“Why did Alec break him out of jail?”

A loud crack of a whip whizzed by Leon’s ear. In an effort to stay composed, he kept his head bowed and eyes closed. The chains that bound his wrists and tethered him to the wall stopped him from falling to the ground, although his legs were shaky and he had little strength left in them.

Leon listened to the surrounding men, their heavy breaths filling the void in the room. Even without looking, he sensed three of them. He had been chained for hours. This was the only time someone entered the tiny cell they locked him in.

“Still got nothin’ to say?” He heard one of them step forward.

Finally opening his eyes, Leon stared straight into the gaze of a pudgy, middle-aged man. He donned all black clothing, and a mask covered half of his face. It was difficult to identify who he worked for as he had no characteristics that set him apart. All he could be certain of was that the Fioma military had taken him prisoner.

Leon’s only response to the interrogation was a huff.

He saw anger contort the man’s features, and, unable to prepare, Leon was greeted with a blow to the face. His neck cracked as it flung sideways, head spinning. The taste of iron filled his mouth as he coughed up blood.

Even though his vision was momentarily blurry, he watched as the guy pulled his fist back, readying for another punch. Leon stared down and braced himself for the impact, teeth grinding together in anticipation.

He waited for a few seconds and when nothing happened; he lifted his chin, only to find out someone had stopped the man from getting another hit in.

“Let me handle this.”

Now that was a voice he recognized.

Before him stood a familiar blonde archer, Alessio. His expression was unreadable.

“Get out,” commanded Alessio.

The two remaining men left without complaint, leaving Leon alone with the man he heard stories about. He wasn’t surprised to see him. Leon was familiar with the discord between Alessio and Alec, as it was something he was forewarned about when he first became a part of Inanis. This situation he found himself in wasn’t when it would happen, but how.

Alec advised him that while Alessio seemed frail, he was not one to take lightly. In the shadows, whispered among all the soldiers of Sheol, they talked of Alessio’s hidden self. Sheol’s secret weapon. Even he had knowledge of this.

Too bad for Alessio, this wasn’t the first time Leon had been tortured, and he was certain it wouldn’t be his last.

The real question is, how was he connected with the Fioma military? Wasn’t he working for Agnar? What did he get out of betraying his fellow soldiers? He doubted it was just to get to Leon. No, his actual goal had to be Alec. And Jaycee.

Breaking him out of his thoughts, unusually soft fingers cupped his cheek and forced him to stare into Alessio’s eyes. The reflection of himself, battered and broken, visage bruised, only served to fortify him. This was a picture he became all too familiar with, and it would take more than Alessio had to shatter him.

Without warning, Leon spit in the archer’s face.

Alessio’s grip loosened for a millisecond before he forcibly knocked his forehead into Leon’s, hands then wrapping around his neck. His thumbs dug into Leon’s throat.

“Let’s see what makes you break, Alec’s little puppet.” 

A/N: A little look into what Leon was going through when captured in Chapter 8.