Zacharia also winced. But he didn't scream.
The two hooded men stood in front of him. Their cloaks hung over their shoulders.
One of them stepped forward. He pulled back his hood. His face looked hard, devoid of any emotion. His beard was black and gold, neatly trimmed. Wrinkles ran down his cheeks. He looked to be in his fifties.
The second man was standing a step behind. Younger. Maybe thirty-five. His face was calm but unreadable. No pity. No smirk. Just silence. His eyes scanned the room like he was watching an experiment.
The older man crouched and opened the small metal box fully. There was a collection of tools—scissors, hooks, heated pins, blades and many more. All perfectly arranged.
He picked up a scissor-shaped tool. Tested the grip a bit.
"You missed me, huh?" he said flatly. "Well… I missed having fun with you too."
He walked to Zacharia and grabbed his right hand.
"Let's see how long you can enjoy."
