There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 357 - 349. Touch of Memory (2)

Chapter 357: Chapter 349. Touch of Memory (2)

The basement floor where the captured espers were detained was different from the detaining room in the Trinity compound.

There was no nice dorm room with adequate amenities. Here, it was a proper iron-barred room with a single bed and a desk. The light was bright enough for the guards to see them clearly, and the only privacy they had was a small bathroom in each cell.

Unlike a real prison, however, the bed was fluffy enough to be comfortable, and they were given adequate meals as well as entertainment such as books and board games. The captives were provided a change of clothes regularly, with a bonus of ability-sealing bracelets and mobility-restricting anklets.

All in all, except that they couldn’t access the outside world, they didn’t exactly live miserably. At least, they were meek now after a few weeks.

At first, they were screaming and banging, throwing things and rejecting meals, shouting at the guards in a threatening manner. But soon, they realized that the guards didn’t care; they weren’t there to take care of the captives, but to make sure they weren’t dead. There was an interrogation at first, but when it stopped, the captives started to be filled with dread.

Because they knew they were only useful when they were being questioned. On the other hand, they knew that they would be dead if they survived because they tattled. With the lack of communication from their captors, these espers slowly descended into depression of uncertain fate.

When the guards opened the door and Bassena and Zein walked into the hall, it was quiet. The captives were either lying on their bed or reading a book. But they immediately glanced up when they heard footsteps; it was past breakfast time, but not yet lunch. No one usually came for them during this lull time, except the interrogator at the start of their captivity.

Ironically, they were happier about the prospect of being interrogated than just staying there waiting with uncertainty. But the moment they saw the guide who shredded them, and the esper who abled to do so much more, they shrunk back to whatever they were doing; books, boardgame, imaginary friends--they were busy, they couldn’t see.

Thankfully for them, the merciless pair walked past the cells. Their nonchalant gait, for some reason, felt more sinister than if they came with blazing anger. Fortunately for them, the one this couple looking for was the esper who wasn’t from Celestia.

Like the others, Juna Vaski was spending his time reading a book. His cell was the furthest one, so he didn’t realize the atmosphere had shifted until the visitor stood in front of his cell. With wide eyes, he watched as the cell door was opened by the guard and Bassena Vaski entered the room.

Juna narrowed his eyes, body tensed from curiosity and dread when the door closed again, locking him inside the cell with the most dangerous esper in Eastern Federation. He glanced at the guide who stayed outside, leaning against the iron bar with crossed arms--but Bassena’s voice pulled his focus back.

"Isn’t it nice here?" Bassena swept his gaze around while swiveling the chair and took a seat there. The amber eyes stared at the tray of food in the corner, lips curled into a deep smirk. "Your food came on time, all nutritious and fresh. You are given some books to pass the time, even," the gaze flicked toward Juna and the book in his hands. "No one told you when to wake up and when to sleep..."

"Nice, my ass," Juna scowled, slamming the book he read to the mattress. "Who the fuck would think a prison is ni—"

"No one dragged you at the break of dawn to a dark chamber for reflection and meditation," Bassena continued, cutting the other esper entirely as if he didn’t give a damn whether Juna agreed or not. He leaned back on the chair and looked up as if reminiscing nostalgic memory, despite the horrifying things he spewed. "No one chained you to a plank and beat your body to train your resistance, no one locked you in the basement with miasmic beasts, and told you to fight against five people while being injured..."

Juna’s scowl was now accompanied by clenched jaw and gritted teeth--not because he was offended by Bassena’s words, but because everything was...true.

"No one sits you down to face your biggest nightmare and tells you they will kill you if you are as much saying no," the saint-class esper chuckled and trained his gaze back to Juna, who was now gripping the edge of the bed.

As he thought--if this man was a Vaski, he must have experienced all of this too; the cursed training method of the Golden Viper and the House of Horin. Especially during the training method, there would be no commlink, no entertainment, and no rest. Even when they were asleep. It did not change much even after they became a full-fledged esper.

Especially when you came from a fallen group looking for refuge in the sponsoring clan. You were basically the dog of the parent clan’s dog, even if you had a higher rank than them.

"Haven’t you had a good sleep every night behind this bar?" Bassena smiled, the charming smile that made the citizens fall in love, and absolutely abhorred by his enemies--and Zein, for that matter. "You know this place is secure enough that no one would try to kill you in your sleep."

The corner of Juna’s eye twitched. He wanted to, but he couldn’t refute that. He was vigilant about being dragged during the night and executed on a random night at first. But after a few days, he realized that his tension was useless, and it unraveled bit by bit.

As if reading his thoughts, Bassena repeated his initial statement. "It’s nice, isn’t it?"

Yes, it wasn’t a question. Bassena knew firsthand how harsh the life of a hunting dog was. They could only experience a nice, authoritative position when they were older--if they could stay alive until then, that is.

But of course, Juna would rather die than admit his captivity was better than the life of a hunting dog from a fallen family. "What are you trying to do?" he snarled, standing up defensively even though he knew he was nothing without his space ability. "You want to entice me? You want to make me change sides?"

"Change sides, pfft--" Bassena’s laughter reverberated around the cell, before it abruptly stopped as the esper tilted his head. "Hey..." the amber eyes squinted in mocked confusion. "Why do you like living like a dog so much? Is it in your genes? Is it in your brain? Why do you blindly follow what the Golden Viper and the Horins said?"

Dog. Dog--Juna was sick of being called that in that mansion, and he surely didn’t want someone who massacred his--their--clan kept calling him that. "What would a traitor know?!"

"Traitor, huh?" Bassena laughed lightheartedly as if the word itself was funny for him. "But I can only be a traitor if I’m originally on your side, which I had never," he said, standing up and walking toward Juna, who stiffened in reflex. The casual tone dropped, and the amber eyes dimmed. "How could I, when they killed my mother for a shitty reason?"

Juna parted his lips slightly, but nothing came out of his mouth. When Bassena destroyed the Golden Viper and annihilated the Vaskis, he was already in the House of Horin for training. He wasn’t in the direct line of the family, so he didn’t know Bassena that well, except for the man’s reputation. And this was the first time he found out the reason for his clan’s destruction.

And looking at the cold fury inside the amber eyes, he could tell that even now, the grudge was still there, despite the target was no longer available.

Except...

There was a Vaski here in front of him right now.

"Hey, will you die if they tell you to?" Bassena put his hand on Juna’s hand, and the man felt cold shivers traveling his spine. "I asked the young ones if they wanted to denounce the Vaski name and turn over a new leaf, but..." Bassena shrugged, "they said no, as if they couldn’t let go of that life of harming, abusing, and killing others for their amusement."

The hand on that head was pressing harder, and Juna couldn’t help but grit his teeth. "Hey," Bassena called again, with a voice that was getting lower and lower. "Are you like that too?"

Juna bit his lips hard, because his mouth wanted to shout he wasn’t, that everything was negotiable. But the doctrine in his heart and brain kept him from opening his mouth under any pressure.

"I wondered why," Bassena laughed lowly and shook his head. "Were all the abuses damaged your brains? It’s so fascinating seeing how much fun you have in torturing people."

He released Juna’s head, and the man sucked on air sharply, shifting backward, and jumped on his mattress until his back was against the wall in a defensive stance. Bassena raised his brow and smiled deeply.

"But...I’m also a Vaski, ain’t I?" he raised his hands, clenching and unclenching them as the amber eyes gleamed under the suddenly dimming light. "Torturing for fun...should be in my blood too, don’t you think?"

Juna flicked his gaze upward, realizing that it was only his cell that was darkening, as the light above got covered by tendrils of darkness.

"Don’t worry," Bassena smiled charmingly. "I’m just going to do...what they used to do to me," he stepped forward, eyes and lips curling in genuine delight. "If I survived that...you should too, right?"

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