Milo's voice was barely more than a whisper. Alec would have struggled to hear what he said if not for his hunger and sharpened senses.

"Milo. Although the circumstances are a little unfortunate, it's nice to meet you."

"T-the old man told me not to talk to you," Milo said, suppressing his sniffles.

"But you're doing it anyway. You're brave. And there's no reason to listen to a kidnapper like him. Just stay calm, and we'll get out of here before long."

Milo shook his head in response.

"I can't leave!"

"Why not…?" Alec asked worriedly.

'There's no way he already has Stockholm Syndrome, right?'

"Because I'll turn into a monster if I do!" Milo cried out, tears bursting out of his eyes and breaking into sobs. Milo hugged his knees to his chest.

"No, you won't. Do you think that old man has the power to do something like that? He's just a crazy bastard who knows a little magic. He's not—"

"He showed it to me! He showed me Alice!"

"Who's Alice?"

"He said she turned into a monster for not listening to him! I have to listen to him! I don't want to become a monster!" Milo's hands wrapped around the back of his head and pressed it onto his knees as he curled up into a ball in the corner of the cell, like he was trying to disappear.

"Hey, Milo, it's going to be fine, alright? See these shackles? It's because I didn't listen to that fucker. But I'm still human. Becoming a monster isn't something an old man decides."

"Then who decides it?!"

"No one!"

"R-r-really?" Milo dared a brave glance at Alec.

Alec nodded confidently.

"It happens extremely rarely to someone unfortunate. I can tell, Milo, that you know the difference between the lucky and the unlucky, right?"

Milo nodded. Some are born into rich families. Others are left behind dumpsters as soon as they enter the world.

"But do you know that one person can only be so unlucky in their life?"

Milo shook his head.

"No? Okay, think of a person as a plate. Every piece of bad luck breaks off a chip from that plate. Ordinarily, that means a person can get very unlucky during their lifetime. But here's the kicker, some things require a minimum amount of plate to occur, such as turning into a monster. You with me so far?"

Milo nodded slowly.

"Great. Becoming a monster is something that takes a lot of plate. Milo, you've been unlucky a bit in your life so far, right? I mean, just being kidnapped by that old bastard must have taken a large piece."

Milo nodded decisively. He might not have been the most miserable. But if his life could not be called unfortunate, then there was no such thing as misfortune.

"Perfect! That means you can't become a monster!" Alec said with a smile he hoped wasn't forced. Even if it was, he hoped Milo wouldn't notice.

"Is that the truth?" Milo asked in a weak, shaky voice.

"Of course!"

"You're not lying to make me feel better?"

'Sharp kid.'

"I must admit, there are times when you have to do things like that. But this is not one of those times. I would never lie to you about something this serious."

"Mhm."

Alec hesitated for a moment before deciding that, regardless of the topic, it was probably best to keep Milo talking.

"So, who is Alice? Your girlfriend?"

Milo didn't look. Alec was worried he had chosen the wrong topic when Milo stayed silent that long.

"Big sis. She took care of us. A merchant took her in, but she came back with food and blankets." Tears slowly started falling from Milo's eyes again.

"She played with us and made sure we didn't have to steal. When we did anyway, she helped us hide from the constables." Milo sniffled with a clogged nose.

"I thought she left us again! I blamed her for abandoning us! I resented her for being lucky!" Milo cried out, his voice breaking.

"..."

"When Old George hit me, I blamed her for forcing me to steal again! I–it wasn't her fault!"

"But she, she didn't leave us!" Milo's tone suddenly changed, and his voice sank.

"She was taken from us!" Rage, hot as the tears running down his cheeks, burned Milo's body from within. He clenched his hands so hard that blood started beading in his palms before slowly dripping to the ground.

"I'm going to kill him!"

Milo didn't care right now about what Alec had said. It was Shim's fault. All of it. He had kidnapped Alice, forced the remaining kids to suffer, and kidnapped him. He had turned Alice into a monster.

It would be a surprise if Milo didn't want him dead.

Alec wanted to say that killing people wasn't right, that it would only make things worse. But how could he when he felt the same? He was in no position to preach.

"It's going to be alright, Milo. It's going to be alright." Alec wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or Milo. But neither was listening to his words.

After a while, Milo tired himself out with his intense emotions and everything he had been through. He fell asleep still curled up in a ball.

Alec was hoping time would prove him right. Still, he stopped it as much as he could to prepare.

Unfortunately, that was all he could do—delay the inevitable.

Before long, Shim returned. He cast Mute on Alec and Sleep on Milo. He then opened Milo's cell and carried him over to the workbench he had cleared. He strapped Milo onto it and grabbed a bundle of tools. Scalpels and pliers.

Alec's eyes widened as he looked at the scar on his torso before turning back to Shim and Milo.

'Don't you fucking dare!' He tried to shout without success. Not even the sounds of his shackles rattling against the chains escaped.

Without caring about Alec, Shim began.

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