If The Villain Catches Me Alive

Chapter 2

When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in a dreary, damp, and unfamiliar place.

'......What?'

I shook my head at the foreign sight I had never seen before.

'......A dream?'

This is too vivid and realistic to be a dream... I've only ever seen torture chambers like this in videos in history class... And something is damp under my feet...

I dropped my gaze to the floor because of a small whimper......

"Ah, it hurts. Master..."

There came a voice from the corner that sounded like it was about to die.

I suddenly realized the presence of a person I hadn't noticed while I was trying to assess my situation.

"...What?"

At first glance, the skinny kid was barely dressed in anything but a pair of pants, tied up somewhere and crouched down. His trembling upper body was covered with unsightly red line marks like a brand.

The chain of the handcuffs around his neck was connected to the wall, limiting his radius of movement. Preventing him from escaping.

I had never seen or experienced anything like this before... As an ordinary citizen of South Korea, my rational mind was momentarily overwhelmed by such a horrifying sight...

"Cough, cough!"

The sound of the child's thick intermittent coughing brought me back to my senses as quickly as if I had been struck by lightning.

"Are, are you okay? Just, just a moment, I'll be right there!"

I slipped and stumbled in front of him, my foot landing on something weird. Somehow, the wind blew the liquid I'd felt on my feet and soiled my clothes. It smelled fishy.

I didn't understand the whole situation, but I knew what I had to do now. Quickly straightening my posture, I placed both my hands firmly on the child, who looked like he was about to collapse. I could feel his tremors travel through my hands.

I dragged a nearby chair by his feet and carefully sat him on it. Hastily removing my robe and draping it over his shoulders, I immediately examined his cuffed wrists.

"Hang in there... I'll try to make this as painless as possible."

But what the hell was up with these handcuffs, they didn't even have a keyhole where they should have been...?

Unable to come up with a solution, I sat down on one knee in front of him and quietly asked.

"Who did this to you? Do you happen to know how to unlock them?"

"......"

The child didn't answer my question, but... I guess he doesn't know...? If he knew, he wouldn't be locked up here...

He looked confused, and I added some reassuring words.

"I'm not a bad person. If you're being held captive, let's run away together. I'll help you out."

"......"

"Is there anyone out there keeping an eye on you?"

I asked, but he remained tight-lipped, a hypothetical theory running through my mind.

"Maybe you can't speak......"

The child sobbed and shook his head. Tears rolled down his big eyes and onto the floor. The next words out of his mouth didn't answer my question.