Chapter 06 [arc one]

The walk out of the cellar was like stepping into eternal salvation. The closer they got to the exit, the harder Karilyn sobbed. Her eyes were blown out, and she felt like she was falling. Everything felt like a dream now, the as cool air hit her skin and the smell of dirt hit her nose. The man carried her into what looked to be a large garden, which was the total opposite of her prison. The sky was a beautiful tangerine from the setting sun. Staring at it made her feel free; it made her feel weightless. Her limbs hung lifelessly as she took it all in.

The man touched her forehead as she stared and hummed. "They drugged you, so try to keep your eyes closed. You're going through withdrawal, but don't worry. I'm going to take you to a healing bed." With that, he forcefully closed her eyes with his rough, calloused fingers.

Karilyn found herself nodding sluggishly. That made sense; her body felt like it was melting. If they had been drugging her, it had to have been with the water. Any food she tried to eat was snatched away, and she was beaten. The idea of lying in the cool embrace of a healing bed was euphoric. The visual novel described it as being peaceful and serene. You would lie partially submerged in cold, medicinal water and rest. As you rested, your body would rebuild itself as if it were brand new. And when you woke up, it would heal your mind from any prior suffering.

If he had a healing bed for personal use, he must be rich. Only the upper class had them in their homes, as they were originally made for hospitals. The popularity their results caused made socialites invest in getting a bed custom-made. This started a trend of young, rich students using them to look their best for the new semester. Or for wealthy mothers to pawn their children off on slaves while they took a dip. Reading about it was exciting, as she never imagined it being developed in real life. Plus, it would fix her legs and allow her to walk again. Something she desperately needed to have.

"I live in a bad part of the country, but we'll take care of you. I'll give you a bath and feed you a warm meal before further questioning. Alright?" The man spoke softly, like she was a scared animal. It didn't bother her, as she was too high to care.

Karilyn just nodded and rested in the man's arms. The redhead was exhausted; she hadn't gotten any good sleep since she was enslaved. Now she felt like she could get some rest and let her guard down. She didn't trust the man entirely, but she was grateful for the generosity he was showing her. Without him, she would still be trapped in the room without food, sunlight, or human contact. And he was going to take her to get her legs fixed, along with a warm meal. The woman fantasized about roast chicken, potatoes, and more with a drooling mouth. Even if this was too good to be true, she was too overjoyed to care.

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The twenty-two-year-old daydreamed about spending her nights in a warm, fluffy bed. Taking a bath in a tub full of hot water and soap bubbles, imagining herself scrubbing the dirt, grime, and much more of her body was a gift. If this man, who was carrying her through tall, dying fields of grass and cracked land, told her that she was fine, she would accept whatever payment he wanted. Any debt was better than Kaname's. She had been broken in all possible ways by the man. The bastard disabled her and was going to send her to death. He didn't care about anyone besides his lover, whom she knew inside and out.

"I know you're scared of your master, but he's gone now." You won't ever have to face him again if things go well. Just hold on tight and keep your eyes shut until I tell you to open them. The man whispered this in her ear as he strolled.

Her curiosity peaked at the mention of holding on tight to the man. Karilyn cracked her eyes open, and she was met with a gaping hole. The hole in front of the two was incredibly large, with rubble falling into it. The inside of it seemed really deep, which made her stomach turn. She started to wonder if he intended on throwing her in. or if he was going to attempt to climb down with her. Either way, she tightened her grip on the man and trembled. If it was only a few feet, she'd just be nervous. If it was miles long, she prayed it was fast.

Sensing her anxiety, he tightened his hold on her and held her to his chest. "Don't worry. I know you don't trust me, but I won't drop you. The way down won't be anything but nice and quick." His milky white eyes stared at her with kindness.

It was something that made her body become jello. Her stomach settled as she looked into his eyes and searched. Seeing the effects of cybernetic enhancements and chips up close was breathtaking. You could immediately tell that anyone with them wasn't human. The entirety of their eyeballs was white; they didn't have colored pupils or iris. It made you notice them from afar and was originally intended to scare you senseless. But with society changing and the fourth and fifth wars finishing up, it became normal to see them daily. Your neighbors had them, your lovers had them, and even your relatives had the chips implanted.

"How are we going to get down?" Karilyn asked timidly as she bit her cracked lip. They were too dry to even bleed or crack anymore.

The man hummed at her question and stepped a bit closer to the edge. Her heart hammered as he nearly walked off. "I'm going to walk off the edge and fall downward. Then we'll reach an opening and land right on my doorstep."

She began to sweat profusely, opening her mouth and closing it repeatedly. "Are you sure it will work that way. Please, can you promise?" This seemed mad, but she was too far in having doubts.

The man gave her a lazy but pleasant glance. "I promise it will work. I've done it numerous times; now hold on tight as the drop is rather steep."