Chapter Five: Life of Despair
Deep within the forest, far from the reach of man and law, a small, broken body lay discarded among damp leaves and twisted roots. The earth beneath it had already begun to drink the blood that had spilled from multiple stab wounds, staining the soil dark and heavy. The boy did not move. His chest did not rise. His eyes remained half open, lifeless, staring into nothingness. Li Shen was dead.
Time passed without meaning. The forest did not mourn him. The wind brushed past as if he were nothing more than another fallen branch. Somewhere in the distance, a beast growled, sensing the scent of blood, of fresh meat abandoned and waiting to be claimed. Slowly, something crept closer through the underbrush, cautiously.
Then a faint sharp sound.
Click.
It did not come from the outside, it came from within.
Deep inside Li Shen's body, beyond flesh and bone, beyond blood and pain, something stirred. For a brief moment, the world seemed to pause, as if the forest itself held its breath.
Then another click followed.
Louder and clearer than the last.
And with it a voice.
Cold, mechanical and ancient beyond comprehension.
"Awakening condition has been met."
The air around his body seemed to shift slightly, a faint ripple spreading outward before vanishing just as quickly.
"Merging completed."
A subtle tremor ran through his fingers. Barely noticeable. Weak. Like the echo of something long dead trying to remember what it meant to live.
"Activation in progress…"
A pause.
"Resurrection… one percent."
Silence returned.
The forest continued as if nothing had happened.
But something had begun.
Far away, the mansion stood under the light of a new day, untouched by the events that had ended a life only hours before. Inside, the halls carried on with routine, with order, with the same quiet cruelty that had always existed within its walls.
Beth sat alone in her small room, her body wrapped in cloth, her mind shattered beyond repair. Her eyes were empty, her face pale, her hands resting limply on her lap. She had not slept. She could not. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him again, falling, bleeding, begging.
Dying.
Her fingers curled slightly as a tremor passed through her body. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
Then a knock came, it was soft.
Too soft.
Her body froze instantly.
Another knock followed.
Harder.
"Open the door."
The voice sent a wave of cold through her entire being.
Oliver.
Fear wrapped around her throat, tightening, choking. Her heart began to pound violently as she slowly stood up, her legs weak, unsteady. Every instinct told her not to move, not to open that door, but she had learned long ago that refusal only made things worse.
Step by step, she approached.
Her hand hovered over the handle.
Shaking.
Then she opened it.
Oliver stood there, leaning slightly, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. A smirk formed on his lips, slow and deliberate, like a predator that had already decided how its prey would die.
Beth's breath caught.
Her body reacted before her mind could.
She tried to slam the door shut.
But Oliver was faster.
His hand shot forward, stopping it with ease before forcing it open. The impact pushed her back as he stepped inside, his presence filling the room with something suffocating, something vile.
"Where are you going?" he asked casually, as if this were a normal conversation.
Beth shook her head, backing away.
"Please…" her voice trembled. "Don't…"
Oliver chuckled, closing the door behind him.
"Don't what?" he said. "I just want a turn."
The words hit her like a blade.
Her eyes widened in horror as she shook her head more violently.
"No....no, please....!"
He stepped forward.
She stepped back.
Until her back hit the wall and there was nowhere left to go.
He reached out.
She pushed him.
He grabbed her.
Her body struggled instantly, her hands hitting, scratching, trying anything to break free, but his grip was firm.
"Stop moving," he said, irritation creeping into his voice.
She screamed.
Loud an desperate
Her voice cracked as it echoed through the room, but no one came.
No one would ever come.
Her eyes darted wildly, searching and pleading
Then she saw it.
On the table beside her laid a wooden spoon.
Her hand moved without thought as she grabbed it.
And with every ounce of strength she had left, she drove it forward.
Straight into his eye.
For a split second, everything froze.
Then a scream tore through the air.
"AAAAARGH!"
Oliver staggered back violently, his hands flying to his face as blood burst between his fingers. His body crashed into the wall, knocking over everything around him as he writhed in agony.
"My eye! MY EYE!"
Beth collapsed to the floor, her chest heaving, her entire body shaking uncontrollably as she stared at what she had done.
Her ears rang as her mind went blank.
She had fought back.
She had actually fought back.
Footsteps thundered through the halls.
The door burst open as guards rushed in, followed by Dustin, and then Damion. Their eyes took in the scene instantly, Oliver on the ground, screaming in pain, Beth trembling on the floor, the bloodied spoon still clutched in her hand.
"Grab her!" one of the guards barked.
They moved immediately.
Rough hands seized her, dragging her up despite her weak resistance. She tried to speak, tried to explain, but her voice failed her.
No one listened.
Oliver was lifted, still screaming, as he was rushed away toward the sick bay.
Beth was dragged out like an animal, like something filthy.
Beth was forced to kneel in the main hall, her body aching, her mind barely holding together. Her head was lowered, her hands trembling against the cold floor.
Footsteps approached slow but heavy.
It was Frank.
When she dared to lift her eyes slightly, her breath caught.
His face was no longer calm.
It was twisted with angry.
Looking absolutely ugly.
"What have you done?" his voice rumbled, thick with fury.
Beth tried to speak, her lips parting weakly.
"He..... he tried to...."
"Silence!"
The word struck her like a physical blow.
"You dare harm my son?" Frank's voice rose, echoing through the hall. "A slave dares to injure one of my blood?"
Tears spilled from her eyes as her body trembled violently.
"I was just....."
"Enough!"
He turned to the guards, his expression cold and merciless.
"Take her outside," he shouted.
A pause.
"Flog her until noon."
His eyes darkened further.
Beth's heart dropped.
"Don't let her die."
His voice lowered, filled with something far worse than anger.
"Let her suffer."
She was dragged outside.
The sun was already high, its light harsh and unforgiving. A crowd gathered quickly, drawn by the promise of punishment. Servants. Slaves. All forced to watch.
Beth was tied in place, her arms stretched, her back exposed to the air.
The whip cracked.
Once.
Her body jerked, but no sound came out.
Again. Again. Again.
Each strike tore into her flesh, pain exploding through her body, but she clenched her teeth, refusing to scream, refusing to give them what they wanted.
Time dragged on.
The pain grew as her resistance weakened.
A small cry escaped her lips.
Then another, until finally she broke.
Her scream tore through the air, raw and filled with agony as her body shook uncontrollably.
"Please....!" she cried. "Please stop....!"
But the whip didn't stop, it kept coming.
Relentless and unforgiving.
Three hours passed like an eternity.
Her voice grew weaker, her body grew colder.
Until finally her strength gave out.
Her head dropped as her body went limp, darkness took over her.
But even then they made sure she was still breathing.
Before stopping.