Devils of Paradis

Prologue

Open your eyes, YN.

Time stretched endlessly as your mind waged an internal war. A ceaseless chorus of voices seemed to occupy your thoughts, a relentless nagging that had buried itself within your consciousness. Their demands were constant, refusing to fade. "Open your eyes," their urgent chant intensified with every heartbeat. "Move your body," their demands reverberated through the corridors of your mind, an echo that refused to diminish.

But you couldn't.

The mere idea of opening your eyes or even shifting a tiny muscle made you want to cry. Pain was your constant companion, a sensation that clung to you, despite hours spent lying on the ground.

A pungent scent, thick with the unmistakable tang of iron, hung in the air, insinuating itself into every breath you took. The source of this metallic scent was painfully evident—a dark stain that painted your face, a somber mosaic formed by the blood that now covered it.

Lying on the sand, you could sense each tiny grain making its way into your clothes, like unwelcome visitors. The determined grains explored every inch of your exposed skin with precise detail.

The desert sun, unbending in its power, drenched you in harsh brightness. Its intense rays felt like probing fingers, burning any exposed skin they touched.

Why would they bring you here of all places?

You could have sworn he said the trip would be short, that the three of you would be back in time for dinner. Three hours after departure from the clubhouse you had found yourselves in the desert - no civilization for at least 50 miles from where you laid.

Their phones had rang at a pit stop just outside of Stohess, telling them plans had changed. Your new drop off point was Shiganshina, a city on the southern border of Paradis. You were puzzled that he didn't contact you directly with the change of plans, but you had trusted the men you were with.

That was mistake number two of the day.

Your first mistake had been telling him that you loved him.

Such an idiot, YN.

He hadn't said it back, and you were naively fine with that. You stood there with that idiotic smile spread across your face as his lips pecked yours, taking the small victory of his affection. It wasn't something he showed often, and him doing it in front of the two men felt like he was solidifying it.

The other men had made no comment about it as you got on your bike. One of them only nodded his head at him as all three of the bikes roared to life.

You couldn't wipe that stupid smile off your face if you had tried. Feelings were finally being reciprocated. Progress was being made.

He was at the forefront of your mind for the entire ride, even while one of the men claimed their bike was having issues. You quickly pulled off of the highway to help him, a small side street that connected making the perfect area for you to work.

Both men watched intently as you surveyed the engine, the crease in your forehead growing as you continued to look for the cause of the issues. It wasn't until the taller one's boot met your shoulder that you had realized it was a lie, a ruse to get you off of your bike.

Your body shakes at the memory of the first impact, how it took you off guard. A tear runs down your bloodied face as you try to push down the sob that begs to escape your throat.

They left you here.

As every punch connected with your body, your screams became quieter. You tried to fight back in the beginning, but they overpowered you too easily. One of them had years of strength and rage clearly built up, and he was using every bit of it to his advantage.