ENGLISH VERSION - Second Star to the Right (Mikey Bonten)

Chapter 7: Joker

POV AYANA

I slowly open my eyes, my eyelids heavy. My limbs feel numb. I want to raise my hands to rub my face, but to my horror, I realize my wrists are bound above my head by a metal chain suspended from the ceiling. A wave of panic washes over me as the reality sinks in: I've been kidnapped.

My breathing quickens, each heartbeat echoing loudly in my head. I struggle desperately against my restraints, but the pain radiating from my wrists is unbearable. It's no use. I'm trapped.

I'm cold. I'm barefoot, and they've taken my jeans. I'm only wearing my tank top now. My mind races. Have they touched me?

My eyes slowly adjust to the darkness surrounding me. The sinister outlines of a dilapidated basement begin to take shape around me. The walls are damp, with shadows twisting like dancing demons in the flickering light of a single hanging bulb. Somewhere in the darkness, I hear a soft dripping sound, regular and dull, like a countdown.

"Help!"

My voice echoes weakly, barely audible in the stale air of the room. An oppressive silence follows, broken by a cold voice behind me, accompanied by the sudden touch of cold metal slowly sliding down my spine. A weapon.

"I don't remember giving you a reason to scream."

I freeze. My breath catches as Sanzu steps in front of me. His pink hair frames a face marked with diamond-shaped scars that tear across his cheeks. He looks like the Joker.

"Do you want one, precious?"

He's dressed in a crisp white shirt, sleeves neatly rolled up. In his right hand, he's holding a katana. But it's his eyes, cold and calculating, that freeze me to my core.

A lump of fear forms in my throat. I want to cry, but no tears come. Finally, I remember him. His real name is Haruchiyo Akashi. He used to hang out with my brother and Mikey when we were kids. Always silent. Always in the background.

"Haruchiyo?" I murmur, my voice trembling.

He tilts his head, smiling, revealing clenched teeth and barely contained excitement.

"Ah, finally, you remember me. You hurt my feelings, you know. I recognized you right away."

I search his face for any sign of the quiet boy he once was. But there's nothing familiar in him anymore—nothing but the living threat advancing toward me, dragging with him a scent of madness.

"Why are you doing this?" I manage to whisper, hoping maybe a spark of humanity still remains in him.

His laugh cuts through the air, sharp and unhinged, echoing off the crumbling walls. Suddenly, the laughter stops.

He grabs my face, his fingers digging into my cheeks, his nails biting into my skin like claws. I stifle a cry of pain, my throat tight with fear.

"Let me enlighten you," he whispers, his breath hot against my face. "You're in no position to open your fucking mouth and ask for anything. I ask the questions. Got it?"

My heart races so fast I feel like it's going to explode.

"Answer me," he orders, his grip tightening, fingers digging deeper into my flesh.

"Yes, I got it."

He lets go of my jaw with a sharp motion, stepping back slightly, like a predator toying with its prey before going in for the kill. He drags a chair out of the shadows, flips it around, and sits on it, resting his katana across his lap. He rummages through his shirt pocket, pulls out a small box, and pours a pink pill into his hand before swallowing it in one gulp, his eyes gleaming with a strange light.

"You knowwhy you ended up tied up in my basement half-naked?"

I shake my head. Sanzu's grin widens, his scars stretching, turning his face into a grotesque mask of twisted excitement. He stands up slowly, every move calculated, deliberately heightening my terror. He approaches me again, towering over me.

"I love digging into people's lives to find out who they care about. That way, I know exactly how to break them." He pulls out a knife from his pocket and points it at my throat.
"When I saw you in that alley with that little bitch Atsushi, I knew you'd be the perfect motivation for him to get his job done right."

Atsushi. The mention of his name sends a fresh wave of fear crashing through me. So that's why I'm here. Because of him. My mind reels, desperately searching for a way out. My eyes scan the room, looking for any escape, and finally land on a large stain of dried blood. Sanzu follows my gaze.

"Sorry, I didn't have time to clean up before you got here. But hey, don't worry—you'll be adding to the mess soon enough."

He slides the knife from my throat down to my stomach, passing between my breasts. He applies light pressure, making my stomach churn.

"So, which part of you should I send to your man?" he says with a twisted smile. "A finger, an ear, maybe an organ?"

'A part of me'—I feel my head spinning.

"Oh no, precious, don't pass out just yet. I haven't even started."

"Let me go, you psycho!"

"You've got no idea," he murmurs in my ear.

Suddenly, the basement door swings open, revealing a slim figure with long, bleached white hair, dressed in a red kimono. The man steps forward slowly, his expression calm.

"You could've told us you were back," he says in a neutral tone.

"I'm back," Sanzu replies without even turning around. " Now, if you don't mind, I'm busy here."

The man with white hair frowns as he sees me, visibly displeased. He turns away, and in the shadow of the doorway, another figure steps forward. I squint to get a better look.

A black hoodie, white sweatpants... an angelic face framed by white hair... and those eyes, those empty, emotionless eyes.

"Mikey?" I murmur, shocked.

Mikey stares at me, his expression unreadable, his black eyes piercing through me. The air grows heavy, and time seems to stretch endlessly. No one moves. No one speaks.

"Untie her," Mikey orders, breaking the silence.

Sanzu stiffens, hesitating, but one look from Mikey is enough to make him obey. Reluctantly, he unhooks my wrists. I nearly collapse as pain shoots through my aching arms, but I force myself to stand, refusing to show weakness.

Mikey pulls off his hoodie and tosses it to the white-haired man, who catches it gracefully.

"Koko, take her to my office," Mikey says before walking out without a second glance.

I'm at my limit, but I fight to keep the fear from taking over. In Sanzu's eyes, I see a promise of suffering. One thing is certain: this nightmare is far from over.

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