Brothel

Arya woke up to a pounding headache. It hurt more than anything she had ever experienced. Small tears began to escape her eyes as she held her head in place.

Soon, the headache began to subside, and her eyes fluttered open.

The whole place was dark; she could barely see anything. A strange, unpleasant smell wafted through the air, making her stomach churn.

What is going on here?

How did she get here?

Memories of what had happened began to surface. She recalled the moment the man had approached her, the search for Crystal, and the unsettling change in his smile.

"Had the man brought her here?"

Where was Crystal?

So many questions swirled in her mind. She tried to open her lips, but they wouldn’t budge.

Frustration bubbled within her, and that was when she began to hear muffled voices.

Is someone there? Arya thought to herself.

Her vision gradually cleared, and she saw shadows of people.

It seemed there were others here with her.

Just then, a door creaked open, followed by footsteps, and the light flicked on.

Arya had to close her eyes; the brightness was almost blinding.

As she slowly adjusted to the light, she took in her surroundings. The room was large and bare, devoid of furniture or decoration.

Girls of different ages were seated all over the place. Their legs were bound, and like their legs, their mouths were taped shut, tears streaming down their faces.

Arya thought of something: could her mouth also be taped? And was she bound like them?

She looked at her legs and confirmed her fears; they were indeed bound.

"Is this all you managed to capture?" a voice said, the discontent in it unmistakable.

Arya looked up to see two burly men standing by the door. They had imposing frames. One of them bore a large scar that crossed over his face.

Arya was sure that the man who had spoken was the one with the scar, as the frown on his face mirrored the displeasure in his voice.

"Yes, sir," the other man replied, his voice trembling slightly.

"And you still dared to respond to me?" the man with the scar said, his gaze darkening. The anger brewing in his eyes made him look even more menacing.

The other man quickly bowed. "They may be few, but they are all beautiful."

The man with the scar scanned the room as if inspecting merchandise.

Then his eyes landed on Arya. She didn’t look away; she met his gaze head-on.

He muttered slowly, "You are right. They are beautiful."

An evil smile curved on his face. "And will cost a lot."

The other man breathed a sigh of relief.

"Untie them and make them line up," the man with the scar commanded.

The other man moved forward and began to follow orders.

"Let me remind you: don’t try to resist, or I will kill you," the man with the scar warned.

Soon, all of them were untied, and Arya was the last to be freed.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she stretched her legs and arms. "Finally free."

The man who had untied them ordered, "Everyone line up."

Arya was the first to step into line; the other girls seemed reluctant.

But the moment the man with the scar shouted, "What are you waiting for?" they were startled into action and began to line up behind Arya.

Just when Arya wondered what would happen next, the man with the scar walked up to her.

"You seem so obedient," he commented.

Arya raised an eyebrow in confusion. Wasn't she supposed to obey?

Ignoring his words, she finally asked the question that had been gnawing at her mind. “Are we… waiting for something?”

Everyone in the room stared at her as if she were crazy.

Meanwhile, in a more lively part of the brothel, Daxiel stepped in with Luciano behind him. As he walked, people made way for him.

His aura was so oppressive that the patrons began to tremble, chills traveling down their spines. His presence was suffocating. 

Daxiel didn’t care about the fear he instilled. Instead, he turned to Luciano. "Is she here?"

"Yes," Luciano nodded. "According to what I gathered, she is a frequent customer here."

Daxiel said nothing and began to walk forward.

Just then, a man quickly approached them, ready to receive them.

"This way," he directed, and Daxiel and Luciano followed him through the path he pointed out.

Back in the large room, the man with the scar looked at Arya with interest, a smirk curving up on his face. "Interesting."

Then he commanded, "Move here."

Arya complied.

He surveyed the remaining girls in line and pointed at a few others to join her.

Arya noticed he had chosen the prettiest and most harmless-looking girls.

The girls he picked began to cry, while the others in line breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had escaped something dangerous.

Arya was trying to grasp the whole essence of what was going on, but she couldn't.

The man with the scar turned to the other man. "Go clean them up."

The scarred face man said coldly", They will be put on auction tonight."