[Content Warning: This chapter contains themes of sexual violence/assault, which may be disturbing to some readers. Please read with caution.]
***
Creak.
The hatch opened.
Not noon—
Night.
Light spilled in. Harsh.
Lamps glowed white.
Step.
Heavy steps.
Step.
Guards.
Step.
Instinct came.
I curled up.
Step.
Voices.
"You said he was here?"
"Yes. I brought him on deck."
"Where?"
"Black hair. Blue eyes. I'll know him."
"Good. Then find us the little noble."
I curled tighter.
Body trembling.
Heart racing.
The light moved.
Faces lit, one by one.
I smelled it.
Alcohol.
A voice, close.
"Found him."
Light. Blinding.
Their shadows over me.
I lay alone.
No one was around me.
Step.
They came closer.
"Is that him?"
Another voice.
"Yes, I'm sure."
Step.
He came closer and spoke.
"So... How was it?"
My hands trembled.
He leaned down.
"How was the taste of the commoner girls?"
I stayed silent.
He waited.
Then—
Bam.
A kick came.
My body folded—back hitting wood.
Thud.
My ribs hurt.
"Aghh!"
I screamed.
They laughed.
"Hold him down."
A hand grabbed the chain.
Clang.
It pulled. The shackles tightened.
I fell forward.
Thud.
"Argh."
Bam.
A boot slammed into my side.
"Argh!"
"Quiet."
He asked again.
"So how did it feel? Good?"
My jaw clenched.
His breath.
I smelled alcohol.
"You took maids and commoner girls. You assaulted and ravaged them. Then forced them into silence. So…was it good? How did they taste? Hahah."
Silence.
They stared.
My lips trembled.
"I didn't—"
They broke into laughter.
"A noble bastard claims innocence?"
Hands gripped my hair.
"Argh."
My head lifted.
He spoke again.
"A baron's son fell in love with my daughter. They spoke about marriage, and she left me to live with him."
He gripped my hair firmer.
"Her corpse was found, months later, in the slums. They had their fun, then threw her away like trash."
Smash.
A fist.
My head snapped sideways.
It hurt.
My lips moved by themselves.
"..One."
Smash.
Another.
I tasted blood. Tears welled up.
I whispered.
"Two.."
Smash.
"..Three."
Time blurred with each hit.
I continued the count.
The shackles tightened. Cutting into skin.
I don't know when, but another voice came.
"My brother was made a scapegoat. His wife was assaulted and killed by a noble. They blamed him for it. He was executed right in front of my eyes. Burned alive."
Smash.
A fist drove into my stomach.
I coughed up blood.
"I can still hear his screams."
Crack.
A boot struck my face.
My nose cracked.
Smash.
Another fist.
Smash.
I couldn't scream.
The collar was tight.
I couldn't move.
They held the chains.
I could only feel.
The pain.
The world blurred.
I don't know how long.
Smash.
Head, ribs, arms, and legs.
Crack.
Bones breaking.
Blood covered my eyes.
Until—
Someone spoke.
"Stop—we can't kill him."
They paused.
Clang.
Chains fell.
I followed.
Thud.
Bam.
Another kick.
Thud.
Back hitting the wall.
"Trash."
Pfui.
Spit hit my face.
They laughed.
Step.
They walked away.
Step.
I couldn't move.
Everything hurt.
My head was twisted to the side. I saw their backs.
My ears rang.
Their voices were far away.
"Remember what the boss said?"
"That we can have our fun?"
"Yeah, but only with the used ones."
"That's enough. Hahah."
The lamps swung.
Their light slid across faces.
It stopped on a woman.
"How about her?"
"She's old."
"Oh, but look at her curves."
"It's better if they have something to hold on to. Hahah."
"I am first."
She begged.
"Please..No!"
Her voice was loud.
They pulled her up.
Clang.
Chains rattled.
She fought.
Smash.
A fist knocked her down.
She cried.
"Please!"
They grabbed her hair and shoved her onto the table at the center.
Thud.
"Shut up, you whore."
They tore her clothes.
Slap.
"See the body? Nice enough."
They laughed.
"No! Ple—AGHH!"
Her screams followed.
"AGHH!"
I tried to look away.
But—
I couldn't move.
Tears slid down my cheeks.
"Try her. She's good. Hahah."
Her body arched. Their hands pressed her down.
They struck her when she begged—slapped her when she cried.
They used her.
One after the other.
My eyes closed.
I couldn't look.
But—
I heard everything.
The sound of flesh hitting flesh.
Her screams.
Her tears.
Their fists.
Their laughter.
The sound carved itself into me.
Like the knife that cut into my back.
I wanted to tear my ears off.
To go deaf.
She screamed and screamed.
"Try her too."
"What a good whore."
More fists.
More laughter.
Her voice thinned, screams turning silent.
But the sound of flesh hitting flesh stayed.
Time passed.
They left.
But—
Her screams.
They stayed.
In my head.
Even when I pressed my hands to my ears.
I heard it.
I couldn't sleep.
I stayed awake.
For hours.
Until—
Her face appeared.
Lisa.
It calmed me.
I fell asleep.
***
Creak.
The hatch.
Steps.
Light.
The guards came again.
They dragged me out.
"How many?"
"I bet on three."
"Two."
"More—five. He's tough. He's noble. Hahah."
Smash.
Their fists.
Bones cracked.
Blood spilled.
Pain.
I counted.
"..One."
"...Two."
"..Three..."
Darkness.
Sound woke me.
Screams.
Their laughter.
The sound of fists.
They hit others.
Men.
Children.
They stopped.
Light.
Across faces.
"I want her."
Another woman.
They dragged her.
Punched.
Slapped.
On the table.
She begged.
Then screamed.
Flesh against flesh.
The sound kept me awake.
***
The cycle continued.
Creak.
The hatch.
Light.
Steps.
Guards.
Fists.
Darkness.
The other slaves.
Then—
A woman.
Her screams.
Their laughter.
Flesh against flesh.
Every day, another woman.
Their screams echoed through the ship.
I saw it.
I heard it.
Screams.
Fists.
Sobs.
Laughter.
Silence.
Every scream broke me further apart.
***
Humans looked at me differently.
The word 'noble' spread.
They tried to steal my food and water.
I ate faster.
The food, gone before they could strike.
That didn't stop them.
They circled me.
Fists made me throw up what I ate.
"You deserve it."
"Noble bastard."
They felt strong when I was weak.
Not all.
Not the elves.
Not the dwarves.
Not the beastkin.
They watched in silence.
But the humans made me theirs.
***
An Awakened body didn't hunger like a normal one.
But—
I still needed food to survive.
I ate crumbs hidden in my clothes.
***
Time passed.
Days.
Maybe months.
Or weeks?
Creak.
The hatch opened.
Step.
The guards came again.
I curled up.
But—
Tonight was different.
The guards.
There were too many of them.
And—
They didn't come to me.
Their voices.
Too happy.
Too eager.
"The boss really allowed it?"
"Hehe. He said it's a gift."
"Remember—only one and only tonight."
"I wonder how they taste. Hahah."
Laughter.
The light turned.
It lit faces.
Stopping on one.
Even chained, she shone.
Silver hair. Pale skin. Long ears.
An elven woman.
Clang.
They pulled her chains.
"Stop!"
She screamed and kicked.
The other elves stood.
Clang.
Chains rattled.
They attacked.
Their shackles glowed faintly in the dark.
Runes.
They couldn't use mana.
They stood no chance.
And watched their own be dragged away.
They could only shout.
"No!"
"Stop!"
"The elves will never forgive you."
The guards laughed.
"You are not elves. You are slaves."
She was dragged toward the table.
She tried to resist.
Fists hit.
The elves shouted.
"You monsters!"
"Stella!"
"Let Stella go!"
They bend her over the table.
They held her down.
Clothes tore.
"Noo!"
Slap.
"See that body. The curves."
"That's why they are the best."
She screamed.
"Help—"
Smash.
"Your race is born to be whores. Hahah."
"Stella, right? We will make you feel good. I promise. Hehe."
Laughter.
Then—
Her scream.
"AGHH!"
Her screams filled the room.
They punched her. Slapped her.
She screamed and screamed.
Begging for help.
My eyes didn't close.
I tried to shut them.
But—
Something kept them open—making me watch it all.
As they used her like a toy.
A thing.
Not a person.
One after the other.
Flesh hit flesh.
Her screams.
Their laughter.
"Better than the stories."
"She's so tight."
"Stella—a good name for a whore."
"Come on, Stella, give us more."
"Hey, make space."
"Let me use her mouth."
"Agh!"
Smash.
"That bitch bit me."
More punches.
More screams.
I felt sick.
I hated my ears.
My eyes.
My life.
Her screams never stopped.
***
I woke.
My body ached.
The sun shone through the windows.
Silence.
Nobody talked, not even a whisper.
My eyes lifted.
And—
Found her.
The table was kicked over.
A rope hung from the ceiling.
The rope held her by the neck.
Pale skin.
Covered with red marks.
Eyes open.
But empty.
She died.
No—
Stella died.
It was the first time.
I saw someone die.
Her lifeless eyes.
Her limp body swayed with the waves.
The view of her.
I could never forget it.
Creak.
The hatch opened.
Steps.
Guards.
They saw the elf.
"Fuck."
"The boss will be furious."
They turned and left.
Thud.
The hatch closed.
From then on—
Once a day.
The hatch opened.
A barrel of water and a crate with food.
Thud.
They dropped them inside.
The hatch closed.
And—
Hell began.
***
They fought for food.
Children were stepped on. Women shoved aside.
Fists flew. Nails scratched. Teeth bit.
The first death.
A man beaten until he stopped moving.
His body was left on the floor, and the bread torn from his cold hands.
From then on, more died.
Food was war.
The barrel tipped over.
Splash.
Hands fought over drops.
Blood mixed with water.
They still drank it.
I lived off crumbs from the floor, water came from the cracks when rain fell.
The nights got colder.
No food.
No water.
No warmth.
No order.
Only survival.
The other races stayed together.
Elves, Dwarves, and Beastkin.
They secured food, fed, and protected each other.
They watched as humans turned into something else.
They beat each other for bread.
They killed for water.
Children were left starving.
***
One day, I woke.
The child beside me.
Small and thin.
His chest barely moved. His skin was white from the cold.
By noon, he was dead.
I felt the cold spread inside me.
***
Nights became worse.
Men turned on women.
They dragged them into corners.
Screams were heard through the night.
One night, three men took a young girl.
She couldn't have been older than Theodora.
She begged.
They hit her.
Flesh on flesh.
Screams.
Laughter.
I shut my eyes and pressed my hands over my ears.
But—
I could never forget.
***
The guards came once.
They brought clubs.
They wanted order.
They struck men down, spilling blood.
More deaths.
The slaves fought back.
One guard fell. Dragged away. His limbs torn apart.
Another was stabbed with a knife made out of bones.
Too many guards died.
They pulled back.
The hatch slammed shut.
And stayed shut.
They never came again.
***
More women killed themselves.
Some hanged themselves.
Others slit their wrists.
Most children were already dead.
Humans preyed on humans.
Their flesh became meat.
Blood became water.
The weak were eaten first.
I hid myself.
Near the other races.
Curled up and silent.
The strong reigned over the weak.
They owned them.
Some women gathered with the other races.
They asked for protection.
The rest were taken.
Again and again.
Every day.
Every night.
Screams filled the ship.
Until their voices died.
Or—
They ended it themselves.
It was hell.
I watched it all.
Cruelty birthing cruelty.
Survival turning into madness.
When powerless, they make others powerless.
When broken, they break others.
The elves saw.
The dwarves saw.
The beastkin saw.
They remembered.
Why humans were never a superior race.
A whisper.
A nickname.
"Race of Sin."
And they remembered.
The wall.
Between humans and the rest.