5 chapter 5

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v.

I HURT YOU 2

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Kimmy was entering the mage's training room, when she accidentally bumped into Harith. The leonin was surprised to see her, but she caught the worried look he had on his face. She would try to ease his worries, if she wasn't worried herself. She had been looking for Claude for the past few minutes, but she couldn't find him. She was hoping to find him in the mage's training room in case he decided to spy on some female mages, but he wasn't here either.

"Kimmy," Harith said, letting out a sigh of relief. He then looked around the room. "Have you seen Harley? I wanted to check on him before I continue training, but he's not here."

"No, I haven't," Kimmy said, giving him an apologetic look. "But, have you seen Claude? We're supposed to eat together, but I can't find him anywhere."

Harith shook his head. "No, I haven't seen him either." The mage scratched the back of his head before looking around again. "I wonder where Harley is. I can only guess that he got bored and decided to wander around."

All of a sudden, Dexter started running towards them. The monkey looked somewhat alarmed, and they both wondered whether they should be concerned or not. Said monkey was currently jumping up and down, his arms waving in the air as if he was trying to tell them something.

Kimmy crouched down to look at Dexter. "Hey, have you seen Claude?"

Dexter nodded his head and started tugging at her clothes. Kimmy shot Harith a worried look before following the monkey. Harith wanted to prioritise with finding Harley first, but since he had no idea where the mage went off to, he decided to follow Kimmy and Dexter. Who knows, maybe he would find Harley on his way?

The two of them followed Dexter until they reached the ground floor, and they couldn't help but shoot each other glances when the monkey led them to the men's restroom. They were startled when Valir suddenly appeared, and the mage looked relieved when they spotted them.

"Guys, something happened to Claude!" Valir said, and both, Kimmy and Harith's eyes widened in shock. The mage gestured for them to follow him inside. "Hurry!"

Harith and Kimmy quickly entered the restroom—with Kimmy not minding that she was a girl—and they both gasped when they found Claude lying on the floor, unconscious. Harith quickly knelt onto one leg to check on the marksman, while Kimmy just waited anxiously by his side. Meanwhile, Dexter was trying to get Claude to wake up by patting his leg.

"He really is unconscious," Harith said, his eyes still onto the marksman. He turned around to face Valir. "What happened? Did he slip and fall?"

"I'm not sure. I was just trying to pee when I found him like that," Valir said, frowning. He then looked like he remembered something. "Speaking about it—you guys watch over him while I go and pee for a moment." 2

Valir quickly entered a stall, and Harith continued to examine the marksman. Kimmy moved to Claude's side, trying to search for any injuries. The two of them were surprised when Claude suddenly moved, before he let out a groan. They both waited for a few seconds, and they let out a breath they didn't know they were holding when Claude opened his eyes.

"Claude, you're okay!" Kimmy said, throwing her arms around him. Dexter jumped excitedly next to her.

"Oh, hey Kimmy," Claude said, his voice slurred. He blinked a few times before rubbing his head. "Where am I?"

"You're in the restroom," Harith said, standing up. He crossed his arms and raised a brow. "What happened? Did you decide to play with water and let yourself slip and fall?"

"Hey, you know I stopped that after I got a warning from–" Claude's eyes abruptly widen, and he started to look around frantically. "Shit– Where's Harley?!"

Harith's expression immediately turned into a grim one. His voice was monotone when he said, "He was with you?"

"Yes, he was," Claude said, before he visibly paled. "Oh my god... she got him, didn't she?"

"What?" Kimmy asked. She placed a hand over Claude's shoulder and forced him to look at her. "What are you talking about, Claude?"

"Harley needed to do his thing just now—if you know what I mean—so I accompanied him here. But then there was this woman standing behind me, and, before I could do anything, she knocked me out."

Kimmy stiffened. "Don't tell me she's one of the members from that organisation."

"I mean, why else would she be here if it wasn't to get me," Claude said, his brows furrowing. He turned his head to look at Harith. "That means they–"

Claude shut his mouth the moment he found Harith eerily silent. There was a blank look on his face, and something about his posture screamed danger. Kimmy, who seemed to sensed the same thing, took a step back. They both watched as Harith chuckled humourlessly, before he started walking towards the exit of the restroom.

"H-Harith, wait!" Kimmy called, running to catch up to him. "Where are you going?"

Harith didn't even bother to face her when he said, "I'm getting Harley back."

Kimmy swallowed the lump in her throat, and she sent a pleading look to Claude for some assistance. However, the marksman could only shake his head. He made a gesture to just leave Harith alone, and Kimmy bit her lip when she felt like she should call Harith back.

"We can't let him go alone. We have to inform the Headmaster that Harley had been taken again," Kimmy said, grabbing for Claude's hand and dragging him outside of the restroom. "We have to hurry though. From the looks of it, Harith isn't going to wait for us."

Meanwhile, Valir, who had heard everything while he was in the stall, shouted, "Guys, wait for me! I know I'm taking too long but—oh god, this is such a bad time for a stomach ache!" 2

— ❅ —

There was a dull throb coming from the back of his head, and Harley soon found himself regaining consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes, and he was surprised to find himself in an empty room. He took a moment to examine his surroundings, and he was crestfallen when he realised that he was back at this place again.

Or maybe somewhere similiar to it.

"Oh, so you're finally awake."

Harley felt himself tense the moment he heard that voice. Slowly, he tilted his head to the side, and his eyes widened when he realised that he was looking at his master's face again. The man had a small smile on his lips. However, Harley had known the man long enough to know that that smile means something bad was going to happen to him.

"Did you have a nice rest?" the man asked, crouching down so that he could look at him eye-level. Harley couldn't help but avert his gaze by lowering his head, and he tensed even more when he heard the man chuckle. "Of course you did. A few days without me means no punishment. Tell me, was it fun going back there?"

Harley didn't know whether to nod his head or shake it. Would his master be angry if he admitted he liked it better at the place Harith had brought him?

The man suddenly cupped his face, and he was forced to look at him. The smile on his master's face grew just a little wider, and he could sense the anger hidden in his tone when he said, "Tell me, was it fun going back there?"

Harley was reluctant when he nodded his head.

"Of course it was," the man chirped, releasing his face. For a moment, Harley could feel the man's eyes scanning him, before he said, "It looks like you've healed from some of your previous injuries too. I mean, look at your skin." Harley flinched when the man traced his finger against his arm. The man hummed before commenting, "Such fine skin. It looks like all my hard work on you is slowly being erased."

Harley wanted to pull his arm away, but he knew there would be consequences for that. So, he forced himself to keep still, even though he knew that the man would attack him any second now.

"You know, I don't really care what happens to my pets. Some died, some escaped. If they do, I always thought to myself that I can always get another one," the man said, his voice in a whisper. He stood up, and Harley could hear his heels clicking against the cement flooring as he paced around. "But you, however, I just can't seem to let you go. So, imagine the trouble I went through just to get you back."

The man was now standing behind him, and Harley twitched at the thought of what the man might do. He didn't have to wait for long. He suddenly let out a cry of pain when the man slammed his foot against his back, and he forced himself to stay put as the pain kept coming.

"You better be grateful, you troublesome brat," the man spat. "Be thankful that I see worth in you—worth enough to retrieve you back from that place."

Harley was gritting his teeth as the man continued to kick him. His back was aching, and he was forced to move into a lying position when the man sent a blow to his side.

"Now," the man said, his breathing heavy, "What do you say when you cause inconvenience to your master?"

Harley opened his mouth, only to remember that he wasn't allowed to talk.

His master seemed to understand his hesitation, and he watched from the ground as the man bent down to caress his face. "This isn't the same place as when I first got you. I can't electrocute you again if you talk. However, I do have other methods if you decide to make a sound. Oh, but, just this once, I'll let you speak. I would love to hear you apologise."

Harley swallowed the lump in his throat, and his voice was hoarse when he said, "Sorry..."

"Forgiven!" the man said, happily, before standing up. He clapped his hands and tugged at his arm for him to get up. "Now, come on, I want to have some fun with you. You have no idea how much I missed seeing your face. And, be prepared, because I might get a little rough."

Even though his body was aching everywhere, but Harley still forced himself to get up. His head suddenly felt light when he did, but he simply ignored it. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to be back with his master. He wished that he didn't have to return here, but he guessed that this was what his master meant when he said he won't let him go. He had no idea how Harith would react when he finds him missing, but he wished he had said some sort of goodbye before he left.

Harith.

Will he ever see him again?

— ❅ —

"Harith, you need supplies first!"

Harith wasn't listening. He didn't want to listen. Harley was in danger again, and he couldn't believe he let them get him back so easily. What was wrong with him? Why didn't he thought of the possibility of them getting Harley again? How could he have thought that this academy was safe? He should make a note to himself; never trust anyone but himself to take care of Harley.

"Harith!" Ruby called, probably for the fifth time already. "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

Why can't she just shut up?

"Hey!" He felt her grab his shoulder, and he finally stopped walking. He turned around, only to find her and his other friends looking at him worriedly. "Harith, listen to me! If we just attack them like that, we won't achieve anything. We need to have a plan–"

"Too long. I have no time to waste."

"We don't even know where he is!"

"Probably back at that place."

"We have some officers there. They've confirmed that there is no one left in that building."

"I don't care, I'll just look for him everywhere."

His eyes widened when Ruby suddenly pulled his ear, and he would've attacked her if it wasn't for the fact that she was Ruby. "Harith, stop being so stubborn and listen to me."

Harith let out a sigh before facing the fighter. Before he could stop himself, he'd snapped, "What's your problem? Harley is in danger—again—and I am not leaving him for as long as how I left him last time. Have you seen the injuries he sustained when we first found him? He looked like crap because of them. It's a miracle that he's even breathing after all he had been through. Are you aware that he got electrocuted? I assume not, because god only knows how he survived–"

He instantly became silent when Ruby shoved him a backpack. The others were just looking at them back and forth, afraid to say a single word. Harith stared at the backpack Ruby had given to him for a while, before he looked at her again in confusion.

"It's your stupid backpack with your supplies," Ruby muttered, an exhausted sigh escaping her lips. "The Headmaster even pointed out where he is now. If you would have just listened, we would be moving faster by now."

"The Headmaster–" Harith couldn't believe it. "Wait, what? He knows where Harley is?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "It turns out that our other officers discovered where their second base is. Those people have no idea that we know where their second hideout is, so it'll be a surprise when we get there. However, it's further than their original base, so, I suggest we better hurry."

For a moment, Harith seemed to stare at Ruby in awe, before he gave her a nod and started heading to where Harley would be. A few questions appeared in his mind, but he would ask them later. Right now, he was happy, and at the same time, relieved that they knew where Harley was. Meanwhile, without him noticing, Claude, Kimmy, Lolita and Valir let out a breath they had been holding. All four of them were glad that the two were no longer arguing. It made them tense seeing Harith so angry, but thank goodness Ruby was able to handle him well.

Secretly, all of them thanked Ruby for being able to talk to the leonin. Because, to be honest, no one else would have dared to say a word.

— ❅ —

This was bad.

"You have no idea how much fun I'm having right now."

He was losing too much blood.

"I know that I don't usually play with you like this, but after you disappeared for a few days, I felt so bored—that my boredom seemed to pile up into a huge mountain."

There was blood everywhere, and, for the first time, he was scared that he might actually die because of it.

"But, now that you're here, I can get rid of all my boredrom."

Harley could see black spots starting to appear around his vision, and he knew that he might pass out after this. His master had been brutal to him for the past few hours. He had hit him with a metal rod and had slammed him to the ground. It reached to the point where he couldn't even scream anymore. He was just so tired. It hurt everywhere, and his body felt weak. It wasn't helping that he was starting to feel dizzy too. He watched as his master let out a gleeful laugh before turning around to face him. When his master noticed that he was laying on the floor, a nerve popped through his temple, and he crouched down to stare at him closely.

"Don't tell me you're going to sleep again," the master said, his lips curled into a frown. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and stood up. His eyes scanned around the room, and the man merely smiled at the amount of blood that spreaded across the place. "So much blood. Your blood. It looks beautiful, right?"

Harley could only do much as blink as his master continued to admire what he did. He couldn't move at all. It felt like torture just to nod his head.

"You better not die on me, boy. I plan to do lots more towards you." The man focused back onto him, and his lips were replaced into a frown again. "You know, I'm curious. You're a mage, and mages are such frail creatures. But after all the pain I had inflicted on you, why do you still live?"

Harley didn't know. He had wondered too why he hadn't died yet.

"Before you lost your memories, you fought so hard. You knew that you were going to lose, yet you just never seem to be able to give up. It's like something is driving you to keep living," the man walked closer to him, and Harley ended up staring at the man's feet. The man continued, "I asked you before, why do you still live? Do you remember what you've answered?"

He couldn't remember. He couldn't remember anything before he was trapped at that place.

"Harith."

His eyes widened a little.

"I asked you before who was that, but you passed out right after. I was never able to find out who that person is," the man said, letting out a sigh. "Well, I'll only assume that he's someone special to you. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have survived up until this point."

Harith...

"After you woke up, you didn't remember a thing," the man said, chuckling. "I guess the last blow we sent you finally took you down. You couldn't remember your name, where you came from—nothing. It was what we wanted all along."

He wanted his memories back. Why couldn't he remember any of them? Was this permanent?

"You were different than the other pets I had, though. You put a lot more effort in fighting compared to the rest of them. It was the reason why we had to end up using everything we got. You were just so stubborn."

Harley could hear the man's voice slowly drifting away, and he knew that he was going to fall unconscious soon.

"...and then—wait, are you dying?"

So much blood...

"You better not joke with me, boy. I told you already..."

I'm sorry, Harith...

"...treat him! I will not let him die until I'm satisfied with him!"

...I wish I could remember you...

"...you'll be punished if you..."

...if only I could.