CW (!):graphic violence, assault, choking/strangulation, sexual violence(threat + past + on-page), coercive/degrading language, intense distress.
The Boss's laugh crackled through the damp alley—cruel, triumphant, hungry. "Bring her to me as well," he commanded, his voice thick with venomous glee. "And if you want... take your time with her."
The enforcer's grin widened, a predator savoring the fear radiating from his prey. He ended the call, the click of the phone loud in the sudden, suffocating silence. Blood dripped from a gash on his temple, dark and slick against the rain-washed pavement as he stepped over Kuro's motionless form. His boots scraped against the concrete, closing the distance with deliberate, heavy strides. His eyes—flat, dark, and utterly devoid of mercy—never left hers.
"Sweetheart," he rasped, the endearment a grotesque mockery. His gaze dropped, lingering on the curve of her throat, the thin fabric of her damp sweater clinging to her frame. "You heard the Boss." He took another step. The alley walls pressed in, trapping her. The stench of blood, wet garbage, and his sweat-choked breath filled her nostrils.
〖No. No no no no—〗 The thoughts screamed, a frantic echo of every unwanted touch from her childhood. She knew that look in the enforcer's eyes. The look that stripped her bare, that said you are nothing, and I will take what I want. Her stomach clenched violently. Her fingers tightened around the crumpled business card in her hand, the sharp corners digging into her palm.
He was only an arm's length away now. She could see the bloodshot eyes, the coarse stubble on his jaw, the cruel twist of his smile.
He reached out, his thick hand aiming for her hand, not to grab, but to claim.
The movement triggered something primal. Not courage, but the raw, animal terror of a cornered thing.
A choked sob escaped her. She jerked backward, her shoulder slamming painfully against the cold, wet brick wall. "P-please..." The word was a gasp, barely audible over the drumming rain and her own frantic heartbeat.
But it wasn't just fear in her eyes anymore.
It was the hollow, soul-deep horror of recognition.
〖It's happening again. Make it stop. Someone. Help. It's happening again.〗
His hand closed around her wrist—rough, bruising.
Hikari cried out, a wounded sound torn from her throat as he yanked her forward.
The scent of blood and stale sweat choked her.
"P-Please, I'm not—" she stammered, struggling weakly, her free hand pushing uselessly against his chest.
He laughed—a low, guttural sound that vibrated through her bones.
"Quiet bi###," he snarled, his other hand grabbing a fistful of her soaked sweater, dragging it downward to expose her shoulder.
Her stomach twisted, bile rising in her throat.
His breath was hot and foul against her skin as the bristle of his stubble scraped her cheek.
Then his mouth pressed against her jaw, wet and forceful, making her flinch and jerk her head away, but his grip only tightened on her sweater.
〖Don't touch me please stop it don't touch me please stop it don't—,〗 "-no-please-stop-", Her voice cracked like thin ice.
She desperately clung to Kuro's card, as if she could draw strength from it, forcing herself to hold on.
She wanted to escape, she wanted to run, she wanted to —
The enforcer's arm locked around her waist, pinning her in place as his other hand slid up her thigh.
His mouth pressed against the bare skin of her shoulder, breath hot and foul, lips grazing her collarbone where he'd yanked her sweater down before.
〖His hands—like ###########—stop, please—〗
Rain plastered her hair to her face, mingling with tears.
A sob tore from her throat as fabric ripped.
Silence erupted in her mind.
Her eyes stared forward, fixed on nothing, her gaze drifting somewhere past him and up—empty, unfocused, as if she were watching herself from far away.
Cold air hit her collarbone, and his lips brushed her neck—wet, possessive. She gagged again, vision blurring.
The color faded from her irises, leaving them dull and hollow.
Everything fell silent.
The world slowed, rain beating out a rhythm she no longer heard as she slipped further from herself.
The enforcer's hand clamped over her mouth, his sour breath flooding her nostrils. "Look at him," he hissed against her ear, nodding toward Kuro's still form. "He's not saving you. No one is." His other hand yanked at her waistband as Hikari's eyes stayed locked on Kuro's bloodied face. Rain blurred her vision—or maybe it was the numbness spreading through her veins like ice. 〖Death isn't just talking... he's here. He's touching me.〗
〖Burn. Disappear. Ash. I want it all to end.〗
Her thoughts dissolved into static.
〖Just... let it end.〗
The crumpled card slipped from her numb fingers, landing silently in a puddle of rain and Kuro's blood as the enforcer's wet lips slid along her jaw.
〖I wish... I was ash. Ash in the wind. Gone. My only purpose was to stop existing.〗
◇ ◇ ◇