Her eyes suddenly sprung open and Ava found herself tied up in a dark room with nothing but empty boxes surrounding her.
She gritted her teeth, trying to stay calm as she struggled against the ropes that bound her and the napkin in her mouth.
Ava knew that panicking would only make things worse, so she focused on her breathing, trying to keep her heart rate steady.
'I shouldn't have drank that tea.' She thought about Yuich, looking to the window to see the moonlight glowing through the window.,
She could picture his face, his kind eyes, and his gentle smile. She knew that she had to escape, for him, for herself at all costs before he was sold or even worse used.
Ava twisted her wrists, feeling the ropes cutting into her skin. She was strong, and not easily afraid, but she knew that she was in a dangerous situation. She had to find a way out, to escape this dark room and reunite with Yuichi.
She closed her eyes and visualized the room, trying to remember every detail. She had to find a weakness, a vulnerability, something she could use to her advantage.
She focused on the window, the only source of light in the room. If she could just reach it, maybe she could get someone's attention and escape. But how could she get there, with her hands and feet bound?
Ava started to twist her body, using her strength to break free. She grunted as the ropes cut into her flesh, and blood began dripping on the ground. But she didn't give up. She was determined to escape, no matter what.
As she struggled, she heard a faint sound outside the window. It was a bird, chirping away in the trees.
'A bird?' Ava strained her ears, trying to hear more. Maybe there was someone else out there, someone who could help her.
'A bird!' She repeated this time with a bit of hope in her, "Hmmmm! Hmmmm!".
Ava started to mumble as loud as she could, hoping that someone would hear her.
Her muffled cries were barely audible, but she kept trying. She tried to move again, pulling and twisting with all her might. But the ropes only seemed to dig in deeper, cutting off her circulation and making her feel numb.
She started to lose hope, to think that she would never escape. But then she thought of Yuichi again and suddenly got the strength again.
Baam!
Ava slammed her head on the ground which caused a loud thud to echo throughout the room, at least loud enough for anyone to hear.
'Please… anyone will do, someone please hear this!' Ava muttered as she kept slamming her forehead on the ground.
Klink!
The knob to the door turned.
Ava gasped in surprise as she heard the door open. She turned her head towards the sound, and to her amazement, she saw Mark sneaking into the room.
Ava felt a sudden rush of relief knowing that someone was finally here to help her escape.
"Hmmm?" Ava mumbled in disbelief.
"Shh, don't talk," Mark said, rushing towards her. He untied the ropes that bound her and removed the napkin from her mouth.
Ava sprung up from the ground and began to rubber twist her hand as she stared at the door, "She's dead.".
Ava felt a sudden surge of anger as she remembered the woman who had tied her up.
"Look Ava, when I didn't see you return for dinner, I got worried so I came, who did you this way?" Mark asked, with a look of concern written on his face.
"Who? Miss Rachel just proved my suspicion right… I'll kill her!" Ava uttered, her voice trembling with anger.
"No, Ava," Mark suddenly yelled, placing a calming hand on her shoulder. "Kill? Why would you say a word like that? And what did Miss Rachel ever do to you?".
Ava stared at Mark for a while before she responded, "She's trying to sell Yuu, she poisoned me and tied me in here, I have a lot of reasons to kill her Mark." Ava argued with a calm look on her face. "But first, I'm getting him out of here".
"You're really serious, aren't you, Ava?" Mark said, looking at her with a sad expression. "Are you doing all this because of him? Why won't you open your eyes and see he's clouding your judgments… open your eyes, Ava! Are you not tired of cleaning after him all the time?".
Ava looked at Mark, feeling a sudden sense of frustration wash over her. She gripped her face as she sent a cold stare his way, "What the hell is your problem with Yuu?".
"P-Problem? I don't have a …"
"I don't know if you've noticed but Yuu has been asleep since day one, last I checked you can do anything while you are asleep. He had to watch his mom and siblings die…
And you…" Ava paused but her face didn't get any calmer, "Keep your jealousy on a leash Mark, because it's really starting to piss me off".
Mark stayed quiet for a while as guilt took over and his eyes wandered to the floor, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for," he apologized.
Ava sighed, "Sure." She replied.
She looked at the ground and picked up the chain she spotted in the corner of the room, "This should do perfectly." Ava uttered as she wrapped the chain around her hands.
Taking a deep breath, Mark voiced out, "I want to accompany you to leave the orphanage!".
"What?" Ava turned and looked at him.
"I've decided, I also want to experience the beauty in District 6." Mark replied with determination gleaming in his eyes.
"Do what you want, just don't hold me back, you're only 12." Ava said before she walked away.
"We are the same age!".
Together, they walked out of the room, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. Ava felt a newfound sense of strength, knowing that she had Mark by her side, and that she would never give up. She was determined to fight back, stand up for herself, and take Yuichi to district 6 with all she had.