A/N: I am so sorry to my readers that it took so long for this chapter to go up. I hope you like it as much as I do. I hope you find it worth your wait. Next chappie up as soons a possible!

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.

Chapter 17: Torture

The scalpel lightly scraped across my skin, I felt the blood trickle down my side. I was biting my bottom lip to keep from screaming. They always say the first cut is the deepest. Just seconds ago, Akito had placed a blindfold over my eyes, which had surprised me. I thought he would want me to see everything he was doing to me. . .and then I felt it. Another wetness upon my back. Cold, in comparison to my burning blood and too high up to have come from me. Then I heard the sniff, the sloppy kind full of snot and heartbreak. It was a tear.

Another contact of metal, but it just sat there, not even breaking the skin.

"You will proceed, or I will finish it,. . .and you know that I will do my worst."

Akito's voice from across the room. . .but then,

who. . . I didn't need to finish the question. I already knew the answer.

"Yu. . .Yuki?"

A pain wracked sob came from above me.

"YOU WILL REMAIN SILENT UNTIL SPOKEN TO, COW!"

No, no, please. I could deal with the monster hurting me. . .but not this. . .please, I can't take this.

"Proceed now, my pet. You both need to learn. You need to show him how much of a mistake it is to FUCK! with God. You will be my wrathful hand. DO IT NOW!" A controlled intake of breath, and long exhale. A moment later, after composure was made, "The more you delay, the longer it will take. Neither of you will be allowed to leave until I am completely satisfied that punishment has been dealt out. Now continue."

A sharp prick at the top of my spine, and a drag down all the way to my tailbone. The blazing agony made tears come to my eyes, soaking the blindfold. I don't know if they were from the incision, or the rain of tears that came from above me.

"Time to move on from that precise tool. I grow weary of these clean cuts. They are too neat for my taste."

I heard him set it down with a clatter, and the creasing of leather.

"Mmm, delicious selection. I see you remember my weapon of choice."

The CRACK as the whip slammed into my flesh, tearing into my skin, ripping anew the open wounds, flinging blood across the walls.

And then, the breaking point. All composure and self-restraint was lost.

"YES! YES, SHOW HIM HOW WRONG HE WAS TO FUCK WITH ME! YOU DON'T TOUCH WHAT IS NOT YOURS! YOU DESERVE THIS! YOU DESERVE TO SEE THAT YOU ARE NOT WORTHY! YOU DESERVE TO FEEL THE PAIN THAT LIFE IS! YOU DESERVE THIS!"

Over and over and over again, until I didn't even know anything except the pain. The pounding pain, the agony that went all the way into my soul. With every crack, I felt a piece of it fly away with my blood, stripping it down to the very core. I'm not sure how long this went on. I held no perception of time, but it felt like an eternity.

Everything I had cared for, everything I had held on for, was being torn away with my flesh. I had lost Yuki. I had lost everything. I had nothing anymore. I was nothing anymore.

I had lost any sense of holding back. I screamed from my very essence over and over and over again, matching the crack of the whip.

A moan of satisfaction from across the room, then another long inhale and exhale.

"Alright, that's enough, for now."

A sigh of relief flooded out of Yuki. I felt tender fingers untie the bonds, my limbs flopped down to my sides. I felt my blindfold, likewise, being released, the same hands lovingly caressed my face. My eyelids fluttered open. Akito knelt beside me, his hands upon my face.

"I'm sorry to go to such extremes, but you must understand the importance of knowing your place,. . .which is below me. Have I made that clear enough for you to understand?"

I feebly nodded my head. He leaned in and awkwardly embraced me, trying not to touch my mutilated back. His lips touched my neck, then my ear.

"Remember this, cow. Even though I would hate to devastate one of our own,. . .I will not hesitate to mete out punishment to those who deserve it."

He let go of my body, letting it fall to the floor with a THUMP, and turned around and walked away. I just lay there, unable to move or protest. Yuki still stood there, holding the whip, visibly shaking.

"Come along Yuki. The cow will need his healing time."

He turned around to follow Akito, and then looked back at me. Tears were streaming down his angelic face, apology shining through the window of lamentation. Then, he continued out of the room, and I was left alone with my anguish, the affliction of my soul.