Ryuji rapped on the metal door and slid open the hatch. He pushed the tray of food inside, as he did every day. However today, there was something extra on the tray. A folded piece of paper, barely hidden under the plate.

I felt a surge of excitement as I recognized it. It was the information he had promised me. The first clue to my escape. I didn’t know what it contained, but I hoped it would reveal something about this facility and its weaknesses. Maybe then I could find a way out of this hellhole.

I looked at Ryuji gratefully and said, “You’re amazing, Ryuji. You don’t know how much this means to me. Please, keep helping me in the future too. Oh, I almost forgot Eve said she wants to talk to you about something.”

Ryuji looked puzzled. “Eve? Who’s Eve?”

He glanced at the tray and saw the HT terminal in my hand. “Oh, you mean that thing? You named it Eve?”

I nodded and handed him the terminal. He took it with a bemused expression and said, “Okay, I’ll talk to Eve later. But first, you should read what I gave you. It’s about you, Xeno. I found it while I was looking for other things. It’s not good news, I’m afraid. Nevertheless, you have to know the truth.”

He sounded serious and worried. I felt a pang of fear in my chest. What did he find out about me? What could be worse than being locked up in this facility for months? Yet, I knew I had to face it, whatever it was.

“Thank you, Ryuji,” I said again.

“I’ll read it as soon as you leave. And don’t worry about me. I’m strong enough to handle anything.”

He nodded and closed the hatch. He said he would be back in half an hour like he always did.

I was alone again, with the tray of food and the piece of paper. I ate the food as fast as I can since Eve advised me to stay well-fed and hydrated. I then grabbed the paper.

It was a printout of some document, wrapped in a handwritten note from Ryuji.

I opened the note and read his words: “I’m sorry, Xeno. I’m still working on getting more information for you, and on finishing the blueprint of this facility. However, I had to show you this first. It’s about why you are here. Please, don’t lose hope after reading this. Don’t give up on yourself. Stay strong and hold it together.”

I felt a cold chill run down my spine. What had Ryuji discovered about me? Why did he warn me to stay strong? Was it something to do with my family? Please, no. Not them. Anything but them.

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I unfolded the printed paper with trembling hands and saw that it was a profile. My profile.

Yet, where did Ryuji get it from? Was it from the facility that held me captive? Or was it from the government that had abandoned me?

I scanned the paper and read the details: “Name: Xeno Leonhart Age: 16 Height: 176cm Weight:67kg”. Nothing unusual or alarming so far. I read on: “Father: (deceased) Mother: Lea Leonhart (missing) Sister: Sophie Leonhart (missing)”

Missing.

The word hit me like a punch in the gut. I felt a surge of panic and fear. I started to pace around the cell, trying to make sense of it. What did it mean that they were missing? What had happened to them? Who had this profile?

If it was from the government, then my mother and sister were in grave danger. They could have been kidnapped or worse, killed.

If it was from the organization, then maybe my mother had sensed something was wrong and taken my sister with her. Maybe they had escaped and hidden somewhere.

However, how did she know? What tipped her off? I was terrified of what I might find out next, but I forced myself to keep reading. And then I saw it, in bold letters, the reason why I was here: “Sold as collateral for a debt.”

Sold as collateral for a debt? What the hell did that mean? Who had sold me and what debt did they owe?

It couldn’t have been my mother. She loved me and my sister more than anything. She would never betray us like that.

There was only one other person who could have done it. Roger. I clenched the paper in my fist as rage boiled inside me. Roger, the man who had pretended to be my father. Roger, the man who had wormed his way into our lives after my father’s death. What debt did he incur? How did my mother not notice that at all?

That all didn’t matter right now. The only thing that mattered was that he was the reason I was here. He was the reason I had lost everything. He was the reason I lost my hopes, dreams, and my family. Roger.

I felt a surge of rage that overwhelmed me. I shouted at the top of my voice: “Rogerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr”

I clenched my fists and slammed them against the walls over and over. I hit and I hit, until my skin tore and blood stained the metal and bricks. But I didn’t care.

I kept hitting and screaming: “You’ll pay for this, Roger. You’ll pay with your life. I’ll get out of here and I’ll find you. And then I’ll make you suffer like you’ve never suffered before. I’ll tear you apart, you bastard.”

I kept on punching the wall and screaming until my hands went numb. Then I collapsed on the floor, exhausted and broken.

This world was cruel. How could my stepfather do this to me? How could he sell me like an object? No wonder my mother was missing, apparently the right choice was that she had taken my sister and ran away.

She must have found out what he had done. She must have feared for their safety, and she must have noticed that whoever did it had a large hand in the government.

I hoped they were okay. I hoped they had escaped somewhere far away. I prayed for them, Mom and Sophie.

I also made a vow to them. I would get out of here alive, no matter what, and then I would find Roger and make him pay.

I would make him beg for mercy that he would never receive. The only thing he would receive is death so painful that he will regret the day he was born; the day he entered our lives and ruined us.