CHAPTER WARNING: This chapter contains mentions of physical assault and injuries.
It was the same man who dragged me here, the same one who shoved me through the workstation door and kicked Anle without a hint of hesitation.
"Do you not hear me!? Are you deaf?"
His voice sliced through the air, sharp and impatient. I stayed frozen, unsure what to do, but it didn't take long before he grabbed me roughly by the arm and started pushing me forward.
"It's my lucky day," he said, almost laughing. "Haven't had one like this in a while."
That smile on his face, it wasn't human. It was the kind of smile that made the air feel heavier, colder. My stomach twisted. Something was very wrong.
I turned my head slightly. Ziyuan's expression was grim, but he didn't move. None of them did. They all looked away, pretending not to see. Pretending not to hear.
"Where are you taking me?" I demanded, forcing the words out even as my voice shook.
"Oh? Big words for someone like you," he said mockingly. "Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough."
He laughed again, loud and ugly, and shoved me hard. I stumbled forward, barely catching myself before falling.
Outside, the night had begun to fade. The sky, once black, now held traces of deep blue. Dawn was crawling in from the horizon, and the trees around us started to take shape in the dim light.
We walked for what felt like forever before stopping at another storehouse. It looked almost identical to the one I'd been kept in before, wooden walls, narrow doors, and that same feeling of suffocation hanging in the air.
"Get in," he said. "Before I decide to start right here."
I was confused but I stepped inside, heart pounding, my thoughts scattered between fear and confusion. Whatever was coming next, I didn't want to remember it.
The inside was dark, damp, and heavy with the smell of old wine and tobacco. The stench was so strong I had to cover my mouth, fighting the urge to gag.
"Welcome to your new home," he said, grinning. "Name's Yong Le. You'll be seeing a lot of me."
I barely had time to react before a rough hand slammed against my back. I hit the wall and tried to steady myself, but pain shot through my knees as he kicked me down again.
"For someone of such high ranking," he said mockingly, "you don't seem very strong."
He wasn't wrong. I had nothing left. No food, no energy. The last thing I'd eaten was breakfast the previous day, and that small piece of bread Ziyuan had secretly handed me.
My body gave in easily. The next few moments blurred together into pain as he kept kicking my stomach. Once, twice... thrice— then I lost count.
My head pounded so violently I wished I could lose consciousness just to escape it.
Was this how I'd die? Alone and forgotten? My family wouldn't know where I was. Lianyu, Yixuan, Ariyan… all of them would just think I'd disappeared.
Why did it always have to be me? Why was I always the one thrown into places like this? I used to live so peacefully back in Bharat. I used to smile, laugh, wake up without fear. And now… this.
If I could just turn back time. If I could just stop walking so far into this cursed land.
The world around me dimmed. My thoughts scattered. I tried to lift my hand—to reach for the knives hidden in my pocket. Maybe I could escape. Maybe I could—
Blank.
---
I woke to a numbing ache spreading through my body. My head, my arms, my legs—it all felt distant, disconnected, as if they belonged to someone else.
I tried to open my eyes, but the vision stabbed at me, blinding and sharp. Everything was blurry—shapes shifting and bending like ghosts in fog.
Gradually, the haze lifted, and my surroundings took form. I pushed myself up against the wall, though the movement sent pain rippling through my ribs. My arms were covered in bruises—purple, blue, fading into red.
How long had he kept going after I passed out?
I looked around. This storehouse was smaller, darker. I realized then why he'd moved me here. It was too far for anyone to hear the noise. Too hidden for anyone to care.
Each breath burned. The blow to my head from yesterday hadn't healed, and the hunger hollowed me out. Even breathing felt like a battle.
It was worse than the streets. Worse than the days I spent in China, begging for food, trying to survive under bridges. Worse than the time when men tried to wash me raw, scrubbing until my skin bled.
How long did I have to keep living like this before peace found me? Was I cursed to keep suffering until the end?
I tried again to stand. Pain exploded across my chest and ribs, forcing me back down. My hands trembled. I was exhausted—physically, mentally, completely.
The knives. They were still in my pocket. I could end this. Perhaps I could just kill myself. No more pain. No more suffering.
It wasn't like anyone would care. It wasn't like I'd be hurting anyone. Maybe it would finally give me peace.
I fell back, breathing hard, staring at the ceiling. When had I become this weak? This pathetic? Did I even deserve to live anymore?
No. I couldn't give that satisfaction to the ones who did this. I wouldn't let them win by breaking me.
Yong Le. His name was carved into my mind now—etched deep, like a scar. If I ever got out of here, I'd make him pay. And Wei Lie too. How could I forget him?
Time blurred again. Minutes, hours—I couldn't tell. I must have drifted in and out of consciousness at least three times before I tried to stand again.
Leaning against the wall, I pushed myself up, inch by inch. My body screamed in protest, but I managed to take one step forward, then another—
"Looks like this one's finally awake," a voice drawled from behind me. "Guess we'll have to start again."
The words froze the air.
For a second, the world went silent, just the sound of my own heartbeat echoing in my ears.
And then I realized it wasn't over. Not yet.