Winter Swan

When Silje opened her eyes, she was hanging upside down with her hands bound together.

It was cold, and every hair on her body stood up.

The things that happened in this storage building…

She remembered them immediately and shivered.

Twist.

She moved a little and found that the rope around her feet was tied to the chandelier. She could feel the sharp pain on her cheeks and arms.

And she wasn't alone.

It took everything in her to remain calm. Meanwhile, the boy hanging beside her was whimpering like a sad puppy. She spotted the familiar curly black hair.

Jamal.

"…Jamal, are you ok?"

Jamal moaned louder as if he was dying. At that moment, Silje hated the cruel king, the one who caused all this.

She glared at the grim ripper who was standing nearby silently.

She remembered what he said to her.

"I know you and that boy are not in a relationship, but you still made me feel jealous. You made me do this."

He hung Silje and Jamal upside down in the storage building and was watching them with his arms crossed. Kail looked calm yet furious.

Was this going to be the end? Like this?

Silje's eyesight was becoming blurry so she closed her eyes. She hadn't been completely out, so she vaguely remembered what happened a few minutes ago.

And what she remembered was horrifying.

"Tie the rope around them. Right now."

"But Kail, is this really necessary… Isn't this is going too far…"

Gunhild and Felicien didn't say a word. It was Dolf, her classmate, who seemed hesitant at Kail's order.

In the end, Dolf was no match for Kail or his other goonies.

Kail's group screamed excitedly like a mad crowd.

"Kill them! It's about time."

"Kill! Kill! Kill them, Kail."

Felicien, who hated Silje with unusual loathing, was grinning widely. Silje shivered as she watched him. If he got a chance, she knew he would kill both Silje and Jamal.

Kail didn't react. Instead, he gave an order, "What are you still doing here? Everyone get out."

His group flinched at the king's sharp order. Felicien, Gunhild, and the others left slowly.

"Kail, we did what you asked. We hung her upside down. We did a good job, so can't we watch for a while?"

"No, I don't need you. Get out."

Gunhild asked cautiously, but Kail wouldn't have it. Felicien also looked unhappy about it, but he had no choice.

"Well, if you insist."

Felicien glared at Kail openly before leaving.

When everyone left, a heavy silence fell in the room. A cold wind blew, making her shiver again.

He was staring at her quietly still holding his whip. In his shiny leather boots, Kail looked like a beautiful executioner.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Cat got your tongue?"

He finally opened his mouth. Still looking at her tied up by a rope, Kail smiled. It was a spine-chilling yet elegant smile.

"Your name is Jamal, right? So you aren't dating Silje?"

Silje couldn't believe this conversation was happening, but Jamal seemed excited to be able to explain himself to Kail.

"No, sir! I swear that Silje and I are not in a relationship. I swear!"

Jamal was red with fear. He was begging desperately for his life.

Kail replied in a calm low voice, "Well, that's what I thought."

Crack!

With a whipping sound, Jamal's piercing scream rang out. Kail continued to whip him without hesitation.

"Gyaa!"

Jamal screeched in pain.

"P-please stop! Please!"

"Shut up," Kail softly said before he continued slashing with his whip.

"All I know is that you touched my woman in front of me."

When she heard this, Silje couldn't hide her astonishment. It was so painful to see what Kail was doing to Jamal that Silje bit her lips till they bled. The metallic taste touched her tongue.

Silje wanted to scream at him. She wanted to scream at Kail to stop, to listen to her, and to stop this madness!

Crack, crack.

Soon, Jamal's hands were bloody.

"Gyaa! Please stop! Help me! Somebody help me!"

Jamal wept and begged, but Kail wouldn't stop. Silje's lips bled profusely from biting, and finally, she glared at him and moaned.

"…Stop."

When Kail heard her strained voice, he finally turned to her with interest.

"Oh?"

He leaned against a wall and raised an eyebrow as Silje continued with a groan.

"Don't you think this is enough? Are you still not done? Answer me! Answer me, Kail!"

"I don't know… I will think about it. I'm not sure if my anger has been soothed yet."

"Why are you doing this? You are acting like the devil and what do you think you'll gain from it? You are the worst… Let me ask you one thing. Did you lose all your human emotions? When you look at that poor innocent boy in pain, do you not feel anything?"

"The devil?" Kail laughed.

"Of course I sometimes feel things. Like when my stepmother Ingrid poisoned my food and I almost died. My fever went above forty degrees. I was sick for a few days but I survived in the end. Thinking back, I should be thankful for her."

Kail looked at Silje sweetly and added, "Because I was able to lose any unnecessary emotions after that."

He didn't care if Jamal heard this story. Kail looked detached and cold.

And he looked at her as if only she existed in this room. It made her gasp.

Nothing had changed. He was focused on her like she was the only thing in the world. As he stared at her, his expression changed to genuine pain.

Why was he telling her this? Why?

Silje couldn't breathe. He was like a tidal wave that wouldn't let her escape the water.

This was the real Kail.

She remembered him telling her, "Don't get me wrong. I never hurt anyone until someone annoys me first."

"I just don't like it when someone invades my space."

He was telling the truth, because the very thing he warned about was happening to her.

She didn't forget. Even if she tried, she could never forget his coldness, nor his scorching words that burned her heart.

"Of course. Everyone in Oslo knows about him."

"The boys' bodies were found with their innards taken out."

Kail had been hiding his true self, but she saw it. At this moment, she could feel his quiet intensity and strength.

Had he been hiding it all this time?

No. No, he wasn't hiding. He was just not showing everything about himself.

But now, in front of her, he bared himself completely.

Why? Why? Why now…

As if to answer her question, Kail said to Jamal coldly, "You have paid your price. Now, no one at school will bully you. You are safe."

Jamal started to look relieved and hopeful, and Silje looked away with anger and sadness.

She could never forgive Kail.

She could also never forgive herself.

Never! If it wasn't for her, Jamal would've been fine. He would've had a peaceful day today, just like any other day.

He would've never gone through this horrible torture.

Jamal murmured hopefully, "S-sir? Really? For real? Thank you! Thank you! After today, I will never come near Silje. I-I won't even look at her… I won't say hello to her."

Silje bit her lips. Jamal seemed to think Kail was going to let him go now.

'Stop, Jamal. He won't let you go just because you beg like that. Don't get your hopes up because it will only make you look pathetic. It will only make him enjoy it even more.'

She knew Kail. She knew what he was going to do.

And she was right.