NADIA

NADIA'S POV

While he was gone, I tried to flip, so the chair could get off me, because it was pressing on me harder. But I couldn't, I was tied to the chair. Any more attempts might wound me, So I stopped and laid still on the floor, waiting for him to return, though I wished he'd never return.

It wasn't long, I heard slow yet calculated footsteps walking towards me, I knew it was him, I couldn't do anything, but crawl slightly away from where I was. His laugh echoed in the room, and the next thing, he grabbed my hair.

“Running away, junior Azura?” he mocked, dragging me up by my hair. He was with a knife which he used to cut off the rope that held me to the chair. I knew my wrists and legs were bruised, I could feel the pain from how tight the rope had been tied.

His grip was still firm on my hair, while his eyes stared intently at me. If his hands were to leave my hair, I'm sure I was going to fall flat to the ground. I'm tired, my whole body aches.

He pushed my face up to look at him, “You still won't give me an answer?”

I shook my head, unable to say a word, he pulled me by my hair to follow him, my scalp hurting from his harsh treatment. He kicked the door open and pulled me into what seemed like bathroom, my gaze fell on the bathtub, that was filled with water, water was still running from the faucet.

At that moment I knew what he was about to do, I tried to pull away from him, but if I kept struggling my hair might pull away, because my scalp was hurting me so damn much, I could only succumb to him.

Even at this point, I couldn't cry, my tears had left me. “Please–” my strangled voice cried out.

He chucked coldly, “Do you plan to say anything to me?”

“Even if you kill me, I swear, I have no idea of what you're talking about.” I murmured.

He slammed my head into the filled tub, holding me still as water invaded my senses. I struggled as I couldn't breathe. My head was still in the water, while he pushed it deeper into the tub. I was slowly losing my consciousness, at that point I stopped struggling, letting him kill me if it was his decision.

Then again, he roughly pulled my head out of the water, he brought his face close to me, “I think I'm being too easy on you, let's see how far you can keep denying it.”

He slammed my head again into the water, I couldn't quite count how many times he kept doing it, I lost my consciousness and blacked out.

I woke up to chills of cold water being poured on my face, I coughed continuously, trying to soothe my throat, even my eyes were hurting.

“Wakey wakey,” two voices chorused together, as one of them squatted down to my level. He gently traced his cold fingers on my face, his thumb suddenly stopping on my lips, which he gently caressed.

“You can save yourself all these harms, just by answering the questions he asked, you look pathetic.” He sighed.

I didn't say anything nor look at them, I felt hot tears leave my eyes. The man who was squatting beside me, quickly wiped my tears, “Hush hush, don't be a cry baby. Playing innocent won't help in the case.”

He was trying to play nice, I know, it was all a facade, because I can feel the dangerous glint in his voice. He seemed to have a more intimidating aura than the man I assumed to be their leader. Maybe I was wrong.

He gently pushed back the strands of my hair that fell across my face, I shivered in fright at any contact his skin made with mine, it was cold and so uncomfortable.

“I'm not going to hurt you again, but you need to be honest with me. I hate it when people lie to me, especially someone I don't want to hurt.”

Lies. He was lying. It was obvious that they hated the so-called emperor. I'm a spitting image of him, rising questions within them. He can't possibly not want to hurt me, especially if I keep admitting that I know nothing about what they are saying.

“You'll tell me the truth right?” He asked.

I did not respond to anything he was saying, my consciousness was leaving me again.

His voice was barely audible to my hearing, I still did not respond to what he was saying. He kept on saying incoherent words which I didn't hear.

“Ahhh!” I cried out, as I felt a heart wrenching slap on my cheek. My skin broke, I was sure of that, and I tasted blood on my lips, my blood. I couldn't bear the pain and quickly reached for my cheek that was painfully hurting me. I cried out, hating my helplessness, hating my life, hating my fate. At this point, I wanted nothing but to end my life.

I was pulled by my hair, and was dragged out of the washroom, my skin getting scraped by the rough ground. It was then that an alarm suddenly rang, pausing them in their tracks.

“What was that?” Their voices suddenly sliding alarmed. The next thing, my hair was released and two of them quickly went out of the room, not saying a word to me.

I sucked on my lips, trying to control my sobs, but no, I couldn't, I couldn't stop myself from crying in pain.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open and hurried steps followed, walking towards me. Who knows what else they're going to do to me? He was now standing very close to me, I couldn't see his face clearly, my eyes were too sore to open them, I was barely conscious.

He squatted towards me and I instinctively flinched back. He seemed to say something, I couldn't hear him, I was losing my consciousness again. He gently carried me into his hands, in my unconscious state, i co could only murmur, “I have no idea what you all are talking about.”

“Hush..” I heard him hum. I couldn't hold on anymore and everything went blank.