❣ Forelsket ❣ Keigo Takami/Hawks

[Book 2] ↬ Goretober 2019

Cannibalism (mentioned), Torture (mentioned), Stitched Together.

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Never try to hide - it will find you.

Never try to run - it will hunt you.

Always keep your wits about you, and never falter, for that is when it will pounce.

And, most importantly, you must never fight it alone - it will always win.

The children of the labyrinth were commanded to obey these simple instructions, at all times, without fail, without question. Neglecting to comply would result in immediate execution. One of these poor, unfortunate souls, who was now bound permanently to the winding wiles of the labyrinth, was Keigo, removed from his crib shortly after birth, by a single man, still shrouded in mystery - clearly though, he hadn't intended the best life for Keigo (nor the plethora of other snatched children). They were reminded constantly of the value of vigilance, the aforementioned mantra echoing like a gong in their ears. None amongst the current troupe could feign ignorance of the monster, but they could not attest to having witnessed it first-hand. After all, those who ventured into the centre of this serpentine maze (the successful ones) were, supposedly, forever doomed to prowl the gates of Heaven, never being granted the blessing of entrance.

Rumours abounded about the monster, yet none knew for certain its form - was it man? Formerly man? A demented hybrid, of some kind? Today, Keigo became the unlucky participant in this most draconian game. Setting off at the sound of a klaxon, Keigo journeyed past surreal mashups of out-of-place trees and bushes, silhouettes of what were perhaps once, real humans, coupled with an assortment of tricks and traps. Reality had forgone its illusion, the moment his foot touched the labyrinth-stone. For Keigo, there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide - he must simply allow nature to run its course.

But, what is nature, in this entanglement of shapes and shadows? Do these silver bricks, frigid and hostile as they are, bequeath to him a certain, innate truth? Keigo was rather cynical, and thought that perchance his mind was best left untainted by childish imaginings. He wandered still, pacing himself when and where he needed, endeavouring to glimpse even a single sliver of illumination. This fulfilment of this wish demanded a terrible price, however, which he learned all too quickly.

The monster, with frightfully twisted legs and feral, hungry eyes, was absolutely hideous. Yet, Keigo's own, fear-widened gems could not be spirited away. A glimmer of something arcane - perhaps his own hopelessness, perhaps anguish for the thing that knelt before him - burned within, flaring up every cell in his body. What rattled chains against hard stone and wailed in sick desperation, maybe even desolation, teased all his existing fears to the surface; you, a grotesque, wreck of a once-radiant gem, could not be betrayed by your expression, for you hid nothing. The lack of cloth adorning your figure drew little arousal, as his gaze was focused solely on your agonised screams, and the way in which your sliced lips flopped upwards wretchedly, as the screams tumbled from your throat.

Laced among the incoherent cries and woeful calls for sustenance, were pleading words - cries for help, for a saviour, for a hero. Lying, scattered around your crooked form, were a multitude of bones, some human, some animal. Keigo could only assume the human bones had once been companions of his, before their adventure into the centre of your lair. Well, upon closer inspection, he supposed that 'prison' might have asserted a greater level of propriety.

Keigo, despite the quivering of his legs, soldiered forwards, nearly stumbling over his anxiety. There was a foreign desire, kindling deep within his heart, to protect, no - to save you. With each new step, the thrashing of your chains grew wilder and more exaggerated, until Keigo was sure you were making an attempt to ward him away. That seemed...unusual, for a creature who had presumably attacked, slaughtered and eaten his fellows. Nevertheless, Keigo, now within arm's reach, bent down to examine your most burdensome binds. A too-evidently embellished growl dispelled from your lungs, hitting Keigo with the force of a thousand suns. Unfortunately, he was unrelenting, and resolved to tug on your chains until a way to safely remove them presented itself.

You regarded the boy with an unhealthy amount of mistrust. Although, could you truly be blamed? Following your 'rebirth', none had remained in your vicinity for this length of time, except when tormenting your poor, violated soul. Before developing such monstrous tendencies, murderous and cannibalistic, you had witnessed the dawn of spring no more than seven times. A single man, still shrouded in mystery, liberated you from the freedoms of youth, and imprisoned you within these detestable walls. Your mind, forever frozen in time, forced howls of agony to leap from your tongue, at even the most minor inconvenience. Traces of your acid-streaked skin clung, as if tresses of matted hair, to your bones.

The most depraved sub-humanity, was truly an accurate description. For, a startling number of your human parts had been plucked, only to be replaced with those of animals. More specifically, any wandering sheep or goats. The stitches trailing your thighs, wrists and other pieces of flesh, were ragged and hastily-sown, paying no regard to your abject misery. Thus, Keigo permitting himself to linger, occupying such little distance, aroused a suspicion within your heart. Your cries, your begging, must have graced his ears, and yet you possessed no expectation that he actually cared to help.

This blindingly-handsome and compassionate young male repeated that mantra, but now, he couldn't understand it. You looked so broken, so torn, so defiled. Surely, the fault lay not with you, but some higher authority?

His calloused yet nimble fingers ghosted across your cheek, caressing it more gently than you had hoped. "Hey, it's fine." The voice erupted gently from his lungs, causing you to blink rapidly in confusion.

"It's alright. I'm not gonna hurt you - see?"

Your head bobbed up and down, in recognition.

"What's your name?" He questioned, eventually managing to free your wrists and ankles.

A few illegible sounds escaped your lips, before an incredibly hoarse voice sliced through the babble. "(Y-Y-Y-Y/n)."

Keigo's inquisitive tone faded, being replaced with one of renewed tenderness. "That's a nice name. I'm Keigo, it's nice to meet you."

"K-K-Keigo..." You muttered aloud, enjoying the sound of his name on your tongue.

It exuded a taste of sublime sweetness.

[Word Count: 1066]