The darkness was suffocating—thick and smothering, a stifling presence pressing in on every breath Sakura struggled to take. Her wrists were bound tightly to the cold concrete wall, the ropes digging painfully into her skin. Blood dripped from her raw wrists, mixing with the sweat on her body. The blindfold over her eyes felt like it was burning her skin, and the cloth stuffed in her mouth made it impossible to scream, to fight back.
Her body trembled, raw from the earlier struggle, from the desperate attempts to free herself. But now, she just hung there, sobbing quietly, the pain in her ribs and wrists sharp with every breath she tried to take.
Footsteps echoed in the dark room, slow and deliberate, making her heart race in panic. Two figures circled her, like vultures, their presence looming over her in the suffocating silence.
"Still hoping someone's gonna come and save you?" A voice hissed, low and mocking. "You really think anyone's coming? You think Mia's gonna come rescue your stupid ass?"
The second voice sneered, full of hatred. "That fucking bitch won't come for you. She's probably already forgotten about you. Hell, she probably never cared. You were just a pawn to her. Just like the rest of your fake, perfect life."
A sharp slap cracked across her face, the sting burning her skin as tears blurred her vision. Blood dripped from the side of her mouth where the cloth had cut into her lips.
"I don't get it," the first voice growled. "You had it all, didn't you? The fucking perfect boyfriend, perfect grades. Everyone on campus sucking up to you like you were some goddess. And as if that wasn't enough, you just had to have Kei. Just had to steal everything, didn't you?"
Sakura whimpered, her chest heaving as she tried to cry out through the gag. Her body was bruised and battered, every movement sending sharp bursts of pain through her.
"You really think Kei's gonna come and save you, huh?" the second voice spat. "You think he gives a shit? That asshole's only had eyes for your best friend. You were never more than a fucking distraction to him. Don't fool yourself."
Another slap to the face, this one harder. Sakura's head whipped to the side, and blood splattered across her cheek. The taste of iron filled her mouth as the cloth soaked it up.
"And, don't tell me you think Haru's coming to help? No one fucking cares. No one's coming for you," the first voice mocked, low and cruel. "You're completely alone. And this is where your perfect little life ends."
The second voice leaned in close, breath hot against her ear. "Fucking bitch. Look at you now. All tied up. Helpless. All your good at is being a whore."
They started hitting her then—relentlessly, without hesitation. Punches to her stomach, a kick to her side, all aimed with brutal precision. She gasped with every blow, her body jerking violently against the ropes. Blood splattered onto the cold floor with each hit. The taste of it lingered in her mouth, a grim reminder of how far she had fallen.
"Fucking princess," the first voice snarled. "Always thinking you were better than everyone. Always so fucking perfect. Well, look at you now. You're nothing. Just a pathetic little thing. It's not fair! Why do you get all the attention?!"
Sakura was yanked by her hair. Then, a hard kick to her stomach sent Sakura crashing into the wall, her breath leaving her in a broken sob. Her body was a mess of bruises, cuts, and blood. The pain was unbearable, but it was the crushing weight of hopelessness that truly made her want to give up.
The first voice stepped back, panting, as if they were savoring every moment of it. "God, I hate you. You think you're better than me. Better than everyone. But you're just a fucking joke. Just a little bitch who thought the world owed her everything."
The second voice joined in, laughing bitterly. "And Mia—fucking Mia—she's just as bad. Took everything from me. Took Kei. Took everything. And now you're gonna pay for it. You both deserve to suffer. Both of you."
Another punch, this one to her jaw, and she could feel the taste of blood filling her mouth again. The sharp pain radiated through her face, and she cried out, the gag muffling the sound.
"Not until Mia comes," the first voice growled, as though almost speaking to themselves, their voice full of dark satisfaction. "We'll let her come rescue her precious little friend. She'll come running. I bet she will. I bet she'll beg for you back. But it won't matter. You'll be dead long before she gets here."
And then, the new voice—calm, calculating, and cold—cut through the chaos.
"That's enough. We don't want to kill her. Not yet. Not until Mia, comes to save her."
For a long moment, silence fell over the room. The tension was thick, suffocating. Sakura's body was limp, unable to move, every inch of her bruised and broken. Blood dripped from her, pooling on the floor beneath her.
The first voice muttered, almost too quietly to hear, "Send it to Mia. I will have vengeance."
And with that, they were gone. Leaving her broken, bleeding, and utterly alone in the dark.
"Someone… help," Sakura croaked, as the cloth tied around her mouth fell.