Michi's eyes shot open with a scream caught in his throat. He was drenched in sweat, trembling, his chest rising and falling as if he had just been pulled from drowning.
Airi's wide eyes hovered above him, her hand reaching out in worry. "Michi? What's wrong? You look like you've seen death itself."
Behind her stood Velina, her warm smile oddly calming, and Jigenshi, his stern gaze watching closely.
Michi's heart hammered. The nightmare of being torn apart still clung to his bones. But slowly he forced his breathing steady. "I… it was nothing," he lied, swallowing hard.
Velina chuckled softly and set down a tray. "Then eat, dear. Food helps the soul find rest."
The smell was nostalgic—steamed rice, roasted meat, herbs. Michi's stomach twisted painfully, yet some warmth flickered. This scene… it was so familiar. The days he first met Airi, the evenings with her family. He let himself eat slowly, chatting in halting words as Airi teased him lightly, Velina encouraged him, and Jigenshi even softened with a rare laugh.
But midway, Michi's hands shook. His chest grew heavy. A strange dizziness seeped through his skull.
"Airi…" he murmured, his vision spinning. Then everything went black.
When he next opened his eyes, cold iron bit into his wrists and ankles. He was strapped to a narrow bed in a darkened room. His body was bare, vulnerable, his mouth gagged so tightly he could hardly breathe. Panic exploded in his chest.
Chains rattled as the door creaked open. Footsteps echoed.
Airi stepped into the dim light first, her face glowing with a smile too wide to be comforting. Behind her, Velina and Jigenshi entered, carrying trays of gleaming steel—knives, saws, hooks.
"Ohhh," Airi cooed, tilting her head. "You woke up early, Michi. That's cute. Makes this even more exciting."
Velina's eyes glittered unnaturally. "Don't be afraid, dear. Pain is just another kind of music. We'll enjoy every note."
Michi thrashed violently, chains biting into his skin, muffled cries tearing against the gag.
Jigenshi held up a long, rusted saw and smirked. "Good. He's awake enough to appreciate what's coming."
Michi's chest clenched with terror as Airi climbed closer, brushing her fingers along his trembling arm. "From the moment I saw you at the bathhouse, Michi… I wanted to keep you. To taste you. Tonight, I finally can."
Velina added with a cold laugh, "Just like today's meal—did you enjoy it, dear? That was made from the boy Airi brought us. So tender."
Michi's stomach lurched. His body convulsed with nausea, but he couldn't retch. His screams were choked sobs through the gag.
Jigenshi pressed a blade against Michi's belly. Slowly. Testing the flesh. "Listen to his heartbeat. It's frantic. Perfect prey."
The sharp edge bit into his skin. Pain flared bright as blood ran warm across his stomach. Michi arched in agony, his muffled cries echoing against the stone.
Airi leaned close, inhaling the scent of his blood as if savoring wine. "Beautiful… even more than I imagined."
Velina traced her fingers across his face, whispering almost lovingly, "Don't cry, Michi. This is what family does—we share everything… even your pain."
The saw's teeth scraped deeper. Blood dripped onto the floor, dark and steady. Michi's vision blurred, his body trembling uncontrollably as he felt himself breaking apart, piece by piece.
Airi picked up a slender knife and pressed it in his left eye. "Shall we see the world the way you do, Michi?" she whispered.
The cold edge grazed his skin. Michi writhed violently, chains rattling like thunder. His mind screamed in despair, terror, betrayal.
And around him, their laughter rose—not warm, not kind, but ravenous.
By the end, Michi's world blurred into red haze. Pain consumed him, every breath ragged and raw. His body shook under their torment, blood painting the sheets beneath him.
And in that abyss of despair, his mind began to crack…