Warning, some pretty strong emotional manipulation in the beginning of this one. I mean, you're reading a yandere book. Emotional manipulation? No way! But seriously, don't interpret anything my guys say to you as something that is allowed to be said to you because if I take a step back and reread this from a sane perspective then I feel very disgusted by how rude all my dudes are ;;

"It's humiliating, isn't it?"

"..."

"You shouldn't have behaved the way you did. If you'd just done as I said, none of this would've happened."

"..."

"I'm starting to think you're pushing us to this extreme because you enjoy it."

[Y/n] stared at herself in the mirror, listening to Seishin's words emptily. She looked a wreck. Her previously beautiful features were faded and replaced by a battered, bleeding stack of existence that didn't even seem properly alive. She'd been stripped of her clothing - her pride slipped through her hands like sand. Seishin passed a wet cloth over her bare shoulder, wiping away some of the blood.

"Stop looking so miserable," Seishin growled, "I didn't even do anything that bad." [Y/n] didn't have the energy to respond. "I didn't take your tongue. Talk to me."

"I hope you die."

"You don't mean that," Seishin shrugged her off, "if your life went back to normal you know you'd miss this. All of this attention... you love it, don't you? You lap up the idea of someone obsessing over you. It makes you feel wanted."

"Shut up."

"Oh, no, this is exactly what you want to hear. You want to be exposed, don't you? You want someone there to put you in your place." A sick smile was on his face - [Y/n] stared at him through the mirror, standing behind her malevolently like death itself. Lingering.

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself so you feel a little less guilty about all the shit you just did," [Y/n] finally managed. Her voice was quiet and her words slurred into one another slightly, the result of the adrenaline that coursed through her.

"Say that again, would you?" Seishin spat back darkly, "louder this time."

"I refuse."

"You what?"

"I said 'I refuse'," [Y/n] responded, a little more confidence in her voice this time. "I won't let you keep treating me like a dog." She held eye contact with Seishin through the mirror. Her eyes bore challenge, his bore indignation.

"I see," he responded shortly. He went back to washing the blood off her aching, sore body; his actions were harsher this time, careless and heavy. [Y/n] struggled to keep in a yelp of discomfort, every single second taking what felt like a millennia. The pain only grew.

The knocking at the door was her only saviour.

"Who is it?" Seishin spat angrily. The door burst open in response and Kori stood there, looking both terrified for the exposed female before him and infuriated by the blonde culprit. He slipped a shuriken from his pocket, holding it firmly in his hand in case he needed to use force to get Seishin away from [Y/n].

"I wouldn't if I were you," Seishin hummed, pointing to the weapon.

"What did you do to her?" Kori spat.

"Similar to you," Seishin responded immediately, "but with my own methods."

There was a dark silence between the two males who's gazes seared into one another like metals at melting point; [Y/n] could almost hear the tension bubbling and hissing. Eventually Kori lowered his gaze, walking over to Seishin's door. "I'm getting Laion. He's been studying herbal medicine a little lately; he should be able to help us fix her up."

[Y/n] let out a small sigh of relief. She wasn't a fan of any of the boys right now but Laion sounded like someone she'd much rather see. She tensed up as Seishin leant close to her ear just after Kori left the room, his breath making her shudder slightly as a wave of anxiety washed over her.

"If you had to choose between one of us, who would it be?" Seishin asked quietly. If there was emotion in his voice, [Y/n] couldn't place it.

"You," she easily responded. She felt him reel back a little in surprise, before she added "because you'd be easiest to escape from." Seishin paused in response to this before bursting into laughter, his entire body shaking with the violent hacks of amusement that escaped him. If [Y/n] tried to say that she wasn't terrified, she'd be lying.

"I already told you, moth, you like this. You wouldn't need to escape from me. You'd be happy staying right where you were—"

The door violently opening once more was the only thing that stopped Seishin in his tracks. He took a step away from [Y/n], staring at Kori and Laion with a look that [Y/n] couldn't place. She turned to meet their gazes. It was only now that [Y/n] realised how self conscious she was feeling - how embarrassing this whole situation was. She crossed her bruised and battered arms over her chest nervously, wincing slightly as she did so. Laion had the decency to avert his eyes as he approached her, some salves and bandages in his arms.

"[Y/n]," he began quietly, "I'm so sorry... if I'd been here," he looked at Seishin and his eyes narrowed in a glare, "th-then he wouldn't have done this to you. I'm so, so sorry."

"Don't be sorry," [Y/n] responded, though her usual softness was gone, replaced by a quiet emptiness filled with confusion and betrayal.

"Well I am," Laion responded. [Y/n] sighed but said no more, not seeing the point in arguing. Laion sat her down on the side of Seishin's bed, all the while averting his eyes from her figure. Kori handed him a towel and at long last [Y/n] had some coverage. Laion looked over at Seishin as [Y/n] painfully pulled the towel around herself. "Get her a dressing gown," he commanded.

"Why can't he?" Seishin retorted, pointing at Kori.

"Just do it already," Laion hissed back. With a scowl and a huff, Seishin eventually obliged, heaving himself out of his room and slamming the door shut behind him. Kori rolled his eyes and moved to sit on the other side of [Y/n].

"We're gonna need you to sit really still [Y/n]," Kori said softly, "the salves might sting a little but I assure you they'll help," he smiled.

"It's better than cauterising them with a candle," [Y/n] spat back bitterly. Kori looked down at this and sighed, shaking his head slowly. The action seemed condescending to [Y/n] - it seemed to her as though he was trying to say 'you'll never understand'. She narrowed her eyes at him before they shot wide as a sudden stinging sensation struck her arm. Laion had dabbed a little salve on one of her wounds with a wet cloth. He winced a little as she did.

"S-sorry!" he said quickly. "This might hurt a bit but it'll make you feel better in the long run. Would you be okay with Kori doing your other arm?" he asked gently. She paused, turning to look at Kori who held her gaze with an unreadable expression. Turning back to Laion, the injured female shook her head.

"Go figure," Kori huffed. "It's either I help Laion with the salve or I stitch up that gash on your side," he explained, "what would you rather?" There was a moment of silence before [Y/n] eventually finished loathing his cunningness and painfully pushed a pot of salve over to him. He smiled at this before proceeding to mimic Laion's actions on her other arm.

Seishin eventually walked back into the room and placed some clothes neatly folded on his bed for her, before leaving the room once again.

* * *

[Y/n]'s hand reached behind her back as her fingers delicately pressed against the stitches. She winced at first before calming herself, the pressure becoming relieving. Aytsa and Draka had done what they could to fix [Y/n]'s door - though Draka had more of a straightforward approach to fixing it, Aytsa had turned the door into an art piece of sorts, using wood polish to give some pieces of wood much darker shades than others, giving the door a gorgeous abstract mosaic aesthetic.

The [h/c] haired female looked at the clock on her bedside table. It wasn't long now. The 21st day was almost over. The clock read 23:38. There were 22 minutes left.

Tick.

23:39.

21 minutes left. And that brought [Y/n]'s mind back to day one - 21 minutes, 21 days.

Day one, a terrible dream had awoken her - one that would spontaneously reoccur throughout her time with the boys. She remembered the first time she met Nyais - he'd seemed so different then. So threatening. [Y/n] wondered if that was actually the usual good side of him. She also wondered, had things gone differently, how she would've died. Had Nyais' presence impacted the boys' behaviour towards her? Maybe, had he not been around, the boys wouldn't have been so bothered with [Y/n] and would've killed her themselves. If she had managed to survive, these next 21 minutes would've been a countdown to her death - not her freedom.

23:40.

Day two; trying to understand the ins and outs of keeping a bunch of children from screaming at the top of their lungs 24/7. [Y/n]'s mind wandered. This was the day she realised her days were numbered. But, it was also the first step towards changing her fate. Somehow Nyais had connected with her enough on the first day for him to decide he would take her life on the final day - today - in an act of mercy. [Y/n] held her hands out in front of her, her moving hands - her blood filled hands. Her living hands. She was alive, and soon she'd be seeing the day she wasn't supposed to - day 22.

23:41.

Day three was when the kids said their first words. The day their personalities began to form. [Y/n] smiled softly at this, before it faded to a frown as she wondered what went wrong. She also saw Nyais again on this day. This was when she received the news that he was trying to get the king to allow her to live longer than just 21 days. This was also the day where any hopes of keeping contact with her family or friends were snuffed out. She wondered how Tara and Sally were. How her mother and father were. Hell, she even missed Damien (who'd annoyed her so greatly).

23:42.

Day four, their curiosities grew question after question. It was a strange day, if she could recall. She'd both felt close and distant - Nyais had begun to change on this day, showing his kind intentions. At the same time, she'd felt watched and slightly concerned. Perhaps, with the revelation that she'd possibly be able to live, a bit of her determination had kicked in. Her sense of self-preservation. At first, she'd been completely willing to accept death. In this day, however, things were changing.

23:43.

Day five. She'd begun to break down the walls between her and the boys, Kori and Seishin especially, but things were happening behind the scenes that caused [Y/n] slight trepidation.

23:44.

Day six. She'd been awoken by a terrible dream once again. Her first conflict arose on this day - it wasn't quite an argument however. Nyais, out of concern, had snapped at [Y/n] regarding the importance of food. It was the first warning of what was to come, now [Y/n] reflected on it. She'd later on cooked with the boys.

23:45.

Day seven. They played the pirate game on this day. [Y/n] wondered whether it was a bad idea teaching the kids about acting and observation - it hadn't exactly helped her in the long run. Nyais had also watched her cook later on. That was endearing.

23:46.

Day eight. The day everything around her had changed, in more ways than one. It was a day to mark the boys beginning to grow up. She'd explored her new surroundings and evaluated her new situation. She'd had time to bond with Nyais, even being shown glimpses of his past. Soon, she'd be with him again. Soon she'd be leaving this hell the boys had created for her. She'd have another change, like that day.

23:47.

Day nine. She'd visited each of the boys in turn, learning about them alongside them. Each of their rooms perfectly captured their personalities - [Y/n] wondered whether that had taken a turn for the worst, too. She'd been greeted which mixed responses from each boy, a couple acting a little out of character, but none more than the dictator of the situation himself; Nyais. It was the first time [Y/n] had argued with him and good god was it an argument. It escalated, resulting in a one-sided fight that would have ended in [Y/n]'s death had Kori not appeared. Upon reflection, her actions the following day seemed totally and utterly foolish. Did she regret them? No. Not in the slightest.

23:48.

Day ten. A calmer day to begin with, though [Y/n] had been utterly distraught as she remembered the day before. She'd distracted herself by spending time with each of the boys. It'd been fun, tranquil. Once at ease, she'd returned to her room and apologised to Nyais in hopes that he would hear her from wherever he was. He certainly did. Forgiveness, regret and desire can make quite unexpected situations come to light.

23:49.

Day eleven. A weird one. She'd been blackmailed into eating fudge by Seishin in the morning - a strange method but almost definitely a prelude for what was to come. This day was also the day when her fate had been sealed - the king had taken her blood. He was strange. She wondered whether she'd meet him again; she silently hoped she wouldn't.

23:50.

Day twelve. She'd been awoken by Seishin's blackmail plan being put into action - after the incident with the king, she'd forgotten to finish the fudge. She'd also spent some time with Laion and Mitzu. Their personalities had really began to shine through, Mitzu's impatience and Laion's experimental behaviour becoming evident. Then, she'd experienced a new side to Aytsa. This, now [Y/n] thought about it, had been the beginning. This was where she should've changed.

23:51.

Day thirteen. Once again, she had been awoken by another terrible dream. Once awake, [Y/n] had faced Aytsa's pleas for forgiveness. It reminded her of how things were today - how, despite his pleas, there was a consistent feel of denial that he was in the wrong. She shouldn't have forgiven him. She shouldn't have stayed the same. Look where it got her.

23:52.

Day fourteen. On this day there was something wrong. The moment she woke up she knew something was strange, but to this day she couldn't place what it was. She'd gone to see Seishin on this day, finally being allowed into his room. He'd rather generously leant her some books, which she had gone to read. One of which, her unlucky first choice, had led to her first discovery of Dr. Rayne. The book had been promptly taken from her by Nyais, who'd warned her about reading books by said author.

23:53.

Day fifteen. Another dream had greeted her that morning. She'd decided to ignore it through the day as she'd been awoken by the beautiful sound of music. [Y/n] had gone to investigate the sound, being greeted by the news that each of the boys had developed a skill of their own overnight. She'd gone to see each one of them in turn, learning about them, being both intrigued and - at times - concerned by their developments. Draka hadn't developed one of these traits, however. It had left his pride knocked to the ground - she knew he was still trying to build it up now.

23:54.

Day sixteen. The day had begun with an argument - nothing big, but something that stuck with her. It had been with Kori, but Draka had stepped in to help her. In the end, however, it had ended with Draka's insecurities turning against [Y/n]. The day had been a lot worse for someone else, though.

23:55.

Day seventeen. The day things went to shit. The day Mitzu and a few of the others decided to steal away her 'freedom'; or at least the little freedom she'd had. She'd called for Nyais; he hadn't come. She'd never felt more alone. Unbeknownst to [Y/n], something even more terrible had happened that day; the boys had developed their combat niches.

23:56.

Day eighteen. She had to admit, she didn't have many memories of this day excluding the pain and the torture. The sick smile on Kori's face.

23:57.

Day nineteen. Freedom. Hope. A promise. Temporarily.

23:58.

Day twenty. Happiness, followed by terror.

23:59.

Finally, today.

Today, nearly over.

All her pain would be over soon.

She would never have to see the boys again.

She could put an end to this nightmare.

00:00.

[Y/n] blinked a couple of times, staring at the clock. It was time. Now all she needed to do was wait.

Wait.

Wait...

...

...

The patched up door creaked open and friendly, yet sorrowful, eyes met hers. Nyais' magenta hues shone in the dim light coming from the hallway. He extended a hand for her to take. She took up promptly, rushing over to him and instead throwing her arms around him, ignoring the agony she was in. Joyful tears glazed over her eyes.

"Come on [Y/n]," came Nyais' soft voice.

"Let's go home."

This isn't the end. Next chapter: Existing, apparently.