The tormentor and his victim had both adhered themselves to the script. One would not accept his crimes, while the other would administer pain. Death would have been better, the Monarch prayed, but there was no God to listen to his cries. Or, simply put, Sal was his God.
In his sea-green eyes, Monarch could see himself, scared, curled up into a corner as the glistening blade slowly ground his bones. His mouth parted slightly as the red shade from the lamp above fell on him.
"Why?" He weakly asked, his vision darkening as he gazed at Sal. The Monarch couldn't believe that a fourteen-year-old boy was causing all this pain.
"You tell me," Sal whispered. The screams had stopped five minutes ago. No matter what Sal tried, the Monarch wouldn't react. He wasn't dying, but at the same time, he was not brimming with life. "Or maybe I should ask the children?"-He stopped, his lips curled up in a menacing smile-"Oh, but wait, how can I ask them? Right Monarch? Because you killed them."
"I did not-" His words were cut off as Sal chipped off one of his fingernails. The stab wound was no longer helping.
"Choose your words wisely," Sal warned and chipped off another nail; this time, it was his right pinky finger. "The dead are watching. Each and every one of them is right here, Monarch."
About a year and a half ago, in the Republic Of Muscovy, eastern Europe, a genocide was conducted. It was the worst war crime the world had experienced since the Second Honkai War and the second eruption.
The number of deceased was in the millions, with most of them being children under the age of fourteen and, in the worst cases, even infants. And the worst part was that this was a man-made event. No honkai beasts were involved.
The reason was unknown. When Schiksal forces had stormed into the Republic-held territories last winter, all they saw were mountains of corpses all rotting on the outskirts of the border towns. One common feature among them was a scar on their back, which had a purple-blue hue (A trait one would see in a person corrupted with Honkai).
Sal was one of the first Schiksal members who had landed on the Republic soil. He had seen the bodies with his own eyes, and when he had walked beyond them, he saw wooden sheds with even more children. There was no bed or blanket; all they had was a white coat and hay to sleep in.
Sal had vomited on the sight. He couldn't meet the eyes of anyone present in that room. It was too close to home for him. He knew how it felt to be like them. To be helpless, to be powerless and let the tormentor torment you. He has seen all of that and even worse. Even now, he could feel that his body was not his own.
He could feel his breath and touch as he was defiled.
"Monster..." Back in the present, the Monarch weakly whispered.
"Huh?"
"Schiksal's Monster." The Monarch said again, this time more accusingly.
Sal gave a dry, self-deprecating laugh as he gazed at the older man. This was going to take longer than he expected.
An hour later, Sal stepped out of the room; his uniform had blood stains all over its sleeves. His menacing expression was gone, replaced with a sad one. His breath was erratic as he gripped his right elbow.
"I am fine; everything is okay, Sal. They can no longer get you. You are no longer in that place. It is all over." He recited the lines like a broken record as he crouched down. His eyes were closed as he tried to stop the images of his past from reappearing.
From a distance, Fai quietly watched his friend/colleague battle his anxiety attack. There was nothing he could have done for him. They all knew sending Sal for interrogation meant opening his old wounds. And yet they all let him do it. There was no justification for it, nor any excuse. It was simply how things were.
"We are all going to hell for this Captain," Fai whispered. "All of us. Including me..."
In the battle against Honkai, humanity lost its fundamental ideal, 'Being Humane'. A country that would experiment with their children and an organization that would send child soldiers to solve their problems; both of them were guilty. Yet it was the ones who held the most power to decide who would live and who would die.
And as for the Children Of Second Eruption, they held onto their pride and hatred as they danced under the tune of the Pied Piper the Overseer.
By the time Sal joined everyone in the Hangar, the Mechs had already been delivered. He had missed watching the unloading of the Mechanical Monstority from the delivery flights.
"I have it recorded." Audrey tapped his shoulders and smiled. Her blonde hair dropped over her shoulders as she gazed at the young boy. "So, how did it go?"
"The Monarch is stubborn." Sal sighed; the fear from moments ago had disappeared. "He collapsed from exhaustion and blood loss, but he wouldn't confess."
"I see."
"Also, thanks for the recording," Sal smiled at her as he walked towards Sophia and Rita, who were having a word with the chief technician. However, he felt a tug on his a before he could have reached them.
"Hey!" Audrey complained. "Where do you think you are going without me?"
"I was just going to give Captain my report," Sal retorted. "I can't do that with you."
"Oh, for sure you can." She announced. "After all, we are both partners."
As her shrill voice echoed through the Hangar, everyone went silent. Even Jude, who usually has a big mouth, gazed at his sister. And then everyone erupted into laughter.
"Way to Lieutenant," Someone whistled. "We won't be stealing the Golden Boy from you."
"Congratulations, Sal," Jude gave the confused boy a pat on the back. "You just got the most annoying creature on Earth as your partner. You are in for a world of pain."And as for Audrey, she was standing there frozen. She wanted to run away and hide. This was too embarrassing even for her. As she buried her face in her palms, she felt Someone give her a head.
"I never knew you could be so straightforward, Lieutenant." Sophia grinned. "But I am sure our Golden Boy still doesn't have a clue."
Audrey groaned in annoyance. Though she wasn't sure if it was because of Sal not getting a hint or Sophia knowing how she felt.
A/N Well, this one took me longer than expected. This chapter was the most uncomfortable chapter I have written. With the first half solely focusing on the torture sequence, we also got a glimpse into Sal's traumas. His childhood memory is now closer than ever. We are finally about to learn all about our Boy's past. However, I have to say I am happy I could write this chapter. My months of sadness and pain, along with my newfound way in life, as well as Therapy, all of it, is in this chapter.
The KiaSal fanfiction is about to enter a new phase. From simply being a story about Kiana and Sal falling in love, this story has evolved into how past traumas affect our present and how love can help us heal. Anyway, I will take my leave now, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Like Always, Happy Reading!
Also I have some surprise for you guys haha. So I used AI to generate Sal. Hope you like it.
Also Peak KiaSal Illustration by AI: