Chapter 12 - Past Memories 1_2

[Sensitive content assault attempt and slave topic]

Time passes. I'm the one who froze finally got my consciousness back.

The young man is Vier, an Avatar that I used to play Ark Fantasy Online for years. 

As for the little Fox Beastkin… I feel so familiar with her. But it's a pity, I don't remember where we've met before.

So to confirm their identity, I asked, "who are you, people?"

"Yes! Who are you? Why you hug my big sis without permission!?" The little girl repeated my question. Her tail stood upright and she looked so furious.

Receiving our gaze, the young man scratched his cheek with his index finger. Then he makes an awkward smile. 

"I'm sorry, It seems I got the wrong person. I thought you were my sister, Lylian. My name is Vier. It's good to see you and I'm sorry."

"We don't feel happy to see you!" The little girl yelled at Vier and looked at me with her big red eyes. "Right, big sis?" 

The little girl gave me a warm smile. At the same time, her fox ears twitch and her fox tail swings energetically.

The little girl asked me for an answer, but...

"Who are you, little girl?"

The little girl froze. Her joy was ruined by shock. Moments later, her consciousness got back.

"Big sis doesn't remember me?" asked the little girl in a trembling voice. Tears welled in her eyes. 

"I feel so familiar with you, but… what's your name?"

"No!!" wailed the little girl who ended up crying. A second later, she ran to me and hugged my waist tightly.

"No no! There's no way sis Eclaite forgot about me! I am your sister, Kimi!" The little girl told her name by crying out.

Kimi... After hearing the name, a little bit of pain poked my head. It's not bad so I ignored it to deal with the trouble in front of me. 

Even though she surprised me by knowing the name of my new Avatar, it won't change the fact that...

"Even if you say so, I truly don't know you."

"Lie! Sis Eclaite is lying! I'm not going to let big sis lie! I'm not going to let big sis leave me! Father Wielth already left and abandoned us! I don't want big sis left and abandon me too!" Kimi buried her face in my stomach as she wailing out her reason. Then she hugged me even tighter.

I don't know the relationship between us. but... For a moment I heard the name - Wielth - fragments of memories containing numerous episodes appeared to fill my mind. 

Those fragments of memory flowed into my head were like a strong stream on the river. They hurt my head badly, the unbearable pain made my consciousness thin, my eyesight began to blur, and my body became limp and heavy.

In the end, I fell to the floor before finally fainting.

-----[✥]-----

In the dark woods, I kept running. Even though the soles of my feet were bleeding, even though I had trouble taking a breath, and even though my stomach felt so painful, I never stopped running.

My mother gave me orders to run and not to get caught. I want to carry out those orders as best I can, but...

"Ah!"

I tripped and fell. I tried to get up but my body wouldn't move the way I wanted it to.

"Damn!" I cursed myself and then gritted my teeth.

"There! The girl's there! Hurry up and tie her up!"

The shout in the distance is a sign that it's over. I can't get up and run anymore. This means I will be got caught.

"I'm sorry, mom," I said softly. Tears flowed down my cheeks.

Shreek! Shreek!

Two men show themselves from behind the trees. Their eyes are on me who lie down on the ground.

"There she is! Grab the rope and tie her up quickly. Don't waste time anymore."

"I know! I know!"

With a grumble as a sign, a man grabbed me and tied me up. I tried to put up a fight but it was all in vain. I can't move my body well and I don't have strength.

A moment later, they took me away from the woods where I grew up, from the place I call home.

-----[✥]-----

Click!

A strange sound rang out when a black metal necklace was attached to my neck. Seconds later, unbearable pain stung my body.

"Argh!"

While I fell and then convulsing on the floor, the man who put on the necklace on me smiled.

"Take this new slave to the confined room."

"Yes, sir!"

Today, along with five other Beastkin children, I became a Slave. 

Hatred sprouting in my heart. I want to kill all those bad guys but I knew I couldn't do it. I'm weak and helpless. More than that, I'm scared. 

All I can do is accept all this while holding back my tears and sorrows. At the same time, I cultivate my hatred.

-----[✥]-----

A few months passed. Now, I'm in a place so far from the woods that I call home. If I'm not mistaken, I've crossed three borders of three different kingdoms.

The time that passed teach me that the Illegal Slave - who is me - didn't have a chance to be free. Once a person is caught and turned into an Illegal Slaves, that person will only get freedom after they die.

I saw dozens of Illegal Slaves die because few slave traders want to amuse themselves.

Knowing this bitter reality made me feel thicker sorrows. But, as I recalled the figure of my mother and the forest that became my home, I burned that sorrows with the flames of hatred.

I'm going to kill all the criminals who took everything from me. I'll make them pay an extremely high price.

One day, there's going to be a chance when I can be free. Therefore, I have to survive and stay alive. 

I'm going to get that freedom and go back home, go back to see my mother.

-----[✥]-----

How long has time passed...

I don't know.

"I'm going to buy this kid."

"Are you sure Gord? She's so skinny and looks like she's going to be dead any minute."

"Tod, Tod, you're not looking far ahead. She might look bad today, but tomorrow, after we feed her and wash her, she will look good. I'm telling you, she's a rough diamond. When she grows up, she'll be a gorgeous girl. She'll give us a pile of money."

"All right, okay, stop your blabbering, we'll buy it. Let's see the other slaves, we still need five more."

After almost starving to death in a filthy cage, two men came to prolong my life. They bought and took me out from the stuffy, dark basement. 

I don't know the brothel I'm going to live in is a good or bad place. But at least, I hope, that place is better than that basement. I don't want to starve to death or sleep next to human waste anymore.

-----[✥]-----

I'm not starving anymore. Unfortunately, at the same time, I never felt full. My bed was clean enough even though I had to jostle with other slaves while I slept.

Two years have passed since I came out of that basement. Now, I'm thirteen years old. I'm quite big and I'm growing quite well because I'm not starving anymore.

Brothels are places where women satisfy men's lusts. This is the place to breed. For me, this is a disgusting place. But, there's hope in this place. 

A courtesan can be purchased by a customer. Usually, those who have been purchased by a person are made to be a wife or concubine. Many sisters who took care of me, seduced a man with the main goal of being bought by them.

Sometimes my sister's efforts don't come to fruition. But, still, there's hope. They can buy their freedom with the money they get from the services they contribute to the brothels.

This place is quite good. I even made a friend. The girl's name is Cerene.

-----[✥]-----

A year passed... my first and best friend... die.

Cerene, the little Fallen Elf girl, has soft black hair and beautiful golden eyes. She has such a warm smile. She who is a cheerful little girl always melts away the sadness and sorrows I have. But now...

She became a lump of flesh that to be burned. 

Cerene died after a customer treat her as a toy. 

Seeing Cerene's gruesome corpse made the deeply drowned hatred in my heart come back to the surface.

What a hero from another world!

That's bullshit. Just because he's a little stronger than the knights in this town, he's arrogant and selfish. 

One day, I'm going to kill him. He will feel more suffering than Cerene's. I swear. That's why...

"I'm going to kill you!" I yelled at him as he toyed with my body.

The man fell silent. A second later he laughed, laughing so loudly. After that, he beat me up. But it doesn't matter, I'm strong, something like this won't kill me.

I'm not going to die before I kill this guy. A man named Scott Bell.. I, Eclaite, swearing to heaven.