TN: And we're back! sorry for the week long hiatus, it was not intentional since I had to get my right leg in a cast after tripping 3 floors down a stairwell (like an idiot ://) and be unable to use my PC setup upstairs BUT I should be OK now.
Anyways, Thanks for Arcanic Madness, WeissAkumu and WolfWTF for becoming as Supporters!,
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Under the flickering light of the living room, the girl lay collapsed on the sofa.
Her frame was so frail that the couch could easily hold two of her. She was all skin and bones, and Ignis felt an acute understanding of the phrase for the first time. Her skin had a sickly pallor, and the veins beneath it resembled dry, twisted blue branches.
"She's running a fever. We should contact a doctor immediately," Nekomata said, placing a hand on the girl's forehead.
"The doctor's already on the way," Nicole replied from another sofa, operating her phone. "Ignis, how did she even get here?"
"I don't know," The Salamander said with a sigh. "Vesmir helped her in. He's negotiating with the night market suppliers right now, so he's unreachable. I've contacted Phaethon and asked their Fairy to attempt a reverse tracking."
"I brought some glucose solution," Anby said, carrying a bag from her room, an emergency supply used during Hollow operations.
"That won't do," Ignis interjected sharply. "She's too weak. She's like a parched field; giving her that now would only make things worse."
The Salamander called out to the kitchen, "Billy, how's the rice soup coming?"
"About ready, just letting it cool," Billy replied.
"Good. Let it drop in temperature," Ignis said again, turning back to Anby. The white-haired girl looked disappointed.
"Put it back for now, but thank you for the careful bandaging," The Salamander said, gesturing to the girl's foot where the bleeding had been carefully stopped.
"Amillion, go check outside—where's that damn bald guy? I said I'd pay extra!" Nicole snapped, tossing her phone onto the sofa.
The small Bangboo nodded and went to the gate to keep watch.
"She looks awful… like her battery's about to die," Billy observed, bringing a steaming bowl of rice soup. "I've kept only the top layer, just like you said."
"Nekomata, use a clean towel to dab the soup onto her lips," Ignis instructed.
"Shouldn't we send her to a hospital first?" Nekomata's wide eyes searched the Salamander's face. "She looks like she could die at any moment."
"If we send her now, we'll lose the chance to question her. Nicole has summoned an underground doctor who's on the way. It's harsh, but this is our closest lead to Emile," Ignis said, holding the paper the girl had handed him.
"Trust me, once we figure out where Emile is, I'll contact New Eridu Public Security and get her the best care," the Salamander assured.
Nekomata's gaze flicked between the unconscious girl and Ignis several times before she sighed and retrieved a fresh towel from storage.
"Billy, check the delivery—did the coconut water arrive? She needs it for potassium replenishment," Ignis added.
"The rider said about ten more minutes. We're a bit remote here," Billy replied.
The Salamander nodded and sat cross-legged, the weight in his chest unbearable.
The paper from Emile contained only two words: Help me, and a crude drawing of a towering building, resembling a smokestack.
Normally, Emile's drawings wouldn't require interpretation, but these marks were done with blood, tremulous from either weakness or fear. Either way, it wasn't good news.
The rice soup's surface had formed a thin film, which Nekomata carefully blew away before using the towel to feed the girl slowly.
"Will this even work?" Nekomata asked, glancing between the girl and Ignis.
"It will. It's an age-old method," Ignis replied, though in truth he wasn't entirely certain; it was something he had read in historical accounts on Earth. If a starving fugitive fainted, you didn't feed them directly. Rice soup gradually restored moisture and nutrients without overwhelming the body.
After dozens of careful motions from Nekomata, the girl's cracked lips finally regained some moisture. Half a bowl later, her breathing steadied.
"Looks like it's working!" Billy said, thrilled. "Humans really are amazing."
"Charging yourself would be better," Nicole quipped.
"It's not the same. I don't have the kind of regenerative ability humans do. If I break, I just replace the parts," Billy responded.
At that moment, Ignis noticed the girl's eyelids twitch—signs that she was about to wake.
"Billy, get a spoon. Nekomata, be ready to feed her in small sips," Ignis instructed.
Though his psychic energy was still low, he focused on easing the girl's discomfort.
The Emperor, grant me strength. Let me ease her suffering.
The girl's eyes slowly opened. She scanned the room, taking in the Thiren, the white-haired girl, the red-jacketed robot, the pink-haired woman, and the dark-skinned giant with glowing eyes.
"I… I really… escaped…" she whispered, her voice faint.
"Don't speak yet," The Salamander said, placing a hand over her frail body. Nekomata nodded, taking the spoon from Billy. "Drink this first."
The girl nodded weakly, the smallest motion she could muster.
The warm rice soup flowed into her dry body, the starch converting into sugar to feed vital organs. The Salamander's hand radiated warmth, a comforting presence that eased her spirit.
The room fell silent, everyone watching as she slowly consumed the soup. Gradually, blood returned to her cheeks.
Ignis withdrew his hand, knowing his psychic energy was limited. The Emperor had answered his prayer, sending blessings to this brave girl.
Even now, Ignis could see the damage on her body: malnutrition from prolonged hunger, bones fractured and poorly healed, and reproductive and excretory systems damaged by violence.
Just these injuries alone… I can't imagine what else she endured, he thought grimly.
"You're the giant… Emile said you could save us…" Her eyes welled with tears, but her exhausted body could barely summon more.
"Don't speak yet," Ignis said, taking her delicate hand in his. He turned to Nicole. "Is the camera ready?"
"Yes, it's set up," Nicole confirmed, pointing to a Starlight Knight collaboration camera, perfect for documenting the scene. "Billy's setup is ideal."
"The Starlight Knights will not let such atrocities go unpunished," Billy said, adjusting the camera angle.
"Now, tell us your name and what happened," Ignis said, keeping his tone calm but serious.
"My name is Lin Xia…" she murmured, attempting to brush her dry hair with her weak fingers.
"I just escaped from hell…" Fear and hatred flickered in her eyes.
"The Saint Love Behavioral Correction School… it's a hellhole," she whispered, her breath faint but her eyes burning with fury.
"We were locked in dormitories like prisoners. The food was scarce and disgusting. If someone couldn't eat, the instructors would beat them with sticks, targeting sensitive areas on the girls or kicking the boys."
"Every morning we underwent military-style training to enforce obedience. They made us recite so-called 'gratitude lessons' while running. If you couldn't keep up, you'd be beaten or locked in the 'small room.'"
"The [Small Room] is tiny, completely dark. No one speaks to you, a single meal is brought in each day, and you relieve yourself inside. First offense? One day. Later offenses increase, up to fifteen days. Some went insane, some never returned," she added.
"Afternoons were for study, copying gratitude lessons, or drawing strange patterns as instructed. Failure meant hand or buttocks strikes with steel rods called 'dragon whips.'"
"You can't talk. No communication was allowed between each other. If you were caught, two students would slap each other and shout 'We are disobedient, we are bad children' until the instructor was satisfied."
"Good behavior could earn promotion to class leader or group leader, who assisted instructors and reported rule-breakers. Points could be redeemed for punishments to be avoided."
Ignis squeezed her hand, feeling her trembling. Even out of the hollow, the fear lingered.
"No one leaves. Some accumulate enough good points to leave, but those sent for treatment never return. We suspect they are dead."
"Besides us students, adults were brought in. They resisted the most, but after repeated 'small room' or point-redeem punishments, they became like us."
"Some tried to contact their parents, but the school forbade it, saying we weren't 'reformed' yet. Until enough points are earned, no contact with the outside world is allowed."
"Emile was sent in a few days ago. He's brave. They punished him multiple times, but he never yielded. During study sessions, he secretly communicated with classmates, slowly organizing others who wanted to escape."
"Class leaders caught wind of it, planning to report them. But sensing the problem, Emile acted first."
"They staged a fight at night, distracting a drunken instructor. A few pinned him down with a stun baton, grabbed the keys, and began unlocking doors. Some ran, some created obstacles on purpose. I followed behind, escaping to the playground."
"Emile had to block the instructors again to protect others, giving me this address and this paper. He gave many people this paper."
"I'm lighter, so they let me go first. The playground had barbed wire fences, guards on towers. Maybe everyone was busy handling the chaos that day. I rushed through, finally breaking out."
"But outside the gate was a hollow. I ran blindly, not sure how long it took, until I found my way out."
"I don't fully remember, but a purple light seemed to guide me, like a dream."
"Later, a kind person brought me here. After getting off, I met the person who guided me to this house."
"Emile will be put in the 'small room.' You must save him," she said, gripping Ignis' hand tightly.
"I will," The Salamander said, closing his eyes as a wet streak ran down his face.
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