It was one of those places the city pretended not to see. By day it looked like any other aging building, but by night its doors opened to the lost, the curious, and the desperate.
The interior of the building was bathed in dim, amber light, the kind that softened imperfections and turned even the worn furniture into something inviting. Velvet drapes hung over the windows and doorways, their deep red color hiding the private rooms beyond. The air was thick with the scent of cheap perfume, powder, and something faintly sweet trying to cover the smell of old wood and long nights.
Here, companionship had a price, and secrets were part of the service. As more and more "workers" began coming out of their personal rooms, getting ready for the night ahead of them, a man with green hair was seen speed walking.
The experienced workers laughed softly at his appearance. They had already seen this scene so much before, they even had done it themselves and one thing was for sure... It was futile.
A woman with a curvaceous body stopped the anxious little newbie. The man, clearly flustered and anxious, tried to break free, but he was even more delicate than she was. Forget even breaking free, he couldn't even struggle.
The man, Arnel, looked at the woman with anxiety and desperation. "Please... Please let go." Arnel pleaded. In return, the woman just smiled at him and didn't let go. She thought, this man... with his soft, melodious voice and delicate features, he'll definitely be one of the rising stars tonight.
Arnel glanced up at the clock hanging in the wall and struggled more. '2 minutes left... I really have to go. But this woman won't let me go!' Arnel thought, anxiety bubbling up in his chest.
With every struggle, every tick of the clock, Arnel's heart thumped more and more.
The woman who was holding his hand, finally opened her mouth. "It's no use, little boy." Arnel stopped his struggle and looked at her with confusion. The woman just pointed a finger at a corner, Arnel's eyes followed the direction she was pointing to and he vividly tensed up.
'That person...' was clearly the one he spoke to. Arnel's heart sank to his stomach, fear and anxiety clearly evident on his face. "See? Your struggle is of no use." The woman spoke again, her tone velvety and smooth, but the words she uttered sent Arnel further down despair.
However, her words did prove to be useful as Arnel stopped struggling. The woman pulled Arnel in a corner and she forced him to sit down on a chair as she sat parallel to him. Arnel sat nervously, fidgeting with his fingers as he glanced at the woman before him.
"You're new here, aren't you?" The woman said, looking at Arnel with kind but analytical eyes. Arnel tensed up again, feeling the predatory gaze upon him and nodded hesitantly. "...yes." Arnel replied looking away from the woman.
The woman didn't find Arnel disrespectful, in fact, she thought it was a valid reaction. "So, what got you here?" The woman continued to ask. Arnel looked at the woman again, complex emotions showing through his gentle eyes. "...Why do you ask?" Arnel questioned in return.
The woman smirked and pointed to everyone around them, "See them? They all had some circumstances that's why they were here. Food, clothes, debt... Hell, even just for fun. Either way, we all chose to be here because of a reason."
The woman shifted her gaze at Arnel, her expression turning into a more gentle one. "And by the looks of it, yours clearly wasn't the latter. So, why?" The woman asked again. Arnel looked down at his feet, tapping his foot restlessly on the floor.
Then, his incessant tapping stopped and he looked at the woman again. "I'm in debt." Arnel said honestly. The woman hummed, and didn't question anymore. Then she smiled and pointed at the clock, "Welcome to Red Rose Brothel, little boy."
Arnel's heart sank deeper, his gentle eyes clouded in despair. The woman laughed softly and stood up. She patted Arnel's shoulder gently, offering a bit of consolation. However for Arnel, he felt his fate was signed in ink he will never be able to erase.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
In another place, worlds apart from the bustling and crowded red area, a woman with long black hair with streaks of white along it, was seen signing away the mountains of paperwork. Even under the dark sky, she still continued to work, her dark red bloody eyes glued to the papers she was reviewing.
A knock was heard throughout the dead silent room. The woman lifted her face from the paperwork, revealing her ethereal but deadly appearance. Her beauty was beyond perfect, borderline otherworldly.
Her skin seemed to catch the light like porcelain, smooth and pale as if carved from moonlight itself. Soft strands of her hair framed her face like a halo, giving her an almost heavenly presence... But her eyes betrayed her.
Behind their clear, luminous beauty was something sharp—something ancient and dangerous. They were not the eyes of someone fragile, but of someone who had seen too much and survived it, no—conquered it. There was a quiet coldness there, like the still surface of deep water hiding something lethal beneath.
Her lips were well-shaped but it was set in a calm, unreadable line, giving her an air of quiet authority. Even her eyebrows, slightly sharp in their natural arch, made her expressions look commanding rather than gentle.
After staring at the door for a while, she opened her mouth and said, "Come in." Her voice was calm but commanding. The door opened and in came a man with glasses that gave him a dependable look. "CEO, it's time for you to go home." The man said, his tone calm and neutral.
The woman glanced at her watch and saw it was already 10:36 PM. She nodded to the man, "Tell the driver to get ready." The man nodded and he bowed and left the room. The woman stood up, revealing a staggering height of approximately 6'2 in feet. She then went to retrieve her coat at the coat rack and put the black coat on.
After seeing nothing amiss, she grabbed her phone and left the room.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Hello! So, I know I didn't really capture his despair here, but please bear with me.