Gilas punished Julian by locking him up without giving him any food or drink. Julian just sat there silently, waiting for his death in a despair he couldn't comprehend. He kept muttering...
When will I die?
When will I die?
When will I die?
The punishment Gilas had imposed was the very thing Julian had been anticipating. Without food, without water, with wounds beginning to fester, a person would soon die. That was what Julian thought. The only thing filling his mind was death.
The sound of the door opening no longer startled Julian. He remained calm, waiting for his death. However, a box was thrown near him. He turned his head, his eyes bulging almost out of their sockets. He thought a servant had come, but it turned out to be Gilas. The man stared at Julian haughtily.
"Clean yourself up. Get ready to attend a banquet with me," said Gilas.
"..." No response. Julian chose to pretend he hadn't heard the man speak, averting his gaze.
"I'm not a patient man, Julian!" Gilas snapped firmly. "Do you want to clean yourself, or do you want me to do it?" he continued.
Julian's entire body trembled violently. He remembered the man's kiss on his forehead before he'd been punished. Gilas had succeeded in instilling fear in him.
"I'll do it myself," Julian said as he walked away.
One minute, five minutes—it had even been nearly an hour—Gilas waited. But Julian still hadn't come out of the bathroom. He was annoyed, feeling toyed with just because he'd been a little lenient.
"Julian!" Gilas shouted impatiently.
Gilas opened the bathroom door, which could be accessed only with special technology designed exclusively for him. Inside, Julian was just sitting on the floor with a blank stare. The man was the same as he had been an hour ago. He hadn't cleaned himself, let alone gotten ready as Gilas had wanted.
"You're really getting on my nerves, Julian!"
"What are you doing?" Julian screamed.
Gilas pulled Julian, forcing the man to stand. In a single motion, the shirt clinging to Gilas's body was torn to shreds by Gilas's deadly claws.
"Don't you have any shame? Why are you stripping a man?" Julian shouted.
"So what if you're a man? As long as you're by my side, I can do whatever I want!" Gilas said.
Gilas pushed Julian under the shower. He turned on the water, which immediately drenched Julian's body. Gilas's gaze grew more intense as he looked at Julian from the top of his wet head down to the tips of his toes.
Gilas moved closer, letting his body get wet alongside Julian's. He gently caressed Julian's lips as if savoring something. His face drew so close that Julian could feel the roughness of Gilas's breath.
"Do you like men?" Julian asked.
Gilas had just closed his eyes to press his lips against Julian's, but Julian's question snapped him out of the magnetic pull he'd nearly been unable to control.
Gilas took a few steps back. "Even if I do like a man, I like a man who's spoiled, not boring like you," Gilas said. "I'll forgive you this time. If you don't want me to strip you naked in front of everyone, get ready!" he added as he walked away.
Hah!
Julian's breath came in gasps as he fought his fear. He couldn't figure out what kind of person Gilas was. The man was impossible to read. Too terrifying, too frightening, and he wasn't someone Julian could stand up to.
***
Gilas stepped back into the room that served as Julian's prison. He carried two boxes in his hands, which he placed side by side on the table.
"Take off your clothes!" Gilas ordered.
Julian, who had already obeyed Gilas's command to get ready, was startled by the demand. "What else do you want from me?" Julian asked as he backed away.
"Take them off!" Gilas repeated.
Julian took off his shirt. His body, covered in bruises, was illuminated by the light from the room's lamp.
"Take everything off!" Gilas said once more.
"You...."
"Take it off, Julian!" Gilas said coldly.
"Damn it!" Julian muttered.
Julian took off his pants. Not a single piece of clothing remained. Gilas opened the box he was carrying. He soaked a cotton ball in alcohol, then approached Julian, who was reluctant to look at his face.
"Hsss..." Julian hissed softly.
Gilas didn't press on the wound, but treated it. However, the pain Julian felt was like a cut across every inch of his skin.
Julian revised his poor opinion of Gilas. At least, the man still had the heart to treat the wound he had caused.
"Should I help you get dressed?" Gilas asked.
"No need!" Julian snapped sarcastically.
"Good. I'm sure you wouldn't like my style if you let me do it," Gilas said.
Gilas tidied up the medical supplies he'd used. He turned his back to Julian, giving the man space to compose himself. Gilas glanced at the watch on his wrist.
"It's time," Gilas said.
"I won't be following you to any event," Julian refused.
Gilas's fingers tapped the table a few times, creating a sound in the silence between them. Julian took a few steps back. Where should he go to avoid Gilas?
"Don't you want to know who I'm going to meet?" Gilas asked.
"I don't want to know anything about anything if it has anything to do with a scumbag like you!" Julian shouted.
"Do you know, Julian?" Gilas turned to face Julian, who was thinking of running away from him. "You, who keep defying me, are actually quite interesting. In fact, I could have let you go if you'd bored me," he added.
Julian swallowed hard. He stared at the chain Gilas was holding. He kept backing away, though eventually he was cornered against the wall with no room left to escape.
"What are you doing?" Julian asked.
"Making you obedient!" Gilas replied.
"Gilas, no..."
Gilas grabbed Julian's arm. "You have to choose, Julian. Should I shackle your feet or your neck?" Gilas whispered.
"I'm not an animal you can tie up, Gilas."
"But aren't you my pet now?" Gilas retorted.
Gilas fastened the chain around Julian's neck. Gilas's smile was Julian's tears. The man tugged at the chain tightening around his neck as tears fell freely.
"Why are you treating me like this?" Julian asked. "I'd rather die!" he added.
"Don't be so hasty, Julian. This is just the beginning," said Gilas.
Gilas walked while pulling the chain. Julian was dragged along with him. "Where are you taking me? Are you going to parade me around the whole city as your new pet?"
"You and I will attend a small banquet to celebrate my victory," replied Gilas.
Julian flinched again. He held onto the chain that kept pulling him along, trying to stay in line. "Doesn't that mean I'm attending a celebration of my defeat?"
"You're absolutely right, Julian." Gilas chuckled softly. "And you'll be the main course."