After the woman was devoured, the hole began to shrink smaller and smaller, as if it were trying to consume itself. When it was a third of its original size, it collapsed inward upon itself. Instead of disappearing into nothingness, it suddenly expanded outward before exploding into a brilliant light.

“Sh*t!” Elysian cursed, his breath catching in his throat as he instinctively covered his eyes with his hand, startled by the sudden turn of events. As his heart pounded incessantly against his chest, the air crackled with tension as his senses reeled, overwhelmed by the situation coupled with his confusion.

‘What the hell?! Can someone tell me what’s going on? Damn it!’

As the light abated, Elysian cautiously opened his eyes and looked in front. Before him, he saw an orb of darkness and blood, locked in a futile attempt to merge into one. The crimson glow emitted by the blood clashed with the effort of the shade to smother it, resulting in an endless struggle between the two opposing forces, neither gaining an advantage. With each moment, the conflict grew more intense until, finally, it stopped; they found equilibrium.

Now, the orb vibrated with pure power, causing Elysian’s very being to tremble just by being close to it.

‘What is that thing? I’ve never felt this much power before. Well, except for Eye of course, but that b*stard is in a league of its own.

Hmm… What do I do now?’

Elysian waited patiently for some more, but the orb just floated in front of him. “Maybe I need to touch it or something. But is it safe?” he asked himself as he observed it intently. “Safe or not, I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

Sighing in resignation, Elysian reluctantly stood up. Rather than approaching the orb directly, he decided to walk around it, observing it from different angles. He hoped that by studying its reactions to his movements, he might gain insight into what he should do next.

‘Still nothing. Do I have any other choice than to touch that thing? I know I might lack the mortal fear, thinking this is just the mental realm and will not affect my physical body, but… but the power contained in that orb is rather terrifying. But do I have a choice, though?

Sigh.

The sad reality is that I don’t. I must do something or rot for eternity in this place.’

With no other option, Elysian took a deep breath and carefully approached the vibrating orb. The closer he got, the more he felt the terrifying power brushing not just against his skin but against his very being. It wasn’t painful per se, but uncomfortable, like a hot wind blowing against him. Undeterred, he pressed forward. Just as he was about to touch the orb, he recoiled as it suddenly began rotating faster and faster before hurtling toward him and striking him in the chest.

Elysian’s body was propelled backward, a startled gasp escaping his lips as he soared through the air. Just as he was about to fall, his body stopped moving, leaving him suspended in mid-air. His heart pounded hard as a rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins, struggling to comprehend what had just happened. Paralyzed by shock, he found himself unable to properly process the situation.

‘Wha… Agh!’

Just as the boy was on the verge of regaining his senses, he let out a guttural scream. This cry was unlike any other. When he had been tortured by BloodShade, it felt as though his body and mind were being sliced open and carved out. The pain was excruciating; there was no question about that, but it was bearable for him. However, this experience was different, far worse, and far more agonizing. The shriek echoed the torment of his very being, torn to pieces, only to be reformed and transformed anew. Every fiber of his existence seemed to convulse with indescribable anguish as if undergoing a profound metamorphosis of the soul.

This was the first time since returning to the past that he felt truly scared. The young noble’s heart pounded wildly in his chest, his mind racing with uncertainty and dread. He didn’t know how much longer he could endure this torment, his resolve wavering with each passing moment.

‘Agh! F*ck! What the hell is happening? Is this why that b*tch grinned at me? What has she done this time?

Agh!

Damn it, t-this is unbearable! I don’t think I-I can hold any longer.’

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As he was about to slip into unconsciousness, Elysian’s mind drifted to the memory of his sister’s face—the tear-streaked eyes that haunted his thoughts. Regrets of the past flood his mind, each one a weight on his soul. Gritting his teeth in defiance, he fought against the encroaching darkness, clinging desperately to the flicker of life within him.

‘Now that I’ve been given a second chance, would I give up? No, never! I can’t allow my sister to suffer again. I won’t allow my uncle to win. No matter what, I must live!’

As his guttural scream echoed into the empty white realm, Elysian fought on, his grip on life tenuous, like a delicate thread in a storm. Time blurred into obscurity as he lost track of its passing, his senses consumed by the relentless struggle for survival.

Abruptly, the pain vanished as if it had never existed. Though he remained conscious, darkness suddenly consumed his vision.

~ ~ ~

‘What did I ever do wrong? Why… why are they doing this? Why? Why don’t they let me die?’

Even now, it remains a mystery to her why someone would subject her to this fate. She was just an ordinary wife of a farmer, who was a devoted and loving father to their children. One fateful night, she and her entire family were abducted by a group of men. Their identities remained unknown to her. What she knew for certain was their cruelty. ‘Cruel’ didn’t even begin to describe what they did to them. Bound to a chair, she could only watch in horror as her son and daughter were tortured before her eyes. The anguish of what they had to witness became so unbearable that her husband, unable to endure the torment inflicted upon their children, took his own life.

She wanted to follow suit, attempting to end her own life by biting her tongue to bleed out or slamming her head against the wall. But they kept thwarting her attempts, saving her life each time. She even refused to eat or drink, but they always found ways to keep her alive, prolonging her agony as they raped and tortured her repeatedly. She begged them to just end her suffering, but they only laughed in response. They seemed to revel in her pain, prolonging her torment without mercy. She couldn’t fathom why. Why had the gods forsaken her, if they even existed? If there was a deity, it was surely a cruel one.

Now, she was nothing but a broken woman, imprisoned in a cage barely a third of her height. This confinement wasn’t fit for a human; it was more suited to a dog, and she was treated as one. Though inclined to cry, no tears came from her eyes; they had already dried from the crying and misery she had endured. She did not even know how long she was held captive here. Months? Years? Time seemed to blur into a relentless cycle of pain and suffering, leaving her lost in an endless abyss of despair.

It was strange that, despite all she had endured, she hadn’t succumbed to madness. Typically, possessing such strong mental fortitude would be considered an asset coveted by many. However, in her case, it felt more like a curse. She yearned to lose her sanity, to escape the relentless suffering that seemed to have no end. Yet her mind refused to break, perhaps even until her bitter end.

“Hi, there, beautiful,” one of her mask tormentors teased as he entered the room where her cage was kept. “Did you miss me?”

‘Is it time for suffering again? When will this ever end?

Sigh.

Hopefully, my end is near so that I can finally see my children and husband again.

Hmm… Why do they keep wearing that mask of theirs? It’s just pure black, without any design or features. Would it even matter if I saw their faces? It isn’t like I know them. Who would I even report to if I could escape this place? I’m just a powerless farmer’s wife. They likely have a powerful connection outside this place…’

“Why are you silent, my love?” he asked, relishing the sight of her hopeless eyes. Out of nowhere, he kicked her cage. “Hey, are you listening to me, b*tch?!”

The woman merely glanced at him with indifferent eyes. She couldn’t discern which of her abusers this was; even though they had different voices, they were simply too many. It didn’t help that they all wore uniform masks. Despite their efforts to provoke a reaction from her, she remained impassive. She had grown accustomed to their cruelty, rendering her almost immune to their actions. Yet they persisted, constantly devising new ways to elicit a reaction and inflict further suffering upon her numb soul. Knowing the inevitable, she simply let out a deep sigh.

“I see. You’re playing hard to get,” the man stated with a hint of humor in his voice. “Don’t worry. This will be a very special day.”

That statement instantly got her attention, prompting her to look up and study him intently.

‘Are they done with their games? Will they finally kill me?’

“Ah, there! That look in your eyes. That hope,” he remarked, seeing her reaction. When the woman scowled at him, he quickly added, “Don’t look at me like that, love. I promise you, it’s real this time.”

‘This is likely just one of their games. I wanted to believe it this time, but how many times did they lie to me? I won’t be treated like a fool.’

“It’s alright if you don’t believe me, love,” the man said, sighing as he observed her skepticism. “It doesn’t matter whether you believe or not. You’ll see later that I’m telling the truth. But before that, I think we need to get going, or we’ll be late for your appointment.”

The man opened her cage before grabbing the cord of her leash, leading her out like a beast of labor with one purpose—a prey for the debauchery of rotten men.

“Hmm…” he mused, studying her for a moment as she crawled out of her cage. Suddenly, his laid-back eyes transformed into those of a carnivore, filled with lust. “If this is the last time we’ll see each other, wouldn’t it be best to enjoy ourselves for old times’ sake? It would be a beautiful memory for me to reminisce on when I miss you. What do you think, my love?”

‘Just get it over with.’

“Aren’t you excited?” the man asked, eagerly awaiting her reaction. When she just remained silent, irritation flooded him. Grabbing her hair, he forced her head up to meet her gaze. “Why aren’t you answering me, love? It baffles me that you don’t seem to care that we won’t see each other anymore,” he remarked, shaking his head in frustration before sighing. Abruptly, he slapped her across the face, then pulled her head back toward him. “Why won’t you answer me, you f*cking b*tch?! I’ve poured my heart out to you, yet you’re always cold to me.”

When the woman saw his fury, a smile graced her lips. “Why waste my time with your monologue? It’s not like I can feel that tiny d*ck of yours,” she quipped, spitting on his face.