The place was cold and damp. The woman felt chills in her spine and wondered where she was. She opened her eyes and was back in her old room, where she lived before escaping.
"N-No!" the woman exclaimed in fear. She staggered backwards as her response when she hit a warm thing. Next thing she knew, a hand wrapped around her body.
"AHHH!" the woman shouted in surprise, trying to remove the hands, but the grip was tight.
"Where have you escaped? I've been looking for you?" a familiar voice whispered in the woman's ear.
The woman didn't need to look to know who it was. Her body shook as she spoke the name of the person that has been around since she grew up. The person that has been visiting every few days and told about the world above ground.
But that person was the one who imprisoned her in the underground maze that became the woman's home.
"E-eve," the woman whispered, and she was immediately woken up from her sleep.
The woman opened her eyes and saw the little candle burning a meter away from her. She looked around her and was in a wooden room with hays as her bed.
"H-hello?" the woman whispered and sat up. She heard a 'cling' coming from the floor and the heaviness in her right foot. She looked down and saw huge chains wrapped around her ankle.
The woman panicked and tried to pull the chains and remove them, but she didn't know it was connected to a bell. It rang the moment she moved aggressively and notified those who abducted her.
"N-no!" the woman exclaimed in dread and remembered the story she was once told about the outside world. People residing were monsters with gigantic teeth and elongated canines. They have multiple eyes that glowed bright red, and if they spotted you, they would eat you alive.
Footsteps echoed on the stoned floor and got louder as it came closer. The woman crawled toward the edge of the room and made herself as small as possible. She heard the door get unlocked and opened.
The woman saw a shadow of a being with a spikey head. Multiple scenarios played into her head, and all she could think of was she would get eaten.
"PLEASE! DON'T EAT ME!" the woman screamed and covered her head when the being stood before her.
"Why will I eat you?" a deep, rough voice spoke.
The woman flinched and trembled in fear. She didn't say a word and tried to think of a plan to escape, but the chains on her foot distracted her.
"Look at me?" the voice spoke again, but the woman didn't move.
"Look, I won't do anything harm to you. I saved you from drowning, remember? That means I am your savior! So, please look at me," the voice exclaimed cheerfully, clapping his hands together.
The woman understood what he said, and she slowly raised her head. She saw a muscular body that was different from her. She let her eyes travel upward and was met with a pair of eyes as dark as night.
"Hello," the man smiled and leaned forward as he looked at the woman's features. His eyes widened, and he grabbed the nearby candle and loomed it above the woman. "You are spectacular!" he exclaimed in amazement.
The woman was confused at his choice of words but still scared of him. "D-don't e-eat me," she whispered and hugged herself.
The man blinked multiple times to make sure he was hearing right. He crouched down and took a bread from his pouch. "Here, I won't eat you, okay? But eat this instead," he said and offered the bread.
The woman's eyes widened, and she slowly grabbed the bread from the man's hand. She looked at it for a while and glanced toward the man, who continued staring at her.
"Don't be afraid from now on. You can eat what you want, but I only have bread with me," the man stated while scratching his head in embarrassment.
"T-thank you," the woman whispered and took a bite. It was dry and hard to chew, but she didn't complain.
At the same time, the man kept staring at the color of her hair.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Fredrick; what's your name?" Fredrick asked and waited for the woman to reply.
"Name?" the woman asked in confusion. She tried her best to recall what she was used to being called since her memory was hazy after she got out of the tunnel.
"Yes, name. Like what other people call you," Fredrick became suspicious about the woman's background and how she looked different from anybody he had seen.
The woman frowned, and a memory resurfaced in her head.
"G-girl…" the woman replied slowly.
"You're name is Girl? Are you sure about that?" Fredrick was dumbfounded as he didn't believe the woman. "Your parents suck if they named you like that, haha!" he laughed, but the woman kept silent.
*cough*
"Well, from now on. I will give you a new name as you're savior," Fredrick exclaimed and sat on the ground as he became immersed in the woman's identity.
The woman didn't understand what was going on, but she knew Fredrick wouldn't hurt her since she was fed by him.
"Let see, you're hair is as white as snow. Even whiter than old people's heads and your eyes, they look like a diamond glistening under the sun. It's colorful, like a rainbow…" Fredrick described with astonishment in his voice.
The woman tilted her head in confusion. She looked at the strands of her hair and was puzzled by how Fredrick was amazed by it. For her, it was normal, and everyone was like her.
"Ah! I know!" Fredrick exclaimed and pointed his index finger toward the woman. "Your name will be Iris!" he added.
"I-Iris?" the woman muttered, and she liked it. "Iris… I am Iris," she added, touching her lips as they moved.
"Yes, just like the Goddess of the Rainbow, Iris!" Fredrick grinned, leaned toward the woman and tilted her chin upward. "And you, my dear, will make me rich," he whispered before leaving Iris alone in the dark room.