[78.3] Orphelio's Mercy

****Disclaimer: This chapter deals with child abuse, torture and death of adults and children, slight gore, and death that some may find disturbing.****

"-For every life you spare, I will torture and kill two more." 

Orphelio was covered in blood after having massacred the entire village. Now, only a family was left. Alora broke the father's legs, immobilizing him and pulled the mother away by the hair. The children were left, huddling in a corner screaming and crying for their parents.

Orphelio turned to the family wearing an angelic smile teeming with maliciousness, "Let's make this fun, hm? Only one has to die. So which will it be?"

The family's father screamed, "ME! JUST KILL ME AND LET THEM GO!"

"You hear that? You have permission." Orphelio reached out to rub the top of the pup's head, his bloody hands creating streaks in his brown hair. He whispered, "By choosing to kill one, you are giving the rest of them mercy. Kill one and make it quick and I won't have to torture the rest of them and have them all die. You understand, right? It's mercy."

He handed the dagger to the pup and forced it into his hands. The pup was pushed forward to the father of the family who was preparing himself for his eventual death. However, the pup shook his head anxiously, stepping back as his breath became quicker. He held the dagger to his chest, "I-I can't! I can't do it!"

Orphelio patted his back with a sinister smirk, "So then you'd rather I torture and kill them?"

The father heard this and snapped angrily, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! HURRY AND KILL ME!" 

The boy shook his head quickly, his body trembling more, "I-I can't!"

Panicked tears surfaced in his eyes, "Please! Let my family live and KILL ME!!"

Fear gripped the pup's throat and he shook his head quickly. He turned away in a panic to seek shelter in his father's tight embrace.

Maybe if his father sees he doesn't want it, then-

"Can't do it? Okay. Alora. Kill the father slowly."

Orphelio forced the pup's eyes open and he watched as the priestess began her attack on the father, ripping off his limbs by force. His screams filled the room, causing the mother and children to scream and beg it to stop.

After finishing off the father, Alora walked back over to the mother and pulled her up by the hair. "Now what shall I do, my Lord?"

"I have an idea." Orphelio let go of the pup and walked over to the two children. He separated them with an ominous grin, "Mother. Which one of your children do you want to live? I will let you and one child go, but one child must die. So which one shall it be? Which one is your favorite?"

The mother's face paled, "I-I can't choose that!"

He laughed, "Then you will all die… You understand, right? It's better for one to die and two to live than have them all die."

"I-I-"

He let out a sigh of boredom, "Make your choice quickly. I don't have all day. So which one gets to live?"

Her hand trembled as she pointed to a child, "P-Please… Let my son live."

The daughter looked at her mother in disbelief. Her mouth wide open, "M-Mother?"

Orphelio smiled, looking a bit bored. He pushed the boy to Alora, "Kill him slowly."

She did as she was asked and started to kill the boy in the same way as she had with the father. The mother got over her shock and screamed, "STOP! YOU SAID HE WOULD GET TO LIVE!"

Orphelio shrugged without empathy, "What fun would that be?"

"YOU MONSTER!"

"Alora. Kill her. She's too loud."

The pup was frozen, his orange eyes reflecting the splashes of blood soon covering the walls.

Orphelio turned around to see the pup was watching the entire scene without being forced. He smiled ear to ear as he went to hug the pup, nuzzling him and breathing in his scent deeply. He let out a content sigh, "I knew you were just like me… I knew you would love to watch."

Love?

No.

He didn't love this.

He hated it.

He didn't want to watch it.

It was his father who-

Orphelio kissed him on the head and went back to the last child. He bent down to her with a smile, "Heh. You aren't your mother's favorite. Stings, doesn't it?"

The girl stared ahead in a horrified daze.

"Maybe you already knew that… Well, either way. Aren't you relieved I didn't kill you and I killed them instead? Now the mother who hates you is dead. You're welcome."

The girl met his eyes and whispered, "Why… Why do you hate us?"

"No, no. I don't hate anyone." He stood up with a smile, "Demons, humans, arrivers, and even fairies. I don't hate anyone or anything."

"Then… Why…"

His face was still so beautiful despite the haunting words he spoke, "I just love killing."

The pup closed his eyes, desperately wishing for it all to go away. When his eyes reopened, he saw the angelic smile of his father looking back. 

It was another day.

Orphelio whispered, "Let's try something new today."

The pup felt himself get pushed backwards, falling into a pit in the ground. He blinked in confusion over what had just happened when his father appeared at the opening of the hole.

"Your father's dream is to see blood on your hands… So-" He dropped down a single dagger, "-I thought that maybe if you had no choice, I would get to see it."

As soon as the knife hit the dirt, a sudden shuffle was heard from the darkness. The pup held his breath, peering into the shadows.

Orphelio announced casually, "Only one person can leave. If you kill the other, you get to live."

A man pounced out from the shadows, grabbing the dagger. He attacked the pup who dodged to the side, barely avoiding the strike.

Orphelio pursed his lips, "Maybe I made this too easy."

The pup looked at the man's face which was covered in shadows as he raised the hand holding the dagger. His eyes began to turn a vibrant orange as his instincts took over. The man from the shadows froze, his body paralyzed by the strange vibration emanating from the pup.

It was as if the shadows were alive, grabbing onto him and manipulating his body.

The dagger fell out of his hands, landing at the pup's feet.

Orphelio called down, "Now's your chance. Kill him…. If you don't, then you'll die."

Seeing that his father didn't help him before, he believed his words.

Yet…

He still hesitated.

The man from the shadows broke free of the paralyzation and grabbed the blade, stabbing it forward into the body of the small pup.

The pup tried to dodge, but it was too late. 

The knife sank into his chest, just inches above his heart.

Before he could faint, he watched as light filled the dark hole.

A moist thud sounded from the dark hole.

Just before his vision went dark, he saw the handsome reddish-blonde hair sweeping down into his face. The angelic man smiled at him with a twisted look of infatuation, "My darling pup."

Orpehlio continued to torture him in this manner several times.

But every time…

The pup refused to raise the blade.

No matter how many demons or humans were put in front of him, he could never kill the other. His body trembled in fear as he watched so many get tortured and die before his eyes. If he had killed them, they wouldn't suffer so much at the hands of Orphelio.

He could have given them mercy, had he just killed them.

Even though he knew that…

He still couldn't force himself to kill.

…And Orphelio loved every moment of it.