Mended Heartbeats (Ghost X fem!Reader)

Chapter 14

Chapter 13 and 14 may be edited due to grammar cuz rn im just too lazy to do that.

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If my calculations are correct, it's been a week now. I can feel hope slipping away. Every day has blurred into the next, tied to this bed, receiving food and water sporadically, always fed by him, always led to the bathroom by him. It's unsettling, to say the least.

On the second day, I figured out how he escaped. By the third day, I realized that Kane, if he even exists, is a nobody - just a name he used to get into that interrogation room. On the fourth day, I started obsessing over ways to escape. But the days that followed? They're nothing but a hazy blur.

I've tried to keep myself sane by creating a routine. Small things like thinking through scenarios or slightly moving my limbs. Anything to remind myself that I'm still here, that I'm still fighting.

I noticed subtle changes in him over the days. His visits were not regular, sometimes he'd sleep here, sometimes not coming back at what I think was nightime. Probably trying to make me lose track of time. He started talking more, sharing bits of his twisted philosophy, as if trying to justify his actions. I wasn't sure if he was trying to break me or convince himself that what he was doing was right.

On what I guessed was the evening of the seventh day, he fed me more than ususal. Then just sat down next to the bed.

"You're quieter today," he remarked, his voice almost soft. "You're starting to realize there's no way out, aren't you?"

I didn't answer. I actually stopped talking to him days ago. But in truth, I was starting to doubt myself. I'd gone over every possible escape scenario in my head a hundred times, but without a clear plan, without even knowing where I was, it felt impossible.

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You know, the sooner you accept it, the easier this will be. The fight is exhausting, isn't it?"

His words crawled under my skin, but I forced myself to stay calm. I couldn't let him see the cracks. I couldn't let him win. But just as I was about to dismiss him with silence again, he did something unexpected. He untied one of my wrists, then the other, then my legs, before stepping back. I immediately tensed, waiting for the catch.

"Stretch your legs. You've been tied down for too long. You're not going anywhere, anyway," he said, almost like he was offering a kindness. "But remember, try anything, and you'll regret it."

The freedom, as limited as it was, felt surreal. My limbs were stiff, sore from the lack of movement, but I forced myself to sit up, to move. It was a small victory, but it was something.

He watched me closely, gauging my every reaction. "See? It doesn't have to be so bad. Cooperation could make things a lot easier for you."

I ignored him, focusing instead on stretching out my muscles, keeping my thoughts clear. I couldn't let my guard down, not even for a second. He wanted me to believe I was powerless, but I knew better. I had to be patient, wait for the right moment.

As I moved, I began to take stock of the room in more detail, searching for anything that could be useful. There wasn't much. But now that I was untied, there were possibilities. I just needed to bide my time.

"We have a mission," he said. With these words he finally got a reaction out of me. He smirked at the flicker of confusion in my eyes, clearly pleased to have finally broken through my silence. "Surprised? You shouldn't be. You didn't think I'd go through all this trouble just to keep you tied up here forever, did you?"

"What kind of mission?" I asked, my voice deliberately calm, even though my mind was racing with possibilities. I forced myself to hold his gaze, trying to read any hint of his intentions. Each second that passed felt like an eternity as I weighed the outcomes, searching for any advantage I could use against him.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "You always were quick on the uptake," he said, almost admiringly. "But don't let that clever mind of yours wander too far. What comes next is not something you can plan your way out of."

I felt a chill run down my spine at the implication. I had expected some kind of twisted task, but his vague threat made it clear that this was going to be far worse than I anticipated. He was enjoying this, stringing me along, watching the uncertainty play across my face. His plan for me was not to srip me of my sanity, but this.

"And what if I refuse?"

His smile widened, almost as if he was expecting the question. "You don't have a choice. You see, whether you cooperate or not, you're going to be a part of this. The only difference is how much you suffer along the way." He started moving closer to me, his eyes never leaving mine. "You've been compliant so far, and I appreciate that. But this next part... well, it requires a bit more trust."

I stiffened as he reached into his pocket, pulling out something small and dark. He held it up, letting me see the rag in his hand, and my pulse quickened. I knew what was coming next, and I instinctively took a step back.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," he said softly, almost as if he was coaxing a frightened animal. "It's just a precaution. I can't have you knowing where we're going just yet."

Before I could react, he lunged forward, grabbing my arm with surprising force. I tried to twist away, but he was ready for that, pinning me against the wall. The rag came closer, and I held my breath, knowing it wouldn't do any good.

"Shh," he whispered, pressing the cloth to my face. The smell was overpowering, sickly sweet. I fought against it, but my vision began to blur, my strength fading as the world around me dimmed.

His voice was the last thing I heard before everything went black. "Don't worry. When you wake up, everything will be much clearer."