When You Become A Target Of The Martial God Heavenly Emperor [Tian Guan Ci Fu]

Chapter 20

A.N. Warning: Slight mention of SA. Proceed with caution.

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Carter couldn't see anything, but he could still feel the numbing caresses against his skin.

Something stroked his hair, pulling it back by his ear, and the touch lowered to his cheek, gently cupping it. A palm, Carter realises. A hand stroked his features, lightly grazing them with blunt nails. He couldn't move- there was a distant voice cooing at him, comforting him in a near-pitying, mocking manner. He's heard that voice numerous times, he's sure. In his dreams, he would often hear the slightest sliver of that voice echoing within the depths of his mind. His body felt cold and drenched, and practically paralysed. The hand- the hands were grabbing at him, pulling and- he felt even colder, more bared.

There was a sense of dread piling up in the pit of his stomach, and thoughts started to swarm in his head. Thoughts so chilling that he would have felt his blood run cold if he was fully conscious. He couldn't help but remember Su Xiaochen, and the stories she's told him from when she worked at the brothel. The horrors and crimes committed, yet nonchalantly discarded when spoken aloud. How she'd barely managed to survive without such occurrences happening to her.

Carter hears, in the distance, a soft pattering of droplets, echoing in rhythm. Unconsciously or not, he could feel his heart following the rhythm, the beat going louder and louder until his lungs felt like collapsing inside of his chest.

When he notices the uncomfortable warmth, just below his stomach, he jolts awake with a shaky gasp.

He immediately caresses his abdomen and feels a strange, sticky wetness.

It was dark, and he didn't know where he was, but for a moment, he was glad he couldn't see. He didn't want to look at himself, to confirm his thoughts. It was a futile effort, really. He couldn't just ignore the lingering, distant touches brushing against his skin- and the murmuring voice that came with it; coaxing and comforting him with masked cruelty. How he felt as if the temperature had suddenly dropped, just sheer cold against his body as he lay against something.. warm and oddly soft.

He couldn't tell if it was just a dream or if he had been too lethargic to the point he could only remember bits and pieces. His head throbbed painfully when he tried to recall more, and, as dreams often functioned, the parts that mattered most were already overridden, leaving mere blurred mirages. Yet, his body still reacted with a tedious kind of familiarity, as if he had already experienced something like this before.

He choked at the thought, a cough escaping him before he tried silencing himself, biting his lower lip harshly.

He doesn't notice the footsteps approaching him until a boot nudges at his head.

"What's wrong, little one?" A soft voice calls out, and suddenly, there's a hand on his hair, gently combing through the knots. The touch is similar to the one in his nightmare, and he starts to inch away, though it barely does anything. "Do you miss them that much already? You poor thing." The newcomer crouches to his level, humming a hushed melody, and Carter wants them off. He wants to push them away- to crawl farther to escape their grasp on him.

Instead, the person gets closer, their humming a tone lower as they lean down to his ear. "Just rest. There's really no use in resisting." And the hand returns to play with pieces of his hair, just for amusement. Their soft humming returns to a normal volume, reverberating around the area before hushing into shallow echoes. Carter hears the same pattering of droplets, and he has enough sense to subtly scan his surroundings, feebly coming to the realisation that he is inside some sort of cave. He could see the outline of rock columns and icicle-shaped stone forms, and when he shifted, he could feel the jagged ground against his cheek.