𝑳𝑬𝑺 𝑭𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑰𝑳𝑬𝑺 •𝒃𝒙𝒃•

What was lost ~ 17

"Yuma, come here."

There was no will left within him to defy his father's words.

He stepped towards him, each and every part of his body shaking in horror. He couldn't fight back. He couldn't talk back. There was nothing left for him to do other than to listen to whatever he told him to do.

Follow his every instruction.

"Why must you do this? Haven't you learned already?"

That deep voice of his struck terror deep within him.

Yuma gripped onto his shorts, fingers uncontrollably twitching.

"Answer me!"

There was a loud bang, before his father stepped before him, his towering form making Yuma flinch back out of instinct.

"I'm sorry, Papa... It won't happen again..."

It won't happen again... He always said that, and yet...

"You always say that... Why...? Why do you always lie to me?!"

And then the first hit came. Pain exploded in his cheek and he stumbled away, tripping over his own feet.

The marble floor was hard and cold on his exposed skin.

"Can't you listen for once?!"

His father's shoes—sleek black and polished to perfection—clicked against the tiles.

Yuma felt wetness slide down his cheek, but he dared not make a sound. Crying meant he was weak. Crying meant he wasn't a Laurent. But... there was no way for him to stop the tears from dripping.

"I told you the rules and yet you break them each chance you get! I told you the rules and you do not follow them!"

His furious silver eyes flashed with each word he said. He raised his arm and took hold of his black tie, before he loosened it enough to throw it to the side. Next went his jacket.

With no reluctance, the man pulled his white dress shirt's sleeves up.

"Papa...?" Yuma choked out as he held a hand over his stinging cheek. His round eyes widened as the man neared him, "Papa, what are you doing...?" He barely got the words out, before he was harshly grabbed by the arm.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson." The man harshly whispered, his pearly white teeth flashing as he bit out the words.

A lesson...?

His arm was harshly tugged forward and he tripped over his feet once again, but the man didn't stop, instead choosing to drag him across the marble floor. Yuma grabbed his father by the wrist, incoherent words leaving his lips as he tried to stop the man.

It didn't work.

A door was slammed open and Yuma was thrown forward, bones painfully clicking against the floor, "Papa!" He exclaimed, fresh tears sliding down his already wet cheeks.

"This is a lesson you'll never forget."

He heard the threat, but it made no sense to his young mind.

Then the second hit came.

And pain was all that he felt.

His back ached.