Cassian's jaw dropped open in surprise and in fear.
'A slap?' It was the one thing he did not expect from the demon.
Cassian was surprised, 'It didn't even hurt,' but it had sent shivers down his spine. He could feel something deep inside of him twitch uncomfortably. Cypher snapped his fingers, and chains appeared from the ceiling, fastening themselves on his wrists.
At the same time, a whip appeared in Cypher's hand.
The chains raised Cassian into the air, and his weight made them dig into his wrists painfully.
Cassian just clenched his teeth and prepared his body.
Crack!
The snap of the whip echoed in the room, and the sharp pain dug into his chest.
'It's painful, but if it's for humanity, this much is nothing.' His eyes blazed with determination.
Crack!
Crack!
Just before the pain completely dulled, Cypher would strike with his whip again.
Crack!
Crack!
In just a couple of minutes, Cassian's shirt was full of holes, and blood was dripping from his body to stain the white tile floor.
Crack!
Crack!
Five minutes, and there was still not a single break in the use of the whip. Cassian knew exactly the time the whip was coming, exactly at what point of his fading pain that it would strike again.
It was too regular; every time he thought the whip was coming, he flinched.
"How long do I have to stay?"
It had only been five minutes, but he was already looking for an out.
"You will come here every night at midnight, and will stay until the sun rises."
His eyes widened in fear, but he just gritted his teeth.
'As long as I do not say those words.'
…
Six hours later
A flower of blood splattered underneath Cassian's feet. Cassian himself no longer looked human, but like a pile of gnawed flesh, not any part of him unscarred.
"Do you want to give up yet?" A sadistic smile came from Cypher, who had removed his jacket partway through the torture. He did not have a speck of blood on him.
"I-I… protect t-the h-human…"
A murmur that could have been mistaken for wind.
"What did you say? I couldn't hear you." Cypher was playful.
"I swear…" He muttered again.
"Speak up."
"I s-swear…" He repeated like a broken record.
A glint of intellect glimmered in Cypher's eyes as if he understood exactly what was happening and was satisfied with it.
"Wouldn't want you breaking on day one, after all, I promised not to kill you."
Cypher snapped his fingers, and Cassian healed immediately.
"Consider this power a gift."
Cassian dropped from the ceiling into the pool of blood. He immediately clutched his own shoulders and started shivering. It was not cold, but his body was not under his control.
"You're free to go, let's have fun tonight."
He opened the door, and the first light of dawn shone perfectly on the spot he was in.
Slowly, but surely, Cassian raised himself from the ground and started to make his way to the door.
His entire body was twitching uncontrollably, and he was still clutching his shoulders, so he tripped several times as he walked.
He eventually got out of the building and looked around to find his bearings. After finding out where he was, he began limping in the direction of his house.
Since dawn had come, many people had already started their day, but their morning was ruined by a boy shrinking away from everything. He only had ripped pants on, but was entirely covered in blood.
His back was hunched, and he was swaying back and forth in his pace.
The whispers, "I… swear…" Frightened people the most because he was repeating it endlessly like a ghost's last regret.
Cassian ignored everything, sticking only to his own pledge muttered from his lips.
'I have to go there again, I will have to go there forever.'
"I swear to protect the human race with my very life. Contributing any and every ability I possess to the furtherment of mankind."
To him, the words were reason itself.
'As long as I don't say those words, everything will be fine.' It was just another lie to distract himself with.
SCREECH!
A black limousine came to a stop, drawing the attention of everybody, but Cassian didn't even flinch, didn't even look.
The door opened to a woman's light blue hair.
"Are you okay? What happened to you?" She shouted, but it fell onto deaf ears.
Alizée first tried to speak to him, then pat him on the shoulder, then tried to grab his hand. Each failure made her more desperate.
Finally, she stood in front of him and grabbed Cassian's shoulders.
Cassian flinched once again and looked at her with petrified eyes.
"Is that you? Cassian."
"Alizée?" The word sounded surprised, but was only a whisper.
"Cassian, what happened?" Concern filled her voice.
Cassian fell back onto the ground and started pushing himself away from her.
'I-I can't tell her, I can't tell anyone.' Thoughts flew through his head painfully.
"Please tell me, I am concerned."
'She was always kind like this, enough to help a stranger on the street.' He created his own inner monologue instead of replying to her.
She reached her hand out in a kind offer.
Cassian flinched again.
"I-I'm fine." Those were the only words he could squeeze out of his mouth.
Alizée's eyes started to glisten as tears formed.
"I still can't protect anyone," she muttered low enough that nobody could hear her.
Something in Cassian snapped in that second. Just seeing her begin to cry brought pain to him, more than enough to forget a night's whipping.
She was crying for him when she had her own life to care about. She was surely going through the pain of her awakening, yet she was still here for him.
Cassian breathed out slowly through his mouth. Composure found him.
He stood and grasped Alizée's hand, "I am completely fine."
He then dropped her hand and continued walking forward past her.
'I didn't just suffer for a night, I saved humanity, and I saved her.'
The thought made him feel confident.
Alizée grasped her hand into a fist, "Why can't I help you? Why do I have to be so weak?"