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Erza tries to adjust the cuffs clamped around her wrists and chained into the wall of the pillar. The metal clanks against the pillar and digs into her flesh. Once -if-, the cuffs come off, Erza knows her wrists will be bloody and cut.
Her head rests against the pillar too, blocking her view of the crowd forming behind her. All Erza can hear are the guards' shouting orders to the growing crowd. Erza knows they’re somewhere in that crowd, her family.
She’s not afraid. Showing fear won’t buy her any sympathy. If anything, showing fear, which she definitely isn’t feeling, will make the guards more violent. The chains shaking in tandem with her body isn’t from fear.
Erza needs to stay strong, if not for herself then for Jellal, Simon, Millianna, Sho, and Wally.
The main guard calls for silence and no one dares to defy him. Even Erza tries her hardest to stop shaking, to halt the tears threatening to fall down her face. She knows it’s coming, the punishment and the pain. She tenses waiting for their first strike.
It comes faster than Erza expects. The pain rips down her back, curling around her body. The scream leaves her body before she can even think of stopping it. Her mind is clouded with pain and her ears are ringing.
Distantly, Erza thinks she can hear Jellal and Simon shouting or maybe Millianna crying.
The next strike, from a whip Erza thinks since she still can’t see what they’re using, comes just as fast and violently as the first. The pain doubles. It waves through her body, bouncing all across her body. Her back feels like it’s on fire.
Erza feels the rest of her body going numb from shock.
She tries to focus on something, anything, other than reality. She goes through the all the stories grandpa Rob tells of his life before the tower. Of fairies and witches with magic and grand adventures with lifelong friends.
Several strikes occur through it all.
By the time the first guard stops, and Erza deludes herself into thinking her punishment is over, her back feels as though her spine has been pulled out of her. Her whole body sags into the pillar and onto the floor. She can see blood pooling around her.
“Well girl, had enough yet?” It’s not until another strike hits her that Erza realizes the question is directed at her.
“Please.” She tries to beg but the words only come out as a jumbled moan.
The guards laugh and the main one says, “So you think you’re too good for words huh?”
There’s a twisted smile forming across the man’s face. He tightens his grip on the whip, knuckles whitening. Erza tries to shake her head; to tell them no but no tangible sounds escape her mouth. Every attempt at movement sends waves of pain across her body.
“Leave her alone!” Someone shouts.
It has to be either Simon or Jellal. Sho and Wally would never antagonize the guards like this. The voice sounds male which rules out Millianna. At least Erza thinks it’s male, everything is so fuzzy now.
Her eyes feel heavy, and she can feel that the cuffs chained in place are the only things holding her body up. Sleep calls to her, the dreams she has are her only solace from the nightmare of being here. In Erza’s dreams she can be free with her friends, go on fun adventures around the world, and become the best witch with the coolest magic.
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Erza awakens to mind numbing pain in her back and wrists. She tries to ask ‘what happened’ but only groans come out. Someone pulls her in closer and hands begin gently running through her hair. Everything hurts but this feels nice.
“It’s okay Erza, it’s over now. Just rest, we’ll handle things from here.” The voice says.
Erza dreams of the life she could have had. She wonders what type of magic she’d have and if there’s any other witches who fly on brooms. Flying is the ultimate form of freedom. Sometimes Erza wishes she could fly away from here.