- Here, your food.

A tray slides in under the metal bars.

It's weird. This is the third meal for today...

- Didn't you already feed me twice today?

- Don't question it, just eat.

Such fancy foods too. But nothing that needs knives, huh.

A tray of grilled shrimps, mash potato, and cut up steaks, along with a bow of clam chowder.

They have been raising the food quality recently.

But like they said, don't question it, so she just went ahead and eat up.

Thanks to that, her frail, starving body has gained back a bit of flesh.

After eating, she let the tray there, wait for the guard to clean it up.

They don't keep a really tight watch on her cell.

- Come on now... break!

Apathya is transferring mana into the shackle on her neck.

Every time she does that, the rune glows red, and her whole body feels sluggish.

They are magic shackles after all, the one that sucks away her mana, making her unable to use magic.

But on theory, if they are overloaded with mana, they'll break eventually.

So she does that every time a guard is not there.

It must have been a few months already.

- Come with us.

A few guards come inside, taking her out.

The one in front is holding the chain connected to that shackle on her neck, and then two more are walking behind her.

They lead her to a bathroom, with a girl already waiting there, a maid?

- She'll clean you up.

- Why?

- Don't question it.

So Apathya follows, she let the maid do what ever she wants, washing her hair, cleaning her body, and then dry her up.

After everything is done, that same group of guards comes and take her back to her cell.

Strangely, the cell is different.

It's clean.

There is no foul smell, no stench of urine or feces, no dirty spot or anything.

- Wait in there.

Apathya thinks that there's no point to asking them anyway, so she kept quiet and follows.

Not so long after that, the mayor comes.

Right at the moment Apathya sees him, her heart jumps, fear overwhelm her, and she starts sweating.

- You, come with me.

Apathya is too scared to think, she just listen like a docile pet.

The mayor takes the lead, and pull her toward him.

- Hurry up.

Being pulled suddenly, Apathya falls onto the ground, but quickly stand back up, scared that he would kick and yell at her for tripping.

Yet, he doesn't

She's confused, and relieved at the same time.

They walks to a room, someone's bedroom to be exact. A fancy bedroom with items made of gold, and furniture made out of expensive wood, it might even be much more expensive than the bed room she had back in Death Realm.

She doesn't know where this is, it's foreign to her, and the thoughts are terrorizing her mind.

As she is still waiting with the mayor, someone comes into the room. A young, good looking guy, blue hair, tall and fit, wearing high quality clothes.

- Dad?

- Haha! Sonny! I've got a gift for you!

- A gift?

- Here, take this girl, she's my highest priced slave. I'm giving it to you.

- But... if she's the most priced one, why are you giving it to me.

- I'm tired of her, but then I remember my lovely son!  So here, just take her.

The mayor pass Apathya's chain over to him, and leave right after that.

- Take care of your slave this time.

She sits on the chair, fidgeting.

- I heard my old man were rough with you, huh?

- ...

- So, how are you feeling?

- ...

He gives her a cup of tea, along with a one-piece white dress.

- Here's your clothing, also, drink this, it'll calm you down. I understand that you wouldn't be willing to talk at this point after all.

She listens, and receive them both. The fragrance from that tea cup pierces her nose, it smells amazing, surely this is no cheap tea leaves. The dress, too. From her touch, she knows that this is expensive.

- Thank you...

Apathya finally says something, but her voice is quiet, like she's whispering.

The guy stands up.

- My name is Azre, what's yours?

- Apathya...

He gives her a gentle smile, and pat her on the head.

- So Apathya, I have some other works need to be done right now. You can stay in my room for now, there's a bookcase there, read them if you want. I'll be back later, see you then.

Apathya puts on the dress after Azre left. He didn't even chained her down, just leave her like that with the shackles on.

Apathya walks to the windows, and tries to open them.

Locked, all of them.

Figured.

At least, he seems nice...

Apathya thinks to herself, it might be even possible to ask him for freedom.

A while later, it's already night outside, and Azre is back.

- Apathya, I brought you food.

The girl was sitting on the ground, leaning against the bookcase, reading some books. Many books are on the ground around her.

- Ah! I'm sorry! I'll clean up right away!

She panics, and try to clean up the books.

- It's okay. I won't punish you for that. You seem to love reading books, huh? Also, you didn't have to sit on the ground, you can sit on my bed.

- It's... I don't think I'm allowed to do so.

- I allow it, so relax. Here, come and have something, you must be hungry.

He brought with him some leftovers, probably from his dinner.

- Thank you.

She eats them happily. She feels safe. It's been so long since the last time she can have a meal while she feels safe. She doesn't want fancy food, she only needs to feel at ease.

After finishing it all, Azre has a maid cleans it up.

- Now that you're full, and it's late, let's see where I can let you sleep.

- I can... sleep on the floor.

- What are you talking about! I can't imagine having my girl sleeping on the floor! Don't worry, I can ask the maids to bring me a mattress and pillows.

Apathya looks at him, and smiles.

- Master Azre... you're nice.

- You think so? I'm just trying to take care of you.

- This might be demanding... but... I have something to ask.

- What is it? I'll do what I can.

- Is it possible... to remove my shackles...?

- Your shackles?

- These shackles... they are the reason why I can't have my freedom... so may I ask you, to remove them?

- So you want your freedom back, then...

- Yes...

Azre goes quiet for a moment.

- ...

- Master Azre...?

- And I thought you'd be different.

- Sorry, I can't hear-

*THUD*

A punch hits her face.

She falls on the ground, knocked out immediately.

Apathya wakes up, finding herself in a strange situation.

She's naked.

She's tied to a cross, with all of her limbs spread in all directions.

She can only move her fingers, and her toes.

It's dark.

In the distance, there's light coming towards her.

It's Azre.

He places his lantern down on the floor, near Apathya's foot.

- I expected something else, Apathya.

- What... are you talking about?

- All of the girls I've got... all they want is their freedom. What's good about freedom?! Letting you go, and then get fucked by those ruffians out there?! None of them ever wanted to stay in here with me, even after I showed them that I can take care of them nicely!

- ...

- Seeing you the first time, I thought of you as a cute, little, docile girl, a girl that would listen! But then what did you ask for?! FUCKING! FREEDOM!

Suddenly, his tone calms down.

- But it's fine, since I now have a great toy, a great piece that I can use to have my desire get the freedom it deserves, rather than giving it to bitches like you!

- Your... desire...?

He pulls out a knife.

- Wait... what are you going to do...?

Azre doesn't respond to the question. In this dark room, it feels like his eyes are glowing with wilderness, a beast was just let loose.

He places the tip on her chest, in between her breasts.

- Wha! NO! PLEASE! I'LL LISTEN TO YOU- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The knife digs into her skin, and runs straight down to her genital.

Blood spills out, splashes on his face.

The cut isn't to deep that it's fatal, but the pain is unbearable.

- You see, I used to dissect small animals when I was young. There is something beautiful when I dissect them alive, they try and fight for their lives. It interests me how everything tries to live, and that sense of survival kicks in when their lives are on the edge.

Azre suddenly go on a rambling.

- Then I find out, I loves cutting things open, too. So now, we're here.

With his hands, he spread open the wound he just made on the girl's body.

- Look, at, this! You're already healing! The wound has stopped bleeding! It's my first time seeing this!

As he talks, a bulge grows between his legs.

- Let's go for your arm next.

He cuts a line on her right arm, then uses the knife to peel off a bit of her skins.

- PLEEEAAASSSEEE! STOOOPPP! IT HUURRRTTTSSS!!!!!!

Tears drip down from her face, mixing with the blood on the ground.

He again spread open the wound, excitedly watching her revealed muscles spasm and twitch because of the pain

I'm stupid.

How foolish I am, to trust a stranger.

Days after days, he would come every night to cut her up.

The level of torture increases overtime.

At first, he only make shallow cuts that she can heal by herself.

But then, he gradually go deeper.

And deeper.

He carved her flesh down to her bone.

Apathya screams echoes through the dark room.

Then he simply put it back and uses healing magic on it.

It seems, he's still aware and try to keep her alive after all.

Some times later.

He ties her up, and put her on the ground, and start having sex with her.

Every times he thrusts, Apathya is filled with disgust and shame.

She starts to hate her own body, dirtied by these men.

While doing it, Azre suddenly pulls out his knife, and make a deep cut at her lower stomach.

He spread it open, revealing her womb, being penetrated by him.

Apparently, that makes him even more excited, and go even harder on her, cutting her up, revealing her intestines completely.

Apathya screams at the top of her lungs, and loses her voice.

She blacks out immediately.

She wakes up the next morning.

She's healed.

Her voice is back, and her body is back to normal.

She survived that.

She genuinely wishes that she didn't wake up.

If only she could just die.

But the image of Joker again appears in her mind.

The image of her mother.

She lives on, survives to see happiness once again.

She is sold not so long after that.

Azre got tired of her, and sell her at an auction.

Her new master, a witch.

Every time the witch makes something new, it would be tested on Apathya.

Potions and poisons.

If lucky, she would get a recovery potion.

But most of the time, she's not that lucky.

The poisons burn her insides, make her cough out blood, but never kill her.

Apathya still doesn't lose hope.

She's still practicing magic, trying to break the shackles.

Fourth owner, a noble.

He was probably the nicest out of all.

He dresses her up nicely, give her good food, and give her a place to sleep.

The only exchange, is that she'll "serve" any guests he have.

Guests from other noble families.

Male or female, it doesn't matter, as long as they have money and support to give him, she'll have to give them the pleasure they want.

One guy, finds interest in her, and buy her from him with a fortune.

The fifth owner.

He bought Apathya, not to please himself, but others.

He has a lot of pets, some of them are normal, and some are animal-like monsters.

He throws her into a shack with all of his pets,

and she becomes their "toy".

He feed them nicely, so none of them would try to eat her.

From early morning to late evening.

They mate with her, over and over again.

Magically, after months like that, she never got pregnant.

Every nights, she hardly sleeps.

If she does, she'd get nightmares.

So she stays awake, and practices magic.

She never once forgot her desire to escape.

Never forgot her desire for happiness.

And after a long time, two years in slavery.

The shackles finally break.