In a spacious dungeon, my body dangled from the air.
My hands were tied to two chains hanging from the ceiling, my feet barely touching the ground.
The dungeon was much larger than I expected.
Iron doors lined both sides of the walls, each marked with a number instead of a name.
Chains hung from the ceiling. Tables stood against the walls, covered with restraints, buckets, folded cloth and various instruments I didn't care to identify.
The air was cold and damp, carrying the smell of iron and something medicinal.
A guard walked towards the door with stained hands and an apron.
The door suddenly opened, and another one walked in.
This was the seventh guard in this order.
My head hung low as I struggled to catch my breath.
Zarin had ordered my punishment to be a thousand lashes and no food for a day.
Ten guards had divided the job.
Six hundred were already done.
My healing abilities were around the level of an average Lower Phase demon, but there was only so much my body could take.
The previous guards had barely spoken to me.
They simply counted.
One hundred.
Two hundred.
Three hundred.
And now...
Six hundred.
The seventh guard exchanged a few words with the one leaving before taking his place behind me.
He carried a new whip in his hand.
Long and slender, the leather made a sharp sound whenever he moved it through the air.
A scream erupted from somewhere in the other room.
Must be another prisoner...
I was almost glad I only ended up with lashes.
I didn't want to imagine what could make a grown man scream like that.
The guard stood behind me, staring at the state I was in with a slightly disgusted expression.
"I wonder why you'd choose to leave when every other guard envied your position."
Ahh.
I see.
He probably thinks this punishment is a little too nice.
"Well..." My voice was hoarse and dry. "It's comforting to know you want to be in my shoes."
I could hear him walking into position.
"No. I wouldn't."
The first lash cracked through the dungeon.
I gripped the chains and flexed my muscles.
Then the second.
"Mmmhhh."
A growl escaped me as my grip tightened.
The chains were thick and certainly made for all kinds of people.
They didn't budge despite how hard I held onto them.
A third.
Fourth.
Fifth...
Once again, the sound of the whip drowned the room.
The count continued.
Seven hundred.
Eight hundred.
Nine hundred...
By then, time had stopped making sense.
There was only the sound.
The counting.
And the chains beneath my hands.
Then finally...
"One thousand."
Silence.
For the first time since I'd entered the dungeon, nobody spoke.
I barely registered the guards leaving.
My body finally gave up.
Everything went dark.
-----
I opened my eyes to reveal the ceiling of my room.
I must have been carried here once the punishment was over.
I sat up slowly.
My upper body was completely bandaged, and my face felt unusually pale.
There was food beside the bed.
My stomach immediately reminded me how long it had been.
I tore out of bed and started eating whatever was available.
I didn't care what it was.
I just ate.
Once I was finished, I sat there for a moment, staring at the empty plate.
One day without food shouldn't have mattered to a demon.
Apparently, it did.
I eventually removed the bandages in preparation to freshen up.
My body was already healing.
The worst of it would eventually fade, leaving only scars behind.
For now, though, the punishment was still written across me.
-----
Twenty minutes later, I made my way to Zarin's room.
I stood in front of the door for another five minutes, unsure how to face him.
Until suddenly, the door opened.
I jumped slightly.
Nyvera stepped out.
Her eyes barely lingered on my presence before she walked away.
I watched her leave once more without being able to reach out to her.
I turned back to the door and knocked.
"Excuse me."
I opened it and walked in.
The dark room was illuminated only by candles and a small crack between the curtains.
It was partially empty.
As long as I'd known Zarin, there was no colour in his life.
The only sort of amusement he drew from were humans.
He always said they were unpredictable.
Apparently, that gave him some sense of escape from this orderly world.
The room itself was a bit fancy.
Fancier than mine.
Every elite was given the best life available inside the Castle, so compared to Zarin's room, the other ten probably lived in luxury.
Perhaps the current look of the room was what made him feel most at home.
Zarin stood by the window, facing the Kingdom with a glass of wine in his hand.
He stared into the distance.
"Lord Zarin..."
I definitely wasn't planning on making the same mistake twice.
His head finally turned toward me.
"I see you've been freed, Rhaen. How was your 'welcome home' experience?"
It was clear he was trying to rage bait me.
But I wasn't falling for it.
"I'd missed the taste of home, all thanks to you... I was able to relive it."
"I always love to be of some help. You are one of my elites after all... It's the least I could do."
A playful smile crept across his face.
It gave me an unsettling feeling.
He had called me his elite.
Years ago, I had been turned into a demon by him and placed among his personal elites.
Human transformation wasn't something every person survived.
Compatibility played a major role.
Human blood and demon essence interacted during the process, and the result depended on which side dominated.
Most humans either transformed completely or didn't survive the process.
But when neither side completely dominated...
Half-demons could be born.
Nyvera and I were among them.
I'd spent twenty years developing my abilities.
In the Demon Realm, that made me a rookie.
I wasn't as strong as demons who had existed their entire lives.
Compared to them, I was only an average Lower Phase demon.
Yet Zarin had chosen humans like us to become his elites, knowing we'd be weaker than the elites serving other Upper Phases.
And the reason...
Was something only Zarin knew.
"I've learned my lessons."
"Good."
He placed his glass down.
"I'm returning you to your position..."
My eyes widened.
I knew there was no escape anymore.
I'd thought I'd simply end up existing somewhere inside the Castle.
But apparently, Zarin had other plans.
"This is a chance to redeem yourself. There won't be a third."
I stared back at him, unsure what to think or say.
So I simply nodded.
"Tell Nyvera to escort you to your new room. I'm quite sure you need a touching reunion with the rest of the team."
I turned toward the door.
As I exited the room, I could only think of one thing—
My hatred for Zarin.
He knew this was the last thing I wanted.
And he didn't give a damn.
Maybe I should've run away with Hunter and the rest...
Nah.
I don't think they'd want someone like me on the team.