I passed out in the process of being dragged to dungeon, but the cold freezing water that landed on my bare skin jolted me back to consciousness.
This was the torture chambers where only criminals who had committed the most obscene crimes against Gujan or broken one of his rules were taken to.
I didn't even have to open my eyes to realize where I was, I could smell the metals, the smell of burning rubber, the heat from chants. I could hear their laughters.
Rutni and his ass-kissers were probably by the corners watching intently at their well done plans.
I shouldn't be here.
I made sure to carry out my due diligence! I worked ten times as hard every damned day to pay back what I had left... So I shouldn't be here.
When I struggled to open my puffed eyes, my heart stopped for a slight moment as all the blood in my body drained in a matter of seconds... The sudden urge to take a piss engulfed me.
I laid before him.
Th-This is Gujan?
The Gujan we have all been hearing of?
Why is he so huge?
Had I known the guy whom I worked for was a giant, like literally a freaking giganotosaurous, trust me, I'd never have been even a second late all those days.
The only memory I had of Gujan was very much blur.
I was but a child when he visited I and Yumi years ago. Then one day after I turned seven, I was carried away by a few of his men to the dungeon, where he laid out my debts and penalties If I didn't work hard to pay back every single penny.
Even in my state on that hard cold ground, I still felt my soul leave my body when his eyes came down on me but as usual, my unshifting poker face saved my cowardice.
Surrounded by his lackeys, they feigned rigid, coming up with the most strict expression they could muster.
Casually seated high up on his seat with one leg crossed on the other, he gave a signal, and two men from both his sides hurried to both my sides, lifting me up in one swift.
The pain...
I grimaced from the sting I felt on both my arms as they pulled me towards Gujan, dropping me roughly before him.
... Fuckers.
I'd probably dislocated my shoulders from that fall earlier.
Gujan looked down at me with a very nonchalant expression.
"Do you know your offense, boy?"
He asked coldly with the most raspy voice I have ever heard, keeping his nature-like orbs on me.
Oh?
I now realize what this was.
My fingers twitched slightly as I struggled to move my swollen cheeks and badly bruised lips that had risen beyond recognition. I could tell because they felt heavy to move.
"I... Passed... My check-in... Time...". I managed, spitting out blood in the process of talking.
This familiar look in his eyes...
"Yes...". He nodded satisfyingly. "And?" He asked, causing me to pause in confusion.
... Pity?
And? What did he mean 'And?' Was there something else I did? I don't ever recall trying to step on Gujan's toes... i knew I had so much to loose so such thoughts never even crossed my mind. Infact, if it hadn't been for those dicks, I wouldn't even been here to begin with.
"...". I didn't know what to say.
"Cat caught your tongue, boy?" He raised his brow to my ignorance, it was the first expression I'd seen on his face.
Pity my feet...
"I..."
I started, thinking of any rationale excuse that will slip me out of this one... but just before I could mutter the other words I'd thought of saying, the heavy stomp of his feet on my fingers which were sparowed before him bashed my words back in, replacing it with a muffled cry.
... It was oppression.
Gujan crushed my left hand as I trembled in pain.
That look in his eyes...
"I hate...". He exhaled shakingly, revealing a very terrifying, psychotic side of himself.
... Was broad daylight oppression.
"You see... I have sent several requests to that greedy buffalo of a ruler they call the Emperor of Aldon... Hah... And yet, he bluntly ignored my... ". He strengthened his feet, crushing me even more as he struggled to control his emotions. "Hehe... I hate being ignored the most, boy."
An excited predator who had found a weak prey to oppress...
"It brings out another side of me... Haah". His feet remained on me with the same amount of pressure.
"Keugh... Arghh".
"Now, I can take that dirty attitude from that power obsessed bull,... But a lowly pickpocket rat like you better answer me when I question, or else, I will yank your fingers off your hands one by one".
Psycho...
"Ahh... Haaah..."
"Where is my cut, boy?" This time, his voice echoed in a deep growl.
That's right... I had forgotten to give in my daily percentage because I had been bullied and chased by those fucking hyenas.
"I-In my... Hah... pocket". I managed, fighting through the crushing pain on my left hand. "I-I for...got to hand... It over".
I wasn't even done talking when Gujan signalled his lackeys to search me, patting every possible pocket on my torn clothes only to shake their heads.
"There's nothing, Boss".
What?
"... Ah,". Gujan's eyes widened with some sort of excitement. "The boy wants to play games, hehe".
"Get him up!"
"Wai-wait... No, I-I had it in my...". I paused instantly, cocking my head in realization as my vision blurred in fuckery.
Wait...
Hah, haha... Of course.
That would explain why they were there at the alley at that hour. The same time I closed for the day was the same time they sat there, waiting for their easy, weak target.
It was no coincidence... No, no... It was a setup.
Fucking Rutni...
I trembled in anger when my eyes found him amidst the crowd of gangsters watching, laughing as I was being trampled upon into another round of beating. Gujan's orders.
This disgusting pickpocket stole my hard earned stolen gems probably when I was being carried away unconscious.
Before I could blink again, the Pow on my gut brought me to my knees, weakening every muscle in my body. Then they began, stepping on me seizelessly, endlessly, relentlessly.
"You now steal from me, boy?" Gujan's voice echoed in the midst of their stomps as my vision began to blur. My head was already buzzing.
I was losing consciousness again but this time, it came with a sudden weakness as warm tears dripped down the side of my face.
I couldn't feel anymore...
Am I... Dying?
... Wait, am I actually dying?
This pain... Would it finally be over?
Is this seriously my end?
But...
But what about Yumi?
... Who would look after Yumi?
I can't...
I can't die now.
No...
No, I can't leave Yumi behind...
Their voices were echoing now. But I could only hear them distantly.
I could hear my heartbeat slowing down already...
This was it.
My body had begun giving up on me when I heard the load BAM! and a loud scream accompanied by sorrowful sobs tore through the loudness of their voices.
Someone tried restraining but it was futile.
Her stray footsteps, hurried towards me weak and careless without direction.
I could hear her trembling breaths as she crashed beside me...
Her warm palm landed on the side of my face...
The warm tear droplets from her eyes dripped on my skin as she trembled in pain...
Her bitter tears caused everyone to go silent.
...Yumi
No... She shouldn't be here.
Stay awake, Eian, c'mon
Stand up...
Stand up and protect Yumi!
"Old Lady..." Gujan addressed her. "Unless you also want to get beat up by those guys, get the fuck out of the way.
He waved his fingers sideways but yumi paid no attention as she focused on me, completely ignoring Gujan who sat oddly nonchalant on his seat behind.
"P-plea... Hah... Pl...ea..se g-go ho...me". I tried to talk her out of it with the last strength I could muster, but Yumi wasn't bulging. Rather, she appeared pissed.
"... How much?" She spoke up, her words directed at Gujan while her soft, sad eyes remained on me. "How much do we owe?"
She took her eyes to him this time. "Tell me how much of your dirty money we owe!"
I could tell she was very mad... The trembling in her voice already gave her away.
The entire dungeon grew silent as Yumi spoke up to Gujan. Even the guys who pounced on me backed up.
There was no one living in the streets of Aldon who didn't know how hotheaded she was back in the day. There also was no one who could deny that Yumi hadn't stood up for them one way or another.
That's just how she is wired. If not why would she pick up an abandoned, tattered, smelly, orphan who was tossed in the rain completely unclothed beside a garbage Can to die and rot carelessly alone, and raise him as her own?
But even though she stood head on with sorrowful eyes, Gujan sat unbothered still, with chin rested on his fist. Staring back at her completely unfazed with that nonchalant look on his face. Then suddenly, as though a switch clicked, a baffled laughter slipped out of his lips as he threw his head back with wide psychotic eyes shining brightly, brawling his guts out.
"Buhuahahahahaha... Ahahahahahahahaha... Pfft ahahahahahahahaha... Hehehehe, oh my- oh my goodness pfftt kikikikikikikikikekekekeke hahahahahahahahahaaaaaaah haha hehe, haaah". He exhaled, sniffing sharply. "... That was so funny".
Everyone watched silently, standing completely still as he creeped us all out. Yet, they didn't seem so surprised by his out burst. It felt as though they were already used to this creep's nature.
It made me even more tense, since I have never met him before, I couldn't tell how he thought, and what was going on in his head. Nothing was predictable.
And to be honest, I had never felt the type of fear I was feeling before. It was definitely because Yumi was exposed right before this psychotic monster unprotected... And maybe because I knew I had everything to loose if anything were to happen to her.
I trembled, struggling to gather a little bit of strength.
Why am I so useless?
In the blink of an eye, before anyone's lid could touch, we all watched the once seated huge giganotosaurous unravel himself into a gigantic monstrous Optimus prime with every inch of himself being exposed as he rose from his large sit effortlessly with a slight grunt.
... Fucking... Hell.
The next thing I knew, he was already walking towards Yumi. Before I could even react to stop whatever his attempt aimed at Yumi was, his large palm huge enough to make a windmill spin, landed flat square on Yumi's face, sending her flying to the other side of the room as I screamed with everything in me.
"Noooooo". Pushing my body up with any strength I could muster.
"YUMI!!" Jian and Mr Rutni yelled from the other side of the room as they attempted towards her but was pulled down and pinned by gang members who watched ruthlessly.
The smile which was once on Rutni's face was completely wiped off with fright. Now they no longer found it funny.
My head began buzzing again as my eyes widened with every passing second, trembling nonstop.
"Stupid old hag... Haah". Gujan huffed exhalingly, resting both his arms above his waist. "Who told you to come in here and glare at me with those stupid aging eyes?" With eyes shining wider. "I told you not to tempt me DAMN IT!"
His eyes went to Yumi again, and immediately, all the strength in me that once escaped through my pores drifted back in as I rushed to Gujan and fell on his feet.
"Ngh... Hah... Ughh... Nooo hagh... Please... Hah, please Boss! I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry, boss!".
I grabbed onto his legs tightly. Despite the fact that his lackeys stepped on me in an attempt to move me out of his way, I still held on tighter.
If the only way I could save Yumi...
"Ugh! Get this rat off me! He's getting his snort all over!"
Gujan thundered and his right hand men rushed over, pulling my legs.
...meant that I would risk getting myself killed in the process...
"Hey! Fucking let go, you disgusting, smelly thing!"
... then so be it.
"I'll serve you forever!" I yelled at the top of my voice, unable to control the vibration emanating from my body, still holding on as though my life depended on him.
... but rest assured...
"I'll work... I'll-I'll work until I-I pay back every... last penny... No matter what... it takes... Haah so... So please, Boss... Please spare my mother's life".
One day...
"That's right, boy! You work for me forever ".
... I will kill Gujan with my bare hands.