Caged Phoenix

The tears had dried by the time Zane next “visited”. This was more than fine with Aster. He would never willingly cry in front of him. Zane’s visit passed in a normal fashion, or as normal as normal could get with his perpetual tormentor. More whimpers and weak screams had passed from his lips when Zane had decided to amuse himself with some matches. Aster was now certain he would bear scars. Another bowl of poor gruel, and then the blank space of unconsciousness.
Three days. I’ve been here for three days…
Aster had undeniably suffered in the past three days, but his spirit still remained intact—much to Zane’s obvious dismay. Indeed, Aster had earned another punch when he had managed to kick Zane in the knee during a particularly brutal session. And, Zane could only get nastier.
I wish I’d never dueled with him. I wish I’d never met him. Winning isn’t worth this pain.
Creak…
The damned steel door. Aster was never sure if it meant more torment or a possible permanent relief from life itself.
He won’t kill me yet. He hasn’t yet broken me.
Zane’s heavy boots sounded on the concrete floor. His footsteps were unusually slow and halting today.
Now, what?
Oddly, Zane was taking his time approaching Aster. Usually, his footfalls were quick and light. The former Obelisk Blue literally ran to him for more “amusement”. Now, it was if the tormentor himself was dreading what was to come.
Prepare yourself, Aster…
Aster tugged on his chains until he was sitting with his back straight. He would not slouch in front of his torturer. Aster resolved that he would meet whatever horrors that lay ahead of him head-on. However, Zane still hadn’t moved a muscle. He seemed rather…baffled. All of a sudden, Zane darted towards him with alarming speed. Aster’s pride was once again forgotten as he crouched in his restraints to stave off the imminent agony. Less than two seconds later, Zane’s hand was on one of the two metal cuffs. Aster’s left.
Is he going to break my hand? Make it hurt even worse?
Clink.
His left arm dropped to his side. Nearly instantly, the other followed. Shock widened Aster’s eyes.
He’s unlocking the chains.
This did not bode well It definitely did not bode well when Zane hauled Aster to his feet and then endeavored to carry him out of the room.
What is this? A trick? More ruthless exploits of sadistic origins?
Maybe he’ll throw me overboard.
“Aster.” Zane’s voice was trembling. “You’ve suffered enough.”
Reflexively, he grabbed onto Zane’s shoulder for some sort of support as he pondered his tormentor’s next actions.
This is it. The end of my life.
He closed his eyes then. He didn’t wish to witness his own death. Unbidden, useless tears spilled from beneath his closed eyelids.
I never surrendered. My father would be proud.
Father, I will see you soon.
Doors were opening and closing. Zane was taking him somewhere across considerable distance—somewhere in all likelihood that would make his previous accommodations seem like a palace.
Aster could hold it in no longer. “Zane…”
“Be quiet,” he tormentor snapped.
One last door was thrown open before Zane set Aster rather gently down on the floor. Moments later, Zane was resolutely engaged in the process of peeling the torn, bloodied remains of Aster’s jacket from his abused chest. Soon, Zane had stripped him of all of his clothing. At this, Aster had to open his eyes even though he feared at what he might find right in front of him.
No more hiding.
Surprisingly, it was neither as degrading nor as horrible as he expected it to be. Presently, Aster was slumped over in a cool green tiled bathroom. Aster barely had enough time to catch his breath before Zane began leading him towards a bathtub.
He’s going to drown me?
But, this was not the case. This was not the case at all.
Aster easily broke through the surface of the temperate water. Strange how it wasn’t boiling hot or freezing cold.
“Sit,” Zane urged. “Let me…” His voice cracked.
“Zane?” Aster dared to swing his tentative gaze back at his tormentor only to discover tears blatantly shining on his face. Aster froze in shock.
Zane’s crying.
Indeed, Zane appeared defeated. Broken. As if he had been the one who had been mercilessly tortured.
“Zane!” Aster gasped. “What’s wrong?”
“You,” he replied quietly. Mechanically, the former Obelisk Blue sat down on the lip of the bathtub. “I tried to break you. I tried and tried again. At first, I took great pleasure in hearing your screams. Now, I realize that I was just trying to break myself.”
Zane then reached out for a cloth. He calmly shook it out of its clean folds, dipped it below the water’s edge, and brought the dripping thing back up to immediately start scrubbing away at Aster’s shoulder.
Aster jerked away. “No,” he said firmly. “Don’t do that. Not after--”
“I’m sorry, Aster.” Zane’s voice sounded genuinely mournful. “Please, allow me to clean the mess I personally created.”
“How can I trust you?” Justified anger was now beginning to reign supreme in Aster’s being. “In fact…”
Nude or not, Aster attempted to exit the bathtub, but soon crumpled in a heap. A raw slice of pain had ripped through his abdomen, and Zane’s hand was right there waiting to catch his arm. Unfortunately.
“You can trust me, Aster. It’s a shame you can’t feel how I feel right now,” he enigmatically commented.
“I could say the same,” Aster whispered.
When Zane resumed his scrubbing, Aster did not protest. He couldn’t—not in the shape his body was currently in. For a few seconds, Aster was totally aware he was naked in the same room with another man, but didn’t have the strength to grow embarrassed. The worst part of the bath that inevitably followed was when Zane proceeded to wash his heavily marked chest. Involuntarily, Aster hissed in discomfort.
“Take deep breaths,” Zane advised. “The soap will cleanse your wounds.”
Resigning himself, Aster let Zane do what he would. Still wary, he tensed when Zane tipped his head backwards into the rapidly cooling water.
“I’m just going to wash your hair,” Zane rasped.
Within minutes, Aster’s hair had been lathered and rinsed—with his former tormentor’s own shampoo no less. Suddenly, the teal-haired youth spoke.
“You didn’t break, Aster. No matter what I did to you, you just kept bouncing back. You’re stronger than I was, Phoenix. I broke far too easily.”
Aster let the compliment pass. He was too tired and confused from the whole ordeal, not to mention this recent turn of events, to respond.
“Here. Take this.” Zane’s voice had cut through the haze that was starting to fog Aster’s senses. “Dry yourself, and I’ll be waiting.”
Aster managed to grab the towel before his former captor left the room.