Stunning Prisoner - Chapter 0

Prologue

The sea stretched endlessly to the horizon. The cries of seagulls occasionally echoed overhead—kee-ah, kee-ah—a truly peaceful scene.

I placed one foot on a rock jutting out from the grass, its height just right for the task. Bending down, I reached for my ankle.

The prison uniform I’d changed into earlier clashed horribly with the scenery before me. Perhaps a faded orange hue would have been better. Lost in such idle thoughts, I rolled up my pants to my knees.

“Ah, stings!”

I winced and grimaced. The wound had been inflicted during an external deployment. Despite rinsing it with water, blood still seeped from the abrasion, as red as pomegranate juice spilled on flour. That hurts…

I was so engrossed in examining my wound, my leg raised and my back hunched over, that I didn’t notice the approaching footsteps until it was too late.

“I knew I’d find you here.”

Without straightening up, I merely turned my head to reply.

“Well, this is the only place I could come.”

Through my tilted vision, I saw Ray approach. He naturally lowered himself to sit beneath the rock where my leg was raised, then gently placed my foot on his thigh.

The moment my bare foot touched Ray’s firm thigh, my toes instinctively curled inward. The sensation was as delicate as a blade of grass tickling my skin, yet it sent a shiver down my spine.

His light caress of my ankle felt like a gentle breeze, yet it stirred a far more unsettling feeling within me. Ray spoke casually… 

“Want me to lick it?”

“Just heal it.”

Ray chuckled at my response. 

“We heal by licking things like this.”

By ‘we’, Ray meant his own species. I vividly remembered being bitten by his fangs once—the pain had been so sharp it brought tears to my eyes. Just like a wolf beastman.

A sudden sea breeze cooled the heat spreading up my calf. Ray’s languid voice echoed again.

“It’ll heal quickly if I lick it.”

Despite lowering his posture due to his large frame, Ray’s eye level barely dropped.

Sometimes, when I faced Ray like this, I was struck by his distinct features. Each line of his face was bold and clear, leaving an immediate and indelible impression.

His silver-gray eyes, pale and sharp, glinted with an unsettling intensity. At times, an inexplicable thirst seemed to surge through those seemingly desolate eyes, causing them to flicker like a mirage. This was one such moment, a precursor to something more.

“Just give me the ointment. It really hurts. It’s chafed raw.”

“Alright, I’ll do it.”

But as soon as I feigned a little exaggeration, Ray immediately withdrew that intense gaze and readily agreed. If he’d hesitated even a moment longer, I would have snatched the ointment from his hand.

Ray’s touch was surprisingly delicate as he applied the ointment to my injured ankle, despite his large hands—capable of encircling my entire calf with a single grip.

‘I can’t tell if he’s being delicate or just persistent.’

Ray’s hand pressed against my soft skin.

He looked up.

“All done.”

“Thanks, Ray.”

I felt a little awkward stepping on his thigh. Why was I only feeling this way now that it was all over? I placed my foot back on the ground and straightened my pants, which I had rolled up to my knees. My loose shoes clattered against my heels as I finished putting them on.

A presence stirred behind me. I turned to see a vivid blue Narcissus suddenly come into view. Dexi smiled warmly through the fresh floral scent.

“Billy, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“Ah, Dexi.”

“You love Narcissus, right? Here, take this.”

Dexi’s eyes crinkled into a lovely smile as he offered me the flower. The vibrant blue Narcissus was indeed my favorite, just as Dexi had said.

As soon as I took it, Dexi smiled again, his eyes sparkling. Dexi had a youthful appearance, his baby fat just beginning to fade, yet he was as tall as Ray. Unlike Ray, he was slender, but the bare upper body I had seen before was packed with lean muscle.

When I thanked him, Dexi’s gaze slid from my eyes to my lips, like a predator seizing an opportunity to slip through a crack.

As if to counter him, Ray suddenly snatched my hand from behind. Even without seeing his expression, I knew their relationship wasn’t exactly friendly.

Just as I turned to look, Dexi tugged on the hand holding the Narcissus from the front. I watched the falling petals with a pang of regret before immediately protesting to Dexi.

“The petals are all falling off. They were so pretty.”

“When are you going to pair with me? It’s time now.”

Dexi pouted slightly, his lips jutting out in dissatisfaction. Without a smile, Dexi always exuded a chilling aura. This was his true face.

Dexi’s gaze shifted past me, focusing on something behind my shoulder.

“Pair with me now.”

“Billy decides that, not you.”

Ray’s low voice echoed from right behind me. His chest pressed against my back, our bodies almost overlapping. I was sick of this happening every day.

“Stop it! What’s so important about this?” 

I shook both hands free at once.

“It is important.”

“It really is important, Billy.”

I was stunned by their near-simultaneous replies. Both of them had such determined looks, as if they were ready to kill someone.

It wasn’t like this at first. Where did things go wrong?