The Puppeteer Part 3

The Night He Ran Again

Zylen saw the rusted bars of the small dog cage — the same one he was always locked in.
His left hand twitched, reaching out, and for a brief second he forgot — he couldn't use that hand. The useful one. The one that used to do everything.
Now only his right remained, mutilated, left with nothing but a thumb and a finger to cling to.

He grasped the cold iron bar. Pain shot through his body, every muscle seizing as the cramped space pressed against him. The cold bit deep, forcing him to pull back, arms wrapping around himself as if he could hold in what little warmth was left.

Hunger gnawed at him — deep, slow, endless.

Then — a sound.
The creak of a door.
He opened his eyes, wincing as light poured through the cracks.
A figure stepped in, casting a long shadow across the floor.

"Yer awake?" the voice drawled. "Toilet could use some cleaning"

Zylen's eyes fell to the floor of the cage. It was the same every day — work until he collapsed, starve, clean, serve, repeat. If William felt generous, he would spare him some leftover or dog food.. there might be scraps, but that kindness had died long ago,  William feed him nothing for a long time now Now. Zylen lived by scavenging trashes to eat in secret, if he find some bugs he will be lucky to eat it.. if there's none.. he would eat the skin or small flesh on his arms.. some nights he would whisper thanks for a forgotten crumb.

He didn't answer when William called. His mind drifted somewhere quiet, a place without voices. That silence, as always, was mistaken for defiance.

William open the door and when Zylen slowly try to crept outside slowly taking turns to move his limbs as the door cage space was really small, William decided to kick him back in many times, forcing Zylen to immediately pull his limbs inside but William was impatient, he kick it again and again until the poor boy gasp in pain when his legs was stuck by the bar. William forcefully kick his leg, he wish he could beg for him to wait because Zylen is doing his best to get inside, but he cant speak when he was gasping with each kick. When his legs was inside, his master kick the cage many times, as Zylen cried and beg for him to stop, he scared him too much, shredding his sanity by overwhelming fear.

William was swearing but Zylen heard nothing but his own whimpers and hiccups and his own breathing, he cant make out words of what William is yelling about, he kick the cage until it fall over, Zylen didn't know where to hold to stable himself and before he could figure it out William lifted the cage and throw it to the wall, leaving it crashing with Zylen inside adding more force into his already overwhelmed state of with fear and pain. William repeats it again and again. 

Noise broke through — metal, breath, movement. The world tipped, and pain followed. He tried to fold himself smaller, but the cage had no room left. Light fractured, sound blurred, and all he could hear was his own ragged breathing.

Then — stillness.

When he opened his eyes again, he was lying on the cold floor, a chain pressing at his neck, wrists bound behind him. The room was dark. The air smelled of rust and damp concrete.

Zylen lay still for a long moment, trying to make sense of where he was. He'd woken from a nightmare—but something was wrong.
Wasn't he outside?
Hadn't he escaped?
Where was his child?

The questions tangled faster than his mind could follow. Then he saw movement—William's shadow crossing the floor toward him.

Zylen's body locked up before his thoughts could catch up. He pulled against the chain until his wrists burned, panic rising sharp and breathless.
He had to run. He had to protect the baby.