Chapter Text
April 11th
Hyunjin’s eyes were empty as he stared into the distance, the dull brown replacing what once was a beautiful shade of amber. His skin was pale, almost ghostly, and his body was lithe in a way only hunger could cause.
He was beautiful, but it was clear to anyone who laid eyes on him that he was broken inside. He had lost his will to fight long before his alpha lost the desire to shatter him, and over eight years of constant pain and abuse left him a shell of his former self.
As the door to his chambers was opened by a maid Hyunjin didn’t stir, his body still from his place perched atop the window sill. He didn’t blink as the woman approached, but he couldn’t help the way his body jolted as she placed a small and wrinkly hand on his shoulder.
Hyunjin hated being touched, but he made no move to shake her off, and he allowed her to pat his shoulder in an attempt to get his attention. Attention she already had, but was not aware of. “Hwang, your presence has been requested by Alpha Kyungho.”
The name made Hyunjin shiver, perhaps the only sign he would ever show that he was disgusted by the man.
For a moment the maid waited, hoping for something to stir within Hyunjin and cause him to leave his place at the window. It was only as she was about to give up and reluctantly report Hyunjin’s disobedience that he shifted, and with movements too graceful to belong to someone so broken, he stood.
The maid watched in awe as the beautiful man finally acknowledged her existence, grace and elegance dripping from him thanks to years of strict training. A prized alpha of pack alpha Kyungho had to be the best of the best, after all. Especially when Hyunjin represented the conquering of the pack’s greatest enemy. The Hwang pack.
The name haunted Hyunjin like an illness he couldn’t seem to shake, because as much as he loved his family before they were killed, it was because he carried the Hwang name that he suffered for so many years.
It was the only name he was called by, because the only reason Kyungho kept him as a trophy, the only reason Hyunjin was still alive, was because he was a reminder. A reminder to the pack that their alpha was strong. A reminder to visiting dignitaries that making an enemy out of Kyungho was a death sentence. Or a sentence to something far worse.
The maid gestured wordlessly for Hyunjin to follow her, and with a level of obedience only reachable through conditioning and fear, Hyunjin complied. He followed her out of the room silently, the only sound he created being the barely audible footsteps he created against the stone floor.
He followed her through corridor after corridor, hallway after hallway, and finally after a walk long enough for Hyunjin to dread whatever fate had in store, they arrived in front of Kyungho’s meeting room.
The maid knocked twice before the hall fell silent, not even the sound of breathing filling the space as they both held their breath. And when alpha Kyungho’s voice ordered for them to enter, they both did so without hesitation. The fear of what would face them if they disobeyed outweighing the fear of giving in.
As the door was pushed open Hyunjin was met with the sight of about a dozen men seated around Kyungho’s meeting table, all eyes landing on him with something equivalent to hunger as his presence was made known. And in the center of it all was Kyungho, his expression pleased as he leaned back in his chair. “Hwang, come.”
The simple order had Hyunjin moving instantly, the man walking towards his abuser with graceful movements and a blank expression. As soon as Hyunjin made his way to Kyungho the man gestured for Hyunjin to kneel, and Hyunjin fell to his knees beside him, leaning his head onto Kyungho’s thigh like the alpha always ordered him to do.
Kyungho then looked up to his amused peers, one hand carding gently through Hyunjin’s hair in a way that made Hyunjin’s skin attempt to leave his body. Every gentle touch Kyungho ever gave was for show, and it would never erase the pain the exact same hands had caused.
But Hyunjin made no move to stop him, simply sitting there like a puppet with its strings cut as he remained motionless. Obedient.
“He’s a pretty one, I’ll give you that.” The gruff voice was so unwelcomed in the silence it nearly made Hyunjin curl into himself, but he worked to remain pliant as he felt eyes trail over every inch of him.
Kyungho chuckled. “All of my trophies are at least to Hwang’s caliber. I would accept nothing less.”
Another, more nasally voice spoke up, squeaking on his words as if drowning in his own snot. “How trained is he? Have you broken him in yet?”
The suggestive tone was something Hyunjin had grown used to, the result of being put on display like this countless times. And every time the same questions would be asked. But no matter how many times he heard them they would still itch uncomfortably at his skull.
“He’s very well trained, but no. I have not bedded him. A prize like him must be kept pure for as long as he has worth.”
Hushed whispers broke out amongst the room, and the man who had spoken first once again piped up. “You haven’t slept with him? Not even during his ruts?”
Kyungho simply waved him off. “His ruts are suppressed. They’re too pesky and tedious to deal with so I put him on suppressants as soon as he came of age.”
As the conversation progressed the questions became more invasive, and Hyunjin did his best to drown them out as he sat there, like a doll on a collector’s shelf. This same routine had been repeated every time Kyungho had guests, because the pack alpha loved to show off his trophy whenever he could.
To show the power he held over the only living heir to the Hwang pack.
The only survivor.
—-------------------------------------------------------
August 20th
Hyunjin’s fingers dug into the wood fibers of the railing he leaned against, his gaze empty but somehow full of dread as he stood beside Kyungho. Today was the day a small family would be executed for being traitors, but Hyunjin knew deep down in his gut that they were simply innocent pack members Kyungho had decided to turn into a spectacle. It wasn’t the first time, but Hyunjin prayed hopelessly that it would be the last.
His prayers were never heard.
The crowd of onlookers that had congregated in the clearing cheered as the pyre was finished being set up, the last of the wood being placed along the base like some demented art project. The glee radiating off of every onlooker caused a shiver to run up Hyunjin’s spine, and the small action drew Kyungho’s attention as he looked over at him.
“Disturbed, sweetie?” The cute nickname always managed to get under Hyunjin’s skin, but he never let it show. Not when the consequences were so dire.
Hyunjin knew Kyungho already knew the answer to his question, and lying would have grave repercussions, so Hyunjin nodded wordlessly. His response caused Kyungho to snicker, and the alpha slung an arm over Hyunjin’s shoulder. “See how apathetic they are to their own packmates? All I have to do is call someone traitors and they’re ready to watch them burn. Even the children aren’t shown mercy.” His grip around Hyunjin’s shoulders tightened, and Hyunjin swallowed harshly. “This is the pack you’re surrounded by. This is the pack you’re at the mercy of. So stay in line, or it will be you who they watch burn next.”
Kyungho then pulled away, well aware of the terror coursing through Hyunjin’s veins. Hyunjin attempted to keep a straight face and a blank demeanor, but even after years of learning how to mask, he couldn’t help the slight tremble in his hands. So he gripped the railing tighter.
The crowd cheered louder as the family of four were dragged toward the pyre, the parents muffling sobs and the children wailing. They couldn’t have been older than ten, and Hyunjin’s heart clenched with the desire to run out and stop this. To save them.
But doing so would only lead to five people burning, and even though Hyunjin would gladly welcome death; terror, a kind that seeped deep into your bones, quiet but immobilizing, kept him in place.
He couldn’t move as he watched them get tied to the pyre.
He couldn’t breathe as the pyre was lit.
And as blood curdling screams filled the clearing as the flames grew and found human skin, only a tear trickled down his cheek.
But as the fire burned brighter, hotter, and the smell of burning flesh hit him like a wave, he lurched forward as bile left his lips, his lack of a proper diet leaving him gagging painfully on nothing.
It was too much, and as Hyunjin’s legs gave out from how overwhelming his grief and horror was, no one attempted to catch him as he sank to his knees.
The screaming didn’t last for much longer, but to Hyunjin it felt endless. But eventually their bodies were burned away enough to kill them, leaving nothing but bones and singed flesh where an innocent family once stood.
And Hyunjin, with an emotion similar to but not quite deep rooted hate, looked up at Kyungho.
Took in his smile.
And he knew the man would wear the same expression watching him burn.
—-------------------------------------------------------
November 15th
Hyunjin had spent the last eight years uncomfortable. Wearing clothes that scratched his skin red, being forced to sleep on the ground, getting whipped for the smallest of mistakes. But nothing could have prepared him for how uncomfortable he felt straddling Kyungho’s lap.
Kyungho was known for throwing lavish feasts, inviting nearby packs that- despite their hate for him- would attend just to not make an enemy out of him. He would always drink himself stupid, and most nights that would lead to Hyunjin being violently beaten. But tonight, it seemed to only make the alpha touchy.
Hyunjin had found his spot on the floor beside Kyungho’s chair like he always did during meals, but when he was ordered to stand he did so without question. When he was told to straddle Kyungho, he did so without question.
Hesitation led to punishment, but as Hyunjin placed his weight over Kyungho’s lap, he found himself questioning if a punishment would be preferable to the intimate proximity. But Hyunjin had been raised to obey, so that was what he did.
He didn’t hesitate until Kyungho told him to move.
He was confused at first, not quite understanding the order until Kyungho grabbed his hips and forced him to grind down on his crotch. Hyunjin’s eyes widened with horror, but he allowed Kyunho to guide his hips into a steady rhythm. And as Kyungho let go, Hyunjin knew better than to stop.
The feeling of Kyungho’s growing erection against his ass made Hyunjin tempted to cry, but he swallowed down every emotion he felt and focused on keeping his motions steady. If this was the order, the punishment for disobeying would be even more humiliating than grinding on him in front of an audience.
The strong scent of arousal spiked in the air as onlookers watched the lithe alpha’s movements, the rolling of sculpted hips a tantalizing display for those not used to Hyunjin’s beauty. And as Kyungho watched him, felt the smaller male against him, a desire he hadn’t previously felt sparked within him.
Telling Hyunjin to grind on him had been a whim, but Kyungho knew even in his drunken state that now that he had a taste, he would only want more.
—------------------------------------------------------
December 30th
Hyunjin couldn’t help but cry out as the whip lashed down, his back searing in agony as the barbed end dug into his skin. It was the thirty eighth lash he had received, and he still had two more to go.
Hyunjin panted, arms straining against the chains that held them to either side as he prepared himself for the next hit.
He had made the mistake of flinching away from Kyungho in front of guests, the obvious sign that the alpha’s touch wasn’t wanted causing the alpha great embarrassment in front of his peers.
Forty lashes with the sharpest whip was his punishment, but even ten would have been enough to leave the malnourished alpha bed ridden. The barbed end tore deep into skin, leaving jagged and uneven wounds that would fester if not treated right. Hyunjin’s back was so torn up and bloody that there wasn’t an inch left of untouched skin, and despite how strong he wanted to be, he couldn’t help the sob that ripped from his throat at the pain.
But he made no move to escape save for the reflexive pulling on his chains, his body’s desire to curl up to protect itself hindered by his restraints. He didn’t fight, he didn’t plead. He just waited for his punishment to be over, counting every lash as he avoided the smug expression of his alpha watching from the corner.
Another hit landed and tore a scream from Hyunjin’s throat, the new wound opening up right over the old ones. The few that had started to scab were reopened, and Hyunjin’s body shook as sweat dripped from his brow.
And as the last hit tore open his back enough to make him dizzy, a sound escaped him that he was too out of it to process. But whatever it had been drew a sadistic smile to Kyungho’s lips.
Hyunjin was left there, kneeling on the floor with his arms spread, blood dripping down his back too quickly. And as Kyungho and the torturer left, Hyunjin was left alone to cry in the dark.
—-------------------------------------------------------
January 3rd
Hyunjin curled up by the small fireplace, his injured and poorly treated back protesting the strain. But the position made him feel more safe, as safe as he could feel, so he did it anyway. He watched the orange flame dance and flicker, his eyes looking almost vibrant because of it. The fire was a suitable replacement for whatever light had long ago dimmed in his eyes, and for a moment, he almost looked content.
But the illusion was shattered as a shiver wracked his form, the chill from outside being poorly fought by the fire he so desperately sought for warmth. A few days after his punishment Hyunjin began to get chills, his body not quite warm enough to be comfortable, but his back aflame. He was paler than usual, weaker, but he was invisible unless he was being sought out for entertainment, so his state went ignored.
Even by him.
The only person who seemed to care about Hyunjin to any degree was a young maid named Ashley. She was a foreigner, having left her home looking for adventure. What she instead found was a life of servitude to an alpha hated so deeply by other packs that his name was like a curse.
A curse that haunted both her and Hyunjin.
She was a compassionate little thing, heart full of something Hyunjin hadn’t felt in ages. It showed in the vibrancy of her red hair, in the warmth of her cheeks. The glimmer in her green eyes. She was like a warm cabin in the middle of a fierce storm, offering warmth and comfort to all who sought it.
Even to Hyunjin, who never reached out first.
And as she walked into Hyunjin’s room and saw him curled up on the floor, she smiled sadly before making her way over.
Hyunjin didn’t move as she crouched down next to him, his eyes remaining glued to the fire even as she gently stroked his cheek with the tips of her fingers. He flinched, but allowed her to do as she pleased. “Hyunjin, please let me look at your back. I know it’s worse than Kyunho gloated about.” Hyunjin made no move to acknowledge her, and she sighed sympathetically before sitting down beside him. “My offer still stands. If you want to run away, I’ll help. I’ll even go with you. I just . . . I can’t watch this happen to you anymore.”
The sound of the fire crackling softly was the only thing that kept the room from falling into silence, and Ashley, rather used to Hyunjin’s lack of responses, simply watched the fire with him. Well aware of two important things. Her presence was an anchor to him, and though he didn’t show it, he had heard her.
—----- To Be Continued —-----