Born into the home of nobility, wealth and power were hers without asking. The worldly accessories were handed to her from birth, and yet there was something she desired more than anything.

Some find despair or fear in pain, and some grow to hate or flee from it, but not her. Within pain, when agony spiked her temperature until her body burned hot enough to steam her soul, that was where everything she desired came from.

To watch herself endure such torture and others scream in its wake was all she desired. That thrill, that momentary euphoria, and nothing else. Yet the world robbed her of that.

Everything came crashing when she watched, lustfully, as her own cousin bled to death.

It was an abomination. No noble could act like that.

Her own flesh and blood treated her like a monster, a creep, a demon seeking nothing but pleasure from blood.

But in this world where everyone became what they most desperately desired, she became what she wanted. The woman whose Title made people tremble in their boots: Horn of Dread.

***

Halo had been betrayed.

It had been over a week, and the best sound he'd heard was the clatter of plates. He'd adapted to Mika's strong, relentless strikes by holding his breath and tensing his muscles with all his strength.

This didn't make it any less painful, as he would often lose consciousness afterward from holding his breath for too long.

But despite everything, he was thankful to Mika. She'd been generous enough to choose a torture method that would make his death slow and painful.

She intended to break Halo's ribs one after another. Her ability worked without any weapons. She focused her strikes on a particular spot every day.

His entire lower abdomen was bruised, so badly damaged it seemed to pulse on its own. Yet his ribs were still intact, and he knew he'd be damned before long.

He was caught in a dilemma. Has he been betrayed?

Iris had been gone for a week now, she should have hurried with her strategies.

Yet every day, when he heard the wind blow against the metallic door, he could only hope he'd be spared. That someone had come to his rescue.

But it all felt unreal, like some psychological trick.

He had enough.

He'd tried to plan an escape, not just once, but his half-assed technique kept failing him. He passed out and woke only when Mika returned for the next session.

Even he had his limits, and even with his clone, Tough, they could only do so much against a dozen people.

Despite everything, Mika was careful with her plaything. She needed Halo to have energy if he was going to withstand her torture for long.

"I doubt I'll ever get another toy as entertaining as you. So don't fall apart yet, boy. Eat up."

Mika said and began forcing porridge down Halo's throat.

This was futile. He tasted nothing but was ate anyway. Worse, the room was dark, leaving him no way to assess the porridge.

For all he knew, he was eating someone's brain.

"I didn't expect you to survive this long…"

Mika said with a proud tone.

Well, he neither.

It was a rough estimate, but he didn't believe he could survive even a dozen of her strikes. And worse, he'd only heard Mika speak of her True Ability, never seen it.

"Honestly, I thought you'd have at least a few friends bursting through that door to rescue you. I was counting on it. With the right number, I could've stretched your suffering for a whole year."

Halo's shoulders were raw from hanging so long, and his neck felt like it bore the weight of the entire world. Yet he still managed to turn toward Mika and sneer.

"Oh, wait, what about we play a game?"

Halo met her with silence. He couldn't speak; even his jaw felt too heavy. But even if he could have, he doubted he'd say a word.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. I won't be letting you go."

Halo's expression went blank.

'But I wasn't…'

The disappointed look on his face was evident.

"I want to split your stomach open. I'll take your intestines out myself. And if you manage to live with them hanging there for a day… I promise to hurt you only three times a week."

Halo frowned.

'Consider?'

Mika nodded with a lustful smile across her face.

"You already know how my ability works. If I harm you with my own hands and intend to do it again… I can heal it all. Clean, perfect, and ready for the next round."

Her smile widened.

"You will be completely fine as long as you survive."

Halo began shivering from within.

He didn't like this. Not at all.

According to Mika, her ability, Cycle of Unmaking, ensured that everyone she killed remained dead forever. Not even the gods could revive them. If he died here, not even his Only Sin, Death, could bring him back as a shadow.

He was damned.

His heart beat quickened, sweat forming on his brow as Mika leaned in. The thirst for teasing was apparent in her eyes.

"What do you think, boy?"

She whispered.

Halo swallowed bile.

His throat felt tight and dry all of a sudden, the panicked glare in his eyes speaking volumes. But he forced himself anyway.

He'd never been this desperate, but situations like this didn't call for principles. All he wanted was to say "no" and let her know he refused.

After several attempts, he managed to murmur it:

"No!"

It was low but firm and direct.

Mika's mouth began to water that very moment.

"Even better! If you're against it, that means it'll be so much more fun!"

Halo's head dropped in defeat.

'What was I thinking?' He thought.

Mika crouched before him and ripped his shirt to shreds. The look on her face was sickening as she raked her nails across his stomach.

She went straight for his lower abdomen, right where the bruises were darkest. He wanted to cry, but the tears never came.

Each scratch drenched him in blood, and past the agony were dark thoughts.

His mind drifted, detaching from everything happening to him. He couldn't even make out Mika's words.

All he could think about was torturing Mika, making her death match the dread she'd put him through.

But even those thoughts couldn't save him.

Soon enough, he saw Mika move closer to pull the sack over his head.

She was done. He knew that much, yet he felt nothing.

He couldn't see the wound, but imagining it was enough to make him dizzy.

Everything went dark.

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