Chapter 21: Night At The Dungeon (III)

*Horribly Unedited*

For a moment, Rook seemed to have given in to the King's torture, however, when it seemed like he was ready to spill the truth, a dark painful chuckle suddenly left his throat.

"You think I'll just hand over my people to you on a silver platter just to pick apart? Not a chance," Rook's voice was low and cold. "I'd rather be tortured and killed than betray my brothers in arms. Even if I die, they will be here to overthrow you and corrupt your rule. Nothing will stop us."

However, rather than getting enraged, Maximilian's cruel eyes glinted with a strange amusement. "I was hoping you would say that. As they say, it is an honor to die for your people."

Just when Rook prepared for the king to do something worse, Maximilian calmly pulled the knife out of his neck. He slid the blade across Rook's cheek, drawing a line of blood.

"Tell me…..how does it feel being caught and brought to such a welcoming and comfortable abode?" Questioned the King.

"What do you plan to gain by taunting me, King of Darkshire?" Rook sneered.

Maximilian raised a single eyebrow and responded, "Well, I was just trying to be hospitable. You wouldn't want me to be rude, not asking about your little stay in my pleasant abode, would you?" He walked around Rook, his sharp eyes piercing through the shadows.

Rook remained silent, his gaze fixed on the king. It seemed like the king's taunts were a way to prolong his suffering, and crack his resolve.

On the other hand, Maximilian knew rebels like him had a lot of spirit, but even the most determined people had their limits.

"You know," Maximilian drawled, his voice barely more than a whisper, "it must be quite disheartening to know that all your efforts, all your brave plans, will come to nothing. That all your so-called brothers in arms will die or be imprisoned, just like you."

Rook's eyes narrowed. "And what makes you so sure that we'll fail?" He said, a note of defiance in his voice. "Your pride may be your undoing, King Maximilian. Your kingdom will certainly fall like other great kingdoms have fallen."

Pride? Thought Maximilian. He was pride and pride was him.

The rebel leader took a deep breath, steadying himself against the pain in his neck. "And when the ashes of your empire settle, the people will rise up and tell your story for you. They'll remember you not as a king, but as a tyrant, and me and my people, we will be the heroes."

"Quite an interesting fantasy." Maximilian snorted, barely moved by his words.

In the next second, he glanced at Alexander and something which Rook would never have expected instantly occurred.

In a moment, Alexander blew off the torch he was holding, turning the room entirely dark. Seeing this, Rook's eyes widened at the King's unpredictable action.

He then felt the familiar black gloved hand curl around his nape and a voice with malicious intent whispered, "Have you ever been touched in the dark before?"

A certain dread which he hadn't felt in a long time suddenly overpowered him, more than the lessened pain he felt.

As Rook's breathing quickened, he realized he'd underestimated the lengths to which Maximilian would go to break him. The touch of the hand on his nape sent a chill down his spine, and he strained to see in the darkness, his senses heightened by fear.

"Tell me, dear Rook, what are you most afraid of?" Maximilian asked, his voice a low hiss. "Is it pain? Is it death? Or is it something far more interesting?"

Rook's heart raced as he contemplated his response to Maximilian's question. He knew that every word he uttered would be weighed, every reaction scrutinized. The fear of the unknown gnawed at him, and yet he refused to let the king see his weakness.

"I'm not afraid of death, Maximilian. I'm afraid of a world where people like you are allowed to reign with impunity." His voice was strong and steady despite his inner turmoil.

The king chuckled darkly, the sound echoing in the darkness. "Did your courage suddenly fade away with the light?"

Maximilian could already sense the man's fear despite how he tried hiding it. This was the technique he used in torturing rebels and he was going to use it on him today.

He snapped his fingers, and Alexander swiftly pulled out a certain heavy device out of a box, handing it over to Maximilian.

Maximilian's words seemed to echo in Rook's mind, taunting him. He tried to focus on his breathing, trying to still his racing heart, but the darkness only seemed to magnify the tension. Suddenly, he felt something cold against his skin, like metal.

"What...what is that?" Rook asked, fighting to keep his voice from shaking.

"Oh, this?" Maximilian chuckled, "Just a little something I think you'll find very…beautiful"

In the darkness, the sound of a device mechanically powering on cut through the silence.

The buzzing sound of the unknown device grew louder, sending a shiver down Rook's spine. He tensed, expecting the worst, but Maximilian seemed in no hurry.

"Now, Rook," the king's voice was soft and dangerous, "let's see if we can loosen that tongue of yours. I'm sure you've got some interesting stories to share."

Rook clenched his jaw, fighting to maintain his composure. "You'll never break me," he growled.

Maximilian's click of tongue was like the crack of a whip in the darkness. "Oh, how adorable. You really think you can withstand whatever I throw at you?"

The sound of the device intensified, and Rook felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. In the next moment, a rotating sharp blade cut through his skin, making a searing pain erupt on his skin. He couldn't suppress a scream, his body convulsing against the restraints.

"Ah, there it is," Maximilian remarked, almost sounding amused. "Now, let's start with some simple questions, shall we?

As Rook's screams subsided into ragged gasps, Maximilian's voice echoed in the darkness, his tone cold and precise.

"Where are your rebel allies hiding? How many are there?"

Rook remained silent, biting back the pain.

"Let's try again." Maximilian's voice turned icy. "If you don't answer, I'll keep going until there's nothing left of you. I've got all day."

The rebel swallowed, struggling to stay focused through the agony.

He had realized the king's plan. The King's plan was to cut him bit by bit, until there was nothing left of him…..if he failed to reveal the truth.

"This damned King," he cursed the king of Darkshire. He had been trained to resist pain, but this was something he hadn't expected.

The King of Darkshire was not a tyrant for no reason. He knew had to break even the most unbreakable person. Rook's restraints had completely broken and he had no option but to talk….. hoping he would receive a swift death, however, the king had a surprise in store.

"I'll speak," he finally groaned, unable to believe he was betraying his men.

Maximilian pulled away the device from him, "Good boy."

"There are three hundred and five of us currently," he helplessly gritted his teeth, under the watchful gaze of the king,

"Where are they? Your brotherhood of rebels, and what did you intend on doing, lurking around the castle?"

"We reside at the east of the borders. We were planning to launch an attack on the kingdom's treasury tomorrow night." He revealed.

"To make the kingdom poor and the villagers starve to death," Maximilian clicked his tongue distastefully. Yet they called him the 'monster'.

"Is that all?" Maximilian inquired to make Rook hesitantly respond with a pained voice, "Yes!!"

He smiled calmly at the rebel, "Thank you for your cooperation." However, what Rook never expected was the king to pick up the device again, and this time, Alexander turned on the torch.

"W-what are you doing?" He asked breathlessly with widened eyes.

Maximilian feigned obliviousness, "Trying to make you watch yourself while I cut you to chunks?" He responded, to make Rook's eyes widen more in realization.

"W-wait, w-wait. You promised to stop this if I told you everything." He yelled loudly, watching the device that rotated with a sharp blade.

"Did I?" Maximilian's head tilted, "I'm quite sure I never said that, unless you somehow misinterpreted it to suit your fantasy."

"No!!" Rook screamed, and that was his last word, before the king plunged the device into his body again.

With blood curdling screams and pleas, despite spilling out the details, Rook watched his body being cut off bit by bit in chunks while he pleaded for the mercy that never came.

Alexander patiently watched at the side, waiting for everything to come to an end.

After a few hours passed, all that was left was a skeleton and heaps of flesh on the ground. Maximilian seemed to have given in to his legion of demons that possessed him.

Blood covered Maximilian's entire body and also the floor. After he was done with the device, he threw it harshly to the floor, gazing at the pieces of body on the floor like it was nothing. He had finally calmed his raging want for blood that itched him.

The gore sight and the smell of blood was something that would have terrified everyone else, apart from Alexander who was used to the king's brutal method.

Maximilian then glanced at Alexander, "Organize the men to go after those rebels on the east of the borders. Hunt them down and kill as many as you can, but be sure to bring some of them alive back for interrogation."

And by interrogation, Alexander knew he meant brutal torture, which would even be worse than this.

"Also….." The king turned heartlessly to the pieces of a formless body, "Tell the servants to get rid of these."

Alexander nodded without asking questions, sensing the crazy shift in the king's demeanor. His eyes watched the king approach the door of the room, opening and stepping out, before shutting it close with a loud bang.