Chapter Thirteen – Broken

Yugi's POV

While Yami and Aria were talking Yugi was watching the Thief King pace in front of him, his eyes calculated every movement the man made.

Yugi was kneeling on the floor, his wrists attached to ropes that were being held by the Thief King's men. The men were pulling on the ropes so Yugi's arms were being outstretched sideways and slightly backwards.

Sennen Bakuru stopped pacing and turned to face Yugi, a huge sneer on his face. The Thief King ripped Yugi's shirt off easily before running his hands over Yugi's upper torso. As his hands roamed over the soft skin the man calculated the best way to break the young boy's spirit.

An insane and twisted smile graced the Thief King's face as he pulled a knife out of his belt. Yugi's eyes fixed on the silver blade. He gulped.

Bakuru smirked before placing the blade tip to Yugi's chest. With a quick movement of his hand he drew some blood. Yugi felt the sting of the blade and the warmth of his blood trickle out of the fairly deep cut.

That knife has got to be really sharp to make a cut that deep when he wasn't even pressing hard…

"Did that hurt, boy?" Bakuru asked, breaking through Yugi's thoughts.

"Not a bit." Yugi lied.

Bakuru's eyes narrowed. He repeated the action of carving deep cuts into Yugi's front, each time pausing and looking at Yugi's face for any sign of pain. Yugi kept all emotion from his face. He would not let this insane man see his pain.

"Does it hurt now?" Bakuru asked when Yugi's chest and stomach were covered in many slashes.

"Nope." Yugi replied, trying to keep the pain from his voice.

A growl escaped the Thief King. He stood up, went to grab a wipe and walked back over to Yugi. "Let's see how you handle this." He said, smirking.

Yugi's eyes followed the movement of the wipe as it was raised high in the air and brought down hard. Searing pain rippled from the place where the wipe hit his stomach. He didn't have time to full register the pain before the wipe was brought down on him again and again and again. Yugi's eyes teared up as more of his blood soaked his front.

"Still not going to scream and beg me to stop?" The man asked, putting the now blood covered wipe away having finished lashing Yugi's front never once leaving an injury on Yugi's back, that space was for some other wickeder torture that was sure to break the boy's spirit.

Yugi blinked away his tears and glared at Sennen Bakuru. Bakuru went over to the fire in the corner of the room. He used his body to shield what he was doing from Yugi. Yugi's eyes widened in fear when the man finally turned around. In his hand was an iron rod, the end of it was glowing red hot.

Bakuru pressed the searing metal to the boy's skin, a satisfied smile appeared on his face when Yugi's skin made a sickening sizzling sound. He repeatedly pressed the scorching metal to Yugi's skin in various places on his upper torso. Yugi couldn't take it, it hurt so badly. But he refused to scream or beg for the man to stop. Instead he let salty tears cascade down his cheeks. Bakuru placed the now cooling metal back in the fire, walked so he was behind Yugi and took out his knife.

"Let's see if you can stay quiet during this…" he said, his voice showed he was clearly starting to get annoyed by Yugi's apparent lack of pain. What he didn't know was that Yugi was in agony, his upper body ached all over.

The thief king kneeled behind Yugi. Yugi arched his back away from the man as the cold metal blade was pressed against it. Bakuru smirked. He pressed the blade harder against Yugi's back, breaking the skin easily. More tears ran down Yugi's face.

"Please don't please!" Yugi started to beg and struggle, he couldn't take anymore.

Yami, Aria, Marik, Joey, someone! Save me!

The thought repeatedly ran through Yugi's mind.

Bakuru slowly started to move the blade, carving his mark into Yugi's back and enjoying the sight of the crimson liquid that flowed from the deep gashes.

"Please stop! Please no more! It hurts!" Yugi screamed, his eyes tightly shut as tears rolled faster and harder down his cheeks.

He struggled more and more, causing his wrists to become bloody from the ropes tied to them but he hardly registered the pain of the rope burns, his mind was consumed with the pain of the blade slicing through his flesh.

Someone, anyone! Make him stop! Please!

Bakuru went over the cut repeatedly 'til it was deep enough that he knew it would scar. He pulled the blade out of the small, bloody and broken boy. Giving a satisfied chuckle at the sickening squelching sound it made when removed from the bloody mess of what was once a smooth and flourless young boy that was now beaten and broken. Yugi hung his head, tears falling to the floor.

Why…why didn't they come… why didn't they stop him… why…

The men holding the ropes tied to Yugi's wrists let go, causing him to fall face first to the floor. Yugi looked up at the man, his amethyst eyes showing fear, pain and misery.

Bakuru smirked down at Yugi, clearly pleased with his work. Yugi's eyes slowly closed as he drifted out of consciousness.

The last thing he heard was to men walking into the room, he couldn't make out what they said but it made the Thief King very happy. Which in turn made Yugi very afraid.

Then everything went black and all was silent for the young duellist with the Thief King's mark carved eternally into his back.