Her bare feet ache as she keeps running on the cobblestone, approaching the main gate. There it is, tall and steady, the barrier separating Aori from a happy life with her family. Time freezes in front of her violet eyes, her fingertips reach for the cold iron bars. The moment she's about to push the gate open, a bright light looms over her. She sees a hospitable smile on her mother's face, she feels the warmth of that smile on her naked skin. About to run into the tight embrace of her beloved parent, she suddenly gets snapped back to reality by an icy feeling on her fingers.
She slowly pushes the heavy gate until the breadth of the gap allows her to go in. Akashi's servants are already spilling out of the building, dashing after the runaway with pleas and threats. Aori ignores the dozens of voices knocking on her conscience, she doesn't look back and slips in the tiny gap in between the sealed gates.
Those are her first steps outside, in the freedom. She gasps for air, curling her lips into a wide grin. She's done it. She has broken loose and she won't let Akashi possess her again.
...Or did she know from the very beginning that it would all end like this.
"Disgusting." Akashi wrinkles his nose in despise, scanning Aori's injuries. While she's thrown on the floor by his feet, helplessly crawling on her hands, he watches from above with a stern mien covering his face. He's furious for Aori's misconduct may not be forgiven. She has broken the taboo, and the punishment for it is going to be remorseless.
He crouches down, gathering her long, silky hair in his fist. He pulls it up, making Aori groan in agony as she instinctively tries to reach for his hand, but stops a second before she can touch him. Tears puddle up in the corners of her eyes; she's been close, the long desired freedom was within her reach, at least for a flash. She's been forcefully dragged back, scolded by the servants and reported to Akashi without a delay.
"Don't do this again." Says the lad with a hostile look on his face. He looks her straight in the eyes, wordlessly screaming his dominance over her fate and her life. "From today on, you're going to be held in my room." He dares, not like there's something Aori can object to. She only wishes to speak her mind out, to tell Seijuurou that she's a human being and has the right to demand for her privacy. But she hasn't.
"How pathetic you are, Aori." The redhead sets her hair loose, letting the rich strands of hair graciously fall upon her face as she bows her head low. "Look at me." He orders, she obeys. Akashi's hand raises and swings in the air, roughly slapping the girl's cheek. Not only has she attempted to get away, but she has also taken damage, scratched the precious face which looks like that of Seijuurou's mother, there is no way in this rotten world he's forsaking such a mistake.
"This is... my body..." The fragile gal utters through tears, gritting her teeth and clenching her little fists. The servants gasp, all putting up open-mouthed expressions. How dare a commoner like Mizuru talk back to their absolute master. "And this face... belongs to me... I can do... whatever I want with it..." She coughs up, now looking down in desperation. She's ready to accept whatever the consequences of her insolence are. She sits still with squinted eyes and shaking hands, for a while nothing happens, then she hears footsteps marching away and outside the door. She wants to sigh in relief, but the air is stuck in her lungs in dread of adding up to her punishment.
"Mizuru.. what an ungrateful piece of trash."
"Why does Akashi-sama even waste his breath on this lout."
Chatter fills the air, notifying Aori that Akashi has left the room. She falls on her hands and slams her forehead on the carpet, breaking down into a pool of tears. Today she's crying out everything that has piled up on her heart, she's ridding herself of the sickly weight, from now on, she's to have twice as much attention, twice as many servants watching over her, and twice as many regrets and reasons to cry.
In the evening, she's brought into his room, just as his majesty has requested. She sits on the floor across from the bed and waits, she's neither aware when the emperor is back to his bedroom, nor if she wants to know. She hugs her knees to her chest and rests her heavy, aching from all the crying head on them. Out of the blue, she hears the creak of the door and winces.
Through the silver-plated hardwood door comes in the absolute king of his chamber, and while he's walking up to the girl, she quickly hops off the cold floor and bows. Inches away from her small frame, Akashi seizes her wrist and pushes her against a wall, putting enough force to break her bones upon her frail wrist.
"See this, Aori?" He turns her around to face the mirror, holding her against his chest. He runs his hand down her arm and wraps it around her waist. "Everything this, including your miserable life belongs to no other than Akashi Seijuurou." He declares before heartlessly shoving her aside. Her body tumbles on the ground, the pain in her limbs scratches her heavy heart pleasingly.
She thought she was strong, but he has broken her.
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mina-san ^^ i've joined knb_wattyawards! the akashi seijuro category! might be too soon of me but i still hope that i can get your support (: thnx to u all! <3