Chapter Three: A Bound Prisoner
When I saw the boy with golden hair, I ordered the servants to untie him
Honestly, I don't like killing women and children
So, I let him go
When I allowed him to leave, the other prisoners sensed they might escape if they begged for their lives
I turned toward a middle-aged prisoner
His face was covered in scars, with deep dark circles under his eyes, but his body was in excellent condition
"Bring him"
As soon as I uttered those words, one of the four twins approached and handed me a black box
I opened the box and found a set of surgical tools
"Everyone, leave the room"
True Hell
The faint flicker of the oil lamp swayed in the damp cell, casting twitching shadows on the stone walls The middle-aged man, "former lawyer Philip Cole," was bound to an oak chair, his swollen, tearful eyes pleading silently
Before him stood "Victor Dean"... the Executioner—as he liked to be called
His hands were clad in black leather gloves, moving slowly as the surgical scalpel glinted between his fingers like a silver fish swimming through the air
"Do you know why I use a scalpel specifically, Philip?" His voice was as soft as the silk of a guillotine
The man didn't answer, only gasped as the steel blade touched his chin
"Because it leaves no room for error"
Then…
The patchwork began
The blade slid into Philip's left eye with smooth precision, like a sewing needle passing through fabric Thick, bloody tears streamed down before the victim even realized his eye had already been opened
Victor twisted his wrist, carving a diagonal line from Philip's right eyebrow to the corner of his lip, leaving a wound that looked like a devilish grin
"Now"
His hands moved in perfect harmony—his right gripping the victim's hair to steady his head, while his left extracted three upper teeth, the scalpel circling the gums like a cookie cutter
Suddenly, Victor paused and leaned in until his nose touched Philip's
"See?" he whispered, raising his blood-stained finger toward the light "This isn't torture... this is a symphony"
Then, in one swift motion:
The scalpel pierced Philip's earlobe, rotating cleanly inside before exiting the other side, leaving a neat hole like a ring
When the victim screamed, Victor slid the blade into his mouth and split his tongue down the middle with the precision of a magician cutting a silk thread
Philip stopped moving
Lifeless Corpse
I left the room and ordered the servants to dispose of the body
I walked through the hall lined with skulls, heading toward my chamber
When I arrived, I found a letter placed atop the book belonging to the corpse's owner
I picked up the letter, set it aside, and began reading the book
As soon as I opened the first page, I couldn't help but be stunned by the meticulous descriptions within
The Living Pages
The Paper: Made from thin layers of human skin, with blue veins that twitch upon touch
The Ink: A mixture of blood and powdered bone, moving like black worms as you read
The Margins: Filled with tiny teeth used as bookmarks—some still creaking when moved
"Dances of the Entrails"
A recipe for creating a "living doll" from the intestines of seven victims (must be warm when cut)
An illustration of unraveled intestines floating like ribbons in the air, ending in severed hands shaking each other
"Hymns of Shattering"
A spell for "shattering bones from within," turning the victim's skeleton into needles that pierce organs one by one
An animated image of a man swelling like a balloon before his eyes burst
"Feast of Souls"
A ritual forcing the victim to eat their own flesh while kept alive with a potion made from their tears
A serving platter decorated with the victim's face as the centerpiece
The Entities Communicating Through the Book
The red margins revealed childish handwriting ("Daddy slaughtered Grandpa again today") before melting like blood
Page 666: A bloated face trying to push through the paper, screaming when touched—
"Let me out"
I closed the book after finishing it
The greatest book I've ever seen in my entire life
I couldn't even blink as I read it
I shook my head to clear unnecessary thoughts, and as I glanced around the room, I noticed the letter I had set aside earlier
I picked it u
p and began to read
To be continued
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