Chapter 52- Messed Up

Chapter 52: Chapter 52- Messed Up

Chapter 52- Messed Up

Rize’s eyes slowly started opening as he stared through the haze. His mind was completely delirious, and he felt so numb that for a second, he wasn’t sure if he was still in his own body or not.

"Ugh..." He groaned dryly as he tried to shake his head and clear the blurriness. However, that move sent a sharp pain down the base of his head that made him groan. "What... happened..."

As seconds passed and he started recovering his vision, Rize realized something, perhaps the greatest detail he could gather. He was upside down. He blinked a few times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating.

The entire room around him was upside down, and the door looked like it was stuck to the ceiling, so it all made sense. He was in an empty, dark, and humid room. He couldn’t tell any real details about it.

Instinctively, Rize tried to move his arms, but he realized the second problem. He was completely tied in chains from his ankles to his shoulders. Each chain dug into his skin so deeply, leaving bruises behind.

Each move made the chains rattle and swing him around. However, he could not break through them at all.

"Hnnng... Come on..." He clenched his teeth and tried several times, to no avail. Finally, he stopped and exhaled. "I don’t remember anything... Ugh... I was leaving the place... And then... someone struck me in the back of the head..."

Each time he tried to remember something, his head hurt greatly. So, he stopped trying that too and focused on the situation he was in.

’Ok, I’m completely stuck, and I can’t move. I’m in some sort of storage room somewhere. If I could get a glimpse of the outside, I might figure out where I am.’ He thought to himself as he exhaled. But, in his current position, moving was out of the question.

"Should I call for them? Or is it better to remain silent and pretend that I’m still unconscious?" Rize muttered to himself as he tried to think of a plan or an idea to escape.

’Ugh, it’s good that they didn’t kill me immediately, but I doubt they brought me here for dinner... Dammit, I might be in a way worse situation than before.’

Just as he thought of that, the boy heard the door to the storage room open, and light penetrated his eyes. However, he was quick enough to react and close his eyes, pretending to be still asleep.

He heard the footsteps approach him. Then, he felt a shadow loom over him before...

*SMACK*

He was smacked hard in the face, snapping his eyes open.

"Wake up, bastard." The man said coldly.

"Ugh... What the hell... Ever heard about not hitting the face? It gets the hostage all dizzy and s-"

*SMACK*

The man slapped him hard again. Rize clenched his teeth as he glared at him. "Alright, alright, stop. I’m still recovering from the hit you guys did to my head."

"The leader wants to see you." The man said coldly before he started untying the chains that held Rize up in the air. When he did, the boy fell to the ground, hitting it roughly as he rolled a few times. "Dammit, man. At least be careful with the head! I’m going to die from a concussion!"

But the man ignored him as he grabbed the chain and started dragging it, and with it, Rize was pulled away. He felt every bump on the ground as he got dragged like a sack of vegetables through the room.

"Hey! Stop! My back is going to be peeled off!" He said as he tried to toss and turn. However, the man didn’t seem bothered as he continued walking. Outside, Rize found himself in a long corridor.

Judging from the condition of the walls and the ground and the rust stains everywhere he looked, especially around the window frames, this building was very old and perhaps even abandoned.

’This is their hiding spot.’ He thought to himself as he tried to memorize every detail and understand where he could be.

After walking through the hall, they found themselves in an open area. Old machinery lay everywhere he could see, along with broken parts and other kinds of items that he could not understand.

In that room, many Zatharis could be found. Most were resting and sleeping, while some were eating or cleaning their weapons. The looks in their eyes were harsh, but once they saw Rize... That harshness turned into killing intent.

They knew who he was and what he did, so their hatred for him was deep. Rize eyed every single one silently before he exhaled.

’I’m really screwed.’ He thought to himself. ’They would peel the skin off my body if they got the chance. Maybe their leader will do that.’

Passing that place, they walked through a double door into what seemed to be the kitchen area of this rundown factory.

There, Rize smelled a myriad of spices and dishes being cooked on the fire. There were several Zatharis who were busy preparing food.

’Ugh, this smell is making my stomach grumble. I didn’t have lunch yet.’ He thought to himself.

They gave him the same angry look before they finally walked into the freezer area where they stored the food and supplies. The moment they walked in, Rize was thrown forward as he rolled forward several times.

"Tsk, so fucking rough." He muttered as he adjusted his position and stared to the side.

"I brought him, boss."

Sitting at a wooden table was a man with a small cat in his hands as he patted its head gently. To the side was the faint sound of music coming from an old radio, and to his right was a wall filled with pictures, words, and lines...

As for the man himself, he was tan with the same tattoos and marks as the other people. He had a nasty scar on his neck and a distinct pair of blue eyes that carried a sinister aura. He had long black hair that was tied in a messy bun.

He didn’t stare up at Rize and instead simply spoke. "Leave."

"... Understood."

With that, the door closed behind Rize, and he was left all alone with the man. The silence was suffocating, to say the least. Rize stared around while trying to remain calm.

"Good job."

"Huh?"

The man broke the silence eventually with his deep, hoarse voice.

"Killing Maro without even being awakened... Stopping our bombs. Not bad at all, kid." The man said. "You really gave us the biggest hiccup in this entire plan."

"Uh, you’re giving me too many flowers. What can I say? I’m a man of many talents." Rize replied sarcastically, making the man chuckle coldly.

"For a kid your age? You sure are. What a big, annoying problem you caused us." The man said as he finally put the cat on the table and stood up. "I needed to see the person who ruined everything. A part of me wants to tear you limb from limb and feed you to my babies..."

"That’s not very friendly," Rize replied as he tried to smile.

"And another part of me doesn’t want to waste the potential you have." The man said as he crouched next to Rize.

"Say, boy. What’s your name?"