After putting on his pants, Arthur walked out of the bathroom, leaving Eight alone there.
After a while he came back with panties and a loose shirt on his hands. He handed her the clothes and left her alone to get dressed.
Eight was still standing and confused by the turn of events. One moment, her heart was pounding with anticipation that she was so close to doing something like that, and the next, her heart went cold from what hadn't happened.
Even though she was confused, Eight still put on her clothes and went into the living room, where Arthur was sitting on the couch. He was fiddling with the cell phone in his hand, but as soon as he saw her, he stopped.
Arthur patted the sofa a few times, indicating for her to sit there. She sat up, feeling anxious about what was about to happen.
"What's your name?" Arthur asked. He was facing her, making her more comfortable with the conversation.
She hesitated for a few moments before answering in a low voice, "Amanda..."
"Do you live here, Amanda?" Arthur asked again, always looking deeply into her eyes.
She didn't answer and just nodded. This question was apparently kind of silly, as Arthur had taken her clothes from a small closet next to the bathroom. But he had his reasons.
"Are you okay?" Arthur asked suddenly.
Amanda's eyes widened in surprise at the question and stared at Arthur. Her eyes turned red, but no tears came down, and she just nodded.
"Come here!" Arthur easily grabbed her around the waist and placed her on top of him, causing her legs to spread wide. This position was supposed to be intimate and even a little sexy, but Arthur was feeling nothing but pity.
"Are you really okay?" Arthur asked again, but this time he raised his hand and some objects were on top of it.
As soon as she saw the objects, tears welled up in Amanda's eyes, and Arthur let her head rest on his shoulder. The wet shirt was glued to her body, and her breasts touched Arthur's muscular chest, also making him wet.
But as if he hadn't noticed, Arthur rubbed Amanda's back, consoling her. At one point, his fingers caressed an area just below her neck on her back. In that area was an engraved "#8" tattoo.
Putting strength into his right hand, the one holding the objects, some breaking noises were heard as small cameras were dented.
Everything that had happened since the moment he left the test seemed to be very strange. At first, Arthur actually thought it was kindness, or even part of the receptionist's service to help tend to his injuries.
But the moment she took him to her personal room, things had taken a different turn. The touches and looks she gave, despite being clumsy, had a clear desire to seduce Arthur. Gradually making him comfortable, so she could do what she wanted. Despite this, he felt no malice from the woman, and all of this was strange.
By the time she was done helping him, he completely broke the mood by getting up to leave immediately. But even so, she still invited him to take a shower, showing her desperation to be able to complete something or completely seduce him.
Still feeling no malice, and even for his own benefit, Arthur agreed.
Unsurprisingly, Amanda really was there to offer herself to him. Then two things popped into Arthur's mind: Escape or Submission. Either she was using Arthur, someone she'd never met, as a way to escape whatever this place was, or she was doing it for someone else.
By a few clues, Arthur realized all of this, and it came to fruition when his eyes hit the tattoo. No one in their right mind would work at a place that would tattoo you with your number, make you not use your name and make you sleep in the same building, in terrible conditions.
Arthur was almost concluding that she wanted to use him to somehow escape this place, offering her body to win some space in his heart. He wasn't going to give in, let alone take anything from her in the first place, but he wanted to see how far it all would go.
When he lifted her in the bathroom, his ears were very close to her chest, allowing him to hear her fast and strong heartbeat clearly. That's when he realised. The erratic beat that didn't indicate excitement or passion, but one he was used to hearing as a child: Fear, anxiety.
Without hesitation, Arthur activated his 'Absorption' ability, and his consciousness spread throughout the room. A smile formed on his face as he set her down. It was clear that she was being manipulated by someone who wanted to do something to him, even if he had no idea who it was.
"It's gonna be okay. I'll help you..." Arthur whispered in her ear. A woman who had the courage to surrender her own body in a desperate act to free herself was honorable, no matter what others said. Arthur respected her for that, for not wanting to hurt him in the first place, but she did it because her life was at risk. So he decided to help.
Amanda didn't say anything, but her head shook slightly as she fell asleep in Arthur's embrace. She felt it was comfortable and warm, like the place she'd always wanted to be. And above all: Safe.
Arthur stayed still as he let her sleep on his chest.
'She must be tired from working so hard. Five must also be equally tired... I can imagine what these people go through here, but not why they do it.'
When it was approximately 6:30 in the morning, Arthur gently placed her on the couch and the pillow under her head. He went to the closet again, seeing if he had anything worth taking.
After searching the small room, he decided not to take anything. But he would take Amanda. He wasn't an idiot.
If she was working for someone, as a "slave" of the Guild, her life didn't matter as much and was replaceable. So he wouldn't leave her here to receive the news that she was dead later. After all, her likely mission to seduce Arthur failed.
After a few more minutes, a message rang on Arthur's cell phone. It was Gabriel: "It's all settled, you can take her. She's technically a low-level property, so it was easier to get her."
"I owe you one more favor." Arthur replied and put his cell phone away without waiting for an answer.
Looking into a corner of the kitchen, Arthur let out a slight smile before waving at no one in particular. Then he went to Amanda.
He grabbed the blanket from the couch and wrapped it around Amanda, before lifting her and carrying her like a baby.
After descending the stairs of the guild, he walked all over the place before climbing the stairs to the surface. Thank God his car was in a secure parking lot, so although there were already some people close to the city hall, mostly because it was close to the shopping center, no one saw him carrying Amanda.
After opening the car and placing her in the passenger seat, Arthur went back underground and withdrew R$100,000 from the ATM and stored it in the Inventory when no one was watching, not even the cameras.
Even after getting to the car, Amanda was sleeping. He could tell from her heavy sleep how tired she was.
Accelerating slowly, Arthur drove quickly, but in a calm way so as not to wake Amanda, to his house.
When he got there, he again carried her and brought her to his room, laying her down on the comfortable bed. Well, at least the mattress and pillowcases were comfortable, as the bed looked broken.
Upon entering the house, Arthur realized the damage he had done. But that would be something to fix later.
He went to wake up Thomas, who appeared to be still awake, and told him to shower. What he got was a punch of concern and a relieved look. But he also noticed that Thomas was very tired, so he sent him to sleep and said he could skip class today.
He went to the kitchen, still battered, and grabbed a basket, putting some fruit and cereal in it. He also wrote a note and left it in the bedroom, so if Amanda woke up, she wouldn't panic at her sudden new surroundings.
After getting dressed, Arthur didn't need to shower, but he did have to wrap some bandages around his arm, ribs, and hand. The stitches were still there and could bleed sometimes, so it was better to be careful.
After picking up his backpack, Arthur went to his car and stowed it in the underground garage, which was open in a passageway to the side of the house.
Taking his bike, Arthur cycled to the school. He didn't wear any coats today as the day looked like it was going to be hot. The white shirt matched his black jeans and black sneakers. The medical bandages wrapped around his arm added a kind of wild feel.