The next day, Lando heard a mysterious noise creeping in from outside, the sound of doors being violently opened, accompanied by the heavy footsteps echoing through the corridors.
Seconds later, Lando saw a group of men in front of his cell, holding Oscar, whom Lando recognized instantly.
Lando's heart skipped a beat, realizing they hadn't been brought together for anything good—it was going to be like hell.
They threw Oscar beside Lando, their laughter echoing through the space.
"We heard you have a weakness, and we wanted to verify it," one of the men sneered, pausing to laugh maliciously, then continued, "But it seems true. Look at your face now."
Laughter erupted again, one of the men added, "Come on, Lando, don't be possessive. We can have a little fun with him too, right?"
The situation grew worse with each passing minute, their laughter and taunts intensifying, while Lando's emotions were in turmoil, unsure whether to apologize or do something else. Oscar flinched with every word from the men.
Moments passed, and the men were ordered to start, as if Oscar's father was watching from a distance, enjoying the scene.
Lando was horrified every time he looked away from Oscar, who was being passed around mercilessly by the men.
No words were exchanged between them so far, only glances that revealed their shared pain.
The men were finally told to stop for the day, leaving Oscar collapsed on the ground, with Lando unable to reach him.
"Oscar, I'm sorry," Lando spoke with clear sorrow and trembling in his voice. There was no response, his voice echoed through the cell unanswered.
Moments of silence followed before Lando heard Oscar's groaning and crying, curling up in fear and shivering, partly from the cold.
"Oscar, Oscar, I'm sorry, I really am. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't brought you," Lando said. Oscar replied through his sobs, "It's not your fault. I brought the trouble."
Lando shook his head, trying to comfort him until he managed to control his emotions, crawling over to Oscar and extending his hand to hug him in a gesture of apology.
They ended up sitting beside each other, each giving the other a boost of strength with every word or glance.
"What happened when I wasn't there? I came back trying to find you, but you weren't at the house," Lando asked.
Oscar replied, "The night you left, Carlos left the house. When he returned, he seemed completely changed. He used to hate me before, but that night it seemed like he wanted to kill me. So I ran, couldn't find a safe place, and ended up here."
Lando nodded understandingly, and it seemed like they had moved past the night's events, despite their inner fear of what might happen tomorrow.
🧡🧡
