"Mama..."
"Kaili, Kaili why? Why did you abandon us?"
From a peaceful meadow I was being dragged into an ominous swamp by the hands of those very familiar to me. My other siblings looked so skinny, like they hadn't eaten in weeks. And yet those twig-like arms still possessed enough strength to pull me.
"No...no..."
And at the lead was someone that I only remembered as being kind and loving, but now she lunged at me with hatred.
"Stop mama, you're hurting me!"
"Why did you abandon us?"
"I didn't abandon you! It was all Dad's fault! All of it was his fault! I did nothing wrong! I did nothing wrong!"
"Liar. You abandoned us so you could have fun."
"No, I'm not lying!"
"Liar!"
"Noooo!!!"
I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling on a strangely soft bed.
"Where...oh."
A few seconds after waking, I remembered that I was living with a handsome mister and his lover. They kept denying that they had that sort of relationship, but they couldn't fool my eyes.
"Where are they?"
As I looked around from the bed, I noticed that I couldn't find them nearby.
'Could they have, no. They wouldn't.'
I started having bad thoughts, but I quickly shook my head to get rid of them. They wouldn't abandon me, they were probably just enjoying some time for themselves, right.
Despite the way I tried to convince myself, I was still anxious waiting in bed, so I walked about the hotel room.
"They're not here..."
I kept telling myself that they would be back soon, but I couldn't believe it. I repeatedly told myself not to get too attached, not to indulge in this happiness, but that did nothing. It was just like in my dream. Just like I abandoned my family, they would abandon me.
*Knock, knock*
I had sunken into depression, but two knocks at the door were all it took for me to shake it off. I completely ignored the question of why they would knock to enter their own room and hastily went to open the door.
"Welcome ba-"
The moment I saw the shadowy figure standing behind the door, my joy quickly changed to regret, but without even the chance to scream, my consciousness was blown away.
***
"Looks like they took the bait."
"Should we chase after them, master?"
"No, let's wait. They'll chase them for us."
From the moment we left her tower, I sensed these stalkers tagging along but I left them there since I didn't want to look suspicious by shaking them off. However, I felt it was about time that they paid me back for all that stress I had to endure.
'Since those guys were willing to sneak into the hotel they're definitely connected to someone with influence. Seems like you've been slacking on cleaning your city, Queen.'
It wasn't like I planned on using Kaili as bait from the start, but I had to consider it once I noticed how connected she was with the city's underbelly. I was going to take my time drawing them out and crushing them so that I could have Queen owe me one, but the latest information I got from Ein forced me to move faster.
I would be a little troubled if they didn't take the bait, but luckily it seemed that they were also in a rush so once they saw that we were gone, they quickly went for her.
'Kaili, even if you decide to pursue strength, I can't allow you to leave without facing your troubles. That would only lead to more misfortune.'
I was worried Kaili didn't know what to keep living for, so I let her have enough fun to regain that hope, but from now on was her stage. I chose to give up on a family because I didn't want to live as their tool, but what about you?
***
"They kidnapped her?"
With red clip-on earring on her right ear, Queen listened to the report of her subordinates who were watching over her guests. The moment she received news that the little girl that was with them was taken away by suspicious people, she couldn't help but wonder if this was part of Crow's plan.
'Does he know that I'm looking into this?'
Queen didn't feel comfortable taking the meal that someone seemed to have laid out for her, but she wasn't wary enough to dismiss it either.
'Depending on how this goes, I might have to agree to his request...hmm... I'll just have to accept that risk. I did challenge him to change my mind after all.'
"Mistress, what should we do?"
"Follow them of course. I do try to cater to as many fetishes as possible, but this is no good. Teach them proper etiquette, the demon way."
***
Mmngh~
'Where...!'
I slowly woke up in an uncomfortable position, and flinched in terror as I found myself surrounded in a square room full of children around my age. As I tried to figure out how I ended up here, my most recent memories came to mind.
'That's right, I was kidnapped. Could they have sold-'
Right as I started to get an understanding of my position, I was frightened by the sound of the sole entrance and exit of this stuffy stone room, opening.
"Get in there, you little brats!"
Two adults with their faces covered by helmets pushed in another group of kids. Unlike me, they were awake, but they didn't struggle. As they were forced inside, I began to notice that all of us had downtrodden expressions.
'There's, no hope is there.'
"No! No! I don't want to!"
I thought that we had all given up hope, but one of the last batch of kids to be pushed into here screamed and fought to escape from the clutches of the adults. However, that struggle was quickly put to an end by a heavy slap from one of the adults.
"Aggravating brat."
"Oi, don't kill him."
"I know I know."
Scared, I refused to look at the adults and instead my gaze focused on the boy who tried to resist them. He was still conscious, but I couldn't feel any relief as I saw a child like me spit blood.
"Nn-n-"
As I was about to scream in horror, a hand suddenly covered my mouth. At first I was confused and tried to struggle away from the hand, but a strong reason not to was shown to me.
"Ahh-!"
"Shut up!"
The same adult who had slapped the boy, raised his fist against a a nearby girl who screeched at the sight of blood. When her cheek turned black and blue from his fist, all emerging cries were instantly silenced.
'I don't want to end up like that.'
I'm sure we all had the same thought. When the adults left and closed the door, the hand over my mouth was removed. I turned to thank the kind girl who had helped me, but I faltered when I saw her dull eyes. Like everyone else, I didn't try to communicate and stuck to my own thoughts.
'They sold me, didn't they. That mister and that big sister.'
I found out by accident, but the clues were obvious from the start. Every time Dad's debt got too bad, one of my siblings would disappear and then we would be fine again.
One became a wandering swordsman, another a travelling merchant, the reasons were always different, but what truly happened was likely the same. They were sold to pay for Dad's debt.
'But why, why did they sell me? They didn't look like they needed money, and wasn't I a good girl? I tried not to be selfish, to act cheerful, not to be picky. I really tried. So why?!'
I didn't wonder whether or not my sniffles and tears would bother the others in room, I wasn't the only one anyways.
As I looked back at the two days I spent with them, I kept crying as I wondered what I had done wrong.
'Did I tease them too much? Was it because I acted stuck-up, was that it?! Whatever it was all they had to do was tell me and I would have changed. I would have done anything as long as they told me!'
Near the end of the memories I had of them, I recalled the first conversation I had with that mister.
'Strength. I wonder if that's the reason. I was abandoned because I was too weak. Because I was just a burden.'
I went further and further into despair, but at this time, something happened that put a stop to my tears.
"I sense despair as well as a desire. What is your wish?"
"Huh?"
I exclaimed in surprise, but once I noticed that my voice had attracted attention I quietly held my head down and spoke softer.
"What was that?"
"It is I, the one with the power to grant any wish you may have. Reviving the dead may be out of my field, but destroying the world is possible."
Out of nowhere, my bracelet started talking.