Salvation of the Fallen - Chapter 1
[In the midst of a chaotic world, as God gazes down, everything is the merciful will of the divine.]
“Hmph.”
Coming to her senses with a deep inhale, Arsena let out a spasmodic cough. Her body shook uncontrollably, and her limp legs gave way. However, she couldn’t sit down. Her wrists, bound above her head, were fixed somewhere. The chilly sensation of the stone floors barely reached the tips of her standing toes.
“…..Ugh.”
Her two eyes were covered, unable to see anything. Even when she strained to turn her head, there was only darkness.
Creak. Creak.
Every time her body swayed precariously; the strange screams of iron chains revealed her existence. The unsettling pain, starting from her restrained wrists, penetrated her entire body.
‘What the….’
A chill ran down her spine as she turned her head. She still couldn’t see anything. She couldn’t even imagine what situation she was in or why she found herself in such a state.
One thing was certain. Her hands were bound by unyielding iron chains, unable to escape, hanging somewhere as if on a butcher’s hook.
Please let it be a nightmare.
Arsena fervently hoped. However, the sharp pain digging into her wrists was anything but a dream. Everything was painfully real.
Confronting the truth, tears burst forth, and her breath became erratic. The sobbing sound, mixed with breath, echoed back hauntingly, resembling the wails of a ghost in her ears.
As time passed, the heavy fabric covering her eyes became damp and sticky. The air, saturated with the damp darkness, pressed down on Arsena, making her feel like she was suffocating outside of water.
‘Please…. Please….’
Arsena twisted her wrist, futilely shaking it. Hoping that the iron chain that bound her would snap. A foolish hope.
The relentless misfortune persisted. The more she desperately wished, the more the robust chain seemed to mock her, squeezing her delicate wrist tighter. The reddened flesh tore, and hot blood trickled down her arm, staining her clothing bit by bit.
“Huugh.”
Thick tears rolled down her pale cheeks. She couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her chin to the base of her neck, stinging in every wet spot.
“Ah, huuugh.”
With each drawn breath, Arsena’s limp body swayed unpredictably, and her toes barely touched the ground. The weight of the dragging iron chain continued to dig deeper into Arsena’s wrists. The more she struggled, the deeper she sank into the swamp of immense pain, as if floundering into a pit with every futile struggle.
As she struggled to find balance, standing on her tiptoes, the blood that started from the chained wrist stained her white dress red. Arsena sensed her fate. She was going to die like this. Finally, it was coming to an end. The nauseating final act of this relentless tragedy was approaching.
Gradually, tears subsided, and her head drooped powerlessly, making a faint, breaking sound. Even the chains, which had been creating eerie noises with each small breath she exhaled, fell into silence.
Drip, drip.
The blood flowing from the hem of her once-white dress created small ripples as it fell onto the cold stone floor. Listening to Arsena’s breath, which had sounded like a mournful dirge, became less frequent.
It’s finally over. This hellish misery of mine.
Arsena rejoiced in her approaching death, but this time, she was not so lucky.
“Huh….”
At that moment, a peculiar sensation brushed against the tip of her chin, causing Arsenia’s head to jerk up uncontrollably. Something… no, someone briefly brushed against her, stealing a trace of her breath and leaving tears in their wake. It was a contact so light that it could be considered a passing breeze, yet she could clearly feel it. Someone was there beside her.
Arsena’s entire body shook like a winter tree in the wind. Fear coursed through her body at the thought that this could be the man who had locked her up and bound her.
“I… can’t… breathe.”
The sound that escaped her dried-up lips was nothing more than a faint scraping noise. Before she could even utter a proper word, her throat dried up like a swallowed ember, preventing any coherent sound from coming out.
Please, save me. Please, help me.
The easy words that even a child could utter were stuck in her rough, parched throat. All that came out was a choked groan.
In truth, she already knew. No one in this world would come to her aid.
” Oh my. “
From the chilling darkness exuded a voice with a light melody, as if singing.
“Hmph….”
Suddenly, the man whose presence became vivid approached Arsena closely. Even though he couldn’t be seen, it was evident. His breath, now pronounced, clung to her ears like tree sap. Simultaneously, there was a dizzying fragrance. Instinctively, she knew how dangerous the person in front of her was.
“You should try a little harder. Don’t you think?”
Since when had he been watching her in the darkness? The man, who had undoubtedly witnessed Arsena’s despair and agony, now enjoyed it. His languid voice, tinged with laughter, confirmed it.
“P-Please, spare me.”
The man’s words gave her courage, and that was all she could manage to say. Funny how she wanted to live. The last chapter of her misery was finally over. At the end of the long wait, Arsena begged for her life.
“Hmph….”
The man’s long, cold fingertips grazed Arsena’s wrist. The sound of the man’s lips brushing against her bloodied flesh sent chills down her spine.
The tip of her jaw quivered as she imagined what the man was tasting. Her wide-open blue eyes couldn’t even blink, even when they were shrouded in terror.
“Arsena.”
Startled by the sudden call of her name, Arsena’s body staggered heavily. Creak, creak. Simultaneously, the iron chains produced a grotesquely eerie sound as they dug into her flesh. Arsena writhed in pain once again.
“Argh.”
The man was speechless. She couldn’t see it, but she could feel it. The man’s gaze was now raking over Arsena, relentlessly. Not wanting to miss a beat.
The man remained silent. Though unseen, his presence was palpable. His gaze relentlessly scanned Arsena, as if determined not to miss any detail.
Each time Arsena whimpered in pain, the man licked his tongue. As if savoring a delicacy. The chilling sound resembled thunder, ready to tear and consume everything. Even the laughter-tinged breath echoed cruelly as if it would reach into the depths of the heart. The man’s presence was more fearsome than the punishment of a deity.
“I-I’ve made a mistake. Please spare me.”
Arsena pleaded desperately, not knowing the nature of her crime, simply begging for her life. She no longer sought mercy from a god who had not yet claimed her. She merely begged the one who held her lifeline.
“Don’t be like this already, it’s not fun.”
How long had he been waiting for this moment. The man, gripping Arsena’s hair in an instant, whispered softly into her ear. His words carried a strangely twisted mockery. Before Arsena could grasp their meaning, the sensation of his touch on her face made her freeze. The man’s palm, where the contours of his knuckles were distinctly felt, casually swept down her cheek and brushed against the revealed shoulder. Arsena tightly shut her eyes and bit her lips.
Fun, he said.
Unable to comprehend the man’s words, a chill ran down Arsena’s spine. It was a different kind of terror than before. Bound and pressed against the edge of the blade like a deer with tied legs, Arsena trembled helplessly. The pleas for help, for mercy, no longer escaped her lips.
“I want to savor it a bit more slowly, you see.”
The man lifted her chin with his massive hand. Bowing his head, he pressed his face against Arsena’s tear-moistened cheek. As she flinched in fear, the man took a deep breath. It seemed as if he intended to consume even Arsena’s breath.
