Jace: "Hello, ma'am. Are all of the people who were with you safe?"

Philia: "EEK! Wh-wh-who a-are you? Wh-where did y-you come from?"

"I get that you must be afraid of me after all that you must've gone through to end up in your current situation, but I need your cooperation if you want all of the slaves—you included—to have their collars removed."

"S-so you're not here to h-hurt me?"

"Why would I go out of my way to hurt you? You've done nothing to deserve any suffering."

"B-but-"

"Look, ma'am, I get it. I really do. But right now, I need you to focus on the bigger picture. Where are the other slaves? If you won't tell me, I'll be forced to look for them on my own. I believe two of the crew had made off with the slaves and been out of earshot by the time I'd gotten to the violent part of the Human Characteristic of Solidarity...speaking of which, you were within earshot yet remain unharmed—you really must have gone through wholly one-sided suffering without any chance to act for, speak up for, or even think of yourself, huh? That's depressing. I don't want to continue thinking about that. So, back on topic, are you going to tell me where the other slaves are or not?"

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Can I-I...trust you?"

"... ...No, you shouldn't ever trust someone you've just met, no matter how nice they may seem. Never forget that. I guess it really wasn't fair for me to put so much pressue on someone who's still in shock from the grusome stuff right before their eyes, eh? I'm sorry, I'll begin looking for the other slaves now."

Jace grabs Philia's neck.

"EEK! DON'T HURT ME!"

----------------------------------------

However, against all of Philia's fears and expectations, the touch of another wasn't followed by pain or a sense of suffocation. Following a resounding click and the sound of metal hitting the ground, Philia feels a warm sensation around her neck followed by a feeling she had not experienced since she was first enslaved—the burden Philia bore had lessened that night, even if only physically. When Philia opened her eyes, the shadowy figure was already nowhere to be found.