THE TORMENTOR
The Tormentor - Episode 45&46
( Blêed•For•Me, Ixora )
Book 1 in the Mindf+ck Trilogy
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Copyright © 2025
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Children of darkness aren't only those who were born into the dark.
They could also be the ones who were born outwardly pure, but with sleeping demons tucked inside their hidden parts, waiting to the awakened.
Warren has seen it in Ixora's eyes—not once, not twice.
That day when he kidnapped and took her to the mossy forest, and she told him "over my dead body!"
Then when she killed Anastasia.
Also...when he had tortured her with the feathers in the abandoned church,, when she removed the knife from the bed and threw it at him, when she pointed the gun at him earlier, and right now when she's begging him to stay.
If only she knows just how dark her eyes are right now, and it's intriguing.
"I just... thought we could play one more game. Don't take it as something else" she quickly added, letting go of his shirt.
"And I get what in return?" He replied, his voice strong and gripping.
"What do you want in return?" She replied like a bargain, and he smirked, lifting his hand up to touch her lower lip with his thumb.
He ran the thumb over it like he's wiping something, and she gently stepped back, leaving his hand hanging.
"You love making a deal with the devil, don't you?" He said, the smirk deepening and his voice lowering, their eyes levelling.
Ixora could feel her own palpitations and the sudden heat in the room as she opened her mouth, but before she could form a word, he was already out of the room.
The door closed heavily after him, and she grudgingly walked back to the chair she say on.
Her eyes met with the two boards, and she saw he finished arranging his own letters too before standing earlier, so the two words are right beside each other.
MOTH, and FLAME.
Why does it feel like it'd hold a certain significance?
And why is she suddenly feeling like the Moth?
She lay chest-up on the couch, touching her lip that he touched.
--
[The Grand Hotel]
Warren drove into the small scale hotel parking lot, disguised.
He's wearing a white moustache and white brows, disguising himself completely as an old man.
His sweater is dull brown, and his pants are of the same colour.
He tried to make his walk as old-school as possible as he came out of his car, entering the hotel.
As a non-expensive hotel in the suburban of Capetown, it's filled, and his bud is still in his ear, making the repeated announcement of the arrival of his target into her room.
He booked a room and took the card from the concierge, and when they offered to take him into his room seeing his fake age, he declined.
He entered the elevator by himself, riding to the third floor where his target is.
He sighted one of the room service men coming out of a room, and he waited for the man to walk past him.
He punched the man in the throat, and once he's down, he dragged his body into the nearest washroom.
He pulled off his clothes, then he changed to his uniform, leaving the washroom in place and the man.
He pressed his bud, and the green beep came again.
"Room 18"
He turned right, his steps firm but careful till he arrived at that door and pressed the bell.
No answer, but he noticed the door is slightly open, so he pushed it, and it went wide for him.
He stepped in, and he could already hear water running in the adjoining room which must be the bathroom.
He pulled the curtain on the door aside, meeting a girl inside. She's about to drop her towel and enter the shower.
Her screams came out loud when she sighted him, and she fell on her bu+t, shifting back till her back hit the wall.
"Who... who're...who're you?"
Warren tore away his disguises and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her up as she screamed again.
"Where is she?" He demanded, coldly.
"I dunno what you're talking about! I'm the only one in here!!" She cried, shaking her head.
"Where the hell is she!!!" Warren roared, flames roaring in his eyes too.
"I...I really dunno what you're talking about. I'm the only one here" she hiccupped fearfully, her eyes showing just how rattled she is.
His hold on her hair lessened.
"Your name?" He asked slowly.
"Evelyn Johnson" she replied, and he immediately let go of her.
She fell heavily on the ground and shifted away from him again, the water from the shower bathing her with her towel.
Warren left the bathroom, unable to even feel his own fury.
Is it mad if he says he's actually enjoying this game?
So Evelyn planted a girl bearing the same name in her place, just to swing his attention.
Suddenly, his sight turned blurry as he made his way out of the hotel, but he managed till he back in his car at the park.
His eyes... they're twitching, and it's not the type it does whenever he's angry.
This is different.
The three days blindness he experienced in prison still affects him greatly cos the injection is still in his system.
Since he came back from the prison, he has lost his sight for like four nights
It has never happened in the day before, so this is new, and there's only one way to fight it.
He opened his drawer and brought out an E pill wrap.
From the wrap, he swallowed four pills, and his eyes reddened more than it does whenever he takes it.
His limit is one, but he's currently on overdose — intentionally.
He rested on his backrest, ejecting deep groans out of himself as the pills got a hold of his head, forcing smiles of highness to his lips.
His phone rang in his pocket, and his eyes are turning as he brought it out.
The pill made the phone screen blurry, but he could still make out the name on the ID.
Capri.
"Hey, mate" he picked, his eyes shutting.
"Are you on the pills again? You can't run mad in Capetown, slow the f+ck down" Capri replied.
"It's a fake Evelyn. She's playing a dangerous game with her mother, and I don't have to tell you how much I love this" Warren replied.
"Next move?" Capri asked.
"Returning to Cali tomorrow morning, it's my turn to play" he crazily replied, licking his lips.
"And where the f+ck are you? How many pills did you even swallow? You sound knocked out. Wait ... overdose? F+ck no. War? War!...where the—"
Capri hasn't finished the statement when Warren hung up, dialling Lydia.
"Young Lord" Lydia's voice came, and he groaned.
"Overdose?" She detected immediately, and he could imagine her eyes widening.
"My flight back, book it for tomorrow morning" he replied with another groan as shinny liquid came out of his eyes, staining his lower lashes.
"Where exactly are you in Capetown? You've been warned against overdose you can't go into hiding again! Young Lord! Talk to me! Young Lord!!!"
He already hung up, and the phone fell to the seat.
His eyes shut tightly again, and he released another groan as he remembered something...
—3Yrs Ago(Before Jail)—
[Crescent Hospital, California]
Warren has had the determination to become a surgeon since he was young, and he stood on it, throughout elementary and highschool.
He was the best student, and he could already perform surgeries before he even finished highschool.
This talent made Elder Creed register him in Crescent hospital as a resident doctor after he finished highschool.
During that time, he was preparing to take entrance exams into ILC, so he's meant to spend a year in the hospital to gain more experience before he'd get his college admission.
He was more than happy to observe surgeries in the hospital which increased his abilities, but he didn't only observe surgeries, he observed something else.
That hot afternoon, he came out of a washroom where he cleaned up after a surgery, and he got a text from Konstantin.
Konstant: War, I swear to gawd, Kelsey is cheating on you. I saw her. Break up with this bitch!
Warren pocketed his phone and walked out of that place.
He knows his girlfriend isn't a loyal one though she tries hard to act loyal, but he sees through her.
The only reason he hasn't broken up with her is because the girl he wants is still young.
When he got to the wide hallway, a girl blocked him, and he stopped.
"Hi, my name is Evelyn Ortega, and I've been coming here for some months now" she smiled.
"I know" he simply replied.
"You do?" She blinked.
"It's too obvious, and I've been observing you. You always come with your two friends, and you secretly follow me around everytime" he smartly replied.
"I came with them today too..." Evelyn replied, signalling behind her.
Nadine and Ixora joined them, and while Nadine waved at him, Ixora couldn't even look him in the eye.
"This is Nadine" Evelyn pointed.
"And she's Ixora" Evelyn pointed too, and Warren looked at Ixora for a little bit long.
"The thing...is...I like you like a lot" Evelyn flatly said.
"I don't like you" Warren replied flatly too.
"What!" Evelyn's eyes widened.
Rejection isn't in the list of her expectations...she's beautiful.
"Aren't y'all sixteen?" Warren questioned.
"And you're twenty, just four years difference...age is only but a number yunno" Evelyn said.
"I still... don't like you Evelyn" Warren insisted bluntly.
Some passing nurses heard that and laughed out, covering their mouths.
"I can't believe you...jerk!!" Evelyn yelled at his face, rushing off.
"Evie!!" Nadine and Ixora rushed after her, but just when they were about to exit, Ixora looked back.
Her bright eyes met with Warren's, and he smiled at her.
She quickly faced front, rushing out.
—Present Time—
As the drugs forced the memory back into Warren's head, his eyes opened back, and his head refused to reboot.
He punched his car window, crashing the glass.
His knuckles bled, and his eyes brightened as more of the multicolored liquid poured out.
He punched the second window, shattering it too before growling out like an animal.
He came out of the car, holding his head with an hand as he sauntered out of the park.
He left the park completely, going into the vast city of Capetown as his head continued stinging.
The world felt new.
The air felt foreign.
--
[California, Hideaway]
Konstantin's steps halted when he saw what's going on, and he gave himself the calmness he normally wouldn't have.
Nadine's tears shone on her face, and Serena gave her another knock which made her wince, crying out again.
The laughing guys increased their laughter, and at the same time, they're still snapping Nadine.
Kelsey already joined them in snapping her pictures too, so no one is idle in the bunch.
Konstantin resumed his walk, his blonde hair moving like it was paid to move with every move he makes.
They didn't hear his footsteps at all since it's silent, but when he arrived at their midst, they knew.
He took the phone of the tall guy making videos and smashed it on the ground, then he picked one of the large screen pieces and rammed it into the neck of that one.
His neck veins bursted, and his blood stained konstantin's face and his white shirt, spraying like red dye.
Nadine shockingly covered her mouth on the ground.
Serena and Kelsey made to run off, but he dragged the two of them back, slamming their heads on the wall and letting them go unconsciously before facing the remaining guys.
He threw them a knife, and the first one shakily caught it.
"Take turns to stab each other" he said, and Nadine spranged up.
The guys swallowed emptiness at the same time.
"If I do the stab by myself, you'll be gone from the surface of the earth within a minute" he said.
The one with the knife quickly faced the other, and the fear of Konstantin's threat made him stab his partner quickly.
The partner growled, his blood draining as he struggled to remove the knife.
Nadine is still watching, and her hands are still over her mouth.
The partner finally removed the knife from his bleeding stomach and stabbed the first guy too.
They both staggered off, holding their bleeding stomachs as their blood drained to the ground.
Konstantin got another small knife from his pocket, it's like he's selling the blades or something.
He squatted beside Serena and brought the knife down on her hand—the same hand she knocked Nadine's head with.
Immediately the knife penetrated, Serena cried out of her unconsciousness, the sound ululating.
Konstantin inhaled, looking at the body on the ground before looking at his stained white shirt.
"Knew this party wouldn't end well, now who are the parents of this d+ck?" He muttered, calling an ambulance for him.
The ambulance arrived shortly, and after he was taken away, Konstantin turned to face Nadine who's already shivering, her fear escalating.
He looked at her bleeding palm, and he took her wrist, pulling her inside.
He could feel her shakiness through the arm he's holding, and as he pulled her, Serena watched from the ground with another cry.
Konstantin dragged Nadine into the hideaway, taking her upstairs to Warren's door.
"Stay here" he muttered, going inside and coming back a minute later with a balm and patch.
He took her to the rails, and she hardened her bones as he began applying the balm on her palm.
It stings, so she had to close her eyes, and when Konstantin looked up to see her eyes closed, he smirked, then he continued his application.
After that, he pasted a patch on the palm, and she opened her eyes.
"Thank you" she said slowly.
"I told you to wear something freaky" He said, taking a cursory look at her dress.
"Sorry...i don't like... short things, and it's—"
"Don't say sorry, I hate it" he cut her off, and she took her two lips in.
He stared deeply at her lashes, but she kept her face down, giving him a full view of the flower in her hair.
He was about to touch it when Capri came out.
"War went OD again" he said, and Konstantin's eyes thinned.
"In another country?"
"What's going on?" Ashton climbed the stairs and joined them.
"OD, you know who" Konstantin replied, and Ashton frowned.
"I kept the drugs away from his luggage" he said.
"You really think he doesn't have it on his body everytime? You can't outsmart that bastard" Capri replied.
"What now? You know what's gonna happen to him. He's in Capetown, not Cali!" Ashton replied.
Anfisa joining them too, and by now, Nadine already sneaked away.
"Isn't it normal for drug addicts to go OD once in a while?" Anfisa said.
"The three times he went overdose, he disappeared for weeks and no one could find him" Konstantin replied.
"Three times?" Anfisa blinked.
"The first one, he was 12, and he went missing for a month" Capri said.
"He has been using drugs since he was 12 what the hell is that!" Anfisa's eyes widened.
"Second OD was when we were in highschool, he went missing for a month too" Konstantin continued.
"Third one was when we got admission—three years ago. He was on drugs that night, and that's part of what made the fake evidences solid. They concluded he killed Mr. Ortega when he was high" Ashton explained.
"Then what's gonna happen, now that he overdosed in a country that's not his own?" Anfisa said alarmingly.
No one could provide an answer, but then Konstantin rushed inside, and the rest followed.
--
After so many meters of hard sweaty run, jumps and scales, Monty finally caught up with Bronx in a dead end.
They're out of the hideaway by now, and they're in a dark path in the middle of the island.
Bronx cussed when he saw the dead end, then he faced her, breathing hard with short cusses.
Thanks to the moon in the sky, they could see each other's faces.
Monty took two more steps closer and locked him by his shirt in the front, slamming his back on the brick, but he just laughed.
They're both wearing headphones on their necks, and that's kinda like funny to him.
"Tell me, what was that stupid cult all about? Taking innocent girls and switching turns to rape them on a table after sprinkling dove shit on them? What the hell...is that trash?" She demanded.
"I'm not in the spot to tell you, so just give up. You were lucky to escape them, give up" he replied, and she kneeled his groin.
"Ugh!!" He sounded.
"I won't give up, and if you think I'm scared of your fuckin cult members, then you don't know how fucked I already am" she replied, kneeling him again.
"You're up against men who'd do anything to keep the cult hidden, and let me tell you...I saved you once but will never save you again" he replied.
Monty brought her face closer.
"You saving me again would be shameful, I'd rather die" she muttered, roughly letting go of him.
Bronx stayed silent as she walked down the path, but he suddenly spoke up...
"They'd kill you!!!"
Monty stopped, turning around with a swirl.
"And I'll kill you" she declared, leaving afterwards.
She did the long walk back to the hideaway, and immediately she entered the gate, she met Tina who has been searching for her.
"Where have you been? I've searched everywhere!" She said, breathing heavily.
"What's up?" Monty asked, and Romeo showed up.
"Nah...don't tell me you're gonna be asking for a favor because of him" Monty glared.
"I'm gonna be asking for the favor myself" Romeo replied, and Monty faced him.
"I need access to the blog" he said.
"For?"
"An apology to Ixora" he replied, and Monty scoffed.
"Seriously? Tina is my best friend, and she has been cru—"
"Monty" Tina cautioned, and Monty glared.
"Give him the access" Tina said, and Monty scoffed again, facing Romeo.
"Follow me"
Romeo followed her, leaving Tina there, then Bethel joined her.
"I dunno why you're down bad for my brother, but a free advice? Give up. He takes long before letting go, he's not getting off Ixora's case anytime soon" she said.
Tina looks like she wants to say something, but she stopped herself.
"I don't like you, you know that, but I'm telling you this cos... maybe you might not be bad" Bethel shrugged before starting to leave.
She has only walked two steps away from Tina when she suddenly held her mid stomach, groaning.
Tina ignored her at first, but when Bethel groaned again, she moved to her very fast.
"Bethel!"
"I'm...I'm fine... It's just menstrual pain" she replied, standing straight.
"Menstrual pain in your mid stomach? You can't fool me" Tina rolled eyes.
"It is, so stop poke-nosing" Bethel replied, and then their phones buzzed at once.
Every student around them are looking at their phones too.
Romeo already made the post on the blog.
Romeo Ford: I apologize for my thoughtlessness, Ixora. I have my stupid reasons for doing that, but it was still thoughtless—pronouncing you as my property and expecting you to roll with it. I'm deeply sorry, I plead forgiveness, and I hope we go back to how we were before.
Bethel looked at Tina after they finished reading, and she could clearly see the hurt in Tina's eyes.
Tina walked away, and Bethel sighed.
"Hey Amiga!" Clover joined her, and she smiled.
"Sorry about what my brother did earlier, he's used to being overprotective, and you're kinda—"
"Creepy?" He cut her off, and she nodded.
"I didn't know you were cool till we drank together earlier, so you should reduce the way you pop up everytime" she said, and he smiled.
"I can't help it, wanna go get another drink, baby sis?" He replied.
"Stop the baby sis thingy!" She glared, walking off.
With a grin, Clover followed her, but then he saw Kelsey and Serena who're currently walking towards the gate.
Serena's hand is bleeding with Konstantin's knife still stuck inside, and though Kelsey looks ok, she's groaning, holding her head.
The sight of Kelsey made him look at his fingers, and he smiled again before following Bethel.
--
[U-turn Bar]
Rafael decided to ignore Mrs. Ortega, so he just continued his drinking.
The woman watched him, awaiting when he's gonna get drunk, but it seems that time is never gonna come.
He's only drinking martini, maybe he's gonna get drunk is he tries a stronger one.
"Two bottles of beer" she told the bartender.
"Yes ma'am" he bowed, settling two chilled bottles on the table.
He opened it, and she took one, pouring almost everything in Rafael's cup.
Rafael looked up at her, his eyes moody.
"What do you think you're doing?" He said.
"Making you stronger" she smiled, rubbing his thigh.
"By buying me beer?" He scoffed as she rubbed up to his middle.
Rafael grabbed her hand, and she froze.
"You're a grown man, Rafael. Stonia doesn't deserve you" she said, leaning to his ear.
"I can make you feel good" she whispered seductively.
Rafael smiled, and she took that as his approval, but breaths left her lungs when Rafael stood.
He blessed her cheek with an insane slap which made Mrs. Ortega gasp.
The beer cup fell from the table, breaking down.
--
[Capetown]
"Why are we even going for a drive?" Ixora asked as she entered a red Porsche with Stonia at the hotel park.
Stonia returned from the meet thirty minutes ago, overly excited, then she suggested a night drive which Ixora didn't object.
Since Warren left, her boredom has been overflowing, so this is a catch.
"There was a chocolate company in this city before I established my branch here, but within two weeks, we overtook them my love. That just shows how perfect we are." Stonia said, driving out of the park.
"You've always been perfect, mum" Ixora smiled.
"I know, right? Rafael needs to start bowing down to me at this rate" The woman said proudly, and Ixora frowned.
"There we go again, can you stop trying to belittle dad at every chance you get? He's hardworking just like you" Ixora replied.
"Hardworking my foot, he's probably somewhere fuckin a whore" Stonia snickered.
"And I don't see how that should be a problem, you divorced" Ixora defended.
"You know I'm sick of you always defending him!" Stonia snapped.
"He is my dad!" Ixora snapped back.
"And I am your mom!" Stonia yelled.
"You act too childish sometimes and it's annoying! He never talks bad behind your back but you're fond of doing that!" Ixora yelled back
"Rafael is the bad person, it's hightime you stop falling for his deceptive font!" Stonia shouted.
"Mum!!!!!!!!!" Ixora screamed, and Stonia thought it's still because of the heated argument, but when she looked ahead, she realized it's not.
The argument has made her leave her lane completely on the bridge they're on, and now she's about to drive into a coming vehicle.
She quickly rolled the wheel, but that still wasn't enough to save them cos she lost control, and the side of her Porsche hit the coming car.
The Porsche screeched hotly as it reversed on its own, somersaulting once before hitting the bridge.
The glasses crashed, and one of the tyres flew off as smokes covered the car as it's already preparing to fall into the water below the bridge.
Only a small part of the car is holding it from falling.
The second car driver is already unconscious in his own car in the middle of the road, and unfortunately, no other car passed by since it's already so late.
The smokes on the body on the Porsche kept swirling out, and the car kept slipping closer to the bridge edge.
The appearance of a man from the opposite side of the road changed the scene, though.
He forcefully opened the car door despite the fact that it's upside down, and he pulled the first arm he saw.
Ixora's.
He dragged it out, and the broken part of the car window tore a part of her black trousers in the process.
She has a small wound on her forehead.
Nevertheless, he made her stand, but her knees kept failing as her eyes are still closed.
"Hey...open up!" He hit her cheek, but she only mumbled inaudible sounds.
"Hey!" He called, and the eyes opened slowly, but she's still not stable.
He held her cheeks, brushing her hair away from her face.
When he saw her face clearly, the surprise in his eyes was obvious.
"Ixora" he whispered, holding her more firmly.
She grumbled unconsciously, her neck lulling as her lips parted.
"Ixora! Look at me...the f+ck!" He yelled desperately, and she coughed, her lids opening more.
His face was misty at first, but then it cleared, giving her a lucid view.
"W...Warren" she mumbled, standing straight, but he still didn't let her go.
She gasped, remembering she's not supposed to call his full name.
"W..." She whispered.
"No, it's Warren" he replied, his voice different.
She blinked, her lips parting again as she felt the difference.
He brought an hand to her face, using his thumb to stroke her ear with ease, and she gulped.
"Warren" she whispered, unconsciously leaning to his hand.
"What happened after you left the hospital with Evelyn and Nadine that day?" He asked, and she gasped.
"Why am i in Capetown? Why are you here, too?" He further asked with confused eyes, still rubbing her small ear.
Ixora's eyes widened.
TBC
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