A Pretty Face (KNY x Reader Fanfic)

Chapter 17

Cobwebs and dust made Daki cower back towards the entrance. It looked as if no one had bothered to go down there for several years. There was a distinct smell her nose could pick out among the rest of the cellar.

Fear, and pain.

Those feelings heavily outweighed the physical scent of whatever was rotting down there. Two women stayed above while another four led Daki further in the dark. One girl squealed as a spider caressed the dip in her shoulder.

"E-Excuse me—" Daki voiced, flinching when all eyes suddenly turned to her. "I don't mean to pry, but what's down here that could help me?"

They paused. Worried glances were thrown at the darkness and whatever was in there. Sudden paranoia and a separate scent of fear made the tension thick.

"It's...something we've kept down here for several years. We can heal anything—!"

She was promptly hushed by an older woman.

Daki was beginning to feel frightened. It was laughable how she, an older demon who had killed hundreds of people, was scared of something that couldn't possibly be above her. She was supposed to be the superior one here. Why was she shaking so much at the silent ambience?

A lantern was lit in the dark, held within the group as they advanced forward. Nothing could be illuminated from the walls on either side. Daki could sense a shift as they approached the very back of the cellar. If it didn't feel quiet now, then the earth-shattering new silence could make ears bleed.

Chains had been permanently conjoined with the stoned back wall. Two holders, one for each person's hand, were at the top. A separate chain on each side hung heavy towards the ground.

That wasn't the worst part.

Dried blood, more black than faded brown or red, coated the part of the chain that would encase a person's ankles. There was a massive stain at the very bottom on the floor. It used to be a pool of blood. The women erupted in a fury of hysteria.

"What? Where is it?!" They cried, swinging the lantern around to see every corner of the cellar. The more that was illuminated, the more that Daki's stomach turned.

The blood stains were everywhere. They had been walking on it.

Splatters along every wall, remnants of what happened here that she didn't lay witness to. Daki outstretched one of her hands towards a place on the wall, hoping to understand.

It burned like Hell's embrace. She hissed as her hand was briefly charred from the dried splatter. No one took notice of her pain, leaving her alone as they scrambled to find 'it'.

Screams cut through the darkness surrounding Daki. Her head whipped to where they were just standing, but all she saw was the lantern fall with no one bathed in light.

Crunch. Another scream.

Pop. The last scream.

"What the hell...where's Daki?"

The voice of her brother brought tears to her eyes. She cried as she ran forward and wrapped her arms around his broadened shoulders, burying her face in his chest.

"Brother—!" she could barely breathe as her sobs cut through the silence. "There's something down here—!"

They all paused as something shuffled in the darkness. A quiet whimper didn't escape their ears. Then, a gasp of pain.

Douma slowly crouched, picking up the lantern that fell and rising back to his feet. He held out his hand in an attempt to keep the siblings away from the source of noise. As he stepped closer to one of the corners, he drowned out every other noise.

Her heartbeat was becoming erratic. The once slow pace of the beat was stuttering, pumping more blood than necessary as her fear grew.

The guilt was eating him alive. An emotion he wished he couldn't feel.

Standing only a few feet away, Douma could see fresh blood ooze from the source. Just one drop would set his skin ablaze with acid. The burn mark on Daki's hand made him more weary than usual.

Light graced her face, creeping downwards and displaying features that made Douma's eyes twitch with indescribable anger. He couldn't keep up his carefree façade for much longer. Like a blanket, it was beginning to fall the longer he stared.

Not one inch of her skin was left clean. Dirt, grime and blood sullied her perfection. Old scars, replaced by new ones, further showed the extent of her damage. Bones protruded from her ribcage, arms and legs. The sharpness of her cheekbones wasn't natural. Her eye sockets were hollowed in.

"Douma? What is it?" Daki called out, making a move to step around the corner.

Her brother did nothing to stop her, his curiosity making him peek around the corner. At first, he didn't know what he was looking at. His sister immediately gagged.

"Oh my god...they were keeping a woman down here? Is she dead?" her feet moved on their own accord, then planting themselves beside Douma.

Gyutaro stayed silent. He felt as if none of this should be for his eyes. As he made a motion to turn back to the cellar entrance, something made him stop. If he hadn't been paying attention, he would have missed it.

"Don't...touch me."

Daki made a noise of disbelief. Her mouth stayed agape as the faded memory returned in an instant. A birthday present on her thirteenth year of living. The sound of a woman's finger dropping to the floor, a plop and a clink as the shiny piece of jewelry also hit the ground. Her brother tripping among his own two feet as he chased after Y/N.

It amazed Daki how Y/N could even speak. She was still alive. Eight decades, and she still looked the same as when she left. Well, not exactly. Everything appeared sunken in due to malnutrition and blood loss.

Although she'd never admit it, Daki always thought Y/N was beautiful. Every feature she could remember was nothing less than perfect. In front of her now was nothing but a hollow husk of someone who been dealt a bad hand in life.

"Y/N, my dear, we need to get you out of this place!" Douma was growing frantic. Those men would be back soon, and he needed enough time to get her somewhere safe and then return to finish the slaughter.

She did nothing but groan and swat at the lantern, hoping the light would go away. Her bony fingers and wrists were appalling.

"I'm doing just fine," Y/N squinted as her eyes watered. "Leave me be, please." her voice was barely audible anymore. It strained her throat.

Douma huffed and then set the lantern down. One hand supported the underside of her knees, and the other was placed against her back. It took nothing to lift her up. This wouldn't have been difficult for the average child.

"No! Put me down, put me down!" Her punches and scratches did nothing to Douma. This saddened him for a moment. She could've been someone so strong.

Sudden agony and pain made Douma abruptly drop her. Y/N didn't do much as yelp as she made contact with the hard floor. Daki and Gyutaro could only stare in disbelief as the red liquid burned into Douma's skin, paving a way down the side of his neck.

Y/N held up her hand for everyone to see. The acid-like blood ran down her palm, dripping to create a puddle on the floor.

"What did I just fucking tell you?"