There is Beauty in Darkness

Chapter 10: A Clean, Pure World. A Perfect World.

*Dracula's castle*

In the castle, Isaac kneels on the floor, constantly whipping his back. He'd been at this for so long that his skin on his back became raw and bloody, but he gave no reaction. He saw no point in reacting to such pain. Had he just grown accustomed to it? Had his body just grew numb to it? ...Was it because he hadn't once cried from his pain when his former, abusive master whipped him? Perhaps. But even if he didn't feel the pain, it didn't mean Isaac wasn't feeling something. He inflicts pain on himself in a masochistic way, as penitence for his "corrupted" human body and soul.

He can still remember the last time his former master had whipped him. The anger in his eyes. The disgusted cruelty in his voice. At the time, young Isaac could do nothing but wallow in pain as his master whipped his back.

"You thieving little shit!" He shouted as he whipped him again.

"I didn't steal anything. I'm trying to learn." Isaac told him as tears flowed down his cheeks. What he said was the truth. He was only trying to learn so that he may better understand his master and help him more efficiently. Why would his master believe he would steal from him? Isaac would never do such a thing.

"I found you dying on the street! I gave you a home and fed you, and all you were supposed to do was work quietly and watch my back, not go behind my back and fuck around with the tools of my trade! Sneaking down here, going through my books." His master said, harshly chastising the young boy.

"I'm sorry." Isaac cried. Pleading his master would stop.

"What did you think you were gonna learn?" His master asked.

"How-...how to help you." Isaac said.

"Oh." His master said, surprisingly in a more calmer and gentler tone as he looked down at the boy. "You actually wanted to learn so you could help me do my work? Why?" He asked him.

"Because... Please don't be angry with me anymore." Isaac said as he turned away, continuing to cry.

"Just tell me, Isaac. It's all right." His master said.

"Because I love you." Isaac said.

"Oh. Oh, bless your heart." His master said softly. "Even after everything in your life, you're still a sweet boy who believes in love."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to help." Isaac told him.

"Well, I love you too." His master said. Isaac gave a ghost of a smile and he let out a breath. Thank goodness...his master understood him. He understood that Isaac was only trying to help him. He was mistaken when he thought he stolen from him, but that's okay...! Isaac will forgive him. He'll do better from now on. He'll help his master in any way and he'll do it with the knowledge he'll gain from his books. At least, that what Isaac had believed. Before he felt the stinging pain of the whip on his back.

"That's why I do this. This is how I love you. This is how I teach you." His master proclaimed as he struck Isaac with every word. "You stop fucking around, you do as you're told, you never use the word "love" again." The constant whipping. The cruel abuse. The cold words. His master... Isaac's sanity had always been fragile...but the torment that this man had caused him had finally broken it. Isaac snapped.

Though his hands were bound, he caught the whip and wrest it away from him. He felt the uncontrolled, unruly anger and hatred towards the man he called master in his very soul and lunges at him. Tackling and pinning him to the ground. This time Isaac stared down in rage and his master looked up at him in fear. "No! Isaac!" He screamed as Isaac killed him by gouging out his eyes. Never again...will he ever trust another human being...