Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.
Author: Higuchimon
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh GX
Series Title: Reversals||Story Title: To The End
Characters: Ryou, Juudai, Camula||Romance: N/A
Word Count: chapter: 1,544||story: 1,544||Chapters: 1/3
Genre: Drama, Angst||Rated: PG-13
Challenge: Diversity Challenge, G6, three-shot; GX Non-Flash Bingo, #052, shock; Valentine's Day to White Day 2015, day #7, at least 4,000 words in first person POV; Advent 2016, day #14, write about anything; Valentine's Day to White Day 2016, day #26, write a fic to your average word count (4,714 words); Easter Egg Basket 2016, day #22, do a fic for one of your New Year's Resolutions; One Character Boot Camp, #34, destruction
Challenge Location: All challenges can be found at the Duel Monsters Writing Academy Forum on FFnet.
Notes: This takes place in the reversal AU, during Ryou's time as Haou's prisoner.
Summary: Living as Haou's prisoner isn't the worst fate Ryou could have. But Haou plans to put him through what the worst fate actually is.
I breathe. There isn't much more that I can do, hanging from chains that scarcely moved, let alone could be broken. I breathe, because I want to do it while I still can. Who knows how long it will be before Haou finally grows bored with torture and decides death will be the final punishment for the 'heinous crime' of spying on him?
Though he has said, more than once, that my ultimate fate will be something worse than death. Something he's looking forward to.
I have seen many things. Whatever would make him think something is worse than death isn't something I can figure out, not yet.
But I'll know, eventually. He won't be able to stop himself from telling me about it. He enjoys seeing fear on those he hurts.
I've seen it before, when I served at his court. It doesn't seem that long ago now. I've lost track of time in this hellish place. It could've been weeks or months. I don't think years. Not yet.
Though I wouldn't be at all surprised if it becomes years before he's done with me.
I don't regret coming here. I only regret that I couldn't accomplish my mission. I can only hope that Edo chooses not to try again. Haou won't let himself be fooled a second time.
I do wonder if he ever actually was fooled by my act. I killed so many people at his command, but there was never the enjoyment that so many of those who truly serve him willingly have. I think he knew that.
I can hear him coming now. Another time of torment approaches. I very seldom screamed before I found myself in his dungeon. Nothing ever hurt enough for me to do it. Even when I saw people that I fought beside falling into death, there wasn't the kind of pain that would draw out a scream.
I scream a lot now. Almost whenever he wants me to.
I don't know if I hate him more for what he's done to this world, for what he's done to Johan, or what he's done to me. I am Hell Kaiser. I shouldn't scream because of being tortured.
But I do anyway. Whether I want to or not. And he knows it.
As always, he has no guards. What would he need them for? I have nothing, not even my clothes, let alone a duel disk or a deck. I don't know where mine are, any of those. They were all stripped away from me when I was brought down here.
So all I have when I look into his eyes, those filthy things of bright gold that promise even more pain every day, is what sternness I can muster.
It fades a little every day. I don't want it to. I hang on with what I have, but I already know how this will end. I knew the chance when I chose to come here. Having it approach doesn't improve anything.
"Hell Kaiser," he says, and there is a smirk on his lips, as there almost always is. He so enjoys seeing the results of other visits.
I raise up my head. I force myself to meet his eyes. It's not a wise thing to do, as I find myself sharply reminded when he rests a hand on my shoulder and there is pain.
I've experienced electric shocks, in the days before his rule crushed the world that we knew once. Haou's touch puts every shock I've ever known to shame, and it is that touch that yanks a stuttering scream from my lips.
I hate it. I hate him. And I can't do anything about either one.
He lifts his hand from my shoulder and moves it along to my chin, tilting my head back. He will allow me to look at him if he initiates it. If I try, then, as I've just been reminded, there is a price to pay.
"How much more do I have to hurt you before you learn how to address me properly? You said it before. It sounded very sweet when you did." His smirk slides into a sadistic grin. It's an expression he wears far too well. "Now, say it again, and say it right. I don't have all day to play with you."
Lies. He would take all day if he chose to. Only one other act pleases him more than seeing me in agony these days. He's been known to combine the two.
I would rather he just continued to hurt me than that happen again. Some sights were never meant to be viewed.
But I seal my lips. He will tear the word from my lips; it's happened before. It will happen again.
He enjoys doing it. I know it; it's clear in everything he says and does.
There are some people who would go ahead and say it, who would deprive him of the pleasure of ripping it out of them. I am not one of them. Not because I want him to enjoy it, but because if he takes the time to do that, then it's less time he has to do other things to me or in front of me or anything else.
It's a small way to fight, but I will take what I can.
His smile today doesn't bode well. Not that it ever does, but something about it sends tingles of chill all through me, more so than ever before.
"You are a fool, Hell Kaiser. But a fool that I can find useful." He trails a finger from my chin up to my temple and there is so much pain; I can't think for how much there is. If I weren't chained to the wall, I would be on the floor, my legs unable to support me.
Death would be an escape. An end to the pain and the humiliation. That's why he denies it to me. But it cannot go on forever. I know his goal; he's never made a secret of it. He seeks to destroy all of creation, to the point nothing can revive ever again.
That includes me, sooner or later. All that remains is for when and how.
Sometime, he stops the pain. I can't even be certain of how long it went on, only that I screamed and screamed, and I said anything that he wanted to hear.
I don't know how much time passes before the pain ends and I can think again. I expect him to be gone. He's had his fun for the day. That's what he does; spends time tormenting me, making me scream until I can't make noise anymore, and then departs, leaving me alone until he chooses to come back.
He's the only one allowed in here. He brings food, sometimes. Enough so I won't die, not so much that I ever really feel full or satisfied.
At least he doesn't make me beg for it. But to eat from his hands is worse.
He makes Johan beg for it. I've seen it happen. And Johan does so gladly, eagerly, as if it's a game between them.
I wish I could've killed him. General Johan isn't the Johan Andersen who led us for so long. This is nothing more than Haou's submissive toy.
I won't be like that. I will die first.
I expect him to be gone. But he isn't. He stands there looking at me and I cannot describe his expression. He wants something that he's not getting and he does not like that.
That never bodes well for anyone.
I stay quiet. My throat hurts too much for me to speak even if I wanted to. If it's something he can inflict on me to gain what he wants, he'll do it soon enough.
And again he tilts my head up so that he can stare down into my eyes. If it weren't for his touch, I couldn't keep my head up. He knows it. He must know it.
"I'm getting a little bored with you just hanging around here and screaming. I mean, the screaming is nice, and I want you to do more of it. But I think it's time you did a lot more than be a wall ornament."
I can't answer. There's not enough strength in me. It always takes a while to recover after a 'session' with him, and this one seems to have been worse than usual.
He doesn't seem to expect one, though. He just looks down at me, and the look is horrible.
"I've been waiting for someone to come back before we move on to the next phase of your punishment. And she'll be back tomorrow night."
It falls into place as quickly as that. There's only one person, one woman, who would want to be involved in this, and who would return at night.
I've screamed enough for one day. But the thought of Camula seeing me like this, with only Haou's word between me and her…
I almost wish I could.
Haou can see it in my own expression. The satisfaction in his eyes says it. His smile makes that even worse.
"Rest while you can. You will need it."
To Be Continued
Note: Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.
