After Lex finally left, the heavy door shutting with a thud, Karl slumped against the cold wall. His chest shook as sobs broke out of him, and he buried his face in his hands. The stinging on his cheeks was unbearable—her slaps had left his skin raw, each tear that fell making it burn even more. He cried harder, his body trembling, the sound of his own sobs echoing faintly in the silent, damp basement.
After a while, he forced himself to calm down, sniffling as he wiped his face roughly with his sleeve. His quickly pulled out the medicine Ruby had told him about. "Come on, Kai… hold on," he whispered shakily, crawling toward Kaelan.
When he turned Kaelan's face slightly, his breath caught in his throat. The injury was on his head, a dark, deep wound that made Karl's stomach twist. He ripped a piece of fabric from his robe with trembling hands, carefully wiping away the dried and fresh blood. He flinched every time he touched the wound, his heart aching to see Kaelan like this.
