AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Mass chapter mission time! Support me in win win by unlocking the privilege chapters to get mass releases. MR will be given based on the following conditions:

1000 privilege chapter unlocks= 3 extra chapter mass release

5000 privilege chapter unlocks= 5 extra chapter mass release

10,000 privilege chapter unlocks= 10 chapter mass release.

This is applicable for every month! Please do support this book by buying as much privilege chapters as possible

....

The grave darkness surrounded him like a blanket, ensnaring him in its clutches. The small boy was shaking in a corner, not daring to look up. He was not sure why he was so scared but he knew that if he did, his life would be over. 

The boy felt cold. Really cold. There was a small window above him which showed the pearly snow falling from the sky. It was already winter and yet, he was wearing only a thin t-shirt and shorts with no shoes. He was not given any blanket by the people who lived upstairs because they were unaware of his existence. No one knew that he was kept in that dreary basement except for one person.

The door to the basement slid open and the boy slightly jumped. His breaths were hoarse and white due to the chilly weather. He could feel his heart pumping hard as he heard the familiar footsteps approaching him.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

He was now sweating in fear. Did he do something wrong again? All he wanted to do was catch a glimpse of his older brother…

"What did I tell you about going upstairs?" a deep voice came out of the shadows. 

"I-I was hiding!" the boy squealed. "I swear! No one saw me! I only w-w-wanted to s-s-see Siwan bro's birthday yesterd-"

SLAP!

The sound of the hit crackled throughout the basement. Shinho felt blood dripping from his already swollen lips. It was not the only injury on him. There were several such bruises on his body, some old and some new. He was underweight for his age because all he ate was bread and water that too once a day. 

A hand grabbed his chin and pulled him up. Shinho looked into the enraged face of his father. The usually neat and proper looks were marred with a mania which was only reserved for Shinho. His spectacles were skewed and his tanned face was red with fury. Tears welled up in Shinho's eyes as the man who was his father looked at him with deep contempt and resentment.

"D-dad...I…"

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

Kang Danny slapped him several times, throwing the child on the floor. Shinho whimpered in pain, his nostrils hit by the scent of salty blood which was now flowing freely from his cuts. One of his old scars re-opened and was bleeding badly. He staggered to get up but Danny grabbed his hair and pinned him on the floor.

"WHAT THE HELL DID I SAY ABOUT GOING UPSTAIRS?" Danny yelled at the boy. He was not afraid of being heard. His wife had gone out for a modeling assignment while Siwan headed off to camp that morning. It was just him and his other son, the one whom he loathed with a passion.

"Dad...I'm sorry…" Shinho begged. He was not sure what he did. What was his fault? Why did his father hate him?

"You should have never been born!" Danny snarled. He pulled Shinho by the hair so hard that the child cried in pain. His face was bloodied and bruised. The thin frame of the boy was not strong enough and the constant abuse made him weaker by the day. 

"I w-w-won't do it again, dad!" Shinho swore. "I'll never get out of this basement ever again! I promise! I'll never disobey you again…"

Then will you love me, dad? He wondered sadly. 

A slow smile formed on his father's handsome face. But Shinho knew that it was not a smile of satisfaction.

It was the smile of death. 

"Of course you won't," he whispered. "I'll make sure you never do it again."

Shinho felt the grip loosen and he fell on the ground, weak with bruises. Was his father letting him go? 

He was dazed and confused but relieved that the torture did not last long. Instead, his father was backing out, possibly leaving him alone for that night. Shinho never liked to be alone when he was with his mother but after her death, he was brought to the Kang mansion by his father who wanted to hide his illegitimate son. Which is why Shinho was locked up in that room, cut off from everyone. No one knew about his existence in the house, not even his stepmother and half-brother.

"You won't do it again…" his father's voice came from somewhere. Shinho was seeing everything in a blur. He had already lost too much blood and his consciousness was fading. 

But his father's tall figure was coming towards him. Why? Why was he returning?

Danny's hands were behind him, hiding something. He was watching his son with stone cold eyes and indifference. The weak, pathetic little boy was the reason why his image was in jeopardy. His existence was a sore point for Danny and he could not risk everyone knowing that he had a bastard child. If that happened, his carefully cultivated image would be ruined and he would become a laughing stock.

And that was unacceptable to Danny.

"You won't do it again because I'll make sure you'll never do it again…" Danny said. He slowly took out a large wine bottle and gripped it hard. Shinho's eyes widened in fear when his vision cleared long enough to see what was going to happen.

"Dad...please-"

He could not even finish his sentence when the bottle came crashing down on his head. 

The walls were stained with red stains. The deathly silence of the cold winter night was broken by the cracking of a skull as the crazed maniac repeatedly hit the little boy, beating the life out of him until all that remained was a bloodied mess.

Life is beautiful, huh?

It was the last thing the boy thought before he fell into the depths of what seemed like an eternal slumber.