When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 194
Chapter 194
“…Wake… up…!”
A searing pain ripped through Sehwa’s stomach.
“!”
She gasped, her eyes flying open, her hand clutching her stomach.
Someone yanked her hair. “I said, wake up!”
A hand slapped her across the face. Slap! “It’ll be easier for both of us if you listen the first time.”
Despite the pain, she could only blink, her hand frozen. ‘…What? Why is he… the Mystic Ruler’s warrior… here again?’
She had killed him.
After using the wish Baek Giha had given her to turn back time, she had shot him with an arrow, along with the other warriors who had come for the Spirit Orb.
As she stared at him, confused, something splashed onto her legs.
“Aaargh!!” The jumbled thoughts in her head vanished, replaced by an unbearable, excruciating pain.
She wanted to grab her legs, which felt as if they were being burned alive, but she couldn’t, her hair pulled back tightly, like a leash.
“This melts flesh more than I thought. The Mystic Ruler won’t be pleased.”
“As long as the bones aren’t melted, it’ll be fine. Pour some more.”
She couldn't understand what they were saying.
The pain was too intense, blocking out all thoughts.
‘It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.’
It was at that moment.
Sizzle!
Something splashed onto her legs again.
She couldn't endure it any longer and lost consciousness.
How much time had passed?
When she opened her eyes again, she was surrounded by darkness.
A small candle flickered on a distant table.
The familiar stench assaulted her nostrils.
The Mystic Ruler’s underground prison. She had been imprisoned here for five years.
She slowly pushed herself up, her arms weak and trembling.
She crawled towards a corner and leaned against the cold, stone wall, her breath ragged.
Even this small movement sent waves of pain through her body, her lungs burning.
The horrific wounds on her legs had mostly healed. They must have treated them to keep her alive.
Her body reeked of filth from lying on the damp, dirty floor.
Her exposed skin, visible through her torn clothes, was covered in wounds.
“Ah…”
A sharp pain shot through her leg as she moved, and she gasped, curling up.
‘What? I… escaped this hell… didn’t I?’
This couldn’t be a hallucination.
No hallucination could feel this real, the pain, the stench, the overwhelming sense of helplessness… everything was exactly as she remembered.
The stone walls of the prison, damp and reeking of mildew, were as solid as ever.
The iron bars separating her from the stairs were also there, as unbreakable as ever, a constant reminder of her imprisonment.
‘It was a dream…’
Warm tears streamed down her dirty cheeks.
‘…A dream…’
She had never escaped, she had always been here.
Her dream of turning back time, of saving her family and loved ones, had never come true.
The realization was more painful than any physical torment.
Tears flowed uncontrollably.
Why had she even been shown that dream? It would have been easier to endure this hell if she hadn’t known what she had lost.
And as her despair deepened, she felt as if someone was watching her, laughing, their eyes gleaming with malice, promising more torment.
But that was impossible.
No one could see her in this airtight cell.
It was then.
She heard footsteps on the stairs.
She quickly wiped away her tears, her expression hardening.
They enjoyed seeing her suffer, so they would only torment her more if she showed any weakness.
So she wouldn't show any emotion, no matter what they did to her.
She wouldn't let them see her break, even if they burned her skin with acid or tortured her again.
Just as she steeled her resolve, her gaze unfocused…
“Oh, you’re awake? Good. I brought you a gift.”
“Mmm! Mmm!”
“Y-Young… sun?”
Her resolve crumbled as the Mystic Ruler’s warriors appeared.
A familiar face was in their grasp.
“Youngsun!!”
As they roughly removed the gag from Youngsun's mouth, she cried out, “My lady! My lady! Save me!”
Her face was streaked with tears.
One of the warriors slapped her across the face. “Shut up! You’re annoying!” Slap—!!
Crack! “Aaargh!”
“Youngsun!!”
“If you’re going to scream, scream like that.” The warrior, who had broken one of Youngsun’s legs, smiled cruelly and turned to Sehwa. “Oh? I haven’t seen her react like that before.”
Sehwa crawled towards the bars, her hands gripping the cold metal, shaking them desperately, even though she knew they wouldn't break.
The warrior, amused by her reaction, stomped on Youngsun’s other leg. Crack! “Aagh!!” “No! Stop it! Stop it! Youngsun! Youngsun!”
She shouldn’t have reacted.
The moment she cried out, seeing Youngsun’s suffering, the inevitable happened.
Thump! Crack!
The warrior began to beat Youngsun mercilessly, kicking and stomping on her, not stopping until she was covered in blood.
“Youngsun! Youngsun!”
Sehwa reached out, but the thick bars separating them prevented her from touching Youngsun.
“Stop it!! Please, stop! I’ll do anything! Just stop hurting her! Please!”
She slammed her head against the floor, begging, but the warrior didn’t stop.
Instead, he laughed, enjoying her despair, and continued to beat Youngsun.
Just then, he seemed to hear something, and he grabbed Youngsun by the hair, dragging her towards the cell and opening the door. “Here, have a reunion. It’ll make your parting all the more painful.”
He grinned and closed the door, locking it.
Sehwa crawled towards Youngsun and gently held her in her trembling arms.
“Y-Youngsun… w-why… why you…?”
Youngsun, her eyes barely open, started crying again as soon as she saw Sehwa’s face.
“My lady… this is all your fault…”
“…What…?”
Youngsun’s bloodshot eyes glared at her, her face contorted in pain. “Don't act so surprised! Didn’t you know? This is all because of you! If it wasn’t for you, none of this would have happened! No one would have died!”
“…Young… sun…”
“Father wouldn't have been murdered, the Elder and Madam would be safe, the young masters wouldn’t have been beheaded…”
Youngsun burst into tears, her face twisted in anguish. “And I wouldn’t be like this… My sisters wouldn’t be dead… If only… if only you hadn't dreamed of marrying the Young Lord!”
“…No… that’s not true… I only went to the Baek Clan… for the sake of our clan…”
“No! You just wanted to gain recognition, to prove yourself worthy of the Young Lord! You wanted to become the Lady of the House!”
“......”
“This is all your fault! All because of you!”
Her words, like a scream, tore through Sehwa’s heart.
She wanted to tell her it wasn't true, but Youngsun wouldn't believe her.
She felt so sorry for Youngsun, for what she had to endure because of her, that she would gladly give her life to make amends.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
“I don’t want to hear your apologies! What good are they?! Does it change anything?!”
“Youngsun…”
“Why did you even come back?! You should have just died! You should have died there!”
Youngsun whispered, her bloodshot eyes boring into Sehwa’s, “Yes… that’s right… You… should have died…”
“I… should have…?”
“Yes… If only you were gone, everything would be alright…”
A dagger appeared in Youngsun's hand.
She smiled, her tears still streaming down her face, and pushed the dagger into Sehwa's hand, guiding it towards her neck.
“Please, my lady,”
A dark, sinister aura emanated from Youngsun, but Sehwa, staring blankly at the sharp, silver blade, didn't notice.
“Kill yourself. Please. For all of us.”
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