HORROR

*WARNING - DISTURBING CONTENT*

The atmosphere in the torture room shifted the moment Lucia made her entrance. She held her baseball bat with both hands casually behind her neck while rhythmically popping a bubble gum. What greeted her were five men, hands bound behind their backs, heads shrouded in black bags, their screams piercing the icy silence as they were submerged in ice-cold water.

The torturers abruptly halted their actions, bewildered by Lucia's sudden appearance. The men being tortured couldn't comprehend the reprieve. Were they being spared? They couldn't understand because they knew they are supposed to get more than that, having witnessed the consequences of failing the notorious Black Russell—Lucia's feared alias and now unfortunately they had to go through it themselves.

Each of them braced themselves for the torment to resume. They knew they deserved much worse for their failures, yet now, inexplicably, their ordeal was paused.

A pin could be heard dropping in the hushed room. Not a single guard dared to make a noise, fearing they might share the same fate as the tortured souls. They dreaded the punishments of the Black Russell. Her punishments were legendary, and they awaited with bated breath for her next move.

Lucia surveyed the scene with an inscrutable expression. No one could tell what was going through her mind at that moment. She popped the bubble gum which made a deafening sound due to the silence sending shivers down everyone's spine.

The five men, despite their blindfolds, now had an idea of what was going on and understood the gravity of the situation. "Black Russell is here," the crazy one among them muttered to himself. He was trembling. Turns out he wasn't only the crazy one among the five but also the weakling. His mouth began to shake as the other four just clenched their teeth in terror.

"What are you doing?" Lucia's calm tone cut through the tense silence, directing her inquiry at the torturers.

They exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of how to respond to her unexpected interruption as they were confused as to whom should answer and what should be their answer, because it was clear they were torturing the guys.

Seeing their confusion, Lucia pointed at the bald man with the tattoo on his chin.

"You! what are you doing?" still in a calm tone.

"We, um, we were instructed to punish these men for failing to carry out your orders, miss, and that's what we were doing until you came." the bald man stammered nervously.

"And who gave you the order to torture them like this?" Lucia questioned further; her tone still composed.

Thinking he had done a good deed and might earn a reward seeing how calm Lucia was, the guard who was instructed by the captain to make sure the men were punished to Lucia's liking, stepped forward eagerly, eager to take credit and spoke even before the bald guy could utter a word.

"That will be me miss," he declared with false bravado, bowing slightly.

Lucia chuckled, surprising everyone with her seemingly jovial reaction.

"Well, well, aren't you bold?" she remarked, acknowledging him before the others.

The guard beamed with pride at the recognition, feeling good about himself to be acknowledged by the Black Russell herself. While the others exchanged puzzled glances. This was so rare to see and they all looked really surprised about it.

What is going on? The miss seemed to be in a good mood. Before they could ponder more on that, Lucia spoke.

"What's your name?" Lucia directed her attention back to the guard.

"Tino, miss," he replied enthusiastically.

"Ah alright Tino, you deserve a reward for what you have done" Lucia announced, much to Tino's delight. 

"I am honored miss" Tino said still grinning. He couldn't contain his joy as he was being jittery. The captain scowled silently, resenting the guard's recognition. If not anything, he gave the orders, he should be the one being rewarded. But he dared not bring out his innate thoughts.

"But first, fetch me a bucket of boiling water," Lucia instructed Tino playfully, a smile playing on her lips.

"Huh? Oh..ok as you wish miss" Tino, puzzled, wondered what she was going to use it for but didn't think much about it and just hastened to comply with her request, his mind already racing with thoughts of the reward awaiting him. 

Lucia took a seat on the black throne like chair which was a gift given to her by the Lord Tobias on her 16th birthday and awaited Tino's return.

It could be said that Lord Tobias had a soft spot for Lucia and held her in high regard because he admired her abilities and skills and therefore treated her as a daughter which was an honor to her father. Part of the reason why she was so feared. 

Nothing was done when Tino left, everybody just stood in anticipation. The five men being punished actually calmed down now. 

Moments later, Tino reappeared with a brimming bucket of scalding water, presenting it to Lucia with a grin. It was literally filled to the brim. Lucia stared at him and then to the bucket and let out a laugh. 

"Ah, Tino, always surprising me," Lucia remarked with a smile, eyeing the bucket before her. 

"Yes miss. I try to do the best I can for you miss" Tino said happily.

"I admire that." With that, Lucia shifted her gaze to the assembled crowd turning her attention to everyone present.

"You all will witness the reward I am going to give Tino here for what he has done, and I hope you never forget it." Lucia announced, her smile vanishing, replaced immediately by a stern frown.

"Matteo! claw chain" she commanded and right then a man with a burnt mark on his neck stepped forward and approached Tino removing a chain with two sharp and pointy hooks at each end from his pocket. 

Tino's initial excitement turned to apprehension as he felt the tension in the air. He began to tremble a bit as his senses warned him of impending danger, but he chose to remain calm thinking perhaps that was the gift.

Matteo positioned himself behind Tino and took a look at Lucia, her frown changed to a smirk and before anyone could tell what was happening, Matteo swiftly wrapped the chain tightly around Tino's neck, embedding the hooks into his eyelids and deep into his forehead. 

Tino's deafening screams filled the room as his eyeballs threatened to pop out, with blood streaming down his face. The other men recoiled in horror, realizing they were witnessing unimaginable cruelty.

Lucia let out an evil laugh seemly enjoying what was happening. Her laughter echoed sadistically as Tino writhed in agony. Tino moved around in pain, screaming.

Unfortunately for him he tried to remove the claws from his eyelids using both hands but the more he tried the more it choked his neck. His attempts to remove the chain only exacerbating his suffering. His eyelids began to tear, but Lucia wasn't finished.

The crazy guy among the five peed himself as he heard the agonizing screams since they couldn't see what was truly happening. He was back to trembling. The other four were just being shaken by fear of being the next victims. 

After having her fit of laughter Lucia turned her attention back to Tino seeing how frantic he was, but she wasn't satisfied.

"Matteo!" she called out again, her voice chillingly calm. Knowing exactly what his miss wanted, Matteo got closer to Tino and positioned him by the bucket. He placed Tino in a kneeling position as he paused to look at Lucia.

Lucia gave him a nod with a smirk and wasting no time, Matteo plunged Tino's head in the boiling water amidst his screams.

Tino's screams reached a crescendo as his flesh bubbled and peeled away. The water burned and peeled his skin off as his eyeballs were being seared by the scalding heat. They were being burnt as well because he couldn't close his eyes since his lids were hooked and partly tattered now.

This was beyond horror and cruelty. As if that wasn't enough, Matteo proceeded to carry Tino by his legs, immersing him deeply into the bucket. There was no surviving this for Tino. With the chain still wrapped around his neck, Tino begun to choke in the water, due to lack of air, and most of his skin was peeled off now.

Slowly his shaking reduced, and his desperate struggles ceased as he succumbed to the water, his life snuffed out by Lucia's ruthless decree and then he was gone.

Matteo dropped his legs as the bucket turned together with the falling body. Water mixed with blood and skin scattered on the floor.

The room fell into stunned silence, the horror of what they had just witnessed hanging heavy in the air. Lucia's cold smile lingered, a chilling reminder of her absolute power.