The Chains That Bind - MLM (John Kramer X M!Reader)

Chapter 25: The Test of Betrayal

A dull ache had settled into your limbs after a long day, exhaustion gnawing at you as you moved through the quiet warehouse. John had finally retired to his quarters for the night, leaving you alone to finish some last-minute preparations. Your mind wandered as you focused on the task at hand, thinking of John's worsening condition and the weight of everything that had happened recently. The atmosphere was heavy with tension, the kind that lingered just beneath the surface, waiting to erupt.

Suddenly, you felt a presence behind you, your muscles instinctively tensing. Before you could turn around, something soft pressed hard against your face-something wet. A strong, chemical scent filled your nostrils. Your hands shot up to grab at the handkerchief, but it was too late. The world spun violently as darkness consumed you, and your body slumped, powerless, into the waiting arms of whoever had attacked you.

...............

When you woke, pain greeted you first.

Your head throbbed, and every muscle in your body ached as if you had been thrown against a wall. A metallic taste coated your tongue, and the chill of the air stung your skin. Blinking through the haze of disorientation, you realized you were sitting upright, but your wrists were restrained tightly against the arms of a cold, hard chair.

Panic surged through your veins as the details of your situation began to take form. The room was dimly lit by flickering overhead lights, casting ominous shadows across the concrete floor. Your wrists burned as you tried to tug at the restraints, but they didn't give. With growing dread, you glanced down at your hands, seeing the thick leather straps keeping them locked in place.

You tried to twist your head, to get a sense of your surroundings, but then you felt it-something heavy and unfamiliar strapped tightly around your head. Fear exploded in your chest, and instinctively you jerked against the chair, but the restraint only tightened its grip. That's when you heard it. The faint, mechanical ticking, the sound you had come to dread, echoing through the silence.

It was the reverse bear trap.

Amanda. She had done this. There was no doubt in your mind. You had seen her jealousy, her anger simmering beneath the surface, but you hadn't expected this level of betrayal. Not from someone you had worked so closely with.

Your heartbeat roared in your ears, pounding in rhythm with the timer. You couldn't see the mechanism on your head, but you knew exactly what it was capable of. You had seen it in action before, witnessed the grotesque brutality of its design. The image of jaws snapping open, ripping flesh and bone apart, played in your mind on a loop.

The panic set in quickly. With a burst of adrenaline, you thrashed against the restraints, fighting to free your hands. It was useless. The leather bindings bit into your skin with every attempt, the pain shooting up your arms. Your breaths came in rapid, shallow gasps as the ticking grew louder, more insistent. The timer was running, and you didn't have much time.

You scanned the room frantically, your eyes landing on a small glint of metal hanging from the ceiling-a key. It swung slowly, tauntingly, on a delicate thread just out of reach. The only thing standing between you and survival.

But first, you needed to free your hands.

With renewed determination, you strained against the restraints again, twisting your left wrist, hoping to slip free. The leather dug deeper into your flesh, cutting off circulation. You slammed your head back against the chair in frustration, feeling the cold, unforgiving metal of the bear trap press painfully against your skull. The ticking was relentless, drilling into your mind like a countdown to death.

In a desperate, reckless move, you jerked your head forward, slamming the side of the bear trap hard against your left hand. Pain exploded in your fingers, a sickening crack resounding through the room. You let out a strangled cry as two of your fingers bent unnaturally beneath the force, but you didn't stop. Again, you slammed your head down, using the weight of the trap to crush your hand against the chair. Blood coated your fingers, the skin tearing, but finally-mercifully-the restraint slipped free.