The dimly lit dungeon was filled with the scent of blood. Before me was a man covered in cuts and bruises, begging me to spare his life.
Huh...? Wait, where am I? And who’s this guy?
No—I knew who he was. This utter imbecile was a citizen of my duchy, and yet he’d fallen into arrears with his taxes. What a fool he’d been to commit such a grave transgression against the laws of our land.
So you have an ailing mother—what of it? Here in my domain, those who are unable to work are unfit to live. You failed to dispose of that useless woman yourself, and thus, you shall pay the price in her stead. Perfectly simple, is it not? Oh, but don’t worry. I shall make certain to absolve you of your sins while you yet live. I’ll flay away your flesh and shatter your bones to ensure you’ve received your proper penance before I send you off to the hereafter...
As I spoke, a small, strained noise of despair leaked from the man’s throat. He lacked even the strength to scream. As I laughed at his comically pathetic figure, I raised my whip...
What the hell’s going on?! This is sickening. Why am I whipping a man who’s curled up on the floor? Hey, you’re hurting him! Stop, dammit!
But my scream echoed uselessly in the confines of my mind. I was powerless to stop my raised arm. Through the whip, I could clearly feel the sensation of a living person breaking under my hand. Just as nausea started to overtake me—
—the scenery suddenly shifted.
Now I was in a gaudy room with a luxurious crimson rug, surrounded by expensive-looking furniture... I was in my bedroom.
“Please, Your Grace,” a woman sobbed as she clung to me. I grabbed her by the hair to pull her off me and threw her to the floor. As she cowered in fear, I smiled sweetly at her and leaned down to whisper.
What’s the matter? Go on. Scream for help, you pitiful wench. That is the final act of resistance I’ll permit you. No one will come to your aid, of course. Oh, how wretched you are. If only your husband hadn’t been so foolish as to harbor a criminal, then you and he would be spending another peaceful afternoon together even as we speak. Or if you’d at least had the good sense to report him once you learned of it, then you might have fared better. Your family were wiser than you in that regard—weren’t they?
The woman shook and trembled, tears flowing ceaselessly from her eyes as she begged for my forgiveness. “Please have mercy, Your Grace”—those faint words spilled from her lips over and over.
Mercy? But of course. I always treat women with kindness and care. Your crimes may be severe, but in essence, you merely silenced yourself for the sake of your beloved—nothing more. Your punishment shan’t be any the lesser for it, but in my compassion, I have prepared a gift to comfort you. It’s in that wooden chest over there. Go on, open it... I said open it, wench.
Powerless to refuse, she crawled toward the chest, even as sobs wracked her body. She was weak with fear, and her movements were sluggish, but I simply watched rather than urging her to make haste. The large, sturdy chest was of solid construction, and it carried a sense of weight that drew the eye. Although it took her some time, the woman finally arrived at the chest. Her hands were damp with a cold, clammy sweat as she raised them to the lid. It opened with a creak to reveal...
In an instant, a high, ear-piercing shriek rang out, and I roared with laughter over it.
What’s wrong? Why do you wail? Merciful as I am, I was most careful to preserve his head clean and unblemished for you! Are you not delighted?!
The woman, still in a state of shock, gave no response, but I was filled with ecstatic joy. As she screamed and struggled, I kicked her over, tore away her clothes, and...
No, stop it! I don’t want to do this! Why?! Why am I...?
As I looked on in confused horror, the scene changed again. And when that new one finished, I moved on to another—a dark alley, a sketchy-looking shop, a town square, a luxurious manor...
“No!”
“Help me!”
“Thank you for your patronage.”
“You demon...”
“Monster!”
“Stop it!”
“You truly are the Venom of—”
“Someone, anyone, please...”
Occasionally, I’d find myself in shady conversations with nasty-looking people, but almost everything else was one gut-wrenching atrocity after another. Old and young, women and men, victim after victim groaned and writhed in pain. And there, at the center of it all, doling out torment while grinning ear to ear—there “I” was.
The endless procession of repulsive scenes went on and on while I helplessly watched. Just when I felt like I was genuinely about to lose my mind, my surroundings shifted once more. I was in a dungeon again, much like the one I’d seen at the start. In front of me were two figures: a corpse hunched over on the floor, and a man standing in a daze as he gripped a bloodstained sword. For a long while, they remained in that fixed tableau, but eventually, the man slowly turned to look at me.
“Hein...reid...!”
“AAAAAAUUUGGGHHHH!!! Ngh—!”
I jolted awake and sat up with a start. A sharp twinge of pain immediately shot through my head—I clutched at my temples.
Owww... Feels like someone’s punching my head from the inside... Ugh, I’m all sweaty and clammy too. Well, of course I would be after an awful dream like that. It felt like I was in hell. What a...nightmare?
Hang on. Why am I awake? That could’ve been hell, but if I’m awake, then it must’ve been a dream after all... Wait, did I screw up the suicide? No, there’s no way I could’ve survived a fall from that height at that speed! Where even am I, anyway...?
I suddenly realized the strangeness of my situation. If I’d somehow survived, then I should’ve been either at the bottom of the cliff or in a hospital. I was clearly indoors, but this didn’t look like any hospital room I’d ever seen. The furniture was covered in gaudy gold trim, I could see a couple of expensive-looking vases, the sheets I was lying under were pure black, and the bed even had a canopy.
Is this some sort of VIP room? Hang on, there’s gotta be some mistake! I can’t afford a hospital bill, especially for a room like this!
I searched around, but I couldn’t find anything resembling a nurse call button. I’d just have to go find someone myself. Clutching my aching head, I got out of the bed.
There’s gotta be someone out in the hall... What’s the deal with this room, though? The carpet’s so soft—this feels more like a hotel than a hospital. Rich people are something else. Ugh, even this mirror is all glitzy! Are these real...gemstones...?
As I caught sight of the mirror, I froze. The reflection staring back at me looked nothing at all like my memories of my own face.
Gentle waves of thick black hair contrasted against pale white skin like a polished porcelain doll. Framed by those features were a pair of crimson eyes that I could only describe as venomous. The man in the mirror was filled with a monstrous beauty that even the extravagant furnishings could never hope to outshine. I stared at him, and he stared dazedly back at me.
“Wha—? Huh?”
I stood still as I tried to process what was happening.
What’s up with this thing? I can see the reflection of the room I’m in, so I assumed it was a mirror, but maybe it’s not? Is it a one-way mirror or something...? Wait, no, that’s not how those work. But then, what the heck is this?
Just as my confusion reached its peak, I suddenly heard heavy footsteps approaching from outside the room, and the door slammed open.
“Are you all right, Your Grace?!”
“Huh?”