She walked towards the mirror hanging on the wall and studied her facial features. Her eyes took in her new looks more precisely this time. Her face appeared younger than her actual age; she couldn't help but wonder, "Is it because of the changes that occurred?" Her mind buzzed with possible reasons for these drastic changes.
Closing her eyes for a moment, she thought internally, Now all she needs is to find a way out of her before she gets transferred to another kingdom and loses her chance of escape.
Her eyes snapped open. The woman in the cell before mentioned that they can't trade slaves if they are minors. How about she plays that card and pretends to be a minor? That might buy her some time to think of another way.
But what if things don't go with the way she planned? She looked at her hands, clenching and twisting them around. Could she defend herself from those who had abducted her, or would she end up getting killed if she provoked them?
The only way to find out was with a sinister smile twisted across her lips as her eyes stared at her reflection.
...
After getting changed, Elestria was dragged into another room, joining the group of other slaves ready to be shipped.
The room was filled with individuals of different ages, both girls and boys. All of them are huddled in the corner, scared as if they will be butchered at any moment. Their eyes were shading tears with scars on their bodies, screaming how brutally they had been tortured.
Elestria's hands clenched in tight fists, anger coursing through her veins. Her silver orbs scanned the room, searching for a way to break free. She noticed two guards stationed in the corners of the door.
Keeping her head low, she moved her feet towards where other slaves were seated, and she positioned herself not too far away. She turned her head to one of the girls with a thin body covered with scars and whispered, "What's your name?".
The girl shifted her tired eyes and moved her trembling lips. "Cora..," Her voice lowered at the end.
"What did they do to you?" "They..." The girl named Cora couldn't complete her sentence; her voice choked.
Elestria moved towards her and hugged her. Her eyes held something more profound this time, something different from her usual demeanor. Her eyes were burning with different emotions.
Unknown to Elestria, her eyes flickered with a golden hue.
Her gaze snapped towards the door, her eyes narrowing as she noticed a man entering the room. His head held high, with eyes scanning everyone sharply. His dark hood covered his forehead, and a black mask concealed his face, ensuring his identity remained hidden from the captives.
Elestria noticed how the slaves cast down their eyes in submission as he took his seat in the middle of the room with his hand resting on the table.
"One by one, everyone, come and state your age," he announced, his eyes giving away nothing.
Elestria's eyes bore into him. Her eyes scanned the way he carried himself, and she couldn't help but wonder. He seems quite young to be the leader of this place.
Waylon Wade is the one who handles the slave market in Autumvale.
Waylon's eyes landed on Elestria when he sensed someone looking in his direction for quite some time. He gestured towards her, tapping his finger on the table. "You, let's start with you." He said, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
Elestria looked down at her lap, unsure if she was the one he had called.
"I'm talking to you, the one in white clothes," his eyes darken at Elestria's apparent disobedience.
It's time to test how far she can push their nerves. Elestria rose from her sitting position and strolled leisurely towards the man. Her movements were deliberate, as she aimed to test the man's patience.
He remained composed, well aware of the identity of this girl. She is the one they are looking for. The one with silver hair.
"How old are you?" His eyes scanned her up and down, attempting to see through her. But she had done a good job hiding her emotions.
Elestria's lips moved hesitantly. "17..17 years old, sir," her words came out more like a
whisper. "Anna," he barked, his voice echoing through the room, stunning everyone inside.
The woman named Anna walked towards him and kneeled. "Yes, master, I don't know if she was a minor."
"Take her to the room," he commanded. He stood up from his chair and walked out of the room. The man named Victor following him spoke, "Master, what are we supposed to do now? We can't ship her right away.".
"Yeah, the palace guard will know even if we make her look like an adult, due to the damn magic they hold," the man said dismissively.
Before Victor could leave, he continued, "Get her ready; make her look like one of us."
...
In one of the rooms where Elestria was locked, one man lay on the ground, blood pooling around him, and the room was empty with no trace of Elestria.