At the peak of night, when even the castle rats had ceased their skittering, Joshua startled awake to fingers digging into his shoulder. Peter crouched beside him, eyes darting toward the barred door. "Listen carefully," he whispered, lips barely moving. "The guard at the northeast postern gate is paid to look the other way—but only until the tide turns." He pressed a rough-spun robe into Joshua’s hands. "The waterway reeks of shit and dead fish, but it’s your one path out." Joshua didn’t hesitate. He rolled silently to his feet, every muscle screaming protest, and followed Peter through corridors that smelled of damp mortar and old blood.
The escape was a blur of whispered directions, of Peter’s hand shoving him forward when Joshua faltered at the stench of the sewer channel. The icy water clawed at his thighs as he waded through filth, biting back curses when his bare feet slipped on moss-slick stones. Then—miraculously—salt air. The beach stretched before them, the boat little more than a shadow bobbing in the shallows.
Peter shoved the boat toward the them. "Let's go," he The moment Joshua’s hands closed around the oars, he nearly wept. The sea swallowed their stolen vessel whole, and for the first time in weeks, Joshua tasted something like hope.
He rowed until his shoulders burned, salt spray stinging his lips. "You didn’t have to do this," Joshua whispered. The moon glinted off Peter’s knuckles where they gripped the boat’s edge—too tight, white-knuckled. "I’ve seen what becomes of men like you in that castle," Peter muttered. His jaw worked as if chewing on something foul. "Bodies broken into playthings." Joshua’s throat tightened. He touched Peter’s wrist—calloused, familiar. "Thank you," he said, and meant it.
Peter’s silence stretched like the horizon ahead. Then, abrupt: "South, you said?" Joshua nodded, fingers flexing around the oar. "Levin knows where I’m from. They’ll raze the farm first." The boat rocked as Peter shifted, something dark passing behind his eyes before he schooled his face blank. "Aye," he agreed, too quickly. "South."
The whisper slithered through Peter’s skull like oil on water. *Good.* Levin’s voice curled around his thoughts, intimate as a lover’s breath. *Let him believe.* Peter’s stomach turned. He watched Joshua’s shoulders flex with each pull of the oars—honest labor, trusting sweat. The trap yawned ahead, inevitable as tide.
Joshua squinted at the coastline, his smile raw with hope.
They alighted the boat and walked towards the forest. It was noon already, the sun hot on their backs as Joshua led the way through the jungle, hacking vines aside with his forearm. The leaves parted—then he froze. A sharp sting radiated from his nipples, his pectorals twitching involuntarily under the lingering oils Levin had massaged into them days prior. Joshua gasped, hands flying to cover his pecs, fingers pressing hard against the swollen nubs as if he could smother the sensation. "Fuck," he hissed, shoulders hunching. Peter paused mid-step, his expression carefully blank. "That goddamn oil," he muttered, digging into his belt pouch. "Here." He tossed Joshua a small clay jar. "Rub this on. It’ll deaden the sting." Joshua hesitated—some deep, bruised instinct warning him—but Peter’s steady gaze disarmed him. He scooped out a thick, greenish balm and spread it across his chest, groaning as the cooling relief spread instantly through his abused flesh. "Better?" Peter asked, too casually. Joshua nodded, his skin tingling in a different way now—lighter, warmer. "Thank you," he said, meaning it.
Behind them, unseen in the dappled shadows, Levin bit his knuckle to stifle a laugh. His enchanted balm wasn’t dulling Joshua’s sensitivity—it was rewiring it. Every stroke of his own fingers now fed the spell buried in his muscles, amplifying the pathways Levin had spent weeks carving into his body. Soon, the simplest brush of fabric would feel like a tongue on his nipples. Soon, he’d beg for it.
The balm’s effects faded faster now—Joshua paused beneath a twisted oak to smear more onto his chest, his fingers lingering too long. A shudder ripped through him, his hips jerking forward as if pulled by invisible strings. Peter pretended not to notice, studying a beetle on a leaf while Joshua bit his lip hard enough to taste copper. The robe slipped from his shoulders entirely, pooling at his feet. “Too much?” Peter asked, voice flat. Joshua shook his head, breathing through his nose. “Just… hot,” he lied.
Levin’s fingers danced in the air, tracing the arc of Joshua’s spine through his scrying pool. The farmer’s golden skin gleamed with sweat and balm, his nipples standing taut against the humid breeze. Each step through the underbrush made them bounce—a show staged just for Levin’s pleasure. He murmured an incantation, and the balmalphied Joshua’s gasp as a vine grazed his left nipple, his knees buckling for a delicious second before he caught himself.
Peter glanced back, feigning concern. “You good?” Joshua nodded, jaw clenched. Ahead, the trees thinned—the trap lay just beyond the ridge. Peter adjusted his grip on his dagger, its hilt sticky with the same green balm he’d given Joshua. The sorcerer’s laughter curled in his skull again: *Nearly there.*
Joshua pushed through the final thicket of ferns—and froze. The farm sprawled before him, wheat fields swaying peacefully. His legs carried him forward before he could think, past the empty chicken coop, past the overturned bucket by the well. The hut stood silent, its door creaking open under his trembling hand. “Father?” His voice cracked. Nothing but the wind through the rafters answered. His siblings’ pallets lay cold. A pot of stew sat abandoned on the hearth, untouched.
He stumbled into the backyard—and the breath left his lungs. His father knelt in the dirt, wrists bound behind his back, Levin’s boot resting between his shoulder blades. His siblings stood in a line beside him, faces streaked with tears. Guards held them at swordpoint.
“Welcome home,” Levin purred, stroking Joshua’s father’s greying hair. “Your family missed you.”
Joshua lunged forward—only for Levin’s spell to slam into his chest like a warhammer, forcing him to his knees in the dirt. His muscles strained against the invisible weight, veins bulging along his neck as he fought to rise. “Let them go!” Joshua snarled, his voice raw. The spell tightened, crushing his thighs into the earth until his kneecaps ground against stone. He groaned, his abs flexing uselessly, sweat dripping between his pecs as Levin sighed.
“Why would I do that?” Levin crouched before him, tilting Joshua’s chin up with the tip of his boot. “The escape? The boat? The balm?” His laugh was velvet cruelty. “All mine. Watching you lick hope off your lips like a beggar—delicious.” Peter brushed past Joshua then, his footsteps heavy as he joined the guards. His muttered apology barely reached Joshua’s ears over the roaring in his skull.
The cart was an obscenity carved from oak and iron—its harness straps thick enough to bear a stallion’s strength, the wheel spokes reinforced with bands of steel. The extension jutted forward like a tongue, Levin’s seat positioned inches from where Joshua’s torso would strain against the yoke. “Designed for endurance,” Levin murmured, tracing the rig’s pulleys with reverence. He snapped his fingers, and guards dragged Joshua upright, wrenching his arms into the harness. The moment his robe slid off, Levin’s breath hitched—Joshua’s pecs twitched involuntarily under the scrutiny, his abs tightening into a perfect grid as the sorcerer’s fingers pressed into his flesh.
Joshua’s siblings whimpered as the guards shoved them into the cart’s hollow belly, their weight making the wood groan. The yoke dug into Joshua’s shoulders, the straps cinched so tight his biceps bulged against the leather. Levin settled onto his seat with a sigh, knees spread wide to bracket Joshua’s heaving form. His palm slid down Joshua’s sternum, lingering over the frantic pulse beneath. “Obey,” he whispered, “and they live. Fight—” His fingers dug into Joshua’s ribs. “—and I’ll make them watch as I unravel you.”
Joshua’s first step tore a gasp from his lips—the cart’s weight wrenched his muscles taut, his pectorals bouncing with each labored breath. Levin’s laughter curled around him like smoke as he leaned forward, lips brushing Joshua’s sweat-slicked collarbone. “Good boy.” The sorcerer’s hand slipped lower, tracing the valleys between Joshua’s abs as the cart lurched forward. Every pull sent waves of tension through his body, his nipples stiffening against the humid air—Levin’s masterpiece on display.
The sorcerer tapped Joshua’s left pec sharply. “Flex.” Joshua obeyed instinctively, his chest swelling under Levin’s scrutiny. The sorcerer hummed approval, pinching the nipple between thumb and forefinger, rolling it until Joshua’s knees wobbled mid-stride. “Beautiful,” Levin murmured, then flicked his tongue over the peaked flesh—once, twice—before sucking hard. Joshua cried out, his thighs locking as the sensation burned through him like wildfire. His fingers clenched around the harness straps, veins standing stark along his forearms as he fought not to collapse.
Levin pulled back with a wet pop, grinning at Joshua’s shuddering breaths. “Ah, you feel it now, don’t you?” His fingers trailed down to Joshua’s abs, pressing into the quivering muscle. “Peter’s balm was never meant to soothe.” He dug his nails in, watching Joshua’s stomach clench. “It primes the nerves—heightens every touch.” He dragged a fingertip over Joshua’s right nipple, and the farmer arched violently, the cart groaning as his hips jerked forward. “Ten times more sensitive,” Levin whispered.
Joshua gasped as Levin seized both nipples between his knuckles, twisting them sharply—and white-hot pleasure detonated in his gut. His cock pulsed, untouched, ropes of cum splattering against his thighs and the dirt road beneath him. His vision blurred, knees buckling as wave after wave of forced climax wracked his body, each twist of Levin’s fingers wringing out another helpless spurt. The harness straps bit into his shoulders, holding him upright even as his arms trembled. Thirty seconds. Thirty seconds of his body betraying him, muscles twitching like a gutted fish.
When it finally stopped, Joshua sagged forward onto all fours, panting, his cum pooling beneath him. Levin crouched beside him, gripping his chin. “Did I say you could stop pulling?” His voice was silk over steel. Joshua flinched as Levin’s thumb smeared a drop of his own spend across his lip. “And no one gave you permission to cum..” The sorcerer’s smile widened as Joshua’s stomach dropped.
The cart groaned behind them, shifting under Joshua’s siblings’ terrified shuffling. One of the guards—Bryn—reached for Joshua’s youngest sister, hauling her up by the arm. She screamed, kicking wildly, her bare feet scraping the cart’s splintered floorboards. Joshua roared, surging upright despite the trembling exhaustion in his limbs. “No! Don’t—!” The harness straps held him fast, his muscles straining uselessly against the leather. Bryn paused, glancing at Levin, who held up a single finger.
“Ah,” Levin murmured, stroking Joshua’s sweat-slicked flank. “Still some fight left.” His fingers traced the ridges of Joshua’s abs, deliberately avoiding his swollen nipples. “But not enough, I think.” Joshua shuddered as Levin’s touch ghosted over his hipbone, feather-light, teasing—so different from the brutal twists moments before. “I’m sorry,” Joshua gasped, his voice ragged. “I’ll—I’ll pull. Just don’t hurt her.”
Levin chuckled, petting Joshua’s heaving chest like a prized stallion. “Good boy.” His palm slid lower, skimming the sensitive skin just above Joshua’s groin, making his spent cock twitch pathetically. “You see?” Levin crooned to the guards. “Even broken, his body remembers its purpose.” He leaned close, lips brushing Joshua’s ear.
“Again,” Levin commanded. Joshua swallowed—then obeyed. The cart lurched forward, his muscles straining anew, each step sending fresh tremors through his abused frame. Levin reclined lazily in his seat, one hand lazily stroking himself while the other traced idle patterns across Joshua’s trembling biceps. “All those years of labor,” Levin mused, squeezing Joshua’s arm. “All that sweat, those calluses—just so you could be *this*.” His fingers tightened, admiring the way Joshua’s muscles jumped beneath his touch. “Perfect.”
Joshua gritted his teeth, his pecs bouncing with each heavy step, his nipples stiffening in the cool evening air. Levin’s breath hitched—then, without warning, he leaned forward and sealed his lips around Joshua’s left nipple, sucking slowly. Joshua gasped, his stride faltering as pleasure arced through him, white-hot and relentless. “A-ah—!” His hips jerked forward uselessly, the harness holding him upright even as his knees wobbled. Levin hummed, flicking his tongue over the swollen nub. “Breathe through it,” he murmured, his free hand sliding down to Joshua’s abs.
Levin alternated between slow, deliberate sucks and sharp nibbles, each movement calculated—just enough to keep Joshua teetering on the edge of agony and ecstasy. His body shuddered, his pecs flexing instinctively, as if offering himself up. Levin groaned, gripping Joshua’s right pec roughly. “Good boy,” he breathed, before switching to the other nipple, his teeth grazing the sensitive flesh. Joshua’s abs clenched, his cock twitching against his thigh despite his exhaustion. He whimpered, his pace slowing—but Levin dug his fingers into Joshua’s ribs. “Move.”
Joshua obeyed, forcing his legs forward, the cart creaking behind him. His breath came in ragged bursts as Levin’s mouth worked him over, alternating between nipples, each switch sending fresh tremors through his frame. The sorcerer’s fingers traced the sweat-slick valleys between his abs, pressing in just enough to make Joshua’s stomach flutter. “You’re learning,” Levin purred, his lips swollen from suction. “But—” He pinched Joshua’s right nipple sharply, twisting— “—not fast enough.”
Joshua cried out, his legs nearly giving way as another wave of forced pleasure wracked his body. His nipples burned, oversensitive and aching, but Levin’s grip on his harness kept him upright. The cart groaned as Joshua stumbled forward, his muscles screaming—but he didn’t stop. Couldn’t. Not with Levin’s mouth on him, not with his family’s muffled sobs echoing from the cart’s hollow belly.
Levin pulled back just as Joshua’s cock pulsed against his thigh, precum dribbling onto the dirt road. The sorcerer smirked, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. “Close, weren’t you?” His fingers traced the outline of Joshua’s abs, pressing in just enough to make the farmer shudder. “Too easy.” He sighed, then snapped his fingers. “Bryn. The wheel.”
The guard moved quickly, hauling a thick metal rod from the cart’s underbelly—its surface ridged, its length tapered to a brutal point. Joshua’s breath hitched as Bryn secured it to the spokes of the rear wheel, the mechanism clicking into place with a final, ominous *snap*. Levin stepped close, his breath hot against Joshua’s ear. “Every rotation,” he murmured, “a reminder.” His fingers trailed down Joshua’s spine, lingering at the cleft of his ass. “Of what you are.”
Joshua gritted his teeth as the cart lurched forward—and the phallus drove into him without warning. His vision whited out, his thighs trembling as the intrusion stretched him wide, the ridges scraping against his walls. A strangled groan tore from his throat, his abs clenching violently. Levin laughed, low and satisfied, as Joshua’s body convulsed around the invading length. “Good,” he purred. “Now—*move*.”
Joshua obeyed, his legs shaking with every step. Each rotation of the wheel sent the phallus deeper, the relentless rhythm wringing ragged gasps from his chest. His nipples still throbbed from Levin’s attentions, his cock twitching pathetically against his thigh. Sweat dripped down his temples, his muscles straining against the harness as the cart’s weight bore down on him. The phallus twisted inside him, its ridges catching on his rim with every retreat—only to plunge back in, harder, faster.
Levin leaned back in his seat, stroking himself lazily as he watched Joshua’s body betray him with every thrust. “Perfect,” he breathed. His free hand reached out, pinching Joshua’s left nipple between his fingers—just enough to make the farmer whimper. “Don’t stop.” His voice was a velvet command. “Not until I say.”
Joshua’s breath hitched as the wheel turned again, the phallus driving deeper. His thighs trembled, his abs flexing in an instinctive attempt to stabilize himself—but Levin clicked his tongue. “No,” he murmured. “Let it happen.” His fingers trailed down Joshua’s ribs, pressing into the quivering muscle. “I want to see you shake.”
And shake he did. Every rotation sent fresh tremors through Joshua’s frame, his pecs bouncing, his nipples stiffening under Levin’s teasing touches. The sorcerer alternated between gentle tweaks and sharp twists, keeping Joshua teetering on the edge of unbearable sensitivity. His cock pulsed, untouched, precum dripping onto his thighs as his body struggled to reconcile pleasure and pain. “Flex,” Levin commanded, and Joshua obeyed—his chest swelling, his abs tightening into a perfect grid. Levin groaned, his grip tightening on Joshua’s pec. “Beautiful.”
But the moment Joshua’s stride faltered, Levin’s fingers dug into his ribs. “Don’t slack,” he warned, his voice low. “Unless you want Bryn to remind you?” Joshua’s breath caught—then he forced himself forward, his muscles straining against the harness. Levin smirked, his thumb circling Joshua’s right nipple lazily. “Good boy.”
The cart groaned as Joshua pushed onward, his body slick with sweat, his muscles trembling under the dual assault of Levin’s hands and the phallus’s relentless rhythm. Levin watched, enthralled, as Joshua’s pecs bounced with each labored breath, his nipples peaked and flushed. “Slower,” he murmured, pressing a palm to Joshua’s chest—forcing him to adjust his pace. “Let me feel you.”
Joshua whimpered but obeyed, his hips rocking slightly with each step, the phallus dragging against his oversensitive walls. Levin’s fingers traced the outline of his abs, pressing in just enough to make Joshua’s stomach flutter. “You’re learning,” he purred. “But—” His hand slid lower, gripping Joshua’s hipbone— “—not fast enough.”
Joshua’s breath hitched—then he quickened his pace, his body trembling under the strain. Levin’s laughter curled around him like smoke. “Perfect.”
The sorcerer leaned back in his seat, watching Joshua’s muscles ripple with each step, his pecs bouncing, his abs tightening into a perfect grid. His fingers traced idle patterns across Joshua’s sweat-slicked biceps, admiring the way they bulged against the harness straps. “Such a good boy,” Levin murmured, his voice dripping with honeyed cruelty. “But it’s time for your next lesson.”
With a snap of his fingers, the cart lurched to a stop. Joshua gasped as the phallus stilled inside him, the sudden absence of motion leaving him achingly empty. Levin rose from his seat, stepping around to face Joshua. His fingers gripped the farmer’s chin, tilting his head up. “Kneel.” Joshua hesitated—then obeyed, sinking to his knees on the wooden platform Levin had conjured. His arms were wrenched behind his back, bound by invisible restraints. His family’s muffled sobs echoed from the cart.
Levin crouched before him, a polished silver cup materializing in his hand. He placed it between Joshua’s thighs, the metal cold against his skin. “Milking session,” Levin announced, his voice carrying across the clearing. He traced Joshua’s collarbone with a single finger, watching the farmer shudder. “You will fill this cup.” His thumb brushed Joshua’s left nipple, eliciting a sharp gasp. “And you will do it while my guards take their turns with you.”
Joshua’s stomach twisted. He opened his mouth—to protest, to beg—but Levin’s fingers pressed against his lips, silencing him. “Ah-ah,” the sorcerer chided. “No objections.” He leaned closer, his breath hot against Joshua’s ear. “Unless you’d prefer I start with your sister instead?”
Joshua’s jaw clenched. He swallowed hard—then nodded, his gaze dropping to the cup between his thighs. Levin smirked. “Good boy.” He straightened, snapping his fingers again. The guards moved in, their hands already reaching for Joshua’s body. Bryn was first, his calloused palms sliding over Joshua’s pecs, squeezing roughly. Joshua gritted his teeth as Bryn’s thumbs circled his nipples, the touch sending sparks of pleasure-pain arcing through him.
Another guard - Michael - stepped up behind Joshua, his hands gripping the farmer’s hips. Joshua flinched as Harwick’s cock pressed against his entrance, the tip already slick with oil. “Relax,” Michael murmured, his breath hot against Joshua’s neck. “Or this will hurt.” Joshua tensed—then forced himself to go limp, his body betraying him as Michael sheathed himself in one brutal thrust. A choked groan tore from Joshua’s throat, his abs clenching violently.
Levin watched, his fingers tracing the rim of the silver cup. “Begin.” The guards moved in unison—Bryn’s mouth closing over Joshua’s right nipple, sucking hard, while Michael’s hips pistoned relentlessly. Joshua’s head fell back, his breath coming in ragged gasps as pleasure coiled tight in his gut. His cock twitched, untouched, precum dribbling onto the cup below. Levin’s fingers tangled in his hair, forcing him to watch as his family’s tear-streaked faces peered from the cart.
Joshua came within a minute when another guard twisted his nipples. Cum splattered into the cup, pearly ropes hitting the metal with a wet *ping*. Levin’s laugh was velvet. “Pathetic.” He tilted the cup, examining the meager contents. “You’ll need to do better.” He snapped his fingers—the guards reset, Joshua’s thighs trembling as Michael re-entered him in one brutal thrust. The sorcerer leaned close, his breath hot. “One hour. Fill it—or your sister takes your place.”
The next orgasm came faster—three minutes of relentless stimulation, his nipples pinched raw, his abs flexing involuntarily with each deep thrust. His cum hit the cup’s edge, dripping down its side. Levin sighed, flicking the stray droplets back inside. “Wasteful.” He stroked Joshua’s sweat-slicked pec, his thumb brushing a swollen nipple. “Again.”
Joshua’s vision blurred as the guards redoubled their efforts, their hands mapping his body like a prized stallion’s. Levin lounged on a conjured chaise, sipping wine as he monitored Joshua’s trembling form. When Joshua’s torso sagged, Levin twitched his fingers—magic wrenched his spine straight, forcing his abs into taut relief. “I want to see every ripple,” Levin purred.
By the thirty-minute mark, Joshua’s orgasms had dwindled to weak spurts, his cum barely coating the cup’s base. His thighs trembled violently, his nipples swollen and bruised from relentless torment. Levin sighed, rolling a vial of shimmering blue liquid between his fingers. “Poor thing,” he crooned, pressing the cool glass to Joshua’s flushed cheek. “You’ll never fill it like this.”
Joshua’s breath hitched as Levin uncorked the vial, the scent of cloves and iron flooding his nostrils. The sorcerer traced the rim with a fingertip, collecting a drop of the viscous fluid. “This,” he murmured, smearing it over Joshua’s bottom lip, “will make you gush like a fountain.” Joshua recoiled, but Levin’s grip tightened in his hair. “Or would you rather watch Bryn strap your sister to this cart instead?”
The threat coiled like a knife in Joshua’s gut. His jaw clenched—then slackened in defeat. “D-do it,” he rasped, shuddering as Levin’s laughter curled around him. The sorcerer tapped the vial against Joshua’s left nipple, watching the muscle jump. “Beg properly.”
Joshua’s throat burned with humiliation. “Please,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “Inject me.” Levin’s smile widened. He pressed the vial’s needle into the soft flesh beneath Joshua’s pec, sinking it deep into the muscle. The burn was instantaneous—a wildfire spreading through his chest, his nipples hardening to painful peaks. Joshua arched against his restraints, a strangled cry tearing from his lips as the serum ignited every nerve.
Levin withdrew the needle with a satisfied hum, licking the residual drops from its tip. “Now,” he purred, snapping his fingers. The guards redoubled their efforts—Bryn’s teeth scraped Joshua’s collarbone while Michael’s thrusts turned punishing. Joshua’s vision whited out as his cock surged to full hardness untouched, veins bulging against the skin. Precum dribbled in a steady stream now.
The serum wasn’t just amplifying sensation—it was rewriting his anatomy. His abs contracted involuntarily, each ridge standing in razor-sharp relief as his skin burned hypersensitivity. Every brush of Bryn’s calloused palm over his pec sent electric shocks radiating down to his toes. His nipples felt fused to live wires, sparking with each flick of Michael’s tongue.
Joshua’s back arched violently as another orgasm ripped through him—his balls tightening impossibly, his cock pulsing thick ropes of cum into the cup. Levin’s magic held him upright, fingers woven through his hair like reins. “Look at you,” Levin murmured, stroking himself lazily as Joshua convulsed through wave after wave.
Michael chuckled against Joshua’s neck, thrusting deeper. “Think he’ll pass out?”
Levin traced Joshua’s trembling lower lip. “Not yet.” He pinched Joshua’s right nipple—hard. The farmer’s scream dissolved into another broken orgasm, his hips jerking helplessly against the restraints. Cum splattered across Levin’s boots this time. The sorcerer laughed, spreading his fingers over Joshua’s heaving chest. “Perfect.”
Joshua’s head lolled, his muscles twitching under the relentless assault. The serum had turned his body into a puppet—every involuntary flex, every shudder, amplifying the pleasure-pain until his very skin felt like exposed nerve endings.
When the hour struck, Levin raised a hand—Bryn’s teeth withdrew from Joshua’s pec, Michael’s thrusts ceased—and Joshua collapsed onto the dirt, his limbs splayed like a broken marionette. His breath came in ragged wheezes, his abs still contracting in weak spasms. The silver cup lay between his thighs, filled nearly to the brim—but not quite. Levin crouched beside him, lifting the cup to the fading sunlight. “Almost,” he murmured, tilting it so the viscous contents shimmered. “But not enough.” His thumb traced Joshua’s lower lip, smearing a stray droplet of cum. “Still a failure.”
Joshua’s eyelids fluttered—half-conscious, his body wrung dry. His family’s muffled sobs reached him as if through water. Levin sighed theatrically, stroking Joshua’s sweat-drenched hair. “But I’ll be merciful.” His fingers tightened abruptly, yanking Joshua’s head back. “This time.” He snapped his fingers—guards hauled Joshua onto the cart’s platform, his limbs limp.
Levin turned toward the cart where Joshua’s siblings huddled. “You’ll live,” he announced, his voice dripping with false magnanimity. “Because your brother chose to suffer instead.” His gaze flicked back to Joshua, sprawled on the wood like a gutted stag. “And suffer he will.” Another snap—the cart lurched forward, wheels creaking. Joshua’s head rolled, his bleary eyes catching his youngest sister’s tear-streaked face. He mouthed 'Sorry', but deep down, he took comfort knowing that his family is spared once again even if it means that he had to suffer like this.
