Pain Without Blood

Mature Content Warning: Torture, Injury, Trauma

Interview with Kio Guku

What is the worst wound you've ever treated?

You sit across from a man with a smile as warm as his skin, a healer. You'd found him in a tavern laughing along with some accomplices, and he was the only one of the group that welcomed you with open arms.
However, when you ask your question, his warmth quickly freezes over.
Why would you want to know that?
There is silence. The entire table waits with bated breath.
I think... the worst wound I ever saw was from someone who had been retrieved by a Night Angel from where he was kept as a prisoner-of-war. When the Angels are saving a soldier, you know a horrible wrong has been done.
He, um... He had his magic ripped from his body. Repeatedly. It wasn't the most gruesome by a long shot, there wasn't any blood. I almost wish there had been. At least then it would've been something I could've helped.
What they do, is they take a semi-powerful sorcerer-- someone whose number is high enough where they can quite literally catch magical energy thrown at them and throw it back. They... they take this skill, and they use it to move the magic in someone's body, usually against the flow of blood. On top of potentially causing a heart attack, stroke, or any number of ugly complications, depending on where they choose to affect, it creates a sensation of feeling as though your internal organs tearing themselves apart. Because they will, given about ten seconds like this.
The thing is, as long as the magic is released before any or too much permenant damage is done, it can be effectively be repeated ad infinitum. It's... an unfortunately effective form of torture. Even the Shadis have completely banned the practice, though that's mostly due to their current Supreme, but I'm not qualified to talk about that.
You don't have magic so... imagine someone reaching into your chest with their bare hands and pulling out your heart, making you watch it struggle to beat, but before you die, they put it back. His number wasn't high enough to grant him a quick death. No, he would've suffered for months like that before the Angel got him out.
I'd say that was the worst injury I've ever dealt with. Because it has been the only one where I have been completely powerless to help. Not even a sedative would free him from the pain he was left in. And I feel no shame is hoping he finds his way into the hands of a Shadi.
... This probably doesn't make any sense, does it?

Kio Guku by Ynix