SECOND SIN
“Next time you’ll remember faster.”
He untied the belt, let it fall to the floor, and walked out without another word, leaving Nathan kneeling in the middle of the room—wrists red, shoulders burning, tears dripping steadily onto the carpet.
END OF FLASHBAC
Nathan jerked awake on his bed, his heart racing, the phantom sting still echoing across his back. He pressed both palms to his eyes, breathing hard. The room was dark. The clock glowed 3:14 a.m. He hadn’t slept more than twenty minutes at a stretch all night.