Chapter 23
The raits poured harder and harder, washing away the blood that stained James‘ hands. But at the same time, it soaked him to the bone. He turned to glance at Jocelyn beside him.
Her body was covered in bite wounds, with blood smeared all over. The injuries were horrifying to look at
The blood on the ground had already flowed to James‘ feet.
Without saying a single word, he turned and walked away, getting into his
The sudden contrast between the sto
storm outside and the warm air inside the vehicle made him feel sick. His face flushed unnaturally red
Nevertheless, James started the engine and sped toward the shrine.
Inside the car, he played Naomi’s favorite children’s song once again.
When he arrived at the shrine, he sought out the priest. The autopsy report had just been completed
Simon handed him the report detailing the causes behind each of Naomi’s injuries.
James held the documents, scanning each listed injury line by line,
The wounds he had never dared to fully face were now exposed, one after another–burns from electrocution, abrasions from being dragged, bruises from beatings, whip marks, skin graft trauma, and more.
It was way too much for a young woman to endure.
“Do you still want to see her?”
Even without reading the report, the priest could sense its terror just from the sheer number of pages. These weren’t just medical records. They were years of relentless suffering for a poor, young woman.
“This life of mine should’ve been hers to begin with.”
James let out a bitter laugh, then instructed his people to gather the necessary tools. He locked himself in a small room, opened a dusty old computer, and began matching the injury descriptions one by one to the corresponding footage.
He didn’t want anyone else to see them, so he watched each one himself.
While the footage didn’t show Naomi’s face clearly, the sounds alone were enough to make one’s skin crawl and send chills down their spine.
Those monsters!
James saw how the staff members at Jeanine Academy refused to feed her and how her outstretched hand looked like nothing more than a twig. He saw them laughing as they dragged her around again and
He saw her transition from sobbing and screaming to a state of numb silence, where she no longer reacted to the torture. And he say Naomi in that small room with more than a dozen men, forced into vile, animalistic acts.
It was filthy and disgusting, torture more cruel than the ancient death by a thousand cuts.
James felt the full weight of her despair. It crushed the air from his lungs. Even his fingertips were bleeding from clenching so tightly.
He loathed himself. At that moment, more than anything in the world, he detested himself.
By nightfall, the tools had been prepared–devices for electrocution, setups for starvation, dragging ropes, whips. They were all relatively easy to assemble
no one dared even to mention.
Only the humiliation part was something no
Just enduring the rest might be more than any ordinary person could take.
“Mr. Payne, do you want us to treat the burn on your hand first?”
“No need ”
He sat down in the electric chair. His face was visibly flushed now, burning up from a fever
“Sir, are you sure? You still have a fever…
“Do it.”
James‘ voice was steady and determined.
Naomi’s ghostly figure floated silently, drifting over to face him. She stared coldly at James, trying to see something–anything–from his expression. “Naomi.”
She froze mid–air. At this close distance, she could almost swear he was looking right at her.
Amid the storm, James said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t protect you” Naomi’s eyes shimmered slightly, and she turned away as the rain grew heavier and heavier.
