1. Chapter 1 (1/2)

the sound of silence

[[whumptober prompt—isolation]]

darkness.

blacker than black.

soundproof.

haunting.

squall sat with his knees pulled up to his chest, his bare and bleeding back up against the wall. his head throbbed, and he couldn't be sure what was real anymore. the cell walls were closing in on him like a vise. laughing at him.

having diplomatically declined to give his captors any information other than his rank and identification number; they had been more than willing to try and beat the intel out of him. he was proud that he never cracked. when they had either grown tired of his antics—or just plain exhausted themselves—they had simply thrown him into an isolation cell.

locked the door.

walked away.

squall had no idea how long he wallowed in the pitch-black. he had no concept of time. had it been only a few minutes? hours? days? any attempt at calming techniques learned during years of seed training had long since failed. deep

eaths replaced by raspy, skittish gasps. his once-confident hands, used to bearing the weight of the mighty lionheart, reduced to nothing more than useless, clammy, shaking appendages. not worthy to hold a weapon, not worthy to hold out in submission as he begged for mercy.

he was alone.

trapped.

from the darkness, they came.

demons. ghosts. malevolent monsters, clawing at his flesh. feasting on his blood, their jagged teeth slicing into his veins. pushing and prodding with crystalline claws, encouraging his life essence to weep from hundreds of tiny puncture wounds.

he backed himself into the corner of the cell. hands covering his eyes. they couldn't get him if they couldn't see him.

it was of no use.

squall listened to their gnashing teeth, their inhuman, ghastly cries. the

eath of the dead, whispering in his ear, encouraging him not to fight. that he would be next, whether he liked it or not.

he panicked.

they dissolved his skin with their acidic saliva.

he clawed at the walls, hyperventilating.

they

oke his legs, sucking out the marrow as he attempted to writhe away.

he screamed.