I ran toward the commotion, and what I saw nearly stopped my heart. A kid, no more than eight, was begging on his knees, surrounded by three well-dressed men and their wives.
"I didn't steal her necklace! She threw it away on purpose my Lord! I swear on my life…" the boy cried, his voice trembling.
Before the kid could utter another word, the sharp crack of a whip lashed across his face.
The boy's clothes were nothing more than tattered rags, barely covering his small, frail frame. The kid tried to protect his face with his little hands, but little could he do faced with brutal force.
Impulsively, I jumped in front of the boy, without any prior plan in mind. The man holding the whip paused, his eyes narrowing in irritation.
"And who might you be? young miss?" he said in a very calm voice, as if he wasn't trying to torture the kid to death.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What do you think you are doing to this kid?" I demanded angrily. "Whatever he's done, nothing can possibly justify this cruelty!"
A crowd had begun to form, not to help, but to watch, enjoying the spectacle. Their eyes were filled with a thirst for blood and violence, their faces twisted with morbid satisfaction. What a disgusting sight.
The man chuckled, turning his gaze toward his peers. "I see now! You are human too! Where is your owner, wandering around like that isn't safe for the likes of you. Bad people might cross your path... hahaha."
"I am no slave, you freak!" I retorted, my eyes blazing.
His cold expressionless face changed the moment I glazed at him, like a tiger.
"Maybe your master failed to tame you, but I definitely can fix that."
In an instant, he grabbed his whip, imbued it with spiritual energy and lashed it toward me with lightning speed.
I knew deep down that Asher, my sole protector was not here. Nevertheless, I think that dying protecting this kid is not bad at all.
Just as the whip was about to strike, Aloen appeared before me, casting a shielding spell. The man faltered, his eyes widening as he recognized him.
"Lord Narcis," he drawled, "It's a pleasure seeing you here. What a formidable coincidence, don't you think?" he said with a hypocritically thrilled voice.
"I can not say the same about you, Lord Dante" Aloen said, with an icy expression.
"My, my, Lord Narcis, aggressive aren't we?"
Aloen's gaze never wavered."Why did you attack my companion?"
"Companion? How laughable."he sneered, turning to the crowd. "Humans are nothing more than slaves and livestock at best, and you know it!" At his words, the crowds murmured in agreement. "As for her, she interfered in my business. I was merely educating my own slave. I have done nothing wrong."
Aloen glanced at me angrily, his eyes reprimanding me.
"I apologize for the inconvenience she caused. Nevertheless, I believe that you mustn't lay a hand on others' property, isn't that right, Lord Dante?"
Feigning innocence, Dante sighed theatrically."Oh my, how foolish of me! You're absolutely right, my Lord."he said, "I will make sure that such commotion is never to happen again. Vana, thiral!"
At these words, the little boy began to walk toward him, head down, resigning himself to whatever fate awaited.
I watched in horror, helpless as he was led away. "But —"
"That is enough! Mia….We must go back."
Aloen grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the crowd, their laughter still ringing in my ears.
I yanked free, fury rising within me. "What are you doing? He is going to be killed! We should do something or else the poor boy will never see the sunlight again!"
Then out of nowhere, Aloen hand struck my cheek, the sharpness of the slap making me reel back in surprise.
"Wake up, Mia!" He said with a cold voice. "You can't save everyone! This boy is a slave. His fate was sealed the moment he was born."
The word "slave" struck me like a blow, pushing me into a moment of pure rage. Without thinking, I slapped him across the face.
"No one is born to serve others! No one do you hear me!"My voice cracked with raw emotion.
Aloen's face remained impassive, even after I slapped him.
"He is going to be tortured until he can no longer bare it." I spat. "Don't you feel not even a little shred of guilt?"
He stayed silent, his gaze distant, his head tilted to the side.
"If you helped me save him instead of discarding him," I pressed, "We could have changed his fate…"
He clenched his fists, his posture stiffening, as if he was holding back something dark inside.
After a tense moment, he finally spoke, his voice low and strained.
"Listen, Mia, had I not been around, he would have killed you."
"I don't care!" I retorted, my heart pounding in my chest. "At least I wouldn't have to live with the guilt weighing my conscious"
Aloen turned sharply, his eyes flashing with anger. "Really Mia? Is that so? Let me tell you something," he snapped. "Don't you think using my brother as a shield is despicable? You always throw yourself in danger's way relying on his help! You put him in danger every damn time!" he shouted. "And even now, when he is dead, he can not rest in peace." he said, walking away.
"I … I didn't—"
"Just shut it!" he cut me off, his voice harsh. "I am tired of hearing you talk big, when you don't even know how the world works."
With a final, frustrated glare, he turned and walked away, vanishing into the distance.
"That bastard! He doesn't even like his brother! What a pain!" I shouted, my frustration echoing through the silent wilderness.
The sky darkened as clouds gathered, driven by the biting winds from the north, swirling with cold and desolation.
"I should go back to the mansion... But should I?" I thought, the weight of the decision pressing on my chest. "After all, he won't be thrilled to see me"
After a moment of deep contemplation, I made my choice: No, I wouldn't go back there.
"That blood-thirsty knight wants my head, Ravenna is a wicked witch and Aloen himself is a cruel jerk!" I screamed into the void. "It's like I've stepped into an asylum!"
The night seemed to stretch endlessly as I walked. My legs were exhausted, my stomach growled for food, and the path ahead grew darker by the minute.
Finally, I sank down beneath a large tree bearing strange purple fruits.
"At least they are not golden..." I muttered, feeling a bitter humor rise within me.
I managed to start a fire, its flames licking the darkness away. Carefully I climbed the tree, my fingers brushing against the smooth bark as I tried to reach for the nearest fruit.
"I got you," I said proudly. "My manager always said I had perfect survival skills!"
I dropped down to the ground and settled in a comfortable position, holding the fruit up to inspect it. As I opened it, I saw the seeds inside gleaming with a deep golden hue.
"Agh! Whatever!" I sighed, shaking my head. "I'm not eating the seeds anyway."
I took a cautious bite, testing the fruit's taste. At first, it was bland, but as I chewed, the flavors shifted — sweet then sour— a surprising burst of taste.
"Not bad! That's the only good thing that happened to me since I arrived here!"I thought.
But as soon as I finished, I felt my throat running dry, and an immense urge to drink overwhelmed me. On my way here, I'd heard the sound of flowing water, but now, in the darkness, it was hard to find my bearings.
Following my instincts, I took a wide path, that seemed to have been used by some human…or any other living creature. As I delved deeper into the forest, I felt my body moving on its own.
"What the heck! I can't stop —"
Before I could make sense of it, I suddenly plunged into something. A sharp pain shot through my body as I fell, and I gasped in agony.
"Agh! That f*****g hurts!" I shouted, the cold water shockingly brutal against my skin. "It's so f*****g cold too!"
As if this wasn't enough, the well I had fallen into closed in, burying me alive.