Moriarty had been in prison before, but it was nothing like this. He had only spent a few days in a cell or doing labor work. He had never been tortured and interrogated as a spy.
He turned pale as he imagined the possibility of dying here. The man noticed his change of color and said, "Don't worry, they won't torture you in the first week. Unless you try to escape or resist them, that is." He said this with a kind smile, as if he was trying to comfort him.
Moriarty turned even paler as he remembered what he had done a while ago, when he tried to run away from the guards who captured him. He had made a desperate attempt to escape when they told him was about to be tortured, but he was quickly surrendered and something hit him at the back of his neck.
'It doesn't count, right?' He touched his neck, hoping fervently that they would not take his action as a sign of resistance and torture him more harshly.
"Cough!"
As he was worrying about this, the man in the corner woke up coughing blood. He looked like he was in a lot of pain. He had a weak and raspy voice, and his eyes were glazed and unfocused.
"How many did they send? They don't care if we die." The man said nonsensically, as if he was delirious. He was mumbling something about a mission and a betrayal, but Moriarty couldn't make sense of what he was saying.
After he said it, the cell became silent, and even the man in chains stopped talking. They all seemed to be waiting for something. Moriarty felt a surge of dread and anxiety as he wondered what would happen next.
"Chhhiikk!" The cell door opened, and two more men were thrown in the same way Moriarty was. They crashed and slid on the floor, hitting the wall afterwards, landing on each side of him. The one on the left had red hair and was wearing only his underwear, while the other one on the right had black hair and an "X" scar on his back, not wearing any pants either. They both looked battered and bruised, and the red haired moaned in pain as he tried to get up.
"Hahaha! They are treating us as a joke. I shouldn't have taken this job, look at them, they also spied through the river." The man in the corner said, laughing bitterly. He sounded like he had given up on life and was mocking himself and others for their stupidity.
'Wait. What is he talking about? Does that mean they think I'm one of them? Crap, what kind of mess did I get myself into.' Moriarty realized that he had been caught in the middle of a kingdom war, one that was hidden and secretive, intelligence warfare. The one who got the most reliable information or managed to deceive the enemy would win. And Moriarty didn't want to be involved in such a war.
'Yeah, I should tell them the truth. Once they call me, I will spill everything I know, even my deepest darkest secrets, whatever they ask me I will answer.' He confidently planned his strategy, hoping that it would save him. He thought that by being honest and cooperative, he would earn their mercy and leniency. He didn't want to suffer any more pain or humiliation. He just wanted to get out of this place alive.
"You should all rest, tomorrow will be a long day. Cough!" The man in the corner said, still coughing blood. He sounded like he was giving them a warning.
Moriarty guessed that the man knew that tomorrow, they would face a round of interrogation and torture. He must have been through it many times before, and he knew how brutal and ruthless they were. Maybe he had lost count of how many bones they had broken, how many teeth they had pulled out, how many nails they had ripped off. Moriarty thought that this naked man had no hope of surviving, but he still refused to give up his secrets. 'Tough dude.'
After a few hours of silence, dinner was delivered to them. It slid through the door, making a loud noise. The meals consisted of mashed potatoes and some nuts, nothing else. It looked bland and tasteless. It was barely enough to fill their stomachs, let alone nourish their bodies. It was a way of keeping them alive, but not healthy.
The two newcomers moved to the right corner, the one with the X scars on his back was still unconscious and dragged by the one with the red hair. He didn't seem to notice the food. They looked like they were partners or friends, who had been caught together in this mess. The red haired man had a look of fear and despair on his face, as if he knew what was coming for them.
The chained man who was on the wall had his chains loosened right after the guards left. They clearly let him have some freedom so he could eat. "Could you please bring mine here?" He asked politely to the man in front of him. 'Me? Ah, right I'm the only one in front of him.' Moriarty thought, as he realized he was being addressed.
He grabbed his share and another one, leaving the other three meals behind, not caring if the others would eat them or not. 'This man seems to know a lot, I should befriend him at least, he seems to be a man of dignity.' Moriarty thought, as he decided to help him get his food. He hoped that by doing so, he could gain his trust and learn more about this place and how to escape from it.
"Here." He said as he gave him the food. He tried to smile and act friendly, but he felt nervous and uneasy. He didn't know if the man would appreciate his gesture or reject it.
Right after he picked them up, the naked man in the corner who coughed blood took his own share. And then he took the two remaining meals as well, but instead of giving them to the two newcomers, he kept them for himself. He was greedy and selfish. He didn't care about the others, he only cared about himself. Moriarty thought that he might have been here for too long, and he had lost his humanity and compassion. He had become a savage and a beast.
When Moriarty saw this, he didn't care. He might do it himself if he had been here for a while, but right now he knew nothing about this place or these people.