Song

Chapter 9: Torture

It's like having his muscles slashed by dozens of serrated blades, scraping his organs constantly and at the same time, forcing them to shiver painfully against his will. The electrical currents come in bursts of three seconds, followed by three seconds of respite, and repeat.

Both the boys have their naked bodies crucified against a wooden cross, nails driven through palms, their torsos and limbs restrained by razor sharp wires that dig into their skin. The blood from their wounds have dried out already. And if that isn't enough to restrain them, their wrists are cuffed and chained to the walls as well. Both the cuffs and the wires are the things serving as conductors for the electricity, which is coming from a source outside.

Shu has already lost track of the number of bursts a long time ago. There's no way to tell time from this place since there are no windows, and only a couple of sunseeds to function as lights for them. Shu's nose has already grown numb to the smell of charred flesh. If this keeps up for too long, he knows that he'll go mad from the agony and despair, tormented by thoughts that the torture will never end.

"Shu... can you... hear me..." Song whispers, interrupted by the shocks.

It takes a while for those words to register in Shu, five bursts worth. Like every part of his body, Shu's brain only works in intervals of three seconds.

"Yeah."

"I'm... sorry..."

"This again?"

Song's breathing becomes ragged for a moment, but after a couple of bursts, he manages to calm himself down. The electrical torture isn't just a physical test; it's a mental one as well. One has to be attuned to the rhythm of the shocks. Panic for a moment and lose your rhythm, then fear seeps in, which will then take a toll on your sanity, so focus is vital. But still, Song is choosing to speak at a time like this. Whatever he's trying to say, it must mean a lot to him.

"After this... we'll... get out... of here..."

Shu takes several bursts to connect his thoughts.

"Here?"

"The... Blossom..."

"This again?"

Song remains silent. For a moment, Shu believes that Song is just saying his usual stuff again about running away.

"This... time..." Song suddenly says. "I will..." He then hisses as the next shock catches him off guard. "I... mean it..."

Shu's pupils roll towards Song. The boy's eyes are distant, his thoughts far beyond the wires and chains and voltage intruding his vessel. But it's not a look of despair. Song doesn't know the meaning of the word 'weakness'. The fire still burns bright in eyes. Hatred, grudge, but beneath all of those dark emotions, there's something else as well.

"They will... make us... kill Rei..." Song's features tighten. "I will... not let..."