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You disobeyed me. You humiliated me by rejecting my reward." The deep voice shouted.

"She's just a child! I can't force myself on a child, for chrissake!" A deeper voice rumbled, his voice laced with anger.

"You don't have a choice, young man. She's my gift to you for your winning on Friday night, and until you take her to bed for one night, you'll keep getting tortured by them," the man declared, gesturing to his guard. "Continue!"

The guard removed the scorching rod from the fire, clutching it with a thick cloth. He then brought the red-hot rod closer to himself and pressed it against his body, howling in agonizing pain...

Jerald was jolted awake by a high-pitched scream. He sat up, rubbed his face, and blinked away sleep. The scream echoed once more.

Throwing aside the covers, he hurried down the hall to the adjacent room. There, he found Berezira writhing on the bed, her body drenched in sweat. Her eyes remained shut, ensnared by a haunting nightmare. She screamed again.

Still ree