! Mentions of blood, torture, pain!

Lucia

As the walls crept closer, a sense of claustrophobia enveloped me, intensifying with each passing moment. I felt as though the oxygen in the room was thinning, the chains around me growing tighter with every breath. I was certain that my tormentor couldn't subject me to anything worse. Exploiting someone's fear, attempting to drive them to the brink of insanity, was a malicious act, even if such behavior was expected from a Death Eater.

Yet, amidst the agony and terror, I found myself pondering what could transform a human into such a monster. The Death Eater pointed his wand at me without hesitation, casting the Levicorpus spell, and suddenly, I was dangling upside down from the ceiling. The chains, still bound tightly around my limbs and neck, inflicted even more pain in this new position, threatening to tear me apart.

A strangled moan escaped my lips, but it only seemed to fuel my tormentor's determination. He seemed to relish my suffering, his eyes ablaze with a sinister resolve. He was only just beginning, and I could see the sadistic pleasure he derived from pushing me to my limits.

With me hanging helplessly from the ceiling, he wasted no time in casting another curse. "Conjunctivitis!" he exclaimed, directing his wand at my face. My eyes began to burn, itch, and water, swelling slightly and impairing my vision. The urge to claw at my eyes was overwhelming, but my hands remained bound.

The pain from the conjunctivitis, coupled with the relentless pressure of the chains and the blood rushing to my head, made it difficult to stifle my cries or maintain consciousness. But years of training had prepared me for this. I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break.

Was it strength or years of practice that enabled me to endure? Whatever it was, it clearly frustrated the young Death Eater before me. His expression promised that he was far from finished.

"Tell me about your magical abilities. What can you do that others can't?" he demanded, his tone firm and impatient.

"Fuck you," I managed to spit out, the chain around my neck making it increasingly difficult to breathe.

"Fine," he hissed, pointing his wand at me once more. "Incendio!"

A searing pain engulfed my right arm as flames erupted from his wand. I cried out in agony, biting down on my lip to suppress the scream. The pain was excruciating, but I would sooner die than betray my family.

"Who are your family's allies?" he pressed, but I merely scoffed in response. As if I would betray anyone who might still have a chance of survival.

"You seem to enjoy pain," he remarked, a cruel grin playing across his lips. "If you weren't so bloody annoying, this might actually be rather hot," he whispered in my ear before tracing his wand down the side of my neck, leaving a deep gash.

I let out another guttural groan as the tearing pain seared through me, but he wasn't finished yet. With a sadistic grin, he repeated the same motion, this time targeting my leg. My clothes were ripped open, leaving a deep, gaping wound that oozed blood down my still upside-down body.

"Are you ready to talk now, witch?" he demanded once more. My breathing was heavy, still slightly strangled by the chain, and now consumed by the overwhelming agony.

"Only about... my... death...body..." I managed to utter through gritted teeth, each word a struggle. Another twisted grin flickered across his lips.

"Well, that could be arranged, pretty." Again, he waved his wand, again he spoke the same incantation as before.