Two weeks passed after being admitted to the facility, and then a week passed since I was allowed to act freely.
Jared, who didn’t end up following anyone, was subjected to violence by someone every day. He sometimes fought back, but realized it only provoked them further and stopped resisting.
Apart from meal times and reading in his room, he was constantly subjected to unreasonable violence.
He wanted to stay in his room, but the rule was that meals had to be eaten in the refectory, and all three meals had to be consumed. Reluctantly, he had to leave his room. Each time, he was caught by someone and subjected to continuous violence.
Eventually, he stopped feeling anything from being beaten. The pain was there, but it felt dull.
Even Tom, the only decent adult, said nothing more than “Follow someone” while tending to Jared’s daily injuries. No, it seemed he couldn’t do anything.
Though he didn’t want to rely on anyone and swore to escape and get revenge, Jared’s spirit began to break under the weight of his current helplessness.
It was then.
“Hey, Jared. You’re really taking a beating, huh?”
Returning to his room, Luzer appeared before Jared, who was crying with his voice muffled, and spoke to him.
Seeing him crying, Jared quickly wiped his tears and glared.
“I thought you’d break, you know? But I was wrong. You’re weak, but you’ve got guts, Jared.”
He had come to know Luzer well in the past few days.
Not only had Luzer saved him, but though they had only spoken once, he was strong. He was the biggest troublemaker in the facility, and despite being sixteen, he was mature, physically strong, and didn’t involve himself with any groups. Some people had even provoked Luzer, but they were all beaten into submission. The sight of him completely overpowering even adults who tried to intervene, beating them until they were incapacitated, was something to admire.
“I’ve been watching you. You get hit and kicked, and when you cry, you always cry alone. I felt a strength in your refusal to break, no matter how unreasonable the violence you faced. It’s something I could never imitate.”
However, unlike Jared, Luzer could fight back when he was attacked. He didn’t need to cry or break.
“So, I have a proposal, Jared.”
“A proposal?”
“Yeah. Hey— wanna team up?”
“Team up?”
Confused by the meaning of his words, Jared was calmed by Luzer’s words, “Don’t think too hard about it.”
“I won’t beat around the bush. I want to get out of this facility. So, Jared— let’s escape from here together.”
Escape. The word spoken by the boy who seemed to be the strongest in the facility made Jared nod naturally. It was an invitation he had only dreamed of. He had been dreaming of escaping this place every day.
“I figured you wouldn’t refuse. Nice to meet you, ‘brother’.”
Jared firmly grasped the hand Luzer extended.
From that day on, Jared and Luzer, who had become temporary brothers, didn’t escape immediately. First, Jared had to learn to fight at a basic level, or they would be caught right away, and all their plans would be for naught.
He learned how to resist. He was taught not just to endure the beatings but to clench his fist and hit back. The first time he truly fought back and punched an opponent in the face, the opponent’s expression was incredibly foolish. It was so funny that Jared laughed and continued to beat him until he lost consciousness. Since then, he decided to fight violence with violence.
It was primitive, but it meant he didn’t have to think about anything else. It was simple, above all else. More than that, when he was fighting or being fought, he felt alive. A month after he started resisting, Jared, who had been learning basic swordsmanship and physical combat from his grandfather, quickly absorbed Luzer’s practical training and the method of fighting immediately. Jared told Luzer he had magic power, but was convinced when Luzer said that in the end, one could only rely on their own body.
By then, they were rarely touched. Two months later, everyone avoided eye contact with Jared and Luzer. Even the adults who were supposed to be watching the children avoided the two, who had repeatedly resisted and injured them, unless it was for administrative matters. The only exception was Tom, who had been concerned about Jared. He had never been resisted.
And then, Jared and the others began to seriously plan. They obtained a blueprint of the facility, including a time when fewer staff were present. Unfortunately, they had no idea where the facility was located, so they would need to coerce a staff member to get that information, but that could wait until the moment of escape. While acting as troublemakers, the two steadily deepened their bond in preparation for their escape.
“Hey, brother. What do you want to do when we get out of here?”
“I want to kill my father.”
“Whoa, that’s dark.”
One night, with the escape plan mere days away from execution, Luzer laughed at Jared’s answer when asked about his post-escape objective.
“You’ve been through hell in a place like this, so I guess it’s understandable. Your father will have to pay.”
“What about you, Luzer?”
“I want to save my mother.”
“Your mother?”
“Yeah, my mother. I’m the son of a viscount, you know. Though I’m a child of a consort. Because of that, my status is low, and I’ve had a lot of trouble with the main wife, who has no children, constantly verbally abusing my mother and me, and harassing us.”
Jared was surprised by Luzer’s past, which he heard for the first time. He had heard that most of the children in the facility were nobles. Some were the children of wealthy merchants. So, he had assumed Luzer had a similar background.
“Did something happen to your mother?”
“It’s one thing to be kicked out of the mansion, but my mother got sick. We had no money and couldn’t even feed her properly. We were somehow managing to get by, but then I ended up like this. I want to escape quickly and get proper treatment for my mother.”
“You care a lot about your mother.”
“What about you, Jared?”
“My mother died when I was little. I heard she was murdered, but I don’t know the specifics.”
“…Sorry.”
Luzer’s expression shifted awkwardly.
“It’s okay. I don’t have many memories of my mother, so while I’m sad, it’s not that bad.”
“I think that’s the loneliest thought of all.”
“Is that so? I don’t know. Besides, I don’t get along with my family, and my father put me here. I can only feel hatred for him. However, I might want to see my cousin, who cherishes me, and my grandparents, who treated me well, again.”
“You will. We definitely will. You and I will see the people we want to see.”
Jared nodded at Luzer’s words, which sounded as if he were talking to himself. He felt he had glimpsed a little of Luzer’s vulnerability, and saw it as proof of their trust. After spending over two months together, Jared and Luzer, who had been like temporary brothers, now trusted each other like real siblings.
“Hey, brother. Will you make a promise with me?”
“Sure, let’s.”
“I’ll definitely succeed in our escape. But there’s always a chance something could go wrong. Let’s decide what to do in that case.”
“—Are you worried?”
“Yeah, I’m worried. I can’t help but worry. I want to escape for my mother’s sake. But what will happen to her if we fail? When I start thinking about that, my hands won’t stop shaking.”
“So, you want to make a promise in case of the worst?”
“That’s right. First, if one of us can’t escape, the other will not try to save them. If you have time to save them, just run.”
“Okay.”
He hoped that the future where only one of them couldn’t escape would never come.
“Instead, we’ll fulfill our objectives. If you can’t escape, I’ll get revenge on your father for you. So, if I can’t escape, find my mother and save her. Please.”
“Of course— brother.”
Jared extended his hand to Luzer with a smile. Without him, he surely would still be a weak child, crying and unable to do anything. To repay that kindness, and more than anything, he wanted to grant the wish of Luzer, who was like an older brother. Luzer firmly clasped Jared’s hand.
“Thank you, brother. I’m glad I met you.”
He expressed his gratitude to his younger brother. And then, Jared and Luzer— carried out their escape.
