I could smell the residue of the sweat and the grime on the surface of the floor. The humid and cold air resonated with the callous atmosphere within the place. 

The air lingered with dust and filled the ambiance. I had only just opened my eyes, waking up to find myself laying on the cold hard concrete bed that had only a ragged blanket.  

Where was I? 

What is this place? 

I looked around, it was dark but there was a dim light outside from steel-framed doors that only had a small open window. 

A few more seconds of snooping around and it finally clicked in my head. 

This place was a cell. 

I was surprised for a few seconds, but slowly everything started to come back to me, my memories, although a bit snuffed I did feel sluggish from waking up. I also did remember seeing someone and then immediately blacking out.

Alright, so then I am imprisoned in a cell in an unknown area, for who knows how long, there were no windows in which I could never tell the time of day, and I feel like I have been here for rather a good few hours. 

The only things I had on me were my pendant and my E.I bracer that happens to be broken for some sort of reason. 

However, as I got up I started to hear voices emanating from outside the room.

I was feeling scared but at the same time, I felt indifferent to it. All in all, there was no need to waste energy, How could I get out of this room? Complete concrete from top to bottom, steel-framed doors, and a concrete bed with a shitty blanket, there wasn't even light inside this prison cell. 

"Well looks like we are in a pickle" 

I froze, I had not seen anyone in this room but I could hear a lady-like voice close to my ears. 

Not wanting to make any sudden moves I gradually turned my head slowly. 

Glancing behind me, I could see a figure covered in darkness, it was a darkness that loomed over everything in the room. 

It was beautiful, and completely mortifying at the same time. 

As I kept gazing back towards this figure, its face had shown, it had the face of an extremely gorgeous woman, with a steel-cold stare, and red blazing eyes. She was floating in the air, and her body had emitted a black glow that created rifts and ripples in the air. Even her hair was similar to tentacles that reached the further parts of the room willingly.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

It was truly a feast for the eyes, but a fear for the heart. 

"Hello there sweetheart, looks like we meet at last"

Her tone of voice harmonized, It made me wonder if I was going crazy. 

"w-who.. are you?" 

She had closed in upon my face and glared brilliantly with a devilish smile like she had struck gold. 

"My Full name is Amaranth, but you can call me Mara, what may yours be?" 

I was cautious around her, but I couldn't be unpolite. 

"My name is Crow"  

As I gave her my name, she gave me a slightly questionable expression, first, it had seemed like a scowl but ir then had looked like one of wonder, and curiosity. 

"I may take it that is not your real name?" 

"I don't really remember my real name, and whenever I try, my head begins to hurt"

Smiling wryly she continued, "Oh, I see, well then" She had moved closer to my ear and whispered. 

"I can help you get out, only if, you allow me to, however, I want to make a deal, what do you think?" 

Allow her to? I don't understand, but I figure she wants to cut a deal, and if so, I don't think I have much to give, but she wouldn't cut a deal knowing I wouldn't so then why not I just say that I don't mind? 

"A deal huh? I don't think I have much to give at the moment, I guess I allow you to help me" 

With that being said, she pulled back. 

A wicked smile had struck her face sharp teeth, eyes that burned a crimson red stared straight into mines. 

Within a fracture of a second, she had disappeared. Oddly right after, my vision was starting to blur a bit...

What's going...... 

 I don't feel so... gooh - -

S - S - S 

Disturbed from the odd rummaging at night. Ruby had been woken up from her sleep in a room that had a barred wooden door. 

She had heard that there were others who were trying to get inside this hideout, but sadly that one person seemed to have failed, as Ruby had heard the stammering chats of the many that passed through the door.

Earlier she remembered that Jay was planning on something, however, she could only wait. 

Behind this door, there was nothing she could do but look around or watch. She decided to snoop around the room. It was a large empty room with a small window, however, the window was high up, and there was an empty crate in the room.  

Thinking that there was definitely no way these gangsters wouldn't think anyone would leave this crate in the room until she walked closer to it, she could smell the saturated reeking smell of human feces. 

'ah, that's why they had it here' She thought. 

However, upon analyzing the crate a little more closely, it could still be of use if she were to move it and butt the chair on top yet it was a risk. She either falls into the grueling atrocity of human feces or if she were to get caught... She wouldn't want to move, but at the same time, waiting for something that can go wrong, will go wrong. In most cases. 

(A/N: heh.)

Once looking at the form of which way she could stack the chair up, the only thing left was wondering if she could fit through the window and if there was anything outside of the window anyways.

As a start she had moved the crate with care and ease, ignoring the pungent smell emitted by it, thereafter moving the chair and carefully stacking it up. 

She noticed the legs of the chair which were now facing up were ricketty, able to be torn off. This had given her an idea of the sort as she glances down at the robes she was wearing. 

Thinking about how she would get through would be a bit hard but as the wood was not the strongest thing unless if it is smaller, it won't break as easily, and with that in mind she had wrapped the hoodie of the robe onto the middle of the chair leg that she had pulled out not too long ago. 

Once she had finished tying up the ends, she had grabbed the stick and attempted to throw the stick through the bars of the window, of course with the first few tries there was no wind, but just as Ruby was to give in to failure, an odd stroke of luck had appeared in the form of an earthquake.

S... S ... S...