Chapter 47: Cell 404

With White Bird's arrival at HQ, every subordinate immediately straightened and bowed in perfect unison.

"Welcome back, Boss!"

Lillie gave a small wave, granting them permission to lift their heads. Yet none dared to meet her gaze, fearing their legs might betray them. To an outsider, these hardened criminals and warriors would appear fearsome—untouchable. And yet, in the presence of this slender woman in white, they were as meek as lambs.

The newer recruits, seeing their legendary leader for the first time, were awestruck. Though a mask concealed most of her face, her plump red lips, flawless porcelain skin, and commanding aura left no doubt—she was a beauty.

For the senior members, however, admiration was the last thing on their minds. Their Boss' vermillion eyes flickered from left to right, scanning, searching. Hunting. The rhythmic click of her heels against the marble floor only heightened their anxiety.

Then—she stopped.

Their hearts clenched.

Had she found one?

"You."

A single, delicate finger pointed, and the unfortunate recipient stiffened. The others, relieved that it wasn't them, exhaled discreetly.

The man she had singled out was a fresh recruit—barely a month in.

"Boss!" He stepped forward and saluted.

"Name and designation?" Lillie's voice was curt, cutting.

"R129, Beta Assassin Regiment. Specializing in hand-to-hand combat and sharpshooting. Recruited one month and ten days ago!" He answered crisply, discipline overriding his previous nerves.

Lillie gave a slight nod before raising her hand in dismissal. R129 bowed before returning to his position. The seniors let out a quiet sigh of relief—he wasn't the rat.

Then—her next target.

"T16."

A tall, muscular man with a chilling presence stepped forward. He was a veteran, one of the longest-serving members under the Alpha Integrators—the elite unit responsible for interrogation and torture. If someone needed to talk, T16 made sure they did.

"Bring me to the Blazing Purgatory. Cell 404."

T16 saluted without hesitation.

A shudder rippled through the gathered subordinates.

The Blazing Purgatory.

A prison block infamous for housing the worst traitors—those who had committed the highest form of treason against White Bird. Death was a mercy they were denied. Instead, they were granted eternal suffering at the hands of the organization's most ruthless enforcers.

Faint whispers slithered through the dimly lit passageway, eerie murmurs of the damned. Some were prayers, muttered in trembling voices. 

The deeper one ventured, the louder the screams became. They did not rise in a cacophony but wove together in a dreadful symphony—low, guttural wails; breathless, choking sobs; the occasional sharp snap of something breaking, followed by an unnatural silence.

T16 did not flinch. He was accustomed to the symphony of agony.

They passed a blood-soaked table where a man lay screaming, his abdomen sliced open, intestines spilling onto the steel surface—yet still alive.

One of T16's specialties. Cutting a man open and stitching him back together, over and over. No anesthesia.

"P-P-please... k-kill me—ahhh!" The man begged through gasps of unbearable pain.

T16 barely spared him a glance before shifting his focus to the woman beside him. She stood, serene and unbothered, as if the horror around her was nothing more than background noise.

The air was never truly silent. If one listened closely, beneath the screams and chains rattling in the dark, there was a sound more unnerving than all the rest. A wet, shivering breath, inhaled between sobs. Someone who still believed they could be saved.

But in the Blazing Purgatory, salvation did not exist.

White Bird did not flinch.

Did not waver.

Did not care.

Was she truly human? Or the reincarnation of Death herself?

As they neared their destination, a new set of screams echoed through the corridor—hoarse, raw, scraped dry from endless torment.

Cell 404.

The guards stationed outside straightened at the sight of their leader. Her visits were rare, but when she came, it was always for this cell.

"Greetings, Boss!" They saluted in perfect sync.

"How is she?" Lillie asked coolly.

"The prisoner is... entertaining herself with the others," one of the guards reported hesitantly.

Lillie's red lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"Separate them. I want to see her."

"Yes, Boss!"

The heavy cell door groaned open, revealing a scene of depravity. Five massive men were dragged out by the guards, each bloodied and wild-eyed. A final guard remained inside, securing a battered, naked woman to the wall.

The stench of blood, sweat, and filth was suffocating.

The woman was barely recognizable. Her skin, once fair, was now a patchwork of bruises and wounds. Her tangled hair hung in limp, filthy strands. Dull, lifeless eyes barely managed to focus on the approaching figure.

Lillie stepped forward, the sharp click of her heels slicing through the heavy silence.

Her crimson gaze bore into the broken woman, lips curving in cruel amusement.

"How are you faring today, Yu Mei?"