Part 14
Felix stared at Hyunjin for a timeless moment, speechless and aghast. The sheer magnitude of the demand, his body's trembling fear and his moral revulsion battled within him. He lowered his head, clenching his fists so hard the ridges of his knuckles turned white, his lower lip quivering violently with barely suppressed fury
"What is it? Are you finally agreeing to the offer?" Hyunjin pressed, his smirk sharp and expectant
Felix slowly lifted his head and took a deliberate, defiant step closer. He leaned in slightly, their faces now only inches apart, the air between them charged with volatile tension
"Why on earth would I even bother asking a contemptible bastard like you for anything when I know exactly the vile sickness you harbor?" Felix hissed the words out, low and venomous "Go find some other pathetic creature to satisfy your disgusting urges" He finished the sentence in a slow, chilling whisper near Hyunjin's ear
As Felix tried to pull away, Hyunjin snapped out and clamped a steel grip on his forearm, his fingers digging in, forcing their eyes to lock again "Do you truly believe you possess strength when your entire body is visibly shuddering right now? So, you can't even make this simple, necessary trade for Jae-bum? He is rotting in the dark because of your intervention and he threw away his own safety to protect you without a second thought"
The cruel logic of Jae-bum's sacrifice crushed Felix's defiance. He froze, guilt momentarily paralyzing his will
"Cat got your tongue, little one? Come on, I require the definitive answer. Are you ready to make the optimal decision for Jae-bum?" Hyunjin whispered, his voice dangerously soft and manipulative
Felix violently tore his arm free, the skin already reddened "Never! I... I absolutely won't do that. Not ever!"
"Ha! Poor Jae-bum, then. I suppose the dark solitary room will be his extended home" Hyunjin said, adopting a tone of exaggerated, mocking pity
"Go to hell! Rot there!" Felix screamed, turning and fleeing the unbearable confrontation
Felix stumbled blindly into the small, dusty library. He immediately collapsed onto the cold floor, clutching his hair tightly and burying his face into his knees, his entire frame rocking with silent agony
"No! No! I absolutely refuse to do that... I can't bear that thought.... I hate it!" He shook his head side to side in frantic denial "Forgive me, Jae-bum Hyung ! Please forgive me!" His eyes were shining like wet stars from the sudden rush of tears "Why are these horrors happening? Why must I be the one to endure this constant terror?" He suddenly let out a raw, desperate howl that was quickly swallowed by the high shelves of books
Weakly, Felix got up and grabbed a few random books, any books at all, heavy, dense volumes. He didn't even register the titles; he just needed to create a barrier against the psychological noise, seeking a temporary, utilitarian escape through distraction
In the utter blackness of the isolation cell, Jae-bum was leaning heavily against the cold, damp wall, eyes closed. For the past few days, his thoughts had been laser-focused on Felix's well-being, prioritizing that over his own pain
"Please be strong, Felix. Please don't let them break your spirit" Jae-bum muttered in a weak, rough voice.
The keys rattled, signaling the guard's approach. A tray of food was pushed onto the floor
"Excuse me" Jae-bum said, pushing himself off the cot "Is everything running smoothly outside?"
"What do you mean by that?" the guard said with clear impatience
"I mean, is there any unusual conflict? Any trouble or major commotions involving the other prisoners?" Jae-bum clarified, seeking assurance that the general state of the environment was stable
"No. Everything is fine " the guard said and slammed the heavy door shut and locked it
Jae-bum felt a small wave of relief, confirming the short-term stability of the environment, but it was insufficient to quell his primary anxiety about Felix.
Later, the prisoners lined up for the communal showers. Felix was standing rigidly, his body tight when Hyunjin entered, the other prisoners instantly recoiled, creating a wide path. Hyunjin walked straight to the back of the line, positioning himself directly behind Felix, invading his personal space.
He leaned down and breathed a dangerous whisper into Felix's ear "You have until tomorrow morning. That is the deadline. After that this offer is completely revoked"
Felix shuddered as the voice registered, fighting the overwhelming urge to bolt "I won't do it. I would prefer death over doing anything so utterly disgusting with you" he hissed back
Hyunjin's eyes turned intensely dark, a silent surge of rage. He said nothing, simply letting the crushing weight of his presence hang heavy. Felix's turn came and he quickly walked away
"I will utterly destroy you! you foolish, self-destructive idiot" Hyunjin vowed softly under his breath
At lunch, Felix moved forward to take his tray. A slightly younger inmate stopped it
"You're Felix, right?" the inmate asked, his eyes darting nervously
"Y-yes!! Do you know me?" Felix asked, instantly on high alert
"Ha! No, I just hear your family's status mentioned around here too much" the inmate said with a quick, nervous, slightly artificial smile "Here" He presented the tray
Felix sat down, intending to eat quickly but Hyunjin suddenly let out a deafening roar
"Who the hell do you think you are sitting in my assigned area?" Hyunjin bellowed and kicked the young inmate's stool out from under him
Felix spun around and immediately tried to force down his food and leave, recognizing the setup but hoping to minimize the external damage
Hyunjin watched Felix deliberately ignore the turmoil. He grabbed the young man by the collar and slammed him brutally against Felix's table
Felix closed his eyes tightly and set his spoon down, accepting the interference was unavoidable
"Please... Sir, stop. I was wrong. I apologize," the man pleaded tremulously
Hyunjin looked directly at Felix "This public consequence is directly attributable to your stubbornness, Felix"
Felix looked up at Hyunjin in confusion...
"Please stop! My arm is breaking!" the man cried, his pain twisting his face
"You want me to stop?" Hyunjin said, his eyes glittering "Then the boy right in front of you has to beg me to stop" Hyunjin's eyes were wide and maniacal as he stared at Felix
Felix's eyes widened in sheer horror. The cost has shifted
"Please, help me! He's going to kill me... Please, stop him!" the poor man sobbed, directing his pleas solely at Felix
Felix inhaled a deep, rattling breath of air, the cold air burning his lungs. He stood up and slowly walked toward Hyunjin
"Stop this, please" Felix said, his voice flat with despair
"Ha! That's not nearly enough. You must explicitly plead" Hyunjin enlarged his eyes and smiled, jerking the inmate's arm higher, causing a sickening, audible snap
"Agh! Please, please!" the man screamed, collapsing
Felix immediately placed his small, desperate hand over Hyunjin's thick, cruel wrist and looked up, his eyes glazed with tears and total humiliation
"Please stop, I'm begging you. Stop this now!"
Hyunjin looked down at Felix's small, shaking hand gripping his own. The tension in Hyunjin's wrist instantly dissolved. Felix instantly pulled his hand away, sickened by the contact.
Hyunjin released the inmate, who clutched his broken arm and fled, scrambling away in pure terror
"That will be far more satisfying when you say it on the bed, begging me to stop" Hyunjin whispered, his voice a dark, sensual promise next to Felix's ear
Felix instantly recoiled a step, bile rising in his throat "You are diseased, a psychopath"
Hyunjin laughed loudly, a triumphant, scornful sound, as Felix immediately fled the dining hall, the only rational course of action
It was nearly seven in the evening. Felix was in his cell, trying to read a book, attempting to stave off the intrusive thoughts. His eyes kept blurring, and he felt as though everything in his vision was swaying violently
"I think... I've reached my limit," Felix murmured, his head pounding with dizziness
When he stood up, he felt an immediate, suffocating rush of lightheadedness, and his legs felt unbearably weak, rubbery, and unreliable
"Umm... What... is this sudden debilitating weakness?" Felix asked weakly, leaning hard against the wall
He felt an intense, dry, burning heat radiating from his core. Suddenly, a wave of violent, uncontrollable nausea hit him. He clamped a hand over his mouth and, with weak, faltering steps, made his way toward the washroom area
As soon as he reached the basin, he barely managed to turn on the faucet before he violently emptied his stomach in repeated, painful spasms, retching until his throat was scorched and his stomach was empty and acutely cramping
"I feel like... I can't... breathe" Felix gasped, closing his eyes, sweat slicking his forehead as he clung to the basin for dear life
He splashed freezing cold water on his face, but the internal, feverish heat was impervious. With trembling, weak steps, he tried to leave the area, needing to get to his bed
But Hyunjin walked in, pausing in slight shock to see Felix there
Felix tried to push past him, weaving dangerously "I... I have no residual energy... for conflict or conversation" Felix whispered faintly, his voice barely audible
Hyunjin smirked, readying a cruel jest, but when Felix forced his head up, Hyunjin's smirk instantly vanished, replaced by an expression of sharp alarm. Felix's face was a startling, dangerous white, his lips almost blue, his eyes sunken and darkly circled and he was gasping for air in short, desperate bursts
"What the hell happened to you?" Hyunjin demanded, a deep, sudden vein of urgency running through his voice
Before Hyunjin could reach him, Felix's eyes rolled back slightly. He instantly went limp, his entire weight collapsing bonelessly forward. Hyunjin instinctively lunged, catching the fragile form and they tumbled to the floor together, the impact softened entirely by Hyunjin's body
"Hey!! Wake up !" Hyunjin yelled, staring down at the pale, unresponsive face pressed against his chest. The overwhelming threat to his control mechanism triggered a violent, focused panic
He reached out and felt Felix's small hands they were shockingly cold, damp with sweat, and utterly lifeless. He slapped Felix's cheeks hard, the sound echoing, trying to stimulate a response "Felix? Felix, can you hear me?! Open your eyes!"