When Sienna Johnson woke up, she found herself in a dilapidated house. The room was dimly lit, and a foul stench filled the air.
She slowly opened her eyes and saw many girls in the room.
These girls were all unconscious, apparently drugged like her. Despite their closed eyes, it was evident that they were all very beautiful. Sienna immediately felt a sense of unease.
Footsteps approached from outside, and Sienna quickly closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. The lock on the door clicked open, and the room's dim light brightened.
"See, I didn't lie to you. They're all high-quality goods. Since Uncle needs people, I'll let you choose first. As for the price, we can negotiate."
Recognizing the voice, Sienna knew it belonged to the man who had abducted her at sea. He had told her his name was Charlie Parker, though she was not sure if it was genuine.
The footsteps came and went. Sienna desperately wanted to know what the woman was up to, but she dared not open her eyes for fear of being discovered awake.
"This woman is so beautiful!" A claw-like hand pinched Sienna's chin, turning her face left and right as the woman stared at her. "...Where did you get her from? She doesn't look like a local." After a brief silence, the woman continued, "Orienta, or Kandara?"
"She spoke Amwan Language," Charlie Parker said with a smug expression. "When I found her, she was in Abyanabad's territorial waters. She said she had a fight with her boyfriend and ran away, only to get lost. I caught her while fishing. I've sold many women, but never one as beautiful as her. I won't let her go cheaply."
Sienna understood – she had encountered human traffickers.
Sienna lamented her terrible luck, feeling as though she'd gone from the frying pan into the fire.
"Since Uncle needs people, the price is certainly negotiable." Mrs. Smith let go of Sienna and examined several other beautiful girls. She chose a total of ten before stopping.
"...What's Uncle planning to do with so many women this time?" Charlie Parker asked.
"He has important guests, and he'll use them to entertain them," Mrs. Smith replied.
Having confirmed her choices, Mrs. Smith paid a deposit and instructed Charlie Parker, "These people are mine now, so make sure your men don't touch them. If there are any traces on them and Uncle gets angry, you won't be able to bear the consequences."
"Don't worry, unless they're unsellable and condemned, no matter how attractive they are, I won't let anyone touch them," Charlie Parker assured her.
"That's good enough."
The door was locked again. Sienna waited a while before cautiously opening her eyes. Her hands and feet had been tied. She looked around for something sharp to cut the ropes but found none.
For now, she could only take one step at a time.
As night fell and the room darkened, moonlight entered through a narrow window.
Unsure of how long she had been unconscious, Sienna wondered how many days had passed. The Sixth Master was due back in three days – would he realize that she had run away?
If he found out, Sienna was sure he would want to kill her.
Someone entered the room, and Sienna quickly closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.
"They're so gorgeous. If only I could marry such a beautiful woman."
"With the money you make, you'll only get to marry them in your dreams."
Having been tempted, a man consulted with another, "Why not… have some fun with them? Charlie Parker isn't here, and if we don't tell him…"
Before the man could finish, he was kicked. "…Behave. If you dare to entertain such thoughts, you'll die without even knowing how it happened."
"Hey, I was just joking. Don't tell Charlie Parker, okay?"
"Fool! Sooner or later, you'll die without knowing why!"
Sienna was given a pill. The man pinched her chin, forcing her to swallow it. She rolled the pill under her tongue and escaped danger.
After feeding her the medication, the men left and locked the door.
Sienna quickly spit the pill out.
She surmised the pills contained sedatives, judging by how the girls remained unconscious. She noticed that some of their complexions had a hint of waxen yellow, likely the result of excessive medication.
Sienna's hands and feet had become stiff, and she felt despair. She was typically strong-willed, but she couldn't withstand the constant onslaught of reality.
Things were getting worse.
"Untie the ropes on them. These girls have delicate skin; scars would look bad." It was Charlie Parker's voice.
"Yes."
The women were untied, one by one. Sienna played along as they handled her. Charlie Parker inspected the ten chosen for Uncle. If it weren't for her medical expertise and knowledge of drug symptoms, it would have been challenging to deceive them.
"…I have some matters to attend to and can't deliver them personally. You guys must be extra careful on the way. You know Uncle's temper; if you anger him, your lives are forfeit!"
"Yes, we'll be very careful on the road!"
Sienna and the others were carried onto a van, bumping along an unknown path. Sienna had no idea where they were going.
Halfway through, the van stopped to rest.
A man checked on the girls and found one had stopped breathing.
"…This woman is dead? What do we do now?"
"She probably overdosed on the sedatives. It's fine; Charlie Parker had us bring three extra girls, fearing some wouldn't survive. Remove her, then bury her somewhere. Remember, dig deep, so no one finds her."
"Heh, the woman just died; her body's still warm. Let us brothers have some fun with her…"
The other man spat and cursed, "Despicable!"
He didn't stop them, though, just asking them to clean up and not to leave any mess behind. The two men readily agreed.
What happened next shocked Sienna utterly. The men didn't even spare a deceased girl. At just fifteen or sixteen years old, she should have been happily attending school, pursuing her interests. Now, she was subjected to such a horrifying fate. Even in death, there was no peace.
Sienna wanted to kill those men more than ever. But she continued to lie still, listening to the tragedy unfold.
After some time, the men finally removed the girl's lifeless body from the vehicle.