Chapter 19: Chapter 18: When Darkness Descends (3)

An empty grass field surrounded him from all sides. The sun shone brightly in the air and shared its warm rays with the world, while puffy clouds majestically shifted across the sky.

The boy sat up, his back ached after lying down for what seemed like an eternity. He twisted the blades of grass around his finger and plucked them.

Where am I?

“Hun, look who it is. Our angel has come to see us.”

A frail voice called out behind him.

He eyes lulled backwards in exhilaration as the familiar voice rang in his ears. At the same time he turned around, a sharp pain shot through his chest. It was as if someone raked his organs with their sharp nails.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, but still managed to face the speaker’s direction.

“Mom? …Dad?”

His eyes teared up when he saw the two figures sitting close by.

His father looked aimlessly into the distance, but a smile still hung on his sunken face. His mother’s eyes shone brightly, only enhanced by the cluster of tears that collected in them.

“Ah, my boy, you’re so big now. Come here. Give your old man a hug. Come.”

His father spread his arm out wide as if to invite him in.

“Mm- Hurk!”

Another mouthful of blood dribbled down his chin when he tried to crawl. The pain in his chest intensified the more he tried to move. He had to resist, he had to get closer to his one desire.

“Son, what’s taking you so long? Don’t you want to be with us?”

His mom covered her mouth in fear as she watched the boy lie still.

“I’m trying…”

He croaked, willing his arms to drag himself forward just an inch.

“Do you want us to leave… We understand. You’ve forgotten us. Were we a burden?”

The father spoke in a downcast voice.

“No. No, I’m coming. Don’t-“

The boy sucked in a breath of air, his bones were crumbling into splinters; first his ribs, then his shins, and so on. Still, he pushed himself closer.

“My angel, is it painful? Do you wish the pain would go away?”

His mom extended her hand out to the boy from the distance.

“Yes…”

He reached for the outstretched hand, only to feel a new wave of his bones snap in half.

“Do you want to be with us? You can be with us forever, just like how it always was.”

She began to cry when she saw that he couldn’t reach her hand.

“You just have to do something for us sweety. You just have to do one thing for us. Then you can be with us forever without any pain. We can be happy again!”

His mom let out a cheerful smile, which was something he hadn’t been able to see in some time.

He lied still on the grass, casting a burning gaze of desire towards his lost parents. His mind clouded over, his thoughts buried beneath a ringing like a hammer pounding on metal.

“Just give in my child…”

“Please just give in my son.”

What are they asking for? Give in to what? Why can’t I just reach them? They’re so close… just out of reach!

“Give in to the pain, give in to survive. Live for us and follow your new master.”

They replied in unison.

Ah… is this… where am I?

“So you’re against me too…”

His gaze lost its luster and he couldn’t bear to look at his parents any longer.

He knew instinctively that these phantoms couldn’t give him the happiness he desired. If anything, it only became increasingly painful to listen to their words.

Tears of blood leaked from his eyes as he laid his head down on the grass.

The once soft grass formed into blades that pierced into his cheeks. The bright sun overhead wiggled into a shadowy orb, casting an eternal darkness throughout the sky.

Two screeches rang out ahead of him, but he didn’t pay them any attention.

Closing his eyes, he waited for his turmoil to end. His parents would never come back, this much he knew. Once he firmly took his stance, it was easier for him to pass the rest of this world as a fake reality.

----------------------------------------

Jun watched the boy up close.

The chained youth was foaming at the mouth with only the whites of his eyes visible. Next to Jun stood another figure, a sharp looking woman.

“I can see you failed, Jun.”

There was nothing he could respond with.

“Then I’ll take it from here. Expect your punishment after I deal with this kid.”

She rolled up her sleeves.

“Wait, Madam-“

She slapped him hard across the face just as he reached out.

“Did I say you could speak to me?”

Jun got down on his hands and knees, kneeling in front of her.

“Please, this kid can’t be broken, but I have a way.”

Jun pleaded.

The woman was just about to kick out in fury when she heard his last words. She retracted her foot and tapped her nails against the table rhythmically.

“I’m listening.”

“Let me take both punishments. Let him off the hook, put everything on me instead.”

Jun stared hard at the floor as he said this.

“That… doesn’t make very much sense?”

The woman struggled to understand what Jun was asking.

To her, servants who deserved punishment should be punished. Those who were not fully submissive to her every whim. Those who were not prepared to sacrifice their lives for her.

Why should she let this boy go?

If he was this defiant already, he would only become more defiant later on after escaping this crime unscathed.

“Please, it’s the only way. This kid can’t be broken, he’ll die first.”

Madam Lexene faltered the moment Jun suggested death. Her expression was perplexed as she mentally thought through different scenarios.

First and foremost, the boy was not allowed to die. No, this was a once in a lifetime servant that she could never part with.

“While I can’t risk the boy dying… I won’t know until I try, will I? Why is that the only way?”

She frowned at her groveling servant.

“He’ll… he’ll be in debt. He’ll repay gratitude, but he won’t if we continue this. He’ll be obedient, I swear it on my life.”

“Well your life isn’t worth much to me… Fine. Take this boy down and handle him. The consequences of your failure begin tonight.”

She left the room after saying this, leaving the two boys by themselves, one unconscious and one in deep contemplation.

“I knew this was going to suck…”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Jun muttered after a while.

He picked himself up and cleaned up the battered body before him.

Glass shards were pulled out, shattering on the floor as they hit the ground. Barbed tethers squelched as they were peeled off of the boy’s skin. If it were any other servant they would have long fled the scene.

Somehow, Jun managed to force a few different types of high-grade medicine pills into the boy’s system. Some pills were fast acting, visibly closing his wounds and even regrowing his lost appendages, while other pills were slow acting.

With the amount of vitality the boy lost during these sessions, it would likely be a few weeks before he made a full recovery.

He swept the floor and wiped the tables, leaving everything as clean as when he first entered. After doing his best to wipe away the mess of blood and other fluids, he finally unshackled the boy who slumped to the floor unconscious.

He cradled the small body in his arms and steadily exited the room. It didn’t take long for him to come across Aines, who waited just outside the basement area.

“Here. Get him comfortable.”

He passed off the boy into Aines’ care.

“This…? Wow he looks amazing. No wonder Madam seemed so restless as of late.”

“Yes, take care of him. You’ll be in charge for the next week or two... or three.”

Jun stalked off.

“W-what? Jun? Hey wait. Did he break? What about his cost? Don’t just leave like that!”

Aines called out to Jun’s back.

“About 2250. He’ll never be broken.”

He waved his hand while saying this as he turned a corner, leaving Aines alone with his thoughts.

“2250 high rank spirit shards…”

He murmured to himself while giving the sleeping boy another glance.

If he had known that Madam Lexene signed away 7800 high rank spirit shards in order to coerce the boy into the contract, he probably would have blacked out from shock.

Wait a second. If the boy didn’t break, then wasn’t Madam Lexene supposed to step in? Did Jun stop her?

Aines shook his head. It was useless to think about these things right now. Instead, he made his way to the servant’s quarters of the manor.

Each servant had a room designated to them based on the level of favoritism exhibited by Madam Lexene.

At this time, Jun and Marcel were given the two largest rooms, which they did not have to share with anyone else. The other servants shared rooms with each other, except one other individual—the newest addition.

Aines gently laid the boy down on the clean and orderly made bed. He could tell from the youth’s shallow breaths that it would take a while for him to recover even with medicinal help.

He glanced around the barren room.

“Flowers would really brighten this place up a bit.”

This was one of the reasons why Aines was looked up to amongst the servants, he was thoughtful.

He the type of man to make the most out of a bad situation. While others lamented and whined about the state of their lives, Aines chose to see the alternate side of things. He had clothes, usually food, and small amounts of freedom if he finished his tasks early.

What he lacked in his attention to detail, he made up for in creativity.

Often times he would surprise Madam Lexene by preparing unannounced gifts, such as flower decorations, or bespoke outfits. It was these types of actions that allowed him to be somewhat at ease, but not entirely so.

----------------------------------------

The next couple of days were hectic for Aines.

Most of the other servants were in a constant state of fear without Jun’s leadership, something he recognized early on. After consoling his juniors, he would then give them pointers on additional tasks they should complete in order to avoid their master’s attention.

On top of giving his own duties the utmost caution, he also took care of the young boy, who was still unconscious.

This changed at the end of the third day when Madam Lexene called him to her room.

Three swift raps echoed into the halls.

“Madam? It’s Aines.”

He called out from behind the closed door.

“Yes, enter.”

A voice like silk responded. He opened the door and briskly walked in, adopting a formal visage—just as a servant should.

Behind the veil that surrounded her enormous bed, Aines vaguely made out the silhouette of her womanly figure. Eventually, a pair of smooth legs appeared off the side of the bed.

If he didn’t know any better, he’d truly find the scene to be quite mesmerizing.

She stood up with a thin nightgown covering her most important parts. However the moment she stood up, Aines noticed she was dragging something behind her from off the bed.

She threw the motionless body onto the floor with a muted thud. Aines didn’t dare look down, maintaining a solemn expression as he waited for her instructions.

“Hmpf.”

She crossed her arms and revealed a charming smile. Her lips and cheeks appeared especially full of color. A red hue radiated everywhere off her pale white skin.

“Take this trash away. Make sure he’s in working order. Oh, and I’ll be making my monthly trip through Moldun. Please ensure that Marcel is prepared to accompany me in place of Jun. That is all.”

She waved her hand and slinked back into her sheets.

“Yes, madam.”

The moment she entered her bed was his opportunity to act. He stared down at the figure on the floor and without delay, took the body away.

Naturally, it was Jun.

The young man’s naked body was deformed in multiple locations, a large majority of his bones were broken. Even with medication, it would take a while to heal the injuries, and those were only the visible ones.

It was unknown how much damage was inflicted on the body, but Aines was certain that Jun was more motionless than normal. Without a doubt, he was in critical condition.

As Aines walked towards Jun’s room, he cautiously listened for his heartbeat.

It was faint, too faint.

Just what happened in there…

The entire time he had been in servanthood, he never saw any servant come as close to death such as this. In the past, he witnessed irreparable damage occur, but even that didn’t hold the risk of dying.

Of course this didn’t include servants that had fallen out of favor entirely… in which case they would mysteriously disappear.

After laying Jun down in bed, he inspected his face and features.

His cheeks seemed especially sunken in, and there seemed to be a dark shadow that hung on his forehead. It was as if the true essence of his being was corroded.

Aines searched the drawers by Jun’s bed, where he found a collection of different medicinal pills. While most servants wouldn’t have access to these types of things, Jun happened to not be most servants.

He emptied the pills onto the table and force fed the most notable ones to Jun.

Minutes went by before Aines finally left him alone to rest. He couldn’t help but feel that a certain change was going to happen within the manor as he walked away from the room.

----------------------------------------

Right across from Jun’s room was a smaller one, housing a single resident—the manor’s newest addition.

The recovering boy twitched his middle finger, and then his other fingers. He slowly opened and closed his fingers into his palm like a paralyzed patient relearning how to function.

Merely three days passed since he had been laid to rest with an expected recovery time of at least three weeks. Unknown to anyone, the boy was already exhibiting signs of strength.

His mind was roared with thoughts that he could only keep to himself. He quickly realized that, although his body seemed fine, there were plenty of hidden damages underneath that were recovering at a rapid pace.

I should probably pretend to sleep…

He remained deathly still.

His logic was simple. If those around him thought he was still recovering, then they would treat him as such and lower their guard, and right now, everyone was an enemy.

He was in dangerous territory with his fickle life in the hands of an insane woman.

Steadying his emotions, he analyzed his surroundings. His exceptional hearing picked up voices speaking in low tones outside the room.

Separating the different tones was a trivial, and he tried imagining the bodies behind each sound.

“Marcel is going with Madam Lexene?”

“Yea… poor Marcel.”

“Wait, what about Jun? Aines?”

“Jun is…”

There was a pause. It was as if all the voices understood something at the same time and shared a moment of silence.

“Why? It’s that kid’s fault. If that kid just gave up and pleaded like the rest of us then-“

“Stop that right now. It’s no one’s fault.”

Aines’ voice cut off the speaker. He continued speaking.

“Right now Jun is recovering. Honestly, I don’t know who had it worse, the boy or Jun. They’re both in very serious condition. I have a feeling that… Jun got it worse.”

“I still don’t get it, why would Jun go through this? He always knows just the right things to say to her so that she doesn’t go overboard. How could he slip up like this?”

“I don’t know. We can’t ask Jun until he wakes up, but even if we ask him there’s a chance he won’t say anything…”

Aines stopped speaking as another moment of silence went by.

“Aines, do you think? No… perhaps not.”

“What is it Sonne?”

“Well, isn’t it weird that Madam Lexene took everything out on Jun and not the new kid? Why just Jun?”

“The kid was hurt pretty bad, so she probably handled Jun first.”

A foreign voice proposed.

“Do you know of a time Madam Lexene ever waited before doling punishment?”

Sonne countered back.

“Er… no.”

At this point Aines spoke up.

“What if Jun took the punishment for the both of them? The last thing Jun said to me was that the boy will never break.”

Aines came to a sudden realization at this point.

“That’s just like Jun. He saved that kid from her because he knew the kid would never bend to her…”

Sonne spoke up this time.

“Whoa...”

“That kid will probably never know either? Isn’t it a shame? He probably owes Jun his life.”

“Don’t say that. The kid didn’t have a choice, and he also didn’t have a say in Jun’s choices.”

“But still Jun… for him.”

“Let’s just drop it. Madam Lexene won’t be back for about two weeks. Hopefully Jun is recovered enough by then. As for the kid… well hopefully the kid is recovered by then as well. Alright, it’s late. Get some rest people.”

Aines broke up the small congregation despite the mumbles of protest.

Shortly after, the boy heard the door to his room softly open.

Footsteps made their way towards him, followed by a chair being dragged on the floor to his bedside. Although he was curious as to who his guest was, he remained perfectly still just in case.

“Ah, you’re a lucky one.”

A soft mumble came from nearby, it was Aines.

“I wonder how she forced you into signing the contract. You look like you’re a high born or something. My looks aren’t that bad, but wow. When I look at your face, I swear I could kiss you and still feel like a man.”

Aines rambled onwards, unaware that the boy was listening to his every word. The boy’s breathing became irregular after hearing his last sentence, which didn’t go unnoticed by Aines.

“You… wait a second. Are you awake?”

Aines stooped over the boy and inspected his face closer.

“Kid, you don’t have to pretend. Look I’m on your side.”

Aines tried to comfort the boy but received no response.

“Ah well, since you’re asleep then I guess… you’ll never know if I give you a kiss now.”

Aines slowly lowered his upper body towards the boy in an exaggerated motion.

The boy’s eyes flashed open in a panic once he realized that Aines might not be kidding. The first thing he saw was a handsome, but simple, young man staring directly at him with a silly grin on his face.

“Hah, fooled you.”

Aines sat back down and with a small laugh.

The boy tried to force his body up.

I’ve been found out!

The time to fight was now! As soon as the boy attempted to move his body a sharp pain shot through his core. He let out a gasp in agony.

“Whoa, whoa. Don’t get up. You’re badly hurt kid. Actually, I’m shocked you’re awake right now.”

Aines gently placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders to keep him in place.

“I really am on your side. All of us servants are. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but Jun is also on your side.”

Aines sat back down in his chair.

“You see… Madam Lexene is twisted. She surrounds herself with servants that she soul contracts. They can’t escape her, ever. She always sets the contract duration for when the poor guy reaches 23 years old, but no one knows why.”

Aines spoke is a low tone.

“Rumor has it… she’s a witch, and that her powers are no longer effective once you grow too old. I don’t know about others, but I believe it. She’s awful.”

Aines stretched and traced a finger along his forearm.

“One time she made a sport of branding me with different words. I can still feel the searing pain deep down even though my skin has long since healed. I’m not looking for pity, because I know that everyone here has gone through worse, but I’m just letting you know. We’re not the enemy, she is.”

He stopped talking and simply zoned out while staring at the floor. He seemed to be lost in his memories when he noticed the boy was slowly clenching and unclenching his fist.

“You really should rest.”

Aines got up.

“I’ll be back tomorrow, it’s late.”

With that, he simply left, buried in his thoughts. It was as if that one conversation had resurfaced memories of a time that he often thought about.

Silence filled the room once more, however the thoughts within the boy’s head were anything but silent.