CHAPTER 169: ACT II, SCENE III: HELL MARIONETTE

Regulus stood frozen, stiff like a broken doll. Invisible strings wrapped around him, only visible when light reflected off them.

There were many, each one linked to a different part of his body.

He couldn’t move. His wand slipped from his hand and hit the ground beside him with a soft clatter.

Hypnos walked closer, black wings trailing behind him. He looked at Regulus like someone admiring a work of art.

"Beautiful," he said quietly. "So full of power. So proud. But now... Look at you. Just another puppet."

Regulus tried to move. His fingers twitched. His jaw tightened. But the strings only pulled tighter every time he struggled.

Hypnos lifted a hand and gently tugged a glowing thread.

Regulus’s right arm shot up.

Then his left leg.

Then both arms. His body jerked and twisted like a puppet tied to invisible strings.

"Dance for me," Hypnos whispered. "Let’s give them a show."

He stepped closer, smiling faintly.

"You know, boy, some people are born strong. Others are born weak. That’s the truth of the world. Everything lies between those two states. But even among them, there’s a line that separates the strong."

He moved his fingers again. Regulus’s limbs moved in painful angles.

"You’re strong, I won’t deny it," Hypnos said, voice soft like a lullaby. "But when someone stronger arrives... it doesn’t matter. You’re just like the rest. Easy to break."

He tugged sharply. Regulus’s shoulder twisted with a pop. The boy grunted, eyes tight.

Hypnos tilted his head and let out a slow breath.

"Oh? Not screaming? Hm. That’s impressive."

He reached for another thread.

"Let’s see how long that pride lasts."

Regulus’s arms began to move again, the cruel dance resuming.

His right elbow twisted in the wrong direction with a sickening crack. An intense pain crossed his arm and chest.

It felt like a knife slicing his nerves.

He clenched his teeth, holding back a cry. Hypnos chuckled, stepping closer, eyes glowing brighter.

"You’re still holding it in? I like that. I like you," he said softly, with a sick grin. "But don’t worry. I’ll break that wall of silence soon. You’ll be honest with me eventually."

He pulled another thread. Regulus’s shoulder popped out of place with a loud crack. His face twisted, jaw clenched tight, eyes closing.

Another tug. His knee twisted sideways. There was a horrible snap.

Regulus grunted loudly, the sound slipping out of his throat before he could stop it.

His body shook, and sweat ran down his face.

He bit down harder, drawing blood. But he still didn’t scream.

Hypnos tilted his head.

"Still no scream? Then maybe something different."

He made Regulus stumble into awkward, painful poses. The pain was sharp, constant.

But worse than the pain was the humiliation.

Regulus was being made a fool.

"You act like a brave warrior," Hypnos said. "But deep down, you’re just a kid."

Regulus glared at him. His eyes burned with quiet rage.

Hypnos smiled like it was nothing.

"Oh? You’re still determined? Stop... I won’t be able to hold back."

Regulus focused. He remembered what Kardrax said. About the strange magic that supposedly killed Sir Darwin, confirmed by Sylphera.

This was it.

He watched the threads. How they moved. How they stopped his aura. They didn’t just control his body. They locked away his power.

The chains were on his soul too.

He had to break the link.

He took a deep breath. He focused hard, trying to ignore the pain. Slowly, he pushed a bit of magic through his fingers.

It flickered, just a small spark of light.

Suddenly, his ring finger bent sideways with a loud snap.

"Ghh—!" Regulus let out a sharp grunt, face twisting in pain.

Hypnos chuckled.

"Really? Still trying? That’s adorable."

Regulus breathed hard, struggling to keep his thoughts clear. He glared up at Hypnos.

"You’re not... as safe as you think," he said. "If I can cut the threads—"

"—You’ll break free and win the day?" Hypnos interrupted with a smirk. "You’re just trying to make me talk. I see through you, boy."

He waved a finger in front of Regulus’s face.

"Naughty boy."

Regulus took a breath.

"You’re... scared I’ll figure it out."

Hypnos smiled, fake and dramatic.

"Oh no... You’re really trying to trick me. I’m so disappointed."

Then he touched Regulus’s hand.

"Let’s see how tough your fingers are."

Snap. One finger broke.

Snap. Another.

Snap. A third.

Hypnos made Regulus bow like a performer. Made him wave. Made him spin in place, arms raised unnaturally.

As his foot twisted on the spin’s end, his right ankle cracked with a loud snap.

Regulus grunted sharply, his face twisting with pain.

Sweat slid down his cheek, but he didn’t fall. His leg trembled under the weight, and his body swayed like it might collapse.

Hypnos only smiled, eyes wide with excitement.

"Oh, lovely. Each step, a little gift."

Regulus breathed hard. Every part of him hurt.

Hypnos walked slowly around Regulus, who stood frozen in place, body hanging from the invisible threads that pulled him like a doll.

"You know," Hypnos said, brushing dust from his shoulder, voice calm and strange, "sometimes I think about humans. How you throw children onto battlefields. Just because one of you shines a little brighter, suddenly he’s a weapon. You say it’s ’his choice,’ but it’s never the child’s choice. It’s your pride, your fear, your need to cling to someone stronger than you."

Regulus didn’t answer. His breathing was heavy. Sweat rolled down his face. Every part of him was sore. Still, he kept his glare locked on Hypnos.

Hypnos smiled wider.

"It’s almost funny," he continued. "We demons? We protect our own. We raise our warriors, train them, strengthen them. We don’t send children to die because it’s ’heroic.’ We don’t let them burn alone so we can sleep easier."

He crouched beside Regulus, voice dropping.

"And look at you. Barely standing. Bones cracked. Face like a kicked dog. And I still like you. If I was kind, I might let you go. Let you limp home. But then... I remember. You’re human. So fragile. So foolish."

Regulus’s teeth clenched. His fingers twitched.

"You want to break me," he muttered, voice raw and shaking. "But all you do is talk."

Hypnos raised an eyebrow, curious.

Regulus’s voice cracked, louder now, shaking with pain and rage.

"You look down on me like I’m a kid, like I should be grateful for your attention. But you know NOTHING! There’s no age in battle! No mercy! No ’too young’!"

A string yanked his arm, hard. Regulus gasped, biting back a cry.

"So... quit pretending you’re a teacher. I don’t give a damn about what you think or what you feel! Keep your lesson for yourself and FIGHT ME LIKE A DAMN WARRIOR!"

Hypnos stared at him in silence for a moment. Then, he laughed. A long, breathless, shaking laugh that grew louder and more unhinged.

He clapped his hands once, then threw his head back and yelled.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! That’s it! That’s the spirit I adore!"

His eyes gleamed with feverish delight.

The strings pulled again without warning. Regulus’s legs spun sideways in a strange, twisted motion.

His ankle snapped with a loud crack, and he dropped to one knee.

He groaned, grinding his teeth together.

Hypnos hummed a happy tune. He moved Regulus’s arms around, bending him backward, forcing his limbs into strange poses.

Every movement made a joint pop. It looked like a broken puppet dancing.

Regulus tightened his jaw. His vision swam, but he stayed silent.

Another sharp pull. His wrist bent the wrong way... snap.

He let out a rough grunt.

Then... light.

From his broken hand, a small spark of magic appeared. It buzzed in the air, wild and full of power.

Hypnos stopped, staring.

"Burn in Hell!!!" Regulus shouted through clenched teeth.

The magic exploded, not in a single blast, but in waves.

White and black energy swirled together like spinning glass, a storm of light and shadow tearing through the air in twisting spirals.

It was like a kaleidoscope of flame and ice, crashing in pulses with a sound like shattering bells.

A huge shockwave blasted outward, throwing Hypnos off his feet.

The entire dreamworld shook. Tall towers broke apart. The floating bridge split down the middle.

Lanterns burst in the air, raining glowing pieces like fireflies.

Death Mark

The attack spread out in every direction. Black and white energy twisted together like a storm, swirling in spinning circles.

It looked like a giant whirlpool of magic, pulling everything into its center.

The blast erased everything it touched. Buildings cracked. The sky shimmered. When the light finally faded, thick smoke curled in the air, like fog after a wildfire.