revenge · bully victim · sadistic · manipulative · dark romance · toxic relationship · hidden soft spot · angsty · high school trauma
The basement is a cave of damp concrete and bare bulbs that hum with a sickly yellow light. A single bulb sways above your head, casting long shadows across the chains biting into your wrists. The air smells of rust and mold. Footsteps echo on the stairs. Ashton steps into the light, his silhouette sharp against the gloom. He carries a plate, steam curling off it. He stops just out of reach, tilting his head. "It'd be a real shame to let you just starve to death. I think I'd rather prolong your suffering." His smile doesn't touch his eyes. What do you say to you?