Salvation, Lunacy

Ars couldn't utter a single word; instead, his body shook with fear. Although he had faced daunting situations in the past, he had never experienced such terror from a single person like him. Perhaps it's because of the chains that bind his body, weakening him.

Nevertheless, the current situation did not simply involve intimidation inducing fear.

The distinct sense of terror Ars was experiencing indicated that the person responsible for it was a complete embodiment of malevolence.

It was not the person's physical appearance that conveyed meaning, but rather the way in which they were able to communicate their emotions without using words.

He repeatedly ran his hands over the metal bar and made continuous moans, his mouth drooling. He never took his eyes off Ars'.

Once again, he spoke in a trembling voice, "God save thee."

'What...?'

Ars was both confused and frightened, but he noticed that the man in front of him could not enter. He kept shaking the bars in an attempt to break in, Ars doubted that the man's thin and weak-looking body could even budge them.

Each time the man spoke, Ars felt the man's emotions intensify, and his anger slowly grew. He kept screaming things that didn't make sense.

Suddenly, the man stopped shaking the metal bar. These very metal gate of bars was the only thing separating them from each other. He didn't seem tired or fatigued, but rather fell silent and began muttering inaudible words; of course, he still had his eyes on Ars'.

After a while, the man began to speak once more, "That I... but am GOD!" His grip on the bars grew stronger, and the stone holding the bars began to crack.

"Hence this shan't be thy redemption!" His face was painted with a look of delight. He must be enjoying this.

"KEEEEKEEKE!"

Ars feared that the bars wouldn't last very long. He wouldn't have any problem running away if it did break, if he weren't just chained.

"I, Gilles de Rais, shall bestow thee retribution!" He screamed while banging his head on the metal bars.

In a state of panic, Ars also attempted to break free from the chains that were binding him. However, as he struggled, Gilles' laughter grew louder.

The banging of his head on the bar was so hard, yet he looked like he felt no pain. So loud, yet no one heard. Ars wondered to himself, 'Where the hell am I!?' as he kept on kicking the chain, even if it meant to graze his foot. He tried to break his collar with force, but his hand slipped because it was wet with his own blood.

After a brief period of time, blood began to trickle down Gilles' forehead, and he collapsed to the ground, still smiling. His eyes remained open, fixed on Ars', but they were lifeless and did not move.

Inside was quiet and he somehow got used to the stench.

He waited and waited, but Gilles did not even move at all. Ars wondered to himself if he was actually dead. But no, he shouldn't assume or rely on luck in such situations, he thought to himself.

But what choice does he even have left?

Slowly, Ars crawled towards him to get a distinct idea of his face. As he got closer, he noticed a ring of keys attached to his skin and felt somehow relieved. However, before he did anything, he had to make sure that he was indeed dead before attempting to seize the keys. Hesitant at first, Ars then grabbed his dress and tried to pull him closer.

"GAH!!" Ars screamed as Gilles eyes moved and met his. Ars jolted back against the wall in fright as the man gradually rose to his feet; his expression seemed sorrowful, and Ars wasn't sure why. Gilles then took the keys and ripped them off his skin.

As he flung the keys onto the ground before me and left without a single word, Ars noticed that his eyes were devoid of emotion. It was blank and empty, not even dismal. Although he thought to himself that that was weird considering how he went completely psychopathic earlier, he knew this wasn't the right time to be preoccupied with other matters.

Without delay, Ars used the keys to free himself from the restraints binding my neck, arms, and legs.

"Ow..."

'I definitely overexerted myself earlier, didn't I? The bruises on my body right now agree on that.'

Ars tried to alleviate the soreness in his body through stretching before he cautiously glanced down the corridor. It was dim, but he was sure the Gilles person was nowhere in sight. He quickly rustled to find the correct key to open the metal door, and to his surprise, he succeeded on his first try. "Wow, it opened on the first attempt?" he exclaimed, only to realize it were all the same keys.

"..."

After he took the torch on the wall, Ars slowly walked through the dimly lit underground corridor.

As he passed through one cell and another, he saw Gilles once again. But he wasn't doing anything now. Only he was groveling inside the cell while muttering to himself. He must be praying or something.

Ars did not know what is going on in his mind, and he didn't wanted to know. He do actually wish to himself not to meet him again. At least not until he's stuck here.

...

In a small room, there was Mikail being fed by Notoria at her request.

"You know, Ars and I aren't really related by blood," Notoria confided.

Mikail raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Is that so?" he said sarcastically. He always knew that it was almost unbelievable for Ars and Notoria to be blood related.

Notoria nods. "That's why I'm afraid that sometimes he might just leave me to find himself. He's bound to do that, being the way he is," Notoria continued, her voice tinged with sadness and worry.

Mikail listened attentively, staring at her with understanding.

"And I'm... in no position to stop him, you know?" Notoria added, her voice faltering slightly. "After all, I'm not even his real sister."

Mikail reached out for her hand. "But you're still his family, Notoria," he reassured her. "And family doesn't always have to be blood-related. It's always a matter of how strong your bond is with him."

Notoria sighed deeply. "Is that so?... Well, it's not like I want to take his freedom away. I just want him to know that he's not alone. That he shouldn't carry his burdens by himself."

Notoria's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I just want him to know that there's a home he could always return to."

Mikail lets off a soft chuckle, "Honestly, even though that kid could be sometimes stubborn, you've both been through thick and thin, and I know he appreciates you more than he shows."

Seeing how Notoria is crying, Mikail pulls her into a warm embrace, holding her tightly.

"That's why I was really happy he met people like you and Sir Sauron," Notoria said while she sobbed.

"We'll always be here for him, Notoria." "And for you too," Mikail promised as he pulled away and looked at her.

And their eyes met.

So are their lips in a fiery embrace.

Their combined breath was warm; both hearts were intertwined.

"Ah, the food! It will go cold!" Notoria suddenly remembered.

"It is fine. You can just pass it to me through your mouth," Mikail chuckled.

"Gross!"

...

"Huff... Huff..." Ars gasped for air as he ran in circles. He found himself going through a door that led to a corridor, then through another door at the end of that corridor, only to find himself in yet another corridor. But when Ars checked the cells, it seemed like it was different.

'What the hell is happening?'

Only the endless corridor and lit torches on the walls are there.

The resounding bangs of the metal door echoed throughout the corridors, Ars was on his wit's end.

BANG! There was yet another door at the end of the corridor.

Despite feeling exhausted and wanting to give up, Ars continued to press on, urging himself on with the words, 'Please,' as he forcefully pushed open the metal doors.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a massive mace swung and hit Ars from behind a wall, causing a large hole to form on the stone wall, creating a wide passageway.

Ars was taken off guard, but he managed to shield himself from the slow-moving heavy weapon with both his arms. The pain was unbearable at first but he then later felt his arms go numb. As he gazed at both of it, his eyes widened in terror. Both of his arms had been stripped of flesh, and the bones were visible and broken. Overcome with fear, he was unable to scream.

While he tried to make sense of what was happening, another attack was made. A large mace was heading towards him. He wanted to block it once more, but his arms were too damaged to do so.

"GAAGH!" Ars spew blood upon being hit. The impact was so powerful that it caused his stomach to rupture, his throat was itchy and it difficult for him to breathe.

Despite the mace being blunt, it was twice the size of Ars. Enough to blow him away and send him flying to the wall, but not completely obliterate.

The whole hallway was engulfed in thick dust smoke. Ars don't know what it was, but there was someone walking out of the hole. A sillhoutte of a monster.

As Ars looked up, he saw a colossal monster standing before him. He wanted to shout, but his throat was clogged.

'No way.'

A minotaur appeared?!

'Wait, no.'

It wasn't a minotaur at all, despite its resemblance. Rather, it was a tall human, covered in hair, who had his entire body binded by chains and big metal cuffs. It is possible that he is a prisoner who had managed to escape from his cell.

Ars' whole body is injured and exhausted. He couldn't even breathe proplerly, he was helpless and weak. Desperate to move, but doing so worsen the internal pain he's feeling.

The man lifted his mace, its slow but menacing movement hinted at its destructive power. He could feel his body giving way, unable to bear the weight of the another impending impact.

Ars closed his eyes in fear, hoping that this was all just a nightmare... But it all felt so real.

"KEEEEE!" A deafening screech reverberated in the distance.

As the screeching grew louder and more intense, Ars heart, which luckily is still beating, quickened. 'Don't tell me...'

'It's that man again...?'

The man's attention shifted to the screeches, giving Ars a chance to crawl and move for it. But he couldn't stand up because his whole body inside felt burning. He could feel that at a slight exertion of his muscle, his insides will burst.

'I'm gonna die.'

BANG! The metal door blasted.

Fwoosh!

It was so fast. It was as if a bolt of lightning had streaked past Ars' eyes. He covered his eyes as a reaction to it.

As soon as he removed my hands that was covering his eyes, he saw Gilles once again, mounted on the man, attempting to tear its neck apart.

In response, the man let out a furious scream and grabbed Gilles' foot, flinging him away. But Gilles wasn't phased by the attack and quickly got back on his feet, heading straight for the man's neck once more.

As Ars observed their fight, he noticed that Gilles wasn't directing any of his attacks towards him, despite being close to him. His eyes were completely focused on the man, whom he was attacking with great ferocity, pushing it back despite not having any weapons.

Ars couldn't help but wonder—was he trying to protect him?

But that couldn't be true, could it?