Haze [AOT Female Reader Insert]

Chapter 3: Devil's Daughter

They kept you for three days.

Two days inside the cellar of someone's house, where you could hear the mice run along the tunnels they made in the underground walls and the moan of wood as they walked around upstairs. The third day was presently now.

They gave you food and water, but that was after you stayed silent on the second day after they beat you for screaming. Ded begged them to stop as you wailed for someone's help—choking on bile and tears by the half of it until your throat clenched too tight for you to scream anymore. Or that could be because they had strangled you to keep quiet. You couldn't quite remember.

They did not explain anything during the first two days. They, being a group of about four men and a woman, came down to the cellar. Two of them you had recognized as your kidnappers, and the other two men were unfamiliar faces. The woman wasn't so familiar; she was just faceless until she came down. You heard her talking and muttering upstairs with the ringleader, presumably her husband.

"It's been three damn long days," Ded's kidnapper cursed as the cellar doors closed. The woman made the flame on her lantern brighter to compensate for the lack of light exposure. "Tch, that would mean Claude hasn't shown his face for nearly a month now."

Your kidnapper swore, giving you brief leers here and there as they conversed among themselves. "Damn traitor. Just like that filthy rat before him."

"Truly rats if they breed just like 'em," one of the men said as they all looked over where you were tied up. You didn't look up from staring at the ground, only able to see them out of the paper-thin curtain of your disheveled hair.

"She looks just like the goddamn bastard."

These men were talking about your father, no doubt.

"The same goes for the other brat. Spitting image of his father."

You could hear the scuff of their shoes get closer until they stopped before you, and then a large hand grabbed hold of your chin to raise it forcefully.

The ringleader crunched his face, disgusted by what he saw.

"Thought we'd get use of you as a bargaining chip, but apparently not. We might still be able to lure Claude back with his son."

You didn't need to look to know that Ded was quickly falling into despair by mentions of his late father. Whatever he had done, your father was involved in as well. Your lives were intertwined even deeper than you had thought.

"Claude is...probably dead."

There was barely any volume to what you had rasped. Had you not strangled your vocal cords two days ago, you would have said it more clearly for him to hear the first time.

"What?" he gripped your chin tighter and reached out to also grab hold of your tear-stained, dirtied shirt collar. It didn't bring you closer to him as he intended, forgetting he and the others tied you to a chair with thick hemp rope. "What did you say...?"

You swallowed, wary of their harsh stares, "He has...consumption....tuberculosis..."

The man looked bewildered, "You...cannot be serious...?"

He lifted you by the collar and lifted the seat you were in. The threads of your shirt digging into your skin hurt, but that was the least pain you'd been in a while.

"Cut the crap! You can't expect us to believe that! First Mayne, and now Claude? Will he ditch our cause and leave us for Public Security?"

You couldn't answer, causing the man to strike you across the face.