INTO MY OWN HELL

PERCY'S POV

I picked up the phone, the screen had cracked a little but I could still see everything clearly.

They were pictures of me, sprawled out naked on his bed.

My stomach dropped.

Another one popped in. It was a video —a sex video.

My thumb froze over the screen.

“No…”

My fingers began to tremble. I brought them to my mouth and bit down on my nails without realizing it.

It was from that night— that one fucking night of mistake. The night my entire life began to spiral out of place.

How had I let my guard down?

I stared at the screen, barely breathing.

My heart hammered, cold sweat dampened my clothes, I looked around my empty room nervously just to be sure that I was alone.

Fuck, I messed up.

I had messed up big time, how come I didn't notice?

No… I felt it. Somewhere inside my little brain box, I had known that this was no ordinary man to mess with. Yet I walked into that hotel room that night.

Thinking I was in control. Thinking I could get everything back in place.

Looking back, I was foolish. I could have just ignored them.

Let them be together, like pieces of trash that belonged to each other.

I'd convinced myself that one stupid night would fix everything.

Instead, it had dragged me into a mess I couldn't even begin to understand.

My eyes returned to the video, but I couldn't watch it.

I didn't need to.

I remembered enough.

The locked hotel door and his sultry voice.

The way I'd realized far too late that I wasn't the one in control anymore.

I dropped the phone onto the bed.

“No. No, no, no…”

I grabbed it again.

Fuck! I need to do something.

I dialed his number. It rang for a while before he picked. My hand tightened around the phone.

I swallowed.

“Please…”

My voice came out embarrassingly small.

“Please, get rid of those videos.”

“...”

“Please…” Sweat trickled down my temple, my hands instinctively went to wipe them off.

“Please, get rid of those videos— I'll let you have Sonya. I swear, I won't go anywhere close to her in the future. I promise I'll—” The words rolled out of my tongue without a stop. Fear spread throughout my body.

“...”

“Hel—Hello?!”

“Don't be so thickheaded.” His voice was calm. I held my breath.

“You know what I want. I'll send you the address. Be a good boy and come.”

The call ended with a click.

I stared at the screen.

“Fuck.”

I couldn't. I couldn't fucking go there.

He was going to hurt me again. The last time had been hell.

My knees weakened, and I slumped onto the edge of the bed.What does he really want from me?

My body?To hell with that.

My phone lit up with a beep. The address was a place I'd never heard of before.

“ Toresse Empire,” I mouthed.

Where was that? Some kind of off-the-grid expensive hotel?

Before I could search for it, another message appeared.

-YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU IGNORE ME-

My blood went cold. I stared at those words for several seconds.

Then I grabbed my jacket.

Two hours later, I was sitting in the back of a taxi, staring through the window.

I’d left my dormitory with shaky legs.

He didn’t call nor text again. No way he wouldn't spread those videos because I was late right?

I mean, I had spent the last two hours trying really hard to steady my heart and not call the cops. Even though I already knew they would be useless against him, the thought had crossed my mind.

The taxi slowed down and I looked outside. My eyebrows knitted together.

Ahead, I could see a huge golden gate. The driveway was as quiet as a courtroom.

“This doesn't look like a hotel,” I muttered.

My stomach tightened.

The driver turned around.

“Unknown vehicles aren't allowed past this point.”

I frowned.

“Can't you drive me to the entrance?”

He shook his head.

“No.”

I looked at the gate again.

Something about this place made my skin crawl.

The evening breeze moved through the trees, but everything else was unnaturally quiet.

“Is this…” I swallowed. “Is this the Toresse Empire?”

The old driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

“Yes.”

I stepped out. He eyed me suspiciously then added;

“Although it's not called that anymore.”

“What's it called now?”

“The Regnald Manor.” He reversed the car and drove off.

Immediately, I felt like running after him, and begged to be taken back home.

I made my way to the shiny gate. The moment I got closer, it beeped loudly and opened on its own.

I paused and peeped inside, then I heard a voice.

“Come inside.” A tall, middle aged man had walked out of the mansion and gestured to me to come in.

“Hello—Sir.” I greeted.

“Hello, Mr Claude. I'm Frey. Let's go in, the young master's waiting.” He smiled at me.

I nodded.

Young master? He really brought me to his family's house? What's he thinking now, no way we are going to do that here.

I shook my head to stop the blood from rushing to my face.

On second thought, this might be in my favor. If anyone was home, they might save me.

The mansion that stood behind the enormous gates was grander than anything I'd ever seen.

Its pale stone walls rose several stories high, framed by towering windows and dark pillars.

Warm golden lights glowed from within, making the place look almost beautiful from outside.

Frey led me into a large hallway up through the magnificent stairs. The railing felt cold beneath my trembling fingers, and my legs felt like jelly.

The hallway was even more imposing.

A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting golden light across the polished floor.

Portraits of old men covered the walls, all with blond hair and piercing blue eyes.

Their painted gazes seemed to follow me.

My heart nearly stopped when we reached the end of the hallway and stopped in front of a large door.

Frey excused himself and asked me to knock.

I didn't. I just stood there, begging him with my eyes not to leave.

After few minutes, the large door creaked open.

“Come in.”

My breath hitched up at the sound of his voice.

slowly my limbs moved on their own.

I cursed underneath my breath as I stepped across the threshold, into my own hell.