With his eyes covered, everything was dark.

But he felt the thick atmosphere pressing in and darkness looming over him. The distant quietness bounced his own breath back at him.

That thick, cozy feeling, he knew he was caged in some dark place, probably an underground bunker. It smelled like abandoned territory.

He was chained against the wall, his hands outstretched. Even though his legs were free, the force alone spoke volumes, he couldn't break out so easily.

Dark thoughts filled his mind.

The darkness was the perfect place for the most bizarre tortures. When he thought hard about it, that lustful smile he'd last seen on Mika's face meant she was going to savor this. The torture would be slow and deliberate.

He began distracting himself with anything he could think of.

Before his mind could clear, he heard footsteps closing in. He braced himself.

There were six of them. Judging by the light, relaxed steps of their leader, she was a woman. Shadow of Death smiled behind the sack that covered his head.

Soon enough, a sharp metallic sound echoed in the distance. He wasn't sure, but judging by the sound, there was certainly a corridor behind the door. This wasn't a bunker after all.

"We meet again…"

Mika walked toward Halo and began tracing her fingers across his face.

He attempted to manage a smile, but his cold nature didn't let him.

The moment the door closed, Mika removed the sack.

Mika smiled lustily.

"Looking at your hair upfront, I like it."

She traced her fingers down his skull.

"I always take a little keepsake from my victims. Their most memorable part. For you? Hm… definitely your hair."

Halo's expression remained deadpan.

"Don't you think you should kill me first?"

She giggled and began rubbing her curves against Halo's body while moaning mid-action. Her thoughts didn't seem pleasant at all.

"Slow down, boy. I'll kill you when I decide to. And that moment isn't now."

She was right there before him, close enough that even through the darkness, Halo could see her red eyes piercing through the shadows.

Her movements, pressing and brushing her body against his, made her impossible to miss. And yet Halo barely registered her presence. His mind was elsewhere.

He wasn't sure where Iris went. She'd vanished moments before he was arrested, and judging by how formidable Spector and Ren looked, he was certain the men in the room were equally dangerous.

He had no intention of underestimating them, even though he couldn't make them out in the darkness.

If they decided to kill him any time soon, he wouldn't know whether to fight back. And if he did, with only one clone, it would prove challenging.

Iris had asked him to wait until Light returned to him. He didn't know what was happening since she'd kept him in the dark, but he was certain the Child of Sacrifice had her plans. Acting without a signal would come back to haunt him.

He just needed to stall for a moment.

"You are awfully quiet for my liking…"

Mika smiled.

"I love it!"

BANG!

A powerful fist hit his gut, sending an unbearable pain down his abdomen.

The fist unclenched and locked his neck, forcing him to choke on the pain. Her struggle against his will was futile.

He didn't expect it.

His eyes tracked her movements for the most part, but in the darkness, it was hard to make anything out. What startled him was the force of the punch.

He'd analyzed Mika's structure before and was still analyzing it now, but never had he expected her to possess such force at this range. All he'd seen was meat.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself. Aeliana's death is irrelevant. And those five fools? I knew you'd manage them. I only wanted enough excuses to enjoy torturing you properly."

She exhaled deeply and let go of Halo.

Halo began gasping for air as though his lungs had failed him moments before.

"That was a rather tidy trick you used. You suspected me, so you deliberately paraded your existence before me."

She began tracing her fingers down Halo's chest.

"I'll admit, I didn't see that coming. Still… effort deserves acknowledgment. I suppose I won't torment you too badly today."

She leaned toward his ear and whispered:

"I'm going to put you through horrors you've never imagined. Let me see your will… all of it."

Halo sneered and watched as Mika covered his head with the sack.

He was fucked.

She had already figured them out, and he thought they were the smart ones.

But if he had to endure this level of force for much longer, he was certain he wouldn't survive. His body had been forged for such situations, but with his arms outstretched and chained, his muscles weren't as tight as they used to be.

The way he was restrained let his muscles stretch out, exposing his ribcage and forcing all the pressure and energy into his shoulders and arms.

To survive long enough for Light's return, he needed to think of something—a way to train his muscles and force them to grow tighter even in this position. Otherwise, a dozen more of those strikes would be all it took to finish him off.

As soon as the pain in his gut subsided, he felt grateful for the date he'd gone on with Iris. The force had taken most of his energy, and yet the snacks they'd eaten that afternoon were making up for it.

Still, his doubts about Iris hadn't completely vanished. Why didn't she let him know about her plans? Could she be working with them? She'd disappeared only moments before the guards, Spector and Ren, showed up to arrest him.

His thoughts began to erode his trust in the Child of Sacrifice, but he knew that wasn't best for their partnership. Unless Light was still mad at him, he was bound to return the moment he spotted something fishy.

He needn't worry, but he couldn't wait around to die either.

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