Inside the shattered building stood all of them in utter confusion. Especially the stranger who brought Ash here, he was shocked.
The bulky griped his face intensely.
"What the hell have you done, Reive!"
The stranger couldn't reply and just stood there... dumbfounded!
"Boss! I'm sure he is the one we were looking for. How?!"
The bulky released his grip on his face and walked to Reive, which was the name belonged to the stranger and clenched his shirt.
"You better correct your mistake... soon. And that who you brought, never let him leave no matter what happens."
Reive nodded in frustration and anger and shifted his glare to Ash. The bulky then released his grip from Reive and took some steps towards the room door.
Ash, who was brought here with a broken leg. How miserable! He didn't deserve such a thing like this.
However, Reive noticed his lips curling upwards. The stranger looked at him in perplexation.
Ash, was smiling! Smiling like it was a part of his plan from the very beginning. But how?
Well, it doesn't always come with strings or whispers. Sometimes, it walks beside you. Smiles at you. Apologizes for bumping into you, only to drive the knife deeper when your guard is down.
To make others see what you want them to see. To wear truth like a mask, and lies like a crown.
Ash understood that better than anyone. Better than them, even if they were an underground criminals.
It was something he loved reading about so much from such a young age. Ash found power within that mysterious aspect.
It was Manipulation!
Manipulation doesn't come from pure force. No, it lies within guiding perception.
But what exactly did Ash do to make them believe he isn't heterochromia?
Wait! Is he really heterochromia?
Ash pulled up his torso, his legs couldn't handle to stand up. It was broken after all. Fortunately, it was only one leg of his.
Smiling as he is, Ash looked at Reive in the eye, his lips railed down some blood.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Ash... laughed!
"Underground criminals? Organ traffickers? Don't make me laugh... more than that."
Ash paused for a moment. He used his strongest weapon so many times on others who harassed him, but using it on criminals made him feel superior and joy. He felt invincible!
"...Your first victim! Heterochromia?! Hahahahaha. Well, I'm a man of my words. Release me and none and I mean none will ever know of you all. Justice? Nah, none of that crap value anything to me."
The bulky stopped mid his way and took a glance at Ash without rotating his towering body.
"Release? Pathetic. You won't come out of here... in one piece!"
Reive, who locked his gaze upon Ash, smiled such an ominous one like his face. Meanwhile, Ash felt fear taking a grip on his heart, his smile froze and soon vanished, and his eyes widened.
Ash understood very well! His torture is about to begin.
"Reive, This is your chance to regain my trust in you. Show him who we really are."
The bulky said and continued his walk and gestured for the rest of the gang to follow him, leaving Reive with Ash alone.
Now, everything changes. From being invincible to a cripple!
Reive, once his boss and the others shut the door behind him, pulled a dagger from his pocket. A mad man, that's what Reive appeared to be after licking his dagger while smiling... No, smirking!
"In the name of the Whites... I, Reive Raze, will tear you apart... Ash Verlane! Hope we get some good profit out of you. I hope you compensate us for whatever you have done.
"Don't worry, I'm such a merciful person. Your torture will take place here for the next 7 days. Get ready, our playtime will be one hour later. Good luck, Ash Verlane."
Ash sighed, relaxing his body on the wall behind him and closed his eyes. He only did so after Reive took some steps towards the door.
Ash fell into the embrace of oblivion.
Ash decided to sleep... Before the clock hits zero.
***
The hour had passed. Before Ash could understand everything, he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder.
"Oi! Ash, wake up!"
Ash slowly opened his eyes, only to get confused instantly.
Reive became so much smaller. He wasn't short. Actually, he had a decent height.
However, what Ash saw was totally different. Reive seemed like he got smaller.
'Huh?! How?!' Ash thought.
Ash wasn't fully conscious yet. That's why he couldn't see the slight difference in... him! Not Reive.
"I told you. You only have one hour till our playtime. So, get up already!"
Reive, with a glass of water, splashed it on top of Ash. Only then did Ash fully woke up.
"Well, do not be surprised." Reive said, with a smirk drawn on his face.
Ash, on the other hand, felt something terribly wrong. He felt as if his hands were about to pull apart from his body.
Glancing on his right side, he understood everything... with fear gripping his heart tighter.
He saw two shackles on both of his hands, chained to the wall behind him. His legs were free in the air with nothing to support his weight on. Except for his hands which are on the verge of being separated.
Although, he knew what is wrong with him and why Reive seemed smaller, yet that feeling of unease never left his heart.
There was something else. Something ominous. Yet he couldn't get his hand on it.
"Ah! By the way, sorry for that little scratches on your torso. That was the ceremony of our playtime." Reive said, his smile never faded away. His grin!
'Little scratches? Wha--'
What Ash saw... made him shiver almost immediately!
HIs skin... was peeled! Revealing the other layers of skin beneath. There were blood clots on his peeled skin as well, and some railed over his body.
He didn't feel anything, almost as if he was fine. And the fact that Reive spilled water on top of him, made him unaware of the mess his body faced.
"I doubt you are feeling pain right now. Let's make sure of the efficiency of your nerves..."
Reive raised one finger, only one finger, and touched Ash on his peeled skin.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH! UGH!" Ash felt soaring pain. Like he was hit by a truck, crushing all of his bones and shattering all of his veins. Instead, it was only a gentle, soft touch.
"Hahahahahaha! That's what I love. Yes, Ash Verlane, give me some of your screams!"
Reive kept on touching his peeled skin, a touch after another, until Ash's throat dried from screaming.
What Reive did to Ash was an old, nearly ancient torture technique. This technique played on the victim's nerves into making its sensitivity the highest it could reach.
After 20 minutes of continuous torture, Reive chose to leave Ash alone for a bit. But before his hand touches the handle of the door, Reive decided to go back.
"Sorry, Ash! Forgive me. But torturing you is so much FUN!"
Ash, his face was harshly pale. He couldn't think straight of anything to get him out of this. He just hanged there like a fallen corpse.
After that for the next 2 hours, Reive really had his playtime with Ash. He cut his flesh, burned his already peeled skin, and slashed his ears and his face.
Reive made Ash unrecognisable!
Ash got Mangled!
By that time, all of the Whites were watching. Even the boss watched in amusement and pride. What Reive did made sure that his trust in his boss had regained.
Suddenly, Numerous sirens broke and washed the whole building with sharp noises.
"DAMN IT! THE CPD ARE HERE! EVERYONE! SCATTER AND LEAVE THE LOCATION AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!"
The Whites were running out, only leaving Reive behind to unchain Ash before fleeing away.
"Consider this as a mercy gift from me, Ash Verlane."
Ash didn't even hear him, his hearing was suppressed from severe pain. Ash was on the verge of losing his consciousness.
Yet! He looked at Reive with a glare, and said with a hoarse voice:
"III... The... MANGLE... does... not... stay... KHAAA! Fallen... for... long!"
Reive let Ash fall on the ground with his body full of scars and slashes, torn flesh and peeled skin.
"None of that matters now. Good bye, Ash Verlane. It was nice playing with you."
And with that Reive took his leave.
'This is too much. I can't move one inch. I think... No, I'm sure that I'm about to pass away. SHIT!!! IF ONLY I GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO TEACH THEM HOW REAL TORTURE... a... a...'
Ash reached his last breath!
Surrounded by siren sounds and CPD cars looming around the building, something... strange appeared in front of him.
[Congratulations, Ash Verlane!]
[You have been granted a place among the travelers this month!]
[Welcome, Traveler Ash Verlane!]
[Teleporting: Initiated!]
[Code *789#1000: Installed!]
[The "OLD TIMES" terrain coordination: detected!]
[Good luck, Traveler! You may proceed...]