Day 1.

When I woke up, I was chained in a medium dark room. It was dirty and smelled horrible, however I was more worried about my wounds that made my whole body ache in agony. The bleeding had stopped but it still hurt a lot.

I noticed that the chains binded both my arms and feet and I was left totally unable to move. Since it was useless to waste energy, I focused on collecting my thoughts first.

I tried to recall the past events and when I finally composed myself, I understood why I was in prison. They probably thought that since it was impossible to use Fire Magic without Fire Cindril, I had sneaked in some kind of fire item.

However, why did they not even let me try to explain myself ? I’m sure someone would have understood that I had used Creative Magic, right ?

There was no light at all in my cell. It was as if I was closing my eyes and I could not see anything. I wasn’t afraid of the dark but such a situation disturbed me.

I waited and waited… for who knows how many hours. No one came to visit me. I knew I was too weak to use Magic because of my previous battle. Although Mana replenishes while resting, the process is slowed down significantly if one is wounded or in pain.

Having nothing better to do, I slept once more.

***

Day 2.

I was woken up by Orth, who was standing in front of me. I could see him because a flame was burning in his hand. In his other hand, he was holding a candle.

“So, did you sleep well ? Hahaha. Did you think you were going to successfully kill me ? YOU MORON ! I am the great Orth Porcephone, the next Emperor !”

“Wait ! I didn’t try to kill you ! I just used Crea-”

“Silence ! How dare you talk back to me !? I didn’t come here to hear your excuses. I came here to punish you. Do you know what happens to assassins who try to kill the Emperor ? They are executed. E-XE-CU-TED !”

“You… you’re going to kill me ?”

“Unfortunately for you, I’m not the Emperor just yet. But I’ve been allowed by Papa to deal with you personally. And I’m not as kind as him. You will die indeed. But not now… Not before you suffer a thousand times the pain I suffered from your sneak attack.”

A sadistic light was burning in his eyes. His smile was distorted by a mixture of anger and enjoyment. A very unsightly face that was spitting on mine.

The torture started soon after. Orth used a pencil to draw a line separating my body in half, vertically and symmetrically. He then moved the Flame in his hand and started burning the left side of my body with a precision that showed it wasn’t the first time he did something like that.

“AAAAARRGGHHH !”

An inhuman shout came from my body. I knew I wouldn’t die from the burns because humans rarely die from being burnt alive. Normally they die from suffocation first. However Orth used Wind Magic to push the smoke aside. All that was left was an agonising pain running along my left foot.

He started burning my left leg and gradually went up. However I didn’t faint. That was because he had drugged me beforehand so that I would stay awake.

This hell continued for half an hour. Although burning half of my body finished quickly, the Elf referee was ordered by Orth to continuously heal me.

I was stuck in an endless cycle of burning and regeneration. Just when my mind couldn’t take it, Orth finally stopped after burning my left half a last time. The Elf didn’t heal me and they left.

I was left with half of my body black and red from the blood and burnt skin. Ah and my left eye was also destroyed in the process. My face… I could neither touch it nor see it but I could imagine what it looked like. And it was not something I wanted to show anyone.

By the way, when I said that Orth burnt the left side of my body… he burnt everything. And by everything, I mean everything.

***

Day 3.

Orth came again today. The torture resumed. Exactly the same as yesterday. He only focused on my left side.

This time it lasted one whole hour.

Then I was left in the dark, once more. All… alone.

***

Day 4.

I have come to accept this daily routine. Today, it was one hour and half. Looks like it will be increasing by thirty minutes everyday.

I can’t use my Magic. Not enough focus… not enough will power. My only salvation is the moment I get healed by the Elf. He is also the one who takes care of… my excrement.

I’m fed a minimum. I’m starving…

I don’t have any clothes on. I’m cold…

Someone… please… save me…

***

Day 5.

No one’s coming to save me… why ? I can’t escape on my own…

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Of course, I’m still being tortured. Every day. Every single day. For a longer period of time.

I can’t cry anymore. I’m too dehydrated and tired. But I still can’t sleep. They still drug me. The food is full of this drug that forces me to stay awake. But if I don’t eat it, I’ll die from starvation.

Dying… it might not be so bad….

***

Day 6.

Instead of leaving with Orth after the torture, this time the Elf stayed behind.

“Your father… has been executed yesterday. For high treason .”

“Ha… this is a lie… right ?”

The Elf shook his head with a serious face and left.

I see… Father… died…

Why was he killed again… ?

I just want… to sleep… and forget everything.

***

Day 10.

It’s been more than a week…

I’ve been tortured 9 times so far… that means it’s my 10th day in jail.

The torture lasts 3 hours everyday now… it’s not increasing anymore but that’s just because that’s my limit. More and I’d die from the pain.

I started talking to someone. I can hear him replying to me. I can’t see him though. I don’t know where he is.

He said he didn’t have a name so I called him Wahnsinn.

Even though he’s there… it still feels like I’m alone.

Wahnsinn never contradicts what I say. All he does is agreeing and stating his opinions.

When I don’t want him to talk, he doesn’t. What a convenient cell partner.

I’ve realised something after talking with Wahnsinn. No one will come to rescue me.

Because… because… Father is dead ? Nah… that must be a lie. It’s impossible… Father can’t have died. I’ll wait a bit more.

***

Day 13.

I noticed something after today’s torture session.

Orth and the Elf can’t see Wahnsinn. That’s because he is inside of my head. I didn’t realise it until now but my mouth moves by itself when Wahnsinn talks.

I’m becoming insane…

I started to think about Father. I’ll be honest. Until now I didn’t believe the Elf. I just accepted what he had said about Father’s execution because I thought it was just… I don’t know actually. I just couldn’t accept it. I still can’t accept it.

But there is a fact that scares me. The fact that no one has come for me yet. I know Father can’t have been killed. He hasn’t done anything right ? Surely, he’s working on trying to find a way to rescue me. Right ?

***

Day 14.

I usually faint at the end of the 3 hours of torture and wake up with a little bit of meat on in front of me for me to eat.

Today however, it stopped before I fainted. The reason for this is that Orth wanted to show me something.

“Jerius, bring it to me.”

“Yes, my lord.”

When Jerius (the Elf) came back, he gave something shaped like a sphere to Orth. Orth put it in front of me and placed a candle next to it . They then both left. I could hear his sadistic laugh weakening as I was back to solitude.

When I first saw the ball-like thing in front of me, I didn’t understand what it was. I took a good look at it with my only remaining eye.

It was Father’s head.

“Ah… aha… “

I broke down into a nervous laugh. It’s the only thing I could do since I couldn’t cry anymore. Instinctively though, I switched to another way of expressing my feelings.

“AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR !!!”

My roar surprised me. I didn’t think I had still enough energy for that. However, my feelings couldn’t be contained.

Father died. I couldn’t deny it anymore. He had passed away. I’d never see him ever again.

“Whose fault is it ?”

Soon after grieving for Father’s death, my sadness let place to an urge to find the one responsible for it.

Was it me ? No. Wahnsinn agreed. It wasn’t my fault. Whose fault was it then ?

The Emperor. Orth. The Elf. The guards. The spectators. They’re all responsible. They are the origin of my pain and suffering.

THEY ARE THE ONES WHO DESTROYED MY LIFE !

I felt a feeling I had never felt inside of my chest before.

A feeling of hate. These people. Why do they even exist ? It’s an error. A bad joke.

Ah yeah. That’s what it is. It is all a joke isn’t it ? It was all outside of my control. The world made fun of me. I need to rectify things…

From now on, I will be the joker.