Bang! Bang! Bang! Vern and Edward rained blows down on Kazik like men possessed, their fists a storm too relentless for him to even catch his breath. Each strike landed with a sickening thud, his body jerking under the assault. There wasn't even enough time for him to scream—his voice caught in his throat, drowned beneath the torrent of pain.
"Take this, you fucktard!" Edward roared, his face twisted with fury. Spit flew from his lips as he drove his fist mercilessly into Kazik's gut. The blow folded him over, and a ragged gasp burst out of his mouth.
Vern, on the other hand, said nothing. His expression was cold, almost frighteningly calm. His eyes burned with silent rage, his jaw clenched tight as if every strike was carved from pure will. He didn't waste breath on words—he simply poured everything into the brutality of his fists.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Their knuckles split, but they didn't care. Kazik's face contorted with every impact, swelling, bleeding, his teeth rattling as blood sprayed from his lips. He tried to shield himself, but his arms shook violently, breaking apart under the barrage.
Edward snarled, veins bulging along his neck as he smashed Kazik's head to the side with a vicious hook. Vern followed immediately, his kick slamming into Kazik's ribs with a bone-cracking thump. The sound was sharp, echoing in the air like a snap of breaking wood.
Finally, Vern pivoted, his boot driving deep into Kazik's gut. The impact sent him flying across the ground, his body twisting before crashing with a heavy thud. For a brief moment, the world seemed to still—only the ragged gasps of Vern and Edward remained, their chests heaving, fists trembling from the force of their own wrath.
"Ahhhhhhhh!"
Now that his lungs finally found the chance, Kazik screamed like a man whose soul was being torn apart, his voice hoarse and broken, echoing with desperation. It was a scream without dignity, a sound that clawed at the air as if it were his last breath on earth.
"This is what you get for blackmailing, you fucker!" Edward spat, his chest heaving, sweat dripping down his brow. He was panting hard, every word laced with both fury and exhaustion. His fist hovered threateningly at his side, trembling—not from fear, but from the sheer effort he'd poured into each strike.
Beside him, Vern remained silent, his gaze cold and unyielding. He simply gave a short, firm nod, as though his silence spoke louder than words. His presence was heavier than Edward's voice, a quiet judgment that pressed down harder than any blow.
"Sn–sniff… sniff…" Kazik's bloodied face twitched as he tried to pull himself together. His lips quivered, words slurred through his swollen mouth. "Wht… wha did… Evr… d-did ta… you…?"
Edward's eyes widened, then narrowed to slits. "What did you say??" His voice was sharp, filled with contempt. He leaned forward, glaring at Kazik's trembling form. "I didn't hear you, you fucking asshole!"
Kazik groaned, his head swaying. Edward's fist clenched tight again, veins bulging, knuckles pale. The threat in his posture was clear, his arm cocked back, ready to strike once more. "Speak normally—" he growled, his tone dark as thunder, "—or I swear, I'll continue beating the shit out of you."
"I… I diddn' da… anathing…" Kazik stammered, his voice cracked and garbled, every word dripping with pain from his swollen jaw. His lips quivered, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Vern and Edward just exchanged a look, then scoffed in pure disdain. Both were still catching their breath, chests heaving, their fists trembling from the fury they had unleashed.
"This fucker…" Edward hissed, his teeth clenched so tight his jaw throbbed. He leaned forward, spit flying as he growled, "I swear, if he utters one more word with that shit-covered mouth, I'll rip his balls clean off."
But before Edward could take another step, Vern's quiet voice cut through the tension.
"Let me."
The calmness in his tone was more terrifying than Edward's rage. He stepped forward, slow and deliberate, his boots crunching against the dirt. Bending down on one knee, he leveled himself with Kazik's bloodied face. The closeness made Kazik's heart pound erratically. When Vern's sharp, unwavering eyes met his, Kazik instantly flinched and looked away, unable to hold the gaze. His entire body trembled, as if the very air had turned to ice.
"Listen carefully," Vern began, his voice low and steady, each word cutting like a blade. "I've told you before—I'd cut off your useless head if I saw you speaking to the girls again." His lips curled in quiet disgust as he leaned closer, his breath brushing against Kazik's ear.
"But I'll say it again… one last time." His tone dropped, heavy, merciless. "If I so much as see you talking to them ever again… I will make your life so miserable that even death will seem like mercy."
As the final word left his lips, Vern unleashed his bloodlust without restraint. It burst forth like a tidal wave, crushing the air around them. The atmosphere turned suffocating, dense enough to make Edward's skin crawl—and Edward wasn't even the target. For Kazik, it was hell itself. His body locked up, cold sweat poured down his back, and his teeth chattered uncontrollably as if his very soul was being dragged into an abyss.
Kazik dared not move. He dared not breathe. The only thing he could do was lower his head, trembling under Vern's overwhelming presence.
In the end, Kazik didn't even have the strength to resist. His body gave in completely, and he pissed himself, the warm liquid soaking through his tattered clothes and pooling on the ground beneath him.
"This… disgusting thing." Edward spat out, his voice trembling with a mixture of disgust and lingering rage as he looked at the mess. He stepped back slightly, avoiding the puddle with an exaggerated grimace.
Vern, ever precise and unbothered by trivialities, simply moved back, keeping a careful distance. His calmness only made Kazik's humiliation feel more absolute.
Edward clicked his tongue, a frustrated sigh escaping him. Ahh… that bastard, Vern. I wanted to say something so cool… and he just stole my chance. Damn it. His chest heaved from both exertion and lingering fury, and he shook his head, eyes glancing at Vern with mock annoyance.
"Hey," Edward said aloud finally, catching Vern's attention, "I wanted to say something like… but I concede this time." He exhaled sharply, letting the tension in his shoulders ease just slightly.
Vern's eyes remained locked on him for a heartbeat—silent, unreadable. Then, without a word, he simply moved back, his calm, controlled movements contrasting sharply with Edward's animated frustration. Edward's lips twitched in a half-smile, half-grimace as he watched Vern disappear from his immediate line of sight.
The scene hung there—Kazik shivering and broken, Edward recovering from fury and embarrassment, and Vern—the immovable, terrifying presence—standing back, detached, but undeniably victorious in the unspoken war of dominance.
"Look, Kazik Nathan," Edward said, stepping forward with a grin that was almost too cheerful for the situation. "From now on, you're just going to behave like a little good boy. You understand?"
He paused, letting his words sink in, before leaning closer, still smiling that disturbingly proud smile. "And if I ever see you flocking around my sister again… I'll make sure you get pregnant by a gorilla."
Edward's eyes flicked toward Vern, a spark of pride lighting his gaze—as if he had just delivered the coolest line in the world.
Kazik's mouth hung open, his swollen lips trembling. He wanted to speak, to protest, but the weight of both Edward's wrath and Vern's presence crushed any thought of defiance.
"…" Vern remained silent, his sharp eyes locked on Edward, unblinking. Inside, he thought, This idiot… really competing? Is it even possible for someone to be like him? But his face gave nothing away, just that calm, unreadable mask that made Edward's bravado look almost ridiculous in comparison.
Edward, oblivious to Vern's inner thoughts, clicked his tongue and puffed out his chest a little, clearly pleased with himself.
After giving him their respective warnings, Edward and Vern left the room, walking down the corridor with casual, almost indifferent steps—as if nothing had happened. Their presence vanished, but the weight of what just occurred lingered heavily in the room.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Kazik, left alone, felt a surge of humiliation so intense that it ripped through him, forcing a piercing, desperate scream that echoed off the walls. His body shook uncontrollably, every nerve on fire from fear, pain, and shame.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" he cursed, each repetition sharper than the last. His fists pounded against the floor and his chest as he thrashed, trying to burn away the sting of his defeat. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the blood and sweat already crusted on his swollen skin.
For what felt like an hour, he rolled on the floor, sobbing, groaning, and thrashing in a storm of self-directed fury and despair. Slowly, exhausted and aching, he crawled to the edge of the bed and collapsed, shaking violently, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
After a few moments, he forced himself to sit up, trembling as he began tending to his wounds. His hands moved awkwardly, fingers slick with blood and tears, as he cleaned cuts, pressed against bruises, and tried—desperately—to stitch together some sense of control over the chaos that had just consumed him.
Even as he worked, a small, bitter voice whispered in the back of his mind: I… I will never let this happen again… But for now, all he could do was sit there, broken, humiliated, and utterly powerless.