Blood And Lullabies

Chapter 26: She Screamed.We Burned

Darkness swallowed her whole, crushing and suffocating. The air was thick with the stench of mold, sweat, and something coppery-blood. Cold concrete scraped against her skin as she curled into the corner of the cramped basement cell, shivering, her body aching from bruises that bloomed like dark, angry flowers.

Suddenly, rough, calloused hands yanked her roughly to her feet, the sting of their grip burning through her fragile skin. The room spun. Towering figures loomed over her-faces twisted in cruel sneers, eyes cold and merciless. Their breath was hot and foul, smelling of tobacco and sweat.

"Look at you," one hissed, spitting a stream of bitter saliva that splattered across her cheek, the wet warmth burning her skin like acid. "This is your punishment."

Another's voice was low and venomous. "Your brothers think they can save you? You're nothing now. Just a broken girl, left to suffer."

Pain exploded as fists rained down relentlessly-sharp blows to her ribs that knocked the air from her lungs, crushing punches that made her knees buckle. She crumpled, gasping, tears blurring her vision, mixing with blood from a split lip. But the worst were the words-cold, poisonous words slicing deeper than flesh.

"Worthless. Weak. A stain on their names."

She squeezed her eyes shut, pressing trembling hands over her ears, begging for silence, for mercy. But her cries only drew more wrath.

"Stop your pathetic whining, brat! No one's coming for you."

Each sob wracked her body, muscles trembling with exhaustion and fear. The nightmare stretched on like a merciless tide-days of pain, darkness, and despair, with no end, no rescue.

Her screams were swallowed by cold walls, her small frame broken and abandoned.
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Yn's body jerked violently as she gasped, the nightmare's suffocating darkness still clutching her mind. A strangled scream tore from her throat-raw, desperate, filled with terror and pain. Her hands clawed at the sheets, trembling uncontrollably as the first tremors of a panic attack gripped her tight. In the dim light of her room, Taehyung was already there, his eyes wide with concern as he watched her struggle. He hurried to her side, wrapping gentle arms around her.

Taehyung held Yn tightly, his arms a fragile shield against the storm raging inside her. Her body trembled violently, tears soaking his shirt as her cries tore through the stillness like a shattered glass. His voice was barely more than a whisper, gentle and steady, trying to anchor her drifting mind.

"Yn... you're safe. You're here. I'm right here. Breathe with me... please."

But her sobs only deepened, raw and unfiltered - the weight of her pain spilling out in every heartbreaking scream. The sound was so piercing, so full of anguish, that it rippled through the mansion's walls like a physical blow. One by one, footsteps pounded down hallways, guards dropped their weapons, and brothers abandoned their tasks, drawn to the unbearable sound.

Jin, Namjoon, Yoongi, Jimin - they all rushed to her door, faces etched with worry and helplessness. For a moment, time seemed to freeze as they stood outside, listening to their little sister's cries - a painful reminder of the nightmare they had vowed to end.

Taehyung tightened his hold, tears blurring his vision as he whispered, "You're not alone, Yn. We're all here... we won't let go."

The moment Jin stepped into the room, his heart dropped at the sight before him. Yn was still screaming, her body convulsing in Taehyung's arms, as if gripped by some invisible force. Her face was drenched in tears, lips trembling with silent gasps between the piercing cries. The pain in her voice made Jin's blood run cold. It wasn't just fear-it was agony.