She was thin, bones showing from tattered clothes, then she said in a weak dry hoarse voice, "master Alsies, l didn't tell them anything, I would never, l would rather die." The woman's voice was barely a whisper, but the man heard every word. She sounded weak and exhausted, as if she had been through unimaginable suffering. He felt a surge of pity for her, mixed with a growing sense of horror. What had happened to her, and what would happen to him? "Who are you?" he asked, his voice trembling. "What did they do to you?"She stretched her bony fingers towards him and starts to crawl, falling and getting up until she reached him. The woman's movements were slow and labored, and she stumbled and fell several times as she crawled towards the man. But she was determined, her gaze fixed on him, her empty eyes filled with a strange kind of hope. She reached out a bony hand, her fingers like claws, grasping at the air. He tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go. He was trapped, with nowhere to run, and no way to escape." Master Alsies, l didn't tell them anything, I would never sell you out, l would rather die.""I believe you," the man said, his voice shaking. "I believe you didn't tell them anything. But who are you? Why do they think you know something?" The woman's eyes welled up with tears, and a single tear rolled down her gaunt cheek. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. It was as if she had forgotten how to speak, or as if the words were trapped inside her, unable to be released.It hit the man like a thunderbolt - he was not Alsies, he was Ben, a doctor from New York City. He had no idea how he had ended up here, in this cell, with this woman. And yet, as he looked at her, he knew that he had to help her. As a doctor, it was his duty to help those in need, no matter who they were or what they had done. He could not turn away from this woman, no matter how strange or frightening she seemed.Deep amidst his thought she looked up and said, " how could I help them when their men have my family captive". "Your family?" Ben said, his voice filled with disbelief. "They're holding your family captive? Are you sure?" The woman nodded, and her tears flowed freely now. "They have my children. They took them from me. They said they would hurt them if I didn't tell them what I knew." Ben felt a wave of anger and outrage, and he knew he had to do something. But what? He had no idea where he was, or how to get out of this cell. How could he help this woman and her family?"Who are they, are they the Koreans, or Nigerians, who captured us, is the UN involved, because this is inhumane". Alsies began to shout and yank his chains. The woman looked up at him, eyes still empty and blank "master, are you okay?, this is the Bernes Empire," she whispered, sitting up. "The Bernes Empire?" Ben said, his voice rising in disbelief. "What is that? And how do you know about it? How do you know about any of this?" He stopped tugging on his chains, and sank to the floor, feeling the weight of his own confusion and fear. The woman was looking at him intently, as if she was searching for something in his eyes. "I don't know," she said softly. "I don't know how I know. I just do, we grew up here l guess." Ben felt a chill run down his spine. What did this woman know about him? How did she know it? And who was she to him."Master, we grew up here, in the slums, our magic weak and low, you decided to go into business, then bought me at the slave market, have you forgotten? you did so much for me and my family, we would have died a long time ago, thank you" she whispered once more. Ben felt his heart sink as she spoke. If what she was saying was true, it meant that he had lived another life - a life where he had been a successful businessman, a life where he had bought this woman as a slave. He felt sick to his stomach, and he tried to push the thought from his mind. "No," he said firmly. "That's not who I am. I'm not Alsies, and I'm not a slave owner. I'm Ben, and I'm a doctor." The woman looked at him, her eyes searching his face. "You don't remember, do you?" she said "I knew that spell they used to torture you had side effects, once the artefact you swallowed passes your system, all magic in this dungeon will be nullified, we can rescue my kids and escape" A spark of hope flickered in Ben's heart. "You mean there's a way to stop the magic?" he said, his voice rising. "A way to escape?" The woman nodded. "Yes, once the artefact has passed out of your system, the magic will no longer work. We can escape, and we can save your family." Ben's mind raced. Was this really possible? Could they really escape this place, and rescue her family? He had so many questions, but he knew they had to act quickly. As they dragged on their thoughts, the guards opened the cell doors dragging five people with their faces covered.The guards were huge, dressed in dark robes, their faces covered with hoods. They dragged the five prisoners into the cell, and then left, locking the door behind them. The prisoners were slumped on the floor, unmoving. Ben and the woman exchanged a glance, and then cautiously approached the prisoners. As they drew closer, Ben could see that the prisoners were all children, their ages ranging from about five to twelve. They were pale and thin, and they looked as if they had been through hell. Immediately, the inquisitor came in, with his torture devices in hand. The inquisitor was a tall, imposing figure, dressed in black robes. He wore a mask that covered his face, and he carried a toolbox filled with various torture devices. He glared at Ben and the woman, his eyes cold and hard. "What are you doing?" he barked. "These prisoners are not to be disturbed. Get away from them." Ben felt a surge of anger. "These are just children," he said, his voice shaking with rage. "They don't deserve to be treated like this."