[Back to the present – Prison]
The darkness wasn't just around Xoza—it had crawled inside him, curling its cold fingers into his skull, twisting his thoughts. His hands were gone, only ragged stumps left, each pulse of pain hammering against his sanity. Hunger gnawed like sharpened teeth, thirst set his mouth aflame, and the crawling, writhing things in his ears whispered secrets in a language of madness he could not understand.
Shadows moved where none should be, reaching, stretching, mocking him. And when he blinked—or thought he blinked—faces leered from the black, grinning with his own fear. His heartbeat thundered, yet it felt hollow, as if his body had forgotten how to live. Sleep had abandoned him, and with it any tether to reality. He could not tell if he was screaming—or if the screams were inside him. Time dissolved into a slow, suffocating crawl, each second a lifetime of torment. There was no escape, no hope, no mercy.
Narration:
Xoza's body and mind teetered on the edge of death. Every breath was a battle; every heartbeat, a fleeting chance at survival. In this living nightmare, he might not endure much longer.
A guard's scream shattered the silence:
Guard: "Let go of Vamos! Release him—that's the boss' order!"
The chains rattled as the guard stepped back, releasing Vamos. He faced the boss of the Azure Fangs—Kael.
Azure Fangs No. 1
Kael
BJJ fighter
Weight: 57 kg
Age: 17
Vamos' eyes narrowed, ready.
Kael smirked: "Good choice, Vamos. I should've expected nothing less."
Vamos: "Oh yeah… for sure."
Unlike the others, Vamos had been spared torture. He made a desperate move, delivering a sharp push kick that sent Kael stumbling backward. Without wasting a moment, he dashed toward the sound of Xoza's screams.
Kael growled: "Get that bastard, Fangs!"
The horde of Fangs surged forward. Vamos fought valiantly, striking, dodging, but soon, the sheer numbers overwhelmed him. His knees buckled, and he fell. The Fangs retreated, giving him only a moment to breathe.
Vamos: "What…?"
Before he could recover, Kael rose swiftly, his eyes cold and calculating. He locked Vamos in a crushing back choke, squeezing with lethal precision.
Vamos struggled, muscles straining. Fifteen agonizing seconds passed—every heartbeat a drum of desperation—before darkness crept in, and he lost consciousness.
Down on the cold, stone floor, Xoza's breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps. His body trembled, every nerve screaming. Bloodied, broken, and fading, he took his last breaths. The cell was silent, save for the echoes of pain and despair, a hell made real.
Chapter 60 – End