Chapter Text
There was smoke and a bunch of red eyes. If he opened his mouth or eyes, he would feel even more like in hell. The smoke was horrible. Biting his nose and eyes, making him run out of air.
Soon, it was over. There were no more smoke, he could breathe again.
The air around him felt different. He was in a different place, he knew that very well, since it was definitely not the streets of Nevermoor.
The last place where he was - near the entrance of "The Museum of Stolen Moments", had dissappeared. On one hand, that was a good thing, on the other - that was not good at all.
It was pointless to try and find anything in this dark. He sat down, thinking about what will happen next. The ground felt somewhat damp. Only now, he realised that there was a disturbing smell lingering around. Was he in a room filled with poisonous mushrooms?
Not being able to think much, only one main thought came to him.
He betrayed The Wundersmith. Whatever's going to happen, it won't be good.
Over the next ten minutes, millions of thoughts of what could happen to him ran through his head. This was not good. He was starting to panic. This was not how he usually would be at all. He must escape. It was obvious that Squall was the one who took him here, and any moment, he will come here.
With tears running down his face, he got up and found the nearest wall. Then he walked by it, trying to calm down. Panicking would never be a good thing to do in situations like this. It's hard to understand things while panicking.
The room can't be infinite. There must be some door or at least something.
He was starting to get used to walking like that. Suddenly, he fell down. The smell of something rotten and moldy filled his head. He started to caught, trying to crawl away from whatever that was. This room was filled with dead, deceased bodies, old, rotten blood and spilled organs.
Looking around, he saw someone who seemed to radiate light, and somehow, it even seemed like safety. As if maybe that someone who was standing further away, could save him from what might be his complete demise. The person really looked like a God. Bright light shining behind him, who was standing so calmly.
"Help!"
While getting up, tripping over something and getting back up again, he called out.
He was getting closer to the man who looked so godly through tear filled eyes. Like a golden light that will finally save him.
Finally, he was there, reaching for the strangers hand that was offered for him.
Before he could reach it, he tripped again. The others hand wasn't held out anymore.
"Oh, you little, foolish, useless, powerless human.. Why must you betray me like that back there?"
A cold voice spoke.
Chills ran across Henry's back. He was not going to be saved.
"I'm sorry! I promise you that I won't do that again! Give me a second chance, please!"
"You are pathetic, really. Do you actually think that I'll give you one more chance, after you could have gotten her hurt? What makes you think that I'll spare you?"
"Please don't hurt me, I'm sorry!"
Henry ignored the questions.
Squall continued to speak:
"You betrayed me. How could you.. I offered you something that could have been so much more than just a few thousand peces of cash, but look at what you did. Look where you are now. You idiotic traitor."
"..."
The 'traitor' started to sob loudly, begging for his God to forgive him. From some small conversations that they had had before, Henry knew very well that this man had a slight God complex.
"Oh I wish I would be the kind of 'your God' that forgives like that. You should just be left here to rot. Just like the rest of them."
"Please.. SAVE ME!"
"You won't die, I can assure of that.."
"Thank you-"
"But that does not mean that you'll stay whole. I'm your 'God', as you called me, aren't I? I'll choose what will happen to you now. I'll choose your faith."
He was scared. And hearing more of those useless pleas gave The Wundersmith the feel of so much power. Having someone's life depend on you, and being able to control how that turns out, having them beg to be forgiven and saved.. Beautiful.
So much pain and screams that lasted for what felt like a complete eternity to him, the traitor.
Henry got slammed against a wall and immediately was locked in chains.
He couldn't move, just cry and scream.
If he thought that The Wundersmith only killed to enjoy the thrill, he was wrong. The whole time, Henry just hoped that the horrible torture would be over even more sooner. Loosing so much blood while being torn to peces, but not being able to die, just being put together so slightly, it was the most terrible thing he had ever experienced.
And while he was being tortured like that, The Wundersmith explained the whole experience of why what's better in human meat and blood. From those few times when Squall and Henry had met to discuss things, Henry knew that Squall was definitely not someone that could live like a completely normal person. Oh, and how much more worse he actually was...
"Human blood is like the finest wine, even if it is really bitter and can make you feel sick, but the pleasure of that is what I like the most. That metallic taste, high like feeling that I can get from it..
So beautifully crimson red, much different than normal drinks like water or juice, so wonderful.. You should try it sometime.
Human meat tastes almost like any other meat. I couldn't say much about it.
But just something about it is so addicting."
If Henry wasn't being tortured at that moment, he would have enjoyed seeing Squall talk about something, looking so dreamy, discussing about something so wrong.
After having peces of his muscles cutten off, held down while that's being done, and then the hideous scars that were left, burned, so he wouldn't loose any more blood, Henry was too exhausted, not even trying to scream anymore. His throat was sore from all the screaming, eyes still watering.
"Please..."
Now his voice was faded away. Too much pain and suffering. He had cryed for hours..
With the last strength, Henry said:
"Please don't leave me here. Don't leave me with these others.."
He was still alive. And dieing near possible hundreds of already dead people, was now one more thing he would never want to experience.
"I won't."
Squall said as he dissappeared in the darkness.
Soon, from all the blood loss and constant pain, Henry fell unconscious. The chains had let go, so his shoulders weren't being dislocated anymore. His body was still in a lot of pain. So much, that he was even crying in his sleep.
The next morning, he woke up not on the floor anymore. Now he was in a comfy bed. His surroundings looked blurry, his eyes hurt from the crying, but he felt safer, much warmer than the cold basement concrete that he passed out on. As if he could actually remember that.
Every movement hurt like being burned alive. The room was much nicer that what he used to have in Nevermoor. The bed was fancy, everything looked really elegant. It looked like he was in some better place, as if he had died. But the pain brought him back to the reality.
He found a glass of water on the bedside table. This was strange..
Well, if he was in a far more comfortable room, and there was some water that looked not poisoned, didn't have any specific non-water smell, he might as well just drink it.
"I see that you are finally awake."
Squall said, sitting on a chair near a coffee table. He looked so calm, as if nothing unusual had happened. It wouldn't be a surprise to Henry, if all that happened was casual for the psychopath sitting in the same room.
"Where am I?"
Henry did panic more when he saw Squall, but he could still speak, which was good. Being so frightened to not be able to speak would be horrible. Even if he was literally tortured and traumatised 10 times more than he might have been before, loosing his speaking ability would make him even more useless. As if he didn't feel like he already was exactly that..
"You're at my house. I couldn't loose some precious meat, right? By the way, you are prohibited to leave this place. And I see no reason for you to do so. Now everyone thinks that you have went missing or died. No one wants or needs you back there, at Nevermoor."
Squall told him.
That was painful to hear. Of course, he had expected those degrading phrases before, but to actually hear it from someone.. Back at Nevermoor, his "friends", his "family" treated him wrongfully anyways.
That thought set him on a verge of tears. And he really thought that things would be different anywhere.
"Don't start crying like a little child now. I made breakfast."
With a flick of his wrist, a tray with food, that was some nicely cooked meat and eggs appeared.
He took the knife and fork that was next to it and started eating.
"The meat is nice"
"It is, isn't it?
Well, it's fresh, enjoy it!"
Squall said, a little smirk appearing on his face.
"Thanks."
The meat texture felt somewhat like pork.
He felt really hungry after everything that happened. Why was someone who literally tortured him, acting so nice so suddenly?
After few minutes Henry had finished eating. Breakfast in bed did make him feel better. Was that even the intention of the food?
"Thank you for the breakfast."
"No problem. You're the one who got me the meat after all. Thank you too!"
Squall said, got up and went to leave the room.
Henry felt like he's falling, Did "You're the one who got me the meat after all." mean that..
The meat was literally him. Now Henry's face was more pale than it had ever been. He could not believe it...
He ate his own body. And he did that while not even being forced to do so..
A few seconds after Ezra left the room, he could hear a scream of despair and fear. Well, it's pretty obvious why.
The next plan was to drink some of the "finest wine". That beautiful, intoxicating feeling of it...
Henry had figured it out. Just like he was expected to.
Except that it was a bit too late for him to do anything. There was poison around the water glass' edge. Only some light, light poison. One that works so quickly.
At one point, Henry would feel extreme, burning pain, and then it would be the last minute he's alive. He would start to cough up blood. That's what he get's for messing with The Wundersmith.
Last things that Henry felt, was pain, a hint of betrayal and a taunting feeling of the fact that he never actually mattered much. Maybe he deserved this.
Looking at the last whole situation he was in:
He was kidnapped, tortured, his body was ruined forever, since such large amounts of human muscle wouldn't grow back fully, and there was no chance for him to function properly anymore. He really felt pathetic. So miserable and useless. He was afraid.
Scared of what will happen next.
What really would happen to him after death? One last thought, and all he ever was, all his memories and thoughts faded away forever.
With blood in a fancy glass, Squall walked back into the room. Slowly walking towards where that poor, pathetic human laid. He looked at Henry. So peaceful, almost as if he was just sleeping. But the reality was - the other was very much dead. Just another dead body, a pece of fresh meat. Now was the time to hurry. Hurry before the poison starts flowing through the meat too.