"Gah— I... I can't ... coughs violently... b-breathe—"
A boy who still looked to be in his teenage years clutched his chest as he desperately tried to breathe, yet all he felt was the burning sensation searing through his lungs.
Collapsing on the ground, the boy kept coughing uncontrollably as tears and saliva kept flowing out of his face like an unstoppable dam.
Dirt clung to his skin, and deep bruises marred his body—clear evidence of the severe beating he had endured.
"Please… gasp… no more… my lungs… are broken" the boy pleaded
Weakly, he raised a trembling hand, a futile gesture begging for mercy.
Yet all he got was a nonchalant and uncaring response, "Do you think your enemy would care if you are hurt?"
With those words, the figure vanished, and in the next moment, the boy's vision blurred and faded into darkness.
***
Jolting up from a bed, William found himself in an all too familiar place, with light blue curtains and the stark white ceiling of the medical ward.
Touching his chest and breathing in heavily, it seems that his injuries have been healed once again, yet the vivid memories of his lung being caved in and choking on his saliva still send shivers down his spine.
Hugging his knees tightly and rolling up like a ball, William couldn't help but let out a defeated sigh, "Fuck…"
As William was lamenting about his current situation, 2 nurses subtly glancing at him whispered to each other.
"Hey, how long has it been? 2 weeks? Since that noble kid came?"
"I think so?"
"Captain Jack, really went hard on him, huh, to be able to reduce him into this state"
"Well, if you get beaten half to death every single day, I think anyone would be more 'humble' "
"Yeah, but isn't it kind of sad? To see him like this, he is just a kid after all"
"Girl, this is the frontlines. No one would care how old you are. Everyone is just trying their best and survive out here. Besides I hear that the kid got banished by his family for raping a noble lady.
"Wow…"
As the 2 nurses were conversing with one another, an old yet lively doctor came up to the 2 and interrupted their gossip.
"Alright that is enough gossiping you two, let's get back to work ok?"
"Dr.Lenny! Of course"
As the 2 nurses were scurrying away the doctor couldn't help but smile at their retreating figure and focus his attention on William, who remained curled up in bed
As William sat by himself, memories of the torment for the past 2 weeks kept invading his mind
From his whole body being beaten black and blue, to his bones shattering, and his body twisting the wrong way
Ever since he was banished to this place, he had constantly been dragged out by Captain Jack to spar, and it always ended in him suffering non-fatal yet excruciating injuries.
As one scene after another kept replaying in his mind, tears started to flow out of his body as he trembled more and more.
'I am sorry… I am so sorry was all that William could weep about as he recalled the mistake he had made.
"William, you okay there?" A rough yet gentle voice snapped him out of his daze
"Dr. Lenny…?"
William looked up, his eyes red and watery. He wiped his tears away, forcing a weak, defeated tone.
"No, I'm fine... I can leave now, right?"
Staring at William with a complicated look, Dr.Lenny just responded with a "Yes"
He watched silently as William slowly walked out of the infirmary, his steps heavy with pain and resignation.
***
The next day, the training ground of Gorgon City was unusually noisy, as many soldiers wearing the same uniform can be seen surrounding a sparring field, chatting fervently.
In the middle of it all, stood William, clutching tightly to his sword in a futile attempt to try and control his trembling hands
While at the same time, occasional cheers and encouragement directed towards William can be heard from the crowd
"You can do it, Kid!"
"Try not to die!"
For the past 2 weeks many soldiers had witnessed the 'personal training' between William and Captain Jack, and the longer they watched the more they cheered for the kid who always got beaten half to death.
As sparring time was about to begin, a large shadow came down from the sky and landed right before William, creating a cloud of sand. It was Captain Jack in the Flesh with a wooden club slumping over his shoulder.
With a colossal frame, his massive and muscular body radiates raw power enough to crush mountains.
His skin was rough and scarred, signaling the years of battle he had fought and won.
His presence alone excludes the air of a predator, threatening to kill anything that dares to move.
Standing before him, William felt like he was just a mouse, ready to be toyed with and eaten.
"So you have come to own your own today, while that saves me the trouble of dragging you out myself."
"Anyway, the rules are the same, if you can hit me one time I will send you back home right this instant, but if you don't while then I guess we would have to do this over and over again until you do." after saying those last words Captain Jack flash a sinister smile and beckoning Wiliam to come at him.
However, as if frozen in place, William could only stare at and towering figure right before him not daring to move.
"Not moving? Then I will make the first move."
Laughing sinisterly, Captain Jack charges at William like a bullet, gripping his club tightly.
Reacting instinctively, William jumped to the side to avoid the charge, but before he could even land, a heavy club slammed into his chest, sending him rolling across the ground.
"Ughk—", the air was forcefully pushed out of William's lungs, as a sense déjà vu filled his mind with panic.
Unbothered by William's internal strife, Captain Jack appears right in front of William again, raising his club high, ready to deliver another devastating blow.
Seeing this William hastily raised his sword in a desperate attempt to block, but to no one's surprise the sword was easily batted away upon contact with the club, spinning off into the distance and leaving William completely vulnerable.
William's whole body shuddered involuntarily, his wide eyes reflecting the next attack as it closed in with terrifying speed.
THUNK!
A direct hit to the head landed, with a force so overwhelming that William felt like his neck was violently being stretched and torn apart from his body.
The sheer impact hurled him backward, crashing onto the ground. William's trembling hands clutched at his head as searing pain tore through his mind. The world spun chaotically around him, the disorientation so intense that it triggered a wave of nausea, forcing him to vomit.
"Kid, didn't I tell you before?" Captain Jack berated, "The moment you let go of your sword is the moment you die."
However, William was too disoriented to hear, let alone comprehend the words.
He lay curled on the ground, still clutching his head, as his body convulsed uncontrollably. His eyes darted around frantically, as though the entire world was collapsing in on him.
Captain Jack fixed his gaze on William, watching the pitiful sight before him. "Ah, there you go again, losing it after just one hit."
"Well, I guess if one hit makes you crazy then a couple more hits will bring you back to normal right."
Flashing a grin, Captain Jack dashes toward William again this time with even greater speed than before
His boots connected with William's chest in a swift, brutal kick, sending him upright onto his feet. Before William's body could collapse again, a powerful punch slammed into his gut.
The fresh wave of pain jolted William's senses, causing his blurry vision to clear just enough to register Captain Jack's oncoming frenzied assault.
A new wave of fear erupted in his chest as blow after blow rained down on him, unrelenting and merciless. Each strike landed with sickening force, preventing William from falling.
All he could do was feebly raise his arms to shield his head, as blood spattered into the air with each hit. With every strike, bruises blossomed across his skin, swelling his body to a battered ragdoll.
Even his uniform, once pristine, started to torn and tattered, resembling a soldier on a battlefield.
Yet Captain Jack showed no sign of slowing. His club swung down with relentless precision, hammering William's arms, shoulders, legs, and face. The sound of wood meeting flesh echoed through the air, a grim symphony of violence.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the assault stopped, allowing William's body to collapse to the ground. His body was now a patchwork of deep purple bruises and swelling, his uniform shredded beyond recognition. Tears and snot streaked down his swollen face, a testament to the overwhelming trauma he had endured.
For a moment, silence blanketed the training grounds. The crowd watching the sparring session stood still, their expressions ranging from pity to indifference as they took in the aftermath.
"Alright!" breaking the silent Captain Jack's voice reverberated through the crowd, "Someone brings this kid to Doctor Lenny, my job is done here"
With that final order, Captain Jack turned and walked away like it was another day in the camp.
***
Inside a luxurious office, a mature woman sat behind a grand marble desk, her piercing gaze locked onto the young man standing before her.
The resemblance between the two was undeniable. Both shared the same striking light blue hair and icy eyes, though the woman's features carried the sharp refinement of age and authority. While the young man had an air of arrogance.
"I didn't do anything wrong," he scoffed, his tone laced with arrogance. "She was a bitch, so I just taught her a lesson."
The room fell deathly silent.
Then, the sharp SNAP of the marble desk cracking under the woman's tightening grip reverberated through the room like a gunshot.
The woman spoke with a hoarse and heavily restrained voice. "What did you say?"
The young man flinched but kept silent.
"I SAID, WHAT DID YOU SAY!!" The woman who couldn't hold on to her anger anymore finally erupted
With a deafening crack, the marble desk gave way under her grip, shattering into jagged pieces that scattered across the floor.
"She disrespected me so I just—"
Before the boy could finish, a lamp flew across the room with alarming speed, striking him square in the forehead.
The impact sent him falling to the ground, his head ringing as a warm trickle of blood began to seep down his face.
Dazed, William stared up at his mother, his mind unable to process what had just happened.
The woman, visibly trembling with frustration, brush her hands through her once immaculate hair.
"Cynthia!" she barked. "Tell the guards to lock William in his room. I don't want to see his face again!"
Only when William was held up by the guards, was he able to properly react.
"Wait, Mother! Hey, what are you doing? LET GO OF ME! MOTHER!"
His cries echoed down the hall as the guards dragged him away, but all he got was a cold and unfamiliar stare.
***
Waking up and breathing heavily, cold sweat can be seen trickling down William's temple, as he dreams about his past again.
However, pushing his feelings aside, William quickly got up and check the time, it is already a new day and his sparring session wouldn't begin for another couple of hours.
Breathing a sigh of relief, William sat back down on his bed, but as the adrenaline faded, a familiar weight settled in his chest. His emotions crashed over him like a tidal wave, bringing with them an overwhelming sense of dread.
'I can't do this anymore'
'I am going to die at this rate'
'I need to run away'
The intrusive thoughts spiraled in his mind, each one more suffocating than the last. But deep down, he knew there was no escape. Running would only make things worse, he'd learned that lesson the hard way.
Hence, in times like this William wished he was still out cold so he wouldn't have to deal with all his destructive thoughts running rampant inside his mind.
Day 16
William collapsed in a pool of blood, his body covered in thousands of shallow, deliberate cuts.
Day 17
William's limbs twisted grotesquely as he was strangled and wrestled, his joints snapping under relentless force.
Day 18
William's flesh was shredded raw as he was dragged across the jagged ground, his face nearly unrecognizable beneath the blood and torn skin.
Day 19
'Why is this happening to me? When did it all go wrong?'
Day 20
'It's Impossible. I can't win. I don't even have the chance to resist
Day 21
'No…please, no more. I was wrong so…just…please…'
Day 22
Is this it? Is this how I am going to live from now on? Tortured? Broken? Living in pain every single day?'
Day 23
'Why should I keep suffering? Why… live on? Wouldn't it be better to just end it here and now?'
Day 24
'No one cares. Not a single person. If I disappeared, they wouldn't notice. They might even be happy.'
Day 25, 26, 27
Day 28
"Private William." a voice rang, dragging William out of his trance.
William's dull, lifeless eyes turned toward the senior officer standing beside his medical bed.
"Yes?" he asked, his tone flat and detached.
"Captain Jack will be unavailable, so your sparring session is canceled until further notice," the officer informed him.
"I…see" William muttered.
The senior officer hesitated, then placed a firm but sympathetic hand on William's shoulder.
"Just take the week off and rest, alright?"
"Oh. Okay.." William replied
The officer lingered for a moment, his expression clouded with pity, before turning away and leaving William alone in the sterile hospital room.
It took another couple of minutes before William registered what just happened.
'No sparring today,' he thought to himself. 'A week off, huh?'
From his bed, William stared at the window across the room. Morning sunlight reflected off the white walls, lighting up the ward.
He didn't move. He just sat there—silent and still—as the sun rose, then began to fall again.
"Hey, kid."
A voice broke the quiet.
"Why don't you go out for a walk? It might help clear your head."
A middle-aged nurse walked over and placed a food tray on his table.
"Yes," William replied flatly. He stood up and left.
"Hey! At least eat something first!" she called out.
But he didn't stop.
Since being banished to Gorgon City, William's life had shrunk to three places: the barracks, the hospital, and the training field.
But today, with no orders, he wandered the base with no goal in mind.
'One of my instructors once said Gorgon City is one of the harshest cities,' he remembered. 'It's high in the mountains and always under monster attacks.'
He walked through the hospital's busy hallway. Doctors and nurses rushed past, faces tight with focus.
'They look even more tense than usual,' he thought.
Outside, a wave of noise hit him—sirens blaring, alarms wailing, vehicles rushing in and out.
Explosions echoed in the distance.
Soldiers in shiny power armor sprinted by, and scientists dashed between buildings, carrying tools and glowing equipment.
William stared for a moment, then turned and walked the other way.
"The base feels tense today," he muttered to himself, unheard.
In the fading golden sky, dark winged monsters appeared. They hurled fireballs toward the base.
But each fireball broke apart harmlessly against an invisible shield, which rippled as it absorbed the blows.
A nearby cannon glowed. Its core lit up, bending the light around it.
With a sudden flash, it fired. Bright beams tore through the sky, slicing the monsters apart. Ashes rained down.
"A monster attack," William said flatly.
More winged creatures swarmed. Commands echoed through loudspeakers. But to William, it all sounded far away.
He kept walking.
As the sun disappeared, more buildings came into view. The military base stretched wide, filled with towers and halls.
One structure stood out—a giant, egg-shaped tower at the center. Its curved glass walls reflected the last light of the day.
A glowing blue aura pulsed around it, beating like a heart.
William stopped and stared.
"That looks important," he said to himself. But he didn't care. He kept walking.
'No wonder Gorgon City is ranked second in power,' he thought.
When the sky turned dark, he returned to the hospital.
He showered, ate, got checked up, then lay in bed staring at the ceiling.
Even after a full day of walking, he wasn't tired.
His body rested.
But his mind stayed empty.
He lay still, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
***
In middle of the night, while the entire city is asleep, the halls of the hospital are still as bright as day, as nurses and doctors moved quietly through the corridors.
In one of the wards, light spilled from one of the six cubicles, where a doctor and nurse were checking on a patient.
Through the corner of the doctor's eyes, he saw through a slit in the curtains, one of his infamous patients was still awake sitting up and staring blankly into the air.
Going over and gently pulling the curtains aside, Dr.Lenny was met with the dull and lifeless eyes of William as he stared back.
"William? Couldn't sleep?" he asked in a gentle voice.
William nodded in response.
"Then would you like to take a walk with me?"
Seeing no reason to refuse, William silently slid off the bed and followed.
***
They walked through the quiet hospital halls, the fluorescent lights casting a soft glow around them. Occasionally, a nurse or doctor passed by, offering polite nods.
Breaking the silence, William spoke in a flat tone. "It's this late, and you haven't slept yet?"
"Sleep? Hah, What a foreign word for us medical professionals" Dr. Lenny chuckled softly.
He added, "How could I dare sleep when so many lives depend on me?"
"It must be really hard," William murmured.
"Hard…" Dr. Lenny paused, then shrugged. "I got used to it. So it's not so bad." He glanced at William. "But I think the person who is really having a hard time is you, William."
The words lingered in the air. William slowed his steps, eventually stopping. Dr. Lenny walked a few steps further before turning back to face him.
"No, Doctor. I'm fine," William replied stiffly, but his small, thin shoulders trembled.
Dr. Lenny's voice softened, but his words pierced deeper. "William. It must have been really hard, huh?"
William's fists clenched weakly at his sides. His head dropped, and when he tried to speak, the words caught in his throat. "I…"
Dr. Lenny continued gently, "You made a mistake, and as punishment, your family banished you to the front lines."
As Doctor Lenny spoke, William could feel his airway getting more and more choked up.
"And since then, Jack's been beating you half to death every day."
Turning fully to William, Dr. Lenny looked at him with a gaze both kind and understanding.
"Wiliam. Do you need help?"
With those words, something inside William shattered. A wail tore from his throat as he collapsed to the floor, his sobs uncontrollable.
"Please, doctor…I can't take it anymore…it hurts so much…" William cried, his voice raw with desperation.
Dr. Lenny whispered a simple spell, and a light barrier surrounded them, muffling the sounds from reaching the outside world. Silently, he stood by, watching over William.
In the empty hospital hall, a frail boy lay crumpled on the floor, tears streaming down his face, while an old doctor in white stood quietly beside him, listening to his cries filled with pain and hopelessness.