"That thing is definitely a monster." The middle-aged man, who usually kept quiet, couldn't hold back any longer. His voice was barely above a whisper, yet it cut through the tension in the room like a knife.
Subconsciously, he reached for the leather belt around his waist and pulled out a knife. The blade was old, the wooden handle worn from years of use, but the edge was still sharp—sharp enough to do what needed to be done.
"It was a mistake to save him." His eyes remained fixed on the blank television screen as he muttered to himself. "We shouldn't have brought him here."
He stood among the two speechless others, his gaze hardening as he made up his mind. Without waiting for any further discussion, he turned on his heel, ready to head toward the room where Eldric was being held.
"Hold on." The voice of the old woman rang out, stopping him in his tracks.
He spun around, eyes blazing. "Have you gone completely crazy?" he spat through gritted teeth. "What is there to think about?"
He jabbed a finger at the blank screen, his voice rising with each word. "YOU STILL CAN'T MAKE UP YOUR GODDAMN MIND AFTER WATCHING THIS?"
His voice grew hoarse with anger, disbelief etched into every line of his face. He couldn't fathom how she could hesitate at a moment like this.
"I have made up my mind." The woman's voice was steady, unaffected by his outburst. After her initial moment of bewilderment, she had regained her composure. Her expression grew grave as she took a deep breath, as if preparing herself for what was to come.
"Good." The man nodded sharply and signaled the other man to follow him. "Then let's go."
But before he could take a step forward, her next words stopped him cold.
"I believe that he is telling the truth."
It was as if a bomb had been dropped into a still lake, the ripples of shock spreading through the room.
"HUH!?" He turned back to face her, his expression twisted in disbelief. Did he hear her right? Just how could someone be this naive? The idea was incomprehensible to him.
"Have you finally lost it?" His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper as he narrowed his eyes, his hand gripping the knife's hilt so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He was ready to act if need be.
"..." The woman remained silent, meeting his gaze with a calm expression. But with each passing second, the coldness in her eyes deepened. "Did I stutter?"
Her question was simple, but it was delivered with such icy calm that it sent a chill down his spine. His heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, he almost dropped the knife.
"Snort." He snorted coldly, his face contorting with frustration as he turned away from her. He stalked toward the door, pausing only briefly to deliver his parting words without even looking back. "I hope you know what you are doing."
He stormed out of the room, leaving behind the old woman and the other man, who stood frozen, unsure of how to react to the exchange.
"Do you have something to say too?" The woman's voice broke the silence, pulling the other man from his thoughts.
"ME?" He pointed to himself, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "No... I don't have anything to say."
"Good. Then go and make suitable preparations." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand before turning her attention back to the blank screen in front of her, her expression heavy with thought.
Her eyes seemed lost as she played the next video, settling onto the sofa beside her. The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by the soft hum of the screen.
--------
"What rotten luck." In the dimly lit room, Eldric sat slumped on the floor, his eyes glazed over as he stared blankly at the ground. He was dead tired, drained from hours of shouting for help, his voice now a mere whisper of what it had been. His body was still, devoid of energy, as if he had finally given up the futile struggle. Everything that had happened to him—it was all too much to process.
"Maybe I'm still dreaming." The thought slipped from his lips like a desperate plea. This had to be a dream, a nightmare he would eventually wake up from. Perhaps he was in a coma, trapped in some twisted reality, and all of this would vanish the moment he opened his eyes. The more he clung to the idea, the more sense it seemed to make. Or perhaps it was the only explanation that wouldn't drive him completely insane.
"Wake up..." He patted his chest with weak, trembling hands, trying to jolt himself from this nightmare. But all he felt was the sharp sting of pain from the metal chains binding him. The pain was real—too real.
"Damn it." Cursing his fate, Eldric wanted to struggle against the chains, to thrash and fight, but he was out of strength. He was like a wild beast caught in a hunter's trap, with no way out and no hope of escape. His only chance was to rely on the mercy of the people who had captured him.
Just as he was sinking further into despair, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway once again.
"They're back?" A flicker of hope sparked in Eldric's eyes as he looked toward the door, his breath catching in his throat.
"Gulp." He swallowed hard, nerves jangling as he prepared himself. After his last encounter, he knew that his fate would be decided the next time they met. Fear gnawed at him, but there was still a glimmer of hope—a hope that perhaps there was still some humanity left in these people. Maybe, just maybe, they would show him mercy. Maybe...
His mind raced with possibilities as the familiar figure of the man whom he met after being chained in this place appeared in the doorway.
"..." The two of them stared at each other in silence. Eldric's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to read the man's intentions. He was calculating his next move, wondering what he could do if the man decided to attack. With his hands and legs bound, there wasn't much he could do—but he would try.
The man, for his part, studied Eldric closely, his gaze piercing as he weighed his options. Ten long minutes passed, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
"Sigh..." Finally, the man let out a weary sigh and stepped forward, reaching for the knife at his belt. He moved slowly, deliberately, as if still uncertain of what he was about to do.
"This motherfucker..." Eldric cursed under his breath, watching the man approach with the knife. This was it—the worst-case scenario he had feared. Panic surged through him as he thrashed against his bindings, desperate to break free, but the chains held fast.
"Fuck it." Gritting his teeth, Eldric resolved to go down fighting. His hands and legs might be tied, but his mouth was still free. If he was going to die, he'd at least take a piece of this bastard with him.
"...." The man seemed to sense Eldric's intent, and he shook his head with a forced smile, a hint of resignation in his eyes.
"Don't move." The man's voice was steady, but there was an underlying tension as he bent down and cut the ropes binding Eldric's legs, freeing them.
"Uh!?" Eldric froze, stunned by the unexpected turn of events. He had been bracing himself for death, but instead, he was being set free.
"I'm going to remove the shackles now. But if you do anything stupid, I'll kill you." The threat was clear, and Eldric knew better than to test it.
"Okay, I promise you." Eldric nodded vigorously, his mind racing. He was exhausted, and he knew he was in no shape to fight. Especially against someone twice his size and strength. The smartest move was to escape first and think about his next steps later.
"Hmm..." The man eyed Eldric carefully, his grip on the knife tightening. But after a moment, he seemed to decide that Eldric wasn't a threat. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a set of keys.
Click
With a soft click, the handcuffs around Eldric's wrists fell open, and his hands dropped to the ground with a thud. He hadn't realized just how much strain he had been under until the chains were off. His arms were numb, tingling with pins and needles, and he struggled to regain control of them.
The man watched Eldric intently, his knuckles white around the hilt of the knife. He held his breath, praying that everything would go smoothly. He might have appeared tough, but he knew the danger he was facing. If the woman was wrong and the boy turned out to be a monster, today would be his last day. He could only hope that she was right, that Eldric was indeed human. But the videos... They still haunted him, casting doubt on everything he thought he knew.
"Oh, come on." Eldric grimaced at the man's obvious distrust, his muscles aching as he stretched his arms. "There's no need for all this."
Raising his hand with some effort, Eldric flexed his stiff fingers before looking back at the man.
"Just tell me the direction of the exit, and I'll leave this place."
After everything he had been through, Eldric had no desire to stay in this damned place any longer. He might have been able to gather more information by staying, but right now, he wanted nothing more than to get out and find safety. Survival was his top priority. The thought of lingering any longer, even for a second, made his skin crawl.
The man studied Eldric's face, searching for any sign of deception. He saw the fear, the desperation, and perhaps something more—a resolve not to die here. Finally, he sighed and stepped back, lowering the knife but keeping it in hand.
"Follow me." His voice was gruff, but there was a hint of understanding, a silent agreement that neither of them wanted to push their luck any further.
Eldric nodded, relief flooding through him as he stood on shaky legs. Every step was a painful reminder of how close he had come to death, but he forced himself to keep moving. All that mattered now was putting as much distance between himself and this place as possible.
As they made their way through the dimly lit corridors, Eldric couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't over—that whatever horrors lay outside these walls would be just as dangerous, if not more so. But for now, he was free. For now, he had a chance.
And that was enough to keep him going.