Well this does spell out more clearly what I assumed when I read the sequel. I wasn’t sure if that last line was by the torture or the tortured, though it makes more sense as being said by the torturer. The lack of effort makes your protagonist a bit god-like, which can be difficult to maintain, or at least make it difficult to cast them as a dynamic character. Not a big deal here, but for a longer piece something to keep in mind.
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