At first I had no liberty. Followed his every command like a monotone doll, but I guess he was a sadist. Eventually allowing me to speak and actually use my expressions. 

 

It started with stripping, but my face only displayed hatred so it never went further from removing my shirt. 

 

Then it became eating together, forcefully. 

 

All humans were the same… nothing but trash. 

 

Eating…

Scum. 

 

Sleeping. 

Disgust. 

 

Touching. 

I was going to put him in his place… 

 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

 

His hand traced over the sides of my face, with careful and loving affection. Eventually running it down to my cheeks and then to my lips, perching his finger over them. Candlelight reflecting on his face and the smell of food permeating my nose. 

 

“You know what day it is Love?”

“Fuck you.” I was going to kill him…

“Yes, it’s the anniversary!” 

 

He was dressed in fancy clothes, and he made me dress in a skirt and a buttoned shirt. He was trash. 

 

“Eat.” 

 

In spite of my struggles my hand grabbed a fork and rolled the pasta on it. Gently and slowly curling it on its fins. Nothing to stop it, my hand monotonously moved, no matter how hard my neck was trembling… It approached his mouth with the pasta perching of it, and he ate it ⁠— a slave’s life. 

 

“Hmhm, Elise, your food is quite good.” Didn’t help that he was a fucking psychopath. He had cooked it for fucks sake… “Oh Elise, if you knew how much I missed you.” He caressed my hair, my cheek, my neck. 

 

“What are yo⁠— 

“Shhh… Elise, you know I love you…” 

 

His hand trailed down my neck and onto the collar of my shirt. My hand continued to unwillingly feed him as he moved onto the buttons. 

 

Rustle.        One...

No… 

 

Rustle…                   Two...

No… This wasn’t….

 

Rustle…                                     Three… 

I don’t want this to happen…

 

I started to bite my lip as he went down the shirt I was wearing. 

 

I… what am I supposed to say? His finger caressed my skin once again. I didn’t want this⁠— I don’t want this… Why? I don’t… 

 

Rustle. The final button was removed. 

 

My chest barely covered by the closed form of the shirt, all it took was a gentle tug… 

 

“Oh, Elise, if only you knew how much I missed this…” His finger touched my bellybutton and ran up towards my neck, finally ending at my chin. I bit...a sharp pain through it and a metallic warm taste filled my mouth. 

 

As I was rolling more pasta on the fork, he started to pull back my shirt slowly as ever. He smiled and yet I could see nothing but lust on those eyes… 

 

This… I don’t… want this… I…

 

“Relax Elise, I am going to make you feel real good…” 

 

I wasn’t going to have things go on like this… i wasn’t going to be a slave… 

 

My mouth quivered and tears started to build up on my eyes as I lifted the fork. My wet cheeks getting warm, this was my fate… 

 

SLAP! “Can’t you fucking smile for once?! I command you to smile, smile for me dear!” As if my face shut-down, it became completely stiff and my tears were gone… I was a slave… 

 

“Tch, if only I could use your sister or something. There is a lot of wolves in a pack. I am sure she wouldn’t be as whiney.” My sister…

 

Alice. 

 

“Now dear… Kiss.” I had to survive for Alice… 

 

My body started getting closer and closer to him, fork monotonously rolling pasta on it… I wasn’t going to let this happen. I don’t fucking want this. I WAS GOING TO KILL HIM.  Using this fork, using anything. I was GOING TO DO IT. 

 

Our faces got closer, feeling the warmth of each other’s breath. 

“I love you so much dear.” His face crept closer, I AM GOING TO END HIM, and closer. Our faces continued unti⁠—  I SWEAR I WAS GOING TO⁠— 

 

BANG!

 

An ear-splitting sound resonated throughout the room, it was akin to glass crashing and almost a super-sonic sound. Pain travelled through my hand and arm, my muscles shooting in pain, as a warm sensation ran across my skin. It quickly became numb. 

 

Ding! 

 

[??? title acquired: Defier ⁠— No one can go against your will +10% Error Margin Correction. Special effect: ??? Side-effect: Lockdown of EMC stat. 

“Once pushed to the edge enough, you will move the world through your will. Mark my words, even if you don’t, I will.” ⁠— From “Error: Code: PRE-DATED.” ⁠— ???]

 

I tried to make sense of the words I had in my head, my ears heard nothing but a deafening buzzing white noise. I blinked and blinked, my crimson vision did not allow me to see anything. My hazy vision started to clear up as I blinked. Even though things were more defined one thing wasn’t gone ⁠— the red. 

 

Eventually it panned into focus, the blobs became droplets, the red became stains. I followed along with the numb sensation of my arm, red⁠— all red. Splinters, missing parches of skin… And…His had impaled with a fork on the back of the chair, nothing but a crushed egg; entrails splattered on my, splattered on the table, the walls, the potrait. Nothing but a red mess…

 

It was done… 

 

I broke down laughing, about how pathetic everything was, how meaningless everything was, how stupid everything was… 

 

“Ha… So that’s how it i⁠— COUGH!” I started to throw blood from my throat. 

 

Deplorable condition. Was it? My whole body protesting against moving. Dizziness. Light-headedness… Darkness… Warmth…

 

I left the house days later.

 

If only I had known… 

The truth about the slave bracelet…  

 

* * * 

“Oi, are you awake? Dog?”

“Wolf…” 

“Whatever.” 

 

How did I end up in this situation? 

 

He opened a cell. 

 

“It’s your turn bunny girl.”

“Yes…”

“Make sure to get a lot of money ⁠— the higher the better you will be treated~”

“Yes…” 

 

In a rotten place like this… I had no place… It was… fate… 

 

“Your turn dog girl.” 

“Wolf…” 

“Whatever.” 

 

In such a place; being sold. 

 

With a sigh of defeat, I walked towards the dirty and fallen curtains. I was done for. 

 

⁠— “Our next offer is…” Drums started playing and I walked in. 

 

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The crowd exploded with cheers. 

 

⁠— “She might not have the animalistic gene! She does not need to be punished! However, it’s a rare and solitary wolf! The last one of her kind!” 

 

The animalistic gene ⁠— the sex gene ⁠— a mutation on wolfkins that made them want to breed during crisis to preserve the species… the only thing I was ever grateful to not have. 

 

⁠—  “The offers?!” 

 

The crowd started roaring their offers at the presenter. 

 

           

          2,000 Rwyd. 

                                 5,500 Rwyd

                                             9,500 Rwyd! 

                                                           10,500 Rwyd!            

                                                                           12,500 Rwyd!

                                                                                       15,000…

                                                                                                 17… 

“FIFTY THOUSAND RWYD!” Someone screamed. I couldn’t tell who it was amidst the chaos. The crowd fell silent. 

 

⁠—  “No one is going to offer more?!” The presenter got nothing but silence. “Sold in⁠— 1… 2… 3…” The deal was done… 

 

⁠—  “SOLD!” 

 

How did I even end up at a slave merchant’s doorstep? 

 

◇ ◇ ◇ 

 

It didn’t matter. I had other things to worry about. 

 

“How is my little princess doing?” 

“Fuck you…” He stopped and solemnly shook his head. 

 

“Now, now. You were quite expensive. Some respect is deserved here.” 

“I didn’t chose this…” 

“Of course you didn’t! Who the fuck would?! But look around you!” 

 

Golden chandeliers, wine walls, animal trophies and fur carpets. Rooms lit up by expensive crystals perching from the chandeliers. Tables adorned with golden ornaments, paintings with golden borders. White ceiling, a huge bed… A mirror at the end of the room...

 

“It’s luxurious…”

“Of course it is! I am⁠— 

“I don’t care…” 

 

He clicked his tongue. 

 

“And here I am trying to treat you nice.” 

“Ah... “ Right, it was different. “Sorry, it’s been tough…” 

“I know…” Wait… this is… 

 

Trust… or rather... an attempt of building it...

 

I bit my lip, of course… people wouldn’t be nice out of their own will… he wanted something ⁠— they always did. 

 

I sighed in defeat, I already saw it coming. I had been given clothes, namely a nightgown and thigh highs. It was obvious ⁠— painfully obvious. If I learned anything through gossip is that… wolfkins are erotic; apparently I was like that too, but I never felt it. 

 

If only I were a normal human. 

 

“Only because I am a wolfkin…”

“Only because you are a wolfkin⁠— wait, what?” 

“I knew it…” 

 

Simple-minded people ⁠— all they cared about me, were race traits… 

 

It only took a few hours of idle chatting. And we went to sleep...

Nothing happened...

 

* * * 

 

It was bedtime. It had been an enjoyable week. 

 

“So Rie.” 

“Rin…”

“Rie…”

 

It got changed. 

 

“Why don’t we have some fun?” there it was…

“What type of fun?” My ears twitched and I innocently tilted my head. 

 

He turned around and placed his hand before his mouth ⁠— blowing into it and smelling it. Almost as if he was going in a date with me or something ⁠— it wasn’t happening…But he didn’t seem like a bad person; in comparison to everyone else I had met at least… 

 

“Well, shall we go to bed?”

 

I painfully nodded, we went under the covers and the light became dim. I could only see the glint from his eyes. 

 

“So… Rie…”

“I’ve been thinking…” 

“Hm?” 

 

I had to at least try… 

 

“You seem like such a nice person…”

“Yes… well… my kindness knows no limits after all.” 

“And I was wondering if…” 

“Was wondering if?” 

 

Breathe in. Breathe out… 

 

“If I could be free…”

“Eh? Like… stop being a slave?” 

“Yes…” 

 

There was nothing but silence, and yet I could see his eyes staring into mine. 

 

“So you want to be free…”

“Yes…”

“So you want to be free?”

“Yes…” 

 

He started muttering.

 

“So you want to be…”

“Is it too much?” 

 

I guess it was too much… but he didn’t mistreat me, perhaps… I could… survive. 

 

“So you want to…”

“I, it’s okay… It’s fine really.” 

 

“SO YOU WANT TO BE FREE?!” His voice spiked. “WHY?! I haven’t done anything to you, I have treated you better than any slave out there! TELL ME, WHAT HAVE I DONE?"

“I⁠— 

 

“Let me teach you a lesson… Slaves are not normally treated nicely.” With the clap of his fingers, the light turned on. 

 

He grabbed my arms and rolled on top of me. 

 

“THIS, IS WHAT HAPPENS TO SLAVES!”

“I⁠— SLAP! 

 

He shut me up with violence. I should’ve seen it coming. I didn’t want to, and yet… it was everything they resorted to… His hand went around my neck with a deadly grasp. It was suffocating— my airways blocked. 

 

“YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS?!”

“Aghh…” Saliva started to flow out of my mouth.

 

It was always like this… no human was kind… no one was kind in this world… 

 

“YOU UNDERSTAND NO⁠—” His eyes trembled due to the sudden stop. “Why— He coughed up blood, my hand dug into his stomach like a spear. Nothing went without consequences. 

 

Survive or be killed. 

 

I sighed… and stood up from the bloody mess I had just created. I walked to the mirror at the end of the room and stared at myself. 

A crimson red girl stood there, monotone expression and unfocused eyes. This is what I had become. What I chose…

 

“Did I really chose this… to be a slave…” 

 

I already knew the answer. 

 

“Of course not… who would choose something like that… but I am… safe…” 

 

I was safe... 

 

“Safe… AS IF YOU COULD CALL THIS SAFE!” I burst into laughter. “THERE IS NOTHING BUT MISERY! NOTHING IF ONLY I COULD⁠— if only I could… be normal…” I looked at my extra appendages, if all it took was a blade… then… 

 

Ding! 

 

[Recoil received from ‘Defier’.] 

 

Cough!

 

I collapsed into the ground, coughing up my blood into every single surface that was possible. A side effect…

 

Defier ⁠— the title that gave me the power to earn freedom and yet killed me for it… 

 

How stupid… 

 

Silence. 

 

* * * 

 

“Hmm, let’s see… Killed your first owner, sold by the second owner and killed the third owner…” He paused. “I am your new owner.” 

“Yes…”

“Call me Master, and my work-name in Arlesh is Trade House Master 1. Just try to ki⁠— 

 

A sharp pain shot through my cheek. Why was it always a slap...

 

“Rie, what the fuck do you think you are doing?!”

“I⁠— 

 

“GET OUT OF THE BED AT THIS VERY MOMENT!”