Caution: This contains themes that are relatively uncomfortable and violent please tread with caution.
Jaslin walked after Rivan cautiously, the place was crowded and she couldn't afford to lose sight of him. She groaned as a stranger's shoulder bumped against her.
She rushed and held Rivan's hand, whispering to him "we've been walking for so long, are you sure you know the way"
Rivan rolled his eyes "you were the one who wanted to tag along so don't complain"
"yen yen yen" Jaslin imited his tone and held onto him for dear life, it was almost as if she was in a stampede.
They were busy investigating Awin and the mystery behind Qaya's dual life.
Finally they reached their destination. It was a humblw looking g plaza that was well kept, with many tenants.
In comparison to the slums that the building was surrounded by, it seemed like an beautiful angel in hell.
They walked into the building, it seemed seclusive and the inhabitants looked at Rivan and Jaslin with suspicion.
"We're asking for Marcel" Rivan called out
They were sounds of murmurings among them until one person called that they be directed to Marcel's room.
Marcel's room was naked; it was a broad room with nothing but a thick mat and a small bag that the teenager used for his travels.
He was a lanky young boy that was a little over six feet tall and he always wore long sleeves.
He greeted the two when they entered his room and offered them water, which they declined.
"I guess it's straight to business" the boy joked and closed his window.
"thank you for the help you rendered during our friend's case" This was Rivan he handed the boy a pouch of money, the other happily accepted.
"it's nothing, really. It was in my power to do it, that's why I did it. I'm just happy, it turned out well"
"do you think the sunshine paradise will still be in operation, even after it's been exposed" Jaslin asked, her voice tinged with concern
"yes and no. Sunshine paradise is not the building but the people that the king has enslaved, so as long as he still has us in his reach, he'll make us work. The only bright side in this dark story is ...a couple of us have gotten wiser and stronger, some people have overcome him but they can't live normal lives and they're always in hiding"
"what did you do in sunshine paradise" Jaslin asked
The boy's face seemed contorted in pain, like someone had dropped an anvil on his toenail "I think the right question is what don't I do sunshine paradise?"
"they make us do some many vile things. I got the long end of the stick and did the easy jobs like running errands, cleaning and getting patrons for the brothel and... entertaining those patrons and when I didn't satisfy them, I would be locked up without food for days, some other people go through worse things"
"what?" Jaslin exclaimed in horror which made Marcel chuckle wistfully
"this is such a an horrible thing to say, but the sex trafficking is one of the mild things that the sunshine paradise operate, at least you can grow numb to that pain. The actual main operation that they carry out is experiments,they do these weird experiments that always fail and then they...sell these failed organs from their victims for money and they make workers lure innocent people for these experiments and if you resist, they make you watch them do the experiment on your loved one ...my best friend committed suicide because he could live with the trauma of having to keep on dreaming of his sister's gruesome death."
"see Rivan everyone is scared but we can't leave because... it's not worth it, it's better to lose your conscience and hope and do as they say"
Jaslin was sniffing, she didn't even know that she was already crying, her whole skin was riddled with goosebumps and her heart rate increased "why did you people follow him in the first place, why does he have such a hold on you? Is there no way of escape"
Marcel held her hand and sadly smiled at her "this is the only way we can live, the only escape is when we die"
"but why?" Jaslin wailed
"I don't know if you've been told but our emancipation certificates were just formality. He owns us, all of us and we can't ever leave because Awin likes to mark the things he owns so he never loses it. Just like the articles he has lying around in his palace, we also have a way he can't lose us... Jaslin we're branded and I don't know what exactly he used to Brand us but, he always finds us because of that"
"what?" Rivan and Jaslin hollered in unison
"but...but what about the people that managed to break away, how did they? There's speculation that they removed the mark, even as their lives were at risk, they may even be dead"
"so you can't do the same" Rivan asked in concern
"I don't know about the others but I can't afford to, I'll be committing suicide" as he said this he took of his shirt to show a gruelling mark across the left side of his chest, right where his heart was.
The walk back home was sombre and Rivan kept turning to Jaslin, she looked dejected and sad. He held her hand and gave her a look of comfort when she turned to him.
"it will be fine" he muttered
"I pray Awin meets a cruel, slow and gruesome death" was all she thought of and she could say.
***
Morgan mumbled as she cleaned her house, she'd come home because of the compulsory day off, that the palace staff enjoy. Her mind kept wandering to her nephew but she would remind herself that he was in good hands. Even though he'd recently joined the palace as the Queen's adopted son, everyone found him adorable and spoilt him and the maids took turns to take him on playdates with other nobles' children. She smiled and went to her mother's room.
It looked the same way it did, and Morgan even found herself imagining her mother sleeping on the bed, just like all other nights before her corpse was discovered.
"was the pain too much for you to endure?" She muttered and began to look around the room.
As she tidily 'ransacked' the room, her eyes caught an old trunk. It looked very dusty and it had a thick lock on it. Morgan frowned and cleaned the trunk. The trunk looked familiar.
As she stared long and hard, she remembered that her mother had once given her a beating because she tried to open the trunk. Her mother later apologized for her actions but made her promise to never open the trunk, since it wasn't hers.
"just what are you hiding?" She whispered and started looking around for the key.
When she search to no avail, she lost her patience and went outside and picked a sturdy rock.
She used the rock to hit the lock, it was a very hard exercise and she injured her hands in the process but that wouldn't stop her. She had to know what was inside the box.
Finally, with bloodied hands and fatigue, she broke the trunk open and looked through it.
There was a ugly looking ring, some cigarettes packs, some other trinkets and novelties but what stood out to Morgan was a big purple book with a Gothic print that read "Make a memoir".
Morgan snickered and picked the book but a letter fell from it and it read.
"Evil woman, you promised that you wouldn't open this Pandora's box, that this part of your past would be put behind you. But in a way, I'm happy that you didn't just toss the sorrow of hundreds of people and termed it as your meaningless past.
The things in this book is something that must never be found out and something you've sworn secrecy to, so when you were filling your diary with the chronicles of Zajey, it worried me.
This book should not exist, when you moved to Easteforde, you should have burnt this book but, what right do we have to forget our misdeeds, we've committed so many crimes, so why add to our punishment by dismissing the hurt we've caused.
I let this book stay as a way of amendment to free those people from captivity and right our wrongs.
This is something you must do, if you read this book, future me and can't bring yourself to atone for your sins, I really don't think we deserve the gift of life"
The letter fell from Morgan's hands. She was sobbing but she didn't know how to feel.
She was heartbroken but the contents but a little part of her was hopeful, hopeful that even in death, her parents' misdeeds could be atoned for.
***
Qaya finished her report and smiled contentedly at herself. She could see herself passing this exam.
She was thinking of visiting her parents, after all she had to join them for the abunumas preparation.
Her lady in waiting walked in looking tense.
"what's the matter?" Qaya asked sensing the other's discomfort
"someone's asking to see you"
"who"
"Lady Zarela, the King's sister"
Qaya raised her eyebrows "just what do we have here?"