I know I don't usually do this, but: 

Warning! This chapter contains graphic scenes of violence, blood, and torture. Read at your own risk.

~

Shintaro could hardly make out what was the twisted reality and what was a freakish nightmare anymore. 

When he was awake, he was in too much pain to make sense of what was happening around him. He was only aware of one thing - that when he wasn't being being attacked from all sides, he was lying limply in chains on the floor of an desolate room. When The Dark Lord and his lackeys weren't taunting him with triggering words and harsh blows, he was all alone in a pained daze. 

When he was asleep, horrid images plagued his mind from dusk until dawn. He again witnessed the wretched scenes that he'd locked into the back of his mind several years ago, and he couldn't wake himself up to escape from them. It was like a black hole in his mind, opening to reveal his fears and memories as it sucked in all logical reasoning. The panic he endured during his sleep was what seemed to keep him under until the Darks woke him. 

And when he woke up, it was like nothing had changed. The Dark Lord's red eyes and fanged smile plagued his mind while he was asleep, and it was the same when he woke up. If The Shadow King wasn't there when Shintaro opened his eyes, he would enter the room shortly enough. Most days, it was just torturous attacking - while there were some days that The Dark Lord would demand that Shintaro bow to him.

Of course, Shintaro refused no matter the circumstances. Although this was the reason that he'd lost track of the days because he'd been unconscious for several of them, Shintaro would never bend his knee to The Dark Lord again - no matter how much pain was inflicted upon him. There was no way that Shintaro would ever submit to The Shadow King again, and he would endure the worst of pain to make that known. 

It looked like today would be one of those days. 

Shintaro didn't wake to the usual kick to the ribs. Instead, he opened his eyes in a startle as he was dragged onto his feet. The sudden shift of position caused the edges of his vision to turn black, and he slammed his eyes closed, sagging against the hands holding his arms. Gritting his teeth against a groan that was rising in his throat, Shintaro forced his eyes open as he shakily planted his feet under him as best he could. 

The painful, Dark Magic chains clamped on his wrists rattled as the two Darks holding each of his arms shifted to hold him more comfortably, and the sound was loud and piercing in Shintaro's ears. He grimaced at the stab of pain that shot through his head, but he kept his eyes trained on the door. The Dark Lord would enter any moment. 

Sure enough, the half closed door pushed open completely and The Shadow King walked carelessly in with a Dark guard following him. His blood red eyes locked immediately on Shintaro, and a wide grin spread across his face. 

A shiver worked its way down Shintaro's spine, but he held The Dark Lord's gaze with a defiant frown. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but it was obvious that The Dark Lord didn't intend on simply toying with Shintaro today. 

"Still as chipper as ever, I see," The Dark Lord chimed cheerfully, striding across the room until he came to a stop just a few feet away from Shintaro. He kept his chin raised, but because Shintaro was sagging in the grip of the Darks, his eyes were trained downward. 

Normally Shintaro would have made a derogatory remark right back, but it always ended in a harsh strike to the face, one that would leave Shintaro reeling in pain. Not only that - Shintaro didn't have the strength or willpower to fight back today. He had recently taken a serious beating, one that had left him unconscious for what he assumed was three days. 

So, Shintaro kept his mouth shut and continued to frown rebelliously up at The Dark Lord. 

"I'm going to cut right to the chase," The Dark Lord said menacingly, his accent hissing sharply in the quiet room. The smug grin that he had been wearing slipped away to reveal an angry curl of the lip. 

Shintaro clenched his teeth against the urge to shrink back as The Dark Lord leaned down until he was eye to eye his prisoner.

"As useful as your kingdom was at first," The Dark Lord said slowly, narrowing his dark red eyes, "it has become somewhat of a problem for me and my people. The Arielians, as cowardly and submissive as they seem, have decided to revolt against us." 

Shintaro's heart wrenched in fear and pity for the Arielians. He understood what it was like to have his home taken from him, and he knew that the urge to fight back was strong. Under normal circumstances, Shintaro would have fought with them to give them their kingdom back; but this was no normal circumstance. He would have loved to see the Darks get the fight and defeat they deserved, but the Arielians didn't possess the means to either of those things. They had to realize that they were heading straight to their deaths, or the torture of prison cells. 

"Now," The Dark Lord said, a slow smile crawling onto his face. "You understand, Shintaro, just how badly this could end for them. But you must also understand how incredibly annoying it is to me. Though the Arielians could never win this war, they are doing relatively an admirable job of taking down several of my warriors - I have to give them credit for that." He chuckled in a twisted way that made Shintaro want to throw up. 

"However," The Shadow King continued, "I have had quite enough. Because they have proven useful in many ways, I have decided to give them the mercy of choosing to stand down. But of course, they won't listen to me or any of my Darks - unless we give them a bit of a show, that is. But that will be used for last resort." He grinned toothily, and Shintaro's stomach twisted in realization.

If the Arielians didn't stand down, that "show" would be a slaughter. 

"This is where you come in," The Dark Lord said with a wave of his hand, straightening again. 

Shintaro scoffed loudly, allowing himself a moment to let out a defiant laugh. "Have you really convinced yourself, Brethren, that I'm going to listen to you?" 

Brethren's lip curled in annoyance, his eyes lighting up with rage; but surprisingly, he simply crossed his arms over his chest and gazed evenly down at Shintaro. 

"I figured that you would say something like that," said The Shadow King smoothly. "Don't worry, I'm sure that it won't take long to convince you." He turned toward the third Dark, who was standing diligently and silently in the doorway, and nodded shortly at him.

Without a word, the Dark left the room. 

Anxiety and panic rose in Shintaro's chest. What was Brethren doing? How was he planning on getting Shintaro to obey him? 

"While he is away," The Dark Lord said in a reasonable tone, turning back to Shintaro and tilting his head with a lopsided grin. "I will explain to you what you are to complete. I understand that the Arielians look up to you and their queen, quite respectively. It's admirable and useful in its own way. Together, you and the queen are going to convince your citizens to stand down. If you wish, you can warn them of what will inevitably take place if they don't.

"If you don't," Brethren added threateningly, his gaze hardening, "you know what will happen." 

Even though Shintaro had been through it several times already, and even many times before, fear twisted through his gut. He just hoped that it wasn't showing in his eyes - he didn't want to reveal any fear in front of Brethren. 

Still, he straightened as best he could and shook his head despite the pain it brought him. Yes, he was concerned for the well-being of the Arielians; but he knew that once they realized the danger they were walking into, they would stand down. They were feisty people, but they weren't stupid. They had Ruby as a queen to teach them that. She was feisty and stubborn, but she knew when to back away. 

The Dark Lord chuckled at Shintaro's refusal, his dark red eyes twinkling with malice. "I was hoping you would say no. But you mustn't worry, Shintaro... I don't think you'll be refusing for much longer." 

As if on cue, the Dark that had been standing in the doorway returned - but he wasn't alone. Walking hunched in front of him were two people, each of them being held by the back of the shirt. As they entered, the Dark guard shoved them to their knees a few paces away from Shintaro and The Dark Lord.

Panic and relief and fear and worry shot through Shintaro like lightning.

Cami and Chase, Shintaro's brother and son, grunted as the Dark grabbed their hair and lifted their heads forcefully. 

Shintaro surged forward, struggling to break free of the hands holding his arms. He didn't care who was there or that Brethren was watching with a satisfied smile - he just wanted to get to his family. He needed to see if they were all right, he needed to be with them. It had been too long since he'd last seen them. 

"Dad!" Chase cried, and Shintaro's anger was fueled at the realization that his son's voice sounded hoarse and weak. Chase looked tired and hungry, but most of all he looked angry and upset. 

"You imbecile!" Chase yelled at Brethren, his yellow eyes fiery. "Let him go!"

"Release him," Brethren ordered the two Darks without looking at Chase.

Shintaro nearly toppled to the floor when the hands released him, but he caught himself and rushed forward. However, just inches before he reached his family, the sound of chains cracked through the air. Shintaro was thrown backward again, landing harshly on his back from the force of the chains. 

Brethren laughed heartily at Shintaro's frantic rush, laughed at the fact that Chase and Cami were merely inches away, laughed at the fact that Shintaro couldn't reach them. 

Shintaro shot to his feet again, The Dark Lord's cackling echoing in his ears. Pain was searing through his body like fire, especially through his raw wrists; but he ignored it and got as close as he could to Cami and Chase. 

As Shintaro dropped to his knees in front of his family, Chase tried to break free of the Dark's hold. He cried out in pain as the Dark tightened his grip on Chase's hair, pulling back so the boy couldn't go anywhere. 

Cami, though he looked like he wanted to fight back, was still and silent. He looked worse than Chase - there were dark circles under his eyes, he was skinnier than when Shintaro had last seen him, his breathing was quick and ragged, and he looked sick. Although Shintaro had only seen him for a short time, just before The Dark Lord had been set free, somehow Cami looked worse.

"Dad," Chase said in a quieter tone, tears filling his eyes as he stared helplessly at Shintaro. "Oh, Dad... You look awful. What... What have they done to you?" 

Shintaro shook his head urgently. "Are you all right? Have they hurt you? Where is your sister?" 

Chase gaze hardened into a frown. "She's fine," he answered shortly. "As fine as she can be in this wretched place, anyway. But-" 

"Cami," Shintaro interrupted, turning to his brother. He hadn't realized until now how much he had missed Cami - the pain and relief mixing together in his heart was horrible, like someone was dragging a knife through his chest. "Are you all right?" 

Cami hesitated, but eventually he nodded. He spoke in a soft, hoarse voice that sounded broken and defeated. "I'm okay. I've... been better, but I'm okay." He made a small attempt at a laugh, but it turned into a wheezy cough that made Shintaro wince.

"Now, Shintaro," Brethren said, and Shintaro realized that The Dark Lord was right beside him. "I think you understand how this works, but I think it would be better to demonstrate." 

Slowly, The Dark Lord began walking in a circle around Shintaro's family. His eyes trailed across each of them, calculating and studious. The horrid smile never left his face. 

"Which one, Shin?" Brethren said eventually, turning his red eyes to Shintaro. His grin was filled with malice and devious hate. When he reached Chase's side, he raised his hand and grabbed Chase's chin, tilting it upward forcefully. 

Shintaro opened his mouth to protest, but The Dark Lord's other hand flew out and gripped Cami by the throat. Shintaro's brother made an awful choking sound, his eyes opening wide and panic causing his body to go rigid. 

With his other hand, Brethren traced his finger along Chase's neck. Chase's posture was taut as well, but his face was twisted in an outraged frown. Slowly, Brethren's hand was enveloped in Dark Magic, his finger turning into a sharp claw. Blood welled at the tip, and Chase winced.

Shintaro could barely breathe. He couldn't watch this, he didn't want to see this, he had to help them, he needed to help them! 

Without trying to, he surged forward against the chains toward Chase. When he was snapped backward again, he realized that he'd made a horrible mistake. That he should have stayed put, that he should have put a lid on his panic. 

The Dark Lord was watching him with a calculating grin. "Ah," he said with satisfaction, slowly lowering his hand away from Cami's throat. Shintaro's brother fell back and began gasping for air, his breaths wheezy and shaky. 

"This one," Brethren hissed with a devious grin, his red eyes traveling down to Chase's face. 

Chase's eyes widened with the first show of panic, and a moment later he was on his feet, his throat held tightly by Brethren's clawed hand. Blood ran down the sides of his neck, staining the collar of his shirt, as his hands flew up to Brethren's wrist. Chase kicked and struggled, trying to yank Brethren's hand away; but The Dark Lord held firmly and calmly. 

Slowly, Brethren raised his other hand, which was now also tipped with claws, and pressed one finger against Chase's stomach. Gradually, he began dragging it from one side to the other. Chase made a pained sound in his throat, but he continued to struggle against Brethren's other hand.

"How much does it take before he breaks, I wonder?" Brethren said with a tilt of his head, but he wasn't talking to Shintaro. "Is this enough, or does he need more to convince him?" 

And then he jerked his hand sideways, his claws ripping across Chase's stomach like paper. Now Chase screamed, his voice loud and everywhere at once. It echoed through Shintaro's head like a bell tolling over and over again, it shot through Shintaro's mind like a knife slicing through the air. 

"STOP!" a voice shrieked, and it took Shintaro a moment to realize that it was his own. A second later, he was on his feet again, panting and trembling in panic. "Stop it, stop it! Put him down!!"

Brethren's head tilted a bit, and he looked over his shoulder at Shintaro. 

Shintaro hated this.

He hated the fact that he was submitting to another one of Brethren's orders.

He hated it. 

He never wanted to obey another one of Brethren's horrible commands again. 

Never again.

"I'll do it," he said.

~

I DID IT

I updated!!!!

I honestly didn't think I was going to finish it today.

BUT THEN my brain was like 

:D *yeet* IDEAS!!!

THIS IS BUT ONE OF THE HORRIBLE, ANGSTY CHAPTERS THAT ARE COMING-

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

BUT SERIOUSLY THOUGH I'M SO MEAN TO MY CHILDREN

Thank you for reading!! 

I'm happy that I could finish this today. I hope you enjoyed!!

P3ac3!!!!~~~