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Kuro blinked back into consciousness only to feel a sharp ache in his shoulders. A small yank was all it took, even in his groggy state, to notice the cold metal chains binding his hands uncomfortably up against the wall.
"How long have I..." was the question that would've been uttered had Kuro's voice not fallen inaudibly on the tip of his tongue. His throat hurt.
Yanking his arms against the constraints only served to send a clatter of steel echoing in the musty dimness of his confinement. It broke the silence, at the very least, rousing the silhouette of Kuro’s apparent captor to an attentive gaze that peered right through him.
“Oh?” A once-familiar voice now carried with it the lilt of an almost provocative drawl— It sent a shiver down Kuro’s spine
“Tsugino! You’re fiiiiinally awake?”
Metal against concrete, it didn't take a genius to connect the scraping sound to that of a blade dragged along the wall's length, growing closer and closer. The lump in Kuro's throat thickened, lingering painfully with knowing anticipation of what was to come.
The face that came into view was smiling.
An unsettling still-framed cheshire grin plastered in the place of what would ordinarily have been an absentminded grumble or furrowed pout.
"Come on now, lets plaaaay!"
Right, play.
Amidst the fog of his brain, Kuro recalled the earlier events; barbed wires and puzzles, dolls and codes... he chose flight over fight and had gotten caught in the unfortunate misstep that had led him down underground and all chained up.
There wasn't much time for reminiscing, however, with the gleam of the blade reflecting harsh light into Kuro's eyes as it approached. Kuro flinched and screwed his eyes shut at the flash, only to freeze up at the sensation of cold metal on his chin, lifting his head back up to look at his captive standing before him.
"Look at me."
A switch flipped, icy gaze dripping with bloodlust and the unreadable poker face of dazed mania. The low drawl of Aka's voice nearly purring out the command before that loopy grin bounced back onto his face as if nothing had ever occurred prior.
"It'd be no fun if I couldn't see your face, right, right?"
As if satisfied with the sight of Kuro's trembling eyes all on him, Aka drew the knife away from his chin, getting down to Kuro's level and tracing the blade downwards till it rested at the base of Kuro's stomach.
A small smile, a childlike hum, cold fingers tracing the hem of Kuro's shirt before lifting it up tauntingly slow. Kuro wondered if the rise and fall of his exposed chest was obvious, feeling his breath hitch and fade to a held standstill.
The blade felt as cold as ice against his bare skin, squirming in a fashion that led to a bubble of laughter escaping Aka's lips.
"Don't wriggle too much, Tsugino," He didn't know when Aka's face had gotten so close, breath hot against his ear with the low whisper, "you'll make it hard for us to have our fun"
Kuro's eyes closed just as the first sharp pain seared across his abdomen. The giggle of glee that surely came from Aka sounded faraway and muffled amidst the cotton wool mess his head had fizzled off into.
A long incision down the length of his stomach, like the opening of a curtain that Aka's fingers had now begun to draw open. Kuro felt his mouth involuntarily jerk open, a soundless scream, a sharp gasp for air. His knuckles burned white, nails digging into the palms of his hands deep enough to draw blood.
The pain was a dizzying, sharp and almost burning sensation that shot all the way up to his temples where it throbbed heavily behind the lids of his eyes.
Kuro could feel cold fingers press and peel against his raw exposed flesh, wet squelches of blood, flesh and intestinal matter coming into a view he didn't dare look down to. His own breath clogged his ears, heavy panting amidst the muffled sound of laughter.
A metallic tinge burned at the back of Kuro's throat when he felt the assaulting hand reach deep into the gaping wound, grabbing tight onto his intestinal tubing. Pressing his tongue to the roof of his mouth, he tried to fight against the festering rise of bile that threatened to spill amidst saliva buildup and teary eyes screwed shut.
With a single yank from Aka's hands, his efforts proved futile, head ducking down with a spluttering gag as he retched an acidic mess of blood and bile right onto his own butchered front.
"Ah, what a mess you've made," he vaguely heard Aka's chastising voice, and oh if he had the energy he'd protest the hypocritical irony of someone practically slathering themselves in the mess of guts and blood scolding him for making a mess... but all Kuro could muster was another weak cough, an additional splatter of slimy blood joining the growing mess beneath his vision.
He dry heaved, nose running and breath weakening with every twist and turn of Aka's hands, pulling and yanking at his innards as if they were mere teddy bear stuffing.
Kuro swore he felt a sticky hand lift his head when it hung heavily down, caressing his cheeks and painting them with thick coagulated crimson. He was sure Aka was saying something, but comprehension was beyond him at that point, vision hazy and fading. The tips of his fingers had grown cold, body shivering from the loss of blood. Right as his eyes closed, the sensation of hands wrapped a silver of warmth around him.
"How is it, Tsugino? The love you sought after"
Before all faded to black