21st Death - Piss

Amelie crawled down the basement stairs, panting and heaving as she clung to the railings, keeping her good leg off the ground. 'I... I didn't even say sorry...!!' her gaze locked on the dark basement doorway at the end of the stairs.

'He just… he just went to save Marcel without a single complaint! I… I can't leave him all by himself! Even with this leg of mine… there has to be something I can do!'

With a broken broomstick gripped in one hand, Amelie hobbled her way down the steps, her pace uneven.

'And then that explosion from earlier...' She swallowed hard, a shiver running down her spine as she remembered the deafening sound. 'What kind of fight is happening down there...?' Her lips trembled.

For a moment, she stopped. Frozen. The memory of Jang easily handling her butler, like he was nothing, flashed through her mind.

'Like Marcel said... I will soon take my father's place...!!' She took a deep breath after swallowing hard. 'I must be strong...!' She imagined Marcel's arms open, welcoming her with a smile.

'I won't let the people close to me die... Not you…!! Especially not you, Marcel!!' She inched closer to the entryway, ready for whatever danger awaited her.

'Whatever lies beyond this door… I'll be strong...!!' She limped through the door, wielding the broken broomstick in both hands, bracing herself for an attack.

Amelie stopped dead in her tracks, peeking from behind the door. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened.

Jiho, her savior, and Jang—who had threatened her not long ago—sat next to each other, casually leaning against the wall, staring blankly into the room.

'What... the...'

'...FUCK?' Amelie squinted, trying to comprehend the sight. Her gaze quickly darted to Marcel, who was also awake, huddled against the wall between two docile zombies. Marcel wasn't fighting them off; he wasn't even struggling.

'What is going on...?!' Amelie thought as Jang's attention shifted to Jiho.

'Am I... Really just having a conversation with someone I intended to kill...!!? It's so stupid... So fucking ridiculous..!!! I CAN KILL HIM JUST LIKE THAT!!! COME ON, KILL HIM!!!' Jang thought as his gaze turned to a glare at Jiho, burning with a—

"Harem or monogamy?" Jiho asked.

"OF-FUCKING-COURSE A HAREM, YOU FEMBOY BITCH!" Jang blurted out. Amelie panicked and jolted backward, hiding herself from view completely.

'He's going to attack...!!' Amelie thought, her language barrier making her misinterpret the situation as she hid herself once more.

'WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST BLURT OUT!!?' Jang thought, freezing internally.

Jang knew full well he had tried to blow up Jiho and kill him just two minutes ago. They had been on the verge of fighting. Even Jiho himself had said that they could never reach an agreement with Jang's violent nature.

Jiho was different somehow, maybe just like Jang. Jang had seen him nearly shrug off an injury that would have obliterated a normal human—and even a zombie. But that should have been Jang's unique ability. He was supposed to be the ONLY ONE special in this world.

It was absurd. Too absurd to continue, Jang thought as his heart grew cold...

... Before Jiho's next words heated it up to a boiling point:

"What...? Monogamy is so much more fulfilling though..." Jiho said as he looked to the side, seemingly deep in thought.

Jang snapped.

"FUCK."

"THAT." He called out, straining his throat while throwing his arms in the air.

"Listen, you femboy fucker. Being surrounded by hot bitches who are all loyal to you is the best there is. Like, they're so loyal, that if they cheat—not out of their will—they'll kill themselves! And you still get to keep the rest, who become even more loyal as a result!" Jang's arms flailed as he sat next to Jiho against the nearby wall. "With harems, you've got a stockpile! If one runs out, you can just stay with the rest, and maybe pick up a new, better one while you're at it!"

Jiho's eyebrows knitted as he looked at him, "Just what kind of manwhas are you reading? That's so messed up..."

"MESSED UP!!!?" A vein popped on Jang's forehead as he bellowed, "WANTING SECURITY IS MESSED UP!!? LOYALTY IS A VALID THING TO WANT, AND IT'S NATURAL TO WANT A LOT OF IT. AS AN ALLMIGHTY MAN, YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING YOU FUCKING WANT. WHY SETTLE FOR JUST ONE BITCH WHEN YOU CAN HAVE THEM ALL!!?" Jang argued.

"Dude, stop talking in caps-lock..."

Jiho then started thinking to himself, 'Why did I even try to reach out to him? It's like... Like how I felt when I first reached out to Daniel all those years ago when we first met. Like we could be friends... I'm fighting for my survival, and he just did something terrible to Amelie and Marcel... And tried to kill me. But... Honestly...' Jiho thought as he looked at Jang again.

'Am I really that different? If he hadn't done what he did to those two, and I hadn't come across Amelie when I did... I probably would've done the same thing.' He came to the conclusion with a frown and an inner sigh.

Meanwhile, Marcel sat in the corner, holding his shoulder and his knees as he curled up, looking at the ground, defeat and resignation coloring his eyes. 'Just... What is happening?' Marcel thought as he glanced at the two zombies seated next to him, listening to Jang and Jiho's 'casual' chatter in the background.

'I don't know. My lord... For the first time in my life, I feel more lost than I've ever felt... Ah... What a nice cold ground...' He thought, sitting between the hulking Doom Baby and Rukman, tracing circles on the concrete with his foot. 'An anchor in this madness...'

'I'm surrounded by these two hellspawns... And...' Marcel's thoughts trailed as he looked at Jiho and Jang talking like two boys in high school. 'Up until two minutes ago, that Jang fellow was hellbent on killing me...' His gaze flicked to Jiho. '... To think that Monsieur Jiho made such an unstable person this docile... I really must think of a way to place him beside my lady. And seeing as he's not a hellspawn yet, nor appears to be on his way to turning into one... That means... Monsieur Jiho is immune, in some way?'

"Ah, one second, time's up," Jang blurted as he aimed at one of his minions.

'Jesus fuck... This place reeks of piss. Did the tenants come down here whenever they got drunk or some shit?' Jang thought briefly as he momentarily looked at Jiho and Marcel, 'Like, seriously does it not bother them? I feel like throwing up... Fuck me,'

"?" Jiho hummed in curiosity.

"Soul Drain," he cast on one of his zombies. Jiho could see what appeared to be a trail of blood emerging from the zombie, flowing into Jang's body.

[Soul Drain - Level 2]

Effect: Absorbs the soul essence of a defeated enemy or an Undead Minion to restore HP.

HP Recovery: +20% HP per body.

Cooldown: 2 hours. (01:59:59 hour(s) remaining...)

[200/1100 +220 HP!]

[420/1100]

The body of the zombie slumped to the ground, a message flashing before Jang: [3 MINIONS REMAINING!]

[ZOMBIFICATION: 33% >>> 23%]

As Jang glanced at the Zombification meter, he thought, '... It's progressing slower now. It was at 30% earlier and just went up to 33% before I used Soul Drain, even though it's been a while. I need to fucking understand how this shit works...!!'

'... And also...'

"Heh. 420 blaze it." Jang said as his gaze flickered from his health bar to Jiho, gauging his reaction—only to see a confused face staring back.

'He... He just said those words... That hellspawn collapsed... And then some of his injuries disappeared... What kind of sorcery is this?!' Marcel thought, bewildered.

"You bastard... You don't seem too rattled," Jang said, his eyebrows knitting in frustration as he stared at Jiho.

"I mean, I really don't understand where you pulled the 420 thing from, it was so random..." Jiho murmured, causing Jang to flinch slightly. "But you made a zombie explode, so I guess I'm not too surprised you made one fall down."

"You stupid femboy bitch, I didn't SIMPLY make it fall down. I..." Jang began to boast before catching himself.

"?" Jiho tilted his head in confusion.

"Fuck that. I ain't telling you shit about my abilities."

"Fair." Jiho shrugged.

'FUCK!!! WHY AM I GOING AROUND REVEALING EVERYTHING I HAVE!!!? SHUT THE FUCK UP!!! THIS FUCKER JUST WANTS ME TO SPIT OUT MY INFO SO HE CAN USE IT AGAINST ME!!!' Jang thought, fuming internally, biting his lip as frustration surged through him.

"Enough about me. You're fucking suspicious. Making me spill all that info about myself...!! You fucker, you're scheming something, aren't you?!" Jang snapped again, causing Jiho to turn his attention to him.

"I didn't make you tell anything, though..." Jiho responded, making Jang flinch. "Why do you assume the worst?"

"Because...!!" Jang started, his voice trailing off as he looked away.

"That's just how humans are. All of them are scheming... Pieces of shit...!!" Jang clenched his teeth, his voice lowering, fists tightening.

Jiho let out a soft sigh, recalling the events that led him to this moment, struggling to find a counterpoint.

"...Not everyone." Jiho said, albeit hesitantly.

"Name one person. ONE person that isn't a scheming fucker," Jang challenged, his voice laced with bitterness.

"My mom," Jiho said reflexively, yet his tone was firm, his gaze steady as he looked at Jang.

Jang met Jiho's earnest eyes but couldn't hold his gaze for long. As Jiho mentioned his mother, Jang's eyes averted. His lips pursed slightly, a nauseating feeling stirring in his gut.

"Fuck off. Just fuck off." Jang spat, glaring at Jiho once more. "Fuck you. Go fuck yourself. You and that backstabbing old man and that blonde bitch up the stairs." He stood abruptly.

"Doom Baby, Rukman... And whatever your name is," Jang pointed at his third minion, "Let's go. I'm done with this place." He began walking toward the exit.

"You named them?" Jiho asked, causing Jang to stop abruptly, resisting the urge to answer.

Jiho tensed slightly, unsure of what would come next as Jang stood still for a moment.

"... Let's make one thing clear, femboy fucker," Jang growled, his tone suddenly sharp and intense.

"I don't know what high horse you've placed yourself on," he continued, his voice rising with anger. "But just because I've gotten cozy with you, don't think you're in the clear. I can fuck you up and that old fucker at the same time. I'm above you, and everyone else in this fucking world. I do what I want. If I want to name a zombie, I'll name a fucking zombie. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it," Jang spat, his words dripping with venom.

"And I WILL KILL YOU. If I think—no, if I even begin to think to think to think to think to THINK TO THINK TO THINK!!!!!" He yelled, causing Jiho and Marcel to stiffen, "TO THINK!—that you're up to something..." Jang's gaze bore into Jiho as he spun around, locking eyes with him. "I'll fucking go to the end of the Earth to kill you. No one. NOT A SINGLE PERSON who thinks they can hurt me goes unpunished. You got that?" Jang snarled, meeting Jiho's gaze, which remained calm and unwavering, without a single reply.

"Femboy fucker," Jang muttered as he turned back around, heading toward the exit.

Amelie pressed herself against the wall, heart racing as she heard Jang's footsteps approach. 'No...! I'm not sure what they talked about... But he's... He's coming this way... I need to hide..!!' Her thoughts spun wildly, fear tightening her chest as she desperately tried to escape up the stairs. But her sprained ankle gave way, and she tripped, landing face-first on the cold concrete.

"..." Jang walked calmly, hands in his pockets, noticing Amelie sprawled on the ground, clutching the stairwell. She was trembling, shielding herself from him as if waiting for the worst.

'No... He's... going to hurt me...!' Amelie thought in a panic, curling up as tightly as she could, bracing for whatever was coming.

"You..." Jang started, a sneer curling on his lips, satisfied by her pathetic state. His gaze locked onto her blonde hair, relishing the moment of her misery. But then, his eyes shifted downward, lingering on her twisted, swollen ankle.

His eyebrows furrowed slightly at the sight of her injury. His eyes slowly climbed upward, lingering on her upper body; the sneer that had once marked his face was gone. The blonde hair that usually filled Jang's vision no longer mattered. All that remained was the sight of her shivering form, trembling despite her desperate attempt to control it—fear rippling through her as though any movement might provoke him.

"Psche," Jang let out, wrinkling his nose as the smell hit him once more. 'This place really does reek of piss... Did she pee herself or something?' he wondered, as an unwanted memory suddenly flashed through his mind.

===========

"Hold him steady," someone sneered, "I'm gonna piss on his head,"

Jang's cheek pressed against the dirty and cold bathroom tiles, rough beneath his skin, his body trembling uncontrollably despite his desperate attempts to stay still. 

The air stank of stale sweat and dried urine, making it hard to breathe. He could hear the steady drip of a leak in one of the bathroom faucets, each drop echoing in the silent bathroom, but all he could focus on was the looming shadows above him.

"Shit, Jangy! If you shiver like that, some of his fucking piss is gonna fly at me when it lands on your head!!" the one holding him down barked, his hands digging painfully into Jang's arms, keeping him pinned. "You shiver one more time, and I'll break your arms." The grip tightened like a vice, making his bones ache.

The cold air bit into his exposed skin, and the sickening sound of a zipper being pulled open sent another jolt of panic through him. He squeezed his eyes shut, bile rising in his throat, but he forced it down. *Don't move... Don't move...* he repeated to himself, his body trembling despite his efforts before his survival instincts began to kick in; and his body became completely still.

"Wait! Tell him to wait a bit, I wanna film this..." a girl's voice cut through the haze, Jang's heart pounded in his chest, a deep thudding that filled his ears, drowning out the snickers of the group standing around him.

The stench of urine hit him first, a warm splash near his head that made him gag. His body shook involuntarily, tears stinging his eyes, but he clenched his teeth, making sure he wouldn't move... Else that person will break his arms.

"Joon-Seok, you're missing all your shots... What a riot," The girl laughed as she filmed.

"Shut the fuck up... I'm still hung over..." He murmured as his urine landed on Jang's cheek, leaking into his ear, his eyes that kept expelling it with tears, and his nose.

"Ooh, you got it... Nice, keep it up!" She cackled.

===========

Amelie, noticing no strike or insult incoming, cautiously turned her head.

She caught sight of Jang's pursed lips and his averted eyes.

Her breath hitched—why was he hesitating? She wondered. Why is that brutal, senseless person… showing such a soft, vulnerable expression?

But just as quickly, Jang shook the memory off, blinking rapidly as his expression hardened once more.

"The FUCK you're looking at!?" he barked, causing her to gasp and snap her gaze away from him.

"Tsche," Jang clicked his tongue as he walked past her with his zombie minions, eventually disappearing from view. "Blonde bitch..." he murmured as he moved on.

Amelie looked up at him once more, remembering his maniacal outburst when she had spit on him earlier, and then the bitter expression he had just worn as he loomed over her.

================

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Jang cackled, his voice booming through the building, echoing off the walls. "THAT'S LITERALLY ALL YOU CAN DO, ISN'T IT, YOU WHORE!!!? HOW DOES IT FEEL!!!? HOW DOES IT FEEL KNOWING THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS SPIT AT ME!!!? AAAH!!? HOW DOES IT FEEL!!!?" He screamed, his laughter maniacal as his face twisted in mockery and triumph.

"HOW DOES IT FEEL KNOWING YOU HAVE NO FUCKING POWER HERE!!!? NO POWER OVER ME!!!? HUH!!!? HOW DOES IT FEEL KNOWING THAT I HOLD ALLLLLLLL THE CARDS!!!?" Jang's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with a manic satisfaction as he stared down at her, basking in her helplessness.

=================

Amelie didn't understand a word of Jang's language. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling, coupling his recent outburst with Jiho's behavior when he saved her and Marcel earlier.

=========

"LET GO OF ME!!!" Jiho had shouted, pushing her away.

=========

'Is he... maybe hurt...? Just like Jiho?' she wondered, her eyes lingering on Jang's retreating figure until he completely vanished from view.