Chapter Text
Kim Dokja barely had time to open his eyes before he received a colossally powerful kick to his chest. He heard the horrific thud of a heavy boot kicking his chest in. The sound of at least a few ribs shattering that followed made Dokja want to gag. He could only just gather enough wits to think “What the fuck!?”
Kim Dokja choked on a breath that wouldn’t go past his throat. A light cough brought the sickening taste of blood to his mouth. He tried and tried and could barely inhale a single breath before more blood surged up, filling his throat and making it impossible to draw in another breath. He felt the warm wetness trailing a path from his bottom lip to his chest where it pooled wetly. His struggle for breath only made his body ignite with intense unceasing pain.
He felt like he was submerged in water with distant angry voices echoing hauntingly as he drowned. He blinked his tightly shut eyes to rove his gaze around the brightly lit room, looking for help. He only found three blurry figures looming over his wretched body. One particularly sturdy figure had a blood coated boot that was placed threateningly close to his face. It gave the man away as his attacker and soon to be killer. These people were definitely the cause as no one moved to help him or to pull the man with the bloody shoe away. He knew well that these people would never move to give him a helping hand.
Kim Dokja felt sharp pain with every monumental heave of his chest, it felt like he was being stabbed over and over every second. He whimpered as his focus started slipping, his chest felt increasingly heavy.
The blinding pain was gradually overtaken by growing numbness as he actively asphyxiated. Kim Dokja instantly decided that it was time for a quick death. He had never led a happy life but to end up dying from a brutal assault by random shadowy figures was truly miserable. That, perhaps, could have been an acceptable exit from the world. Had he not been dying with his own blood choking him, unable to draw in a single breath of fresh air.
Woe is me, woe is fucking me, woe is- Kim Dokja thought blankly as the darkness encroached and he lost himself before he could finish his modern-day lament.
Count Kim and his two sons stood above Dokja looking down at him like he was a pest. They would have walked away after this beating had it not been for the fact that Kim Dokja was choking on his own blood while his face and limbs slowly turned grey and blue.
“FUCK! Get the healer in here! This bastard can’t die before we receive our dues for raising him” Kim Dohyun, the eldest son of Count Kim yelled.
He looked disgusted as he watched Dokja’s increasingly weak struggles to breathe. Clearly, Dokja wouldn’t survive this beating if help didn’t arrive soon.
Kim Donghyun, the second son and the esteemed bastard who had just kicked Kim Dokja to certain death was standing aside, panting heavily.
Count Kim was angry, “Kim Donghyun! How many times have I told you to go easy on him? This cheap child is feeble! If he dies, don’t think I’ll let you go easily.”
Count Kim paced as he ranted and then turned towards the door to yell, “WHERE ON EARTH IS THAT HEALER?”
The maid on standby shook as she respectfully bowed and answered, “Master, the healer is already making his way over, it won’t be longer than a minute.”
“Do you THINK he has a minute?” Kim Dohyun said as he pointed at Kim Dokja who was lying quiet and still. A small stream of blood constantly welling up from the corner of his mouth was the only visible sign of life. His chest was deathly still and his eyes were opened to mere slivers that were completely out of focus.
Before the maid could speak further, the healer rushed in with big steps. He was a middle-aged man named Pae Joon. Pae Joon was rather stout and lazy, he had only accepted this job to make easy money. This time he had to run all the way from the staff building to the main house. He could not find the breath to greet his masters.
Pae Joon simply bypassed the Kim father and sons to rush to the obvious patient. He instantly felt some sympathy as he looked at his patient. Everyone in the household knew that Kim Dokja was a moving target for the rest of his family.
Assessing Dokja’s condition made Pae Joon break out into cold sweat. This was the most brutal assault these sick monsters had ever unleashed on this poor child. Dokja’s breaths had stilled. Pae Joon barely had any hope of reviving his breath, healing him was truly beyond his capacity.
Pae Joon summoned his healing magic and began to work. The most extensive damage was inflicted on Dokja’s chest and lungs. He found Kim Dokja’s still beating heart to be a miracle.
He extended nearly all his reserves of magic but the results were pitiful. Kim Dokja could barely stutter in stilted breaths every few seconds. He wasn’t a miracle healer and his magic reserves were adequate for a single broken bone at best.
This grave chest injury was not something he could heal in a day, it would take him weeks to get Dokja’s lungs in working order. The rest of the broken bones, bruises, and scraps would need a doctor. His stamina and magic were completely depleted for the time being.
He sighed and turned towards Count Kim with a serious expression. “My Lord, he is knocking at death’s door, as we speak. His left lung was punctured by his ribs, the damage is extensive and my healing could only do so much.”
Count Kim sneered, “What use do you even have if you can’t heal a small injury?”
Pae Joon felt speechless, he internally debated whether he should quit. A single glance at Dokja made him hesitate. He always did work for his benefit but this family had taken a young child and turned him into a walking mosaic of fear, pain, and loneliness. His conscience didn’t allow him to leave until he knew with certainty that Kim Dokja would survive.
“My lord, the little young master was dead when I arrived. If not for my healing you would be holding a funeral. This time you went too far. It’s-”
“You dare lecture me on how far I went with that filthy child?” Count Kim’s ugly mustache was quivering with anger as he pointed at Pae Joon. “Where did you find such courage, you seem to have forgotten your status.”
“Apologies, my lord. This won’t happen again.” Pae Joon quickly bowed down from where he was kneeling near Dokja. He seethed with anger and disgust internally but still lowered his head. He needed to stay in this hellish household for a while longer. Just until he saved this poor child. “My lord, little young master can’t be moved for the time being. Please order a doctor to come in and set his bones and bandage his wounds.”
Count Kim humped loudly and turned around looking at the maid that stood in the doorway, “Call a doctor. You can listen to healer Pae Joon’s instructions until this filthy thing is healed.” After giving out instructions he promptly walked away while gesturing at his two oldest sons to follow him.
Pae Joon sighed once he was left alone in the room with a deeply unconscious Dokja. “You poor thing, I will heal you to the best of my ability.” He pondered over the fact that perhaps, healing Dokja was the biggest cruelty. Yet he could not bring himself to sentence such a helpless child to his death.