Bottled Tears

"Why? Why is it always me? First that bitch, and now this....…" Livio murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

The cell was eerily silent except for his ragged breathing. Bodies lay sprawled across the cold stone floor, lifeless yet still breathing. His gaze drifted to Eero, hanging limply, unmoving.

"What did my friends do to deserve this?" His voice cracked. "Why was Eero tortured? Why does everyone hate us? Is this what you get for being kind? Did they suffer because of me? Ethan….. Oliver…... Why did they have to go through this?" He stared at the ceiling, his thoughts spiraling.

Beyond the bars, Ethan and Oliver lay on the ground, their bodies covered in bruises, torn clothes barely clinging to them. Their skin bore the marks of fists, boots, and cruelty.

Livio curled his fingers into a fist. "Why am I even alive? I can't take this anymore." His breath hitched. "Maybe if I end it here, everything will finally be alright. Everyone came here with a purpose, but like this…... they can't even help themselves, let alone others."

He crawled toward the bars, gripping them as he looked at his unconscious friends. His lips curled into a bitter smile.

"This is it. Yeah...… Goodbye, Mom. Please forgive me. I know you won't, but this….. this is for the best. I don't have any excuses left for Father."

Leaning against the cold wall, he let out a broken laugh. He was about to stand when dizziness overtook him, and he collapsed, gripping his head as blurred images flooded his mind.

His father's voice echoed.

"Yes, he's our son. I believe in him."

His mother's gentle smile appeared.

"I already ate. This is for you."

Tears welled in his eyes.

"What… was that?" His voice wavered. "Am I really a coward? After everything my parents did for me..… am I just going to throw it all away?" He clenched his jaw. "Am I really that much of a bastard?"

He slammed his palm against the floor.

"No! My mom didn't raise a coward. I'll prove it. I'll prove that my parents raised me for a reason. No matter what, I'll live!" His voice cracked as he buried his face in his arms, sobbing.

Somewhere far away, a tray clattered onto the ground.

"What's wrong?" Livio's father rushed to his wife's side, concern etched on his face.

"I…... I don't know." Her hands trembled. "I just felt like Livio is in trouble." Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Come on, brush it off," his father said, though his voice was softer than usual. "He's alright. We saw him today, remember? We even spoke to him before dinner." He pulled her into a reassuring hug.

Back in his apartment, Livio stirred in his sleep. His breathing was uneven. He slowly opened his eyes.

"I hate his parents," he whispered.

His skin slowly peeled away, revealing soft, delicate features. Livio wasn't Livio anymore. Rebecca had taken his place.

She descended the stairs, each step echoing through the hallway.

In the lowest cell, Ethan finally arrived.

"Livio!" His eyes widened as he saw him awake.

Livio's grip tightened around the bars. "Ethan?! How the hell did you get in here?"

"I used my ability to sneak in," Ethan muttered, his voice laced with anger. His gaze swept over the battered bodies inside. "Damn those bastards...… What the hell did they do to you guys?"

Livio let out a bitter chuckle. "What didn't they do?" He sat back against the rocky floor, rubbing his temples. "What about Eero?"

Ethan's jaw clenched. "They tortured him like a damn lab rat." His fist slammed against the iron bars.

Livio covered his eyes. "How bad was it?"

Flashback:

Eero scrubbed the last of the tables while Elena and Athena sat nearby, taking a break.

"Hey, Eero!" Elena called out, grinning. "Come eat with us, or we'll finish your portion too!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." He washed his hands, shaking off the water droplets.

"Lunch time...…" he murmured to himself. "I wonder what the others are doing."

Back in the present, Livio remembered how, one by one, their group had started falling asleep after drinking from their cups. He and Nitin had sensed something was off, but it was too late.

Elsewhere…

"Boss, the plan worked perfectly," a cloaked man reported.

A tall figure stood in front of Viktor, his expression unreadable.

"Bastards," the boss muttered. "Is the higher-up dead?"

"Yes, he's gone," another man replied, carrying the rectangular box.

The boss smirked. "Time to have some fun." He stepped forward and slowly opened the box.

A sickeningly sweet scent wafted into the air.

"Smells good," one of the men muttered, rubbing his hands together. "Man, I can't wait to have a taste."

Inside the box, eleven beautiful women, well-dressed but shackled, huddled together.

Their eyes widened in terror as they saw the cloaked figures. Tears slid down their cheeks as they instinctively backed away—like prey caught in a predator's gaze.

"No....… Noooo!" Their voices broke as they shook their heads, pleading.

The men stepped inside. The door shut behind them.

A moment later, a knife tore through the box.

Meanwhile…...

Elena stepped out of the bakery, waving goodbye to Athena.

"I'm heading back to our room, Livio," she called.

"Overtime again?" Athena asked, scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Yeah."

Eero, inside, carefully sliced butter into neat squares.

Outside, Freja and the others caught up with Elena. They walked together.

"Don't cry like a bitch," Anya muttered, giving Elena a side glance.

Unbeknownst to them, a figure followed at a distance.

The man smirked. It was Miles.

Meanwhile, Athena pushed open the bakery door. "Okay, let's grab a drink—"

She barely took a step outside before something slammed into her.

She hit the ground hard. "Ouch....… Please, watch where—"

Heavy boots marched past her without a second glance.

Eero turned at the commotion. "Manager—!"

Before he could reach her, a soldier grabbed him and pinned him down.

"What the hell?!" Eero struggled. "Why are you doing this?"

Another soldier stepped in, lifting a bottle from the table—the same one Eero had given to Livio earlier.

"It's because you're a murderer."