Chapter 5 – Escaping the Chains
Lucia
There are things you cannot forget. Memories that are imprinted so deeply in the flesh that you carry them for life, like iron brands. The heat of the slave mark, the pain of the blows, the constant humiliation... I had believed that once I was free, all of that would disappear. But no, freedom did not erase me. It brought nothing but more fear, more loneliness.
I remember my escape, that night when I ran in the dark, the beating of my heart echoing in my ears like a war drum. The sound of my feet on the dirt ground, the acrid smell of the abandoned stables where I had hidden, waiting for the storm to pass. I had never really had a chance to flee before. Every movement had been watched. Every mistake, punished. But that night, I found luck, an escape route, and I didn't let it slip through my fingers.
I didn't know where to go, just that I had to leave, escape, far from those invisible chains that suffocated me. The brothel... it was a difficult decision, but it was also a sort of last resort. A place where I could live, where I could breathe... without a master above my head. But not without a price.
I sold myself, yes, but it was for my survival. And even there, in that place of ruin, a part of me never stopped fleeing. I watch the other girls, their empty eyes, their crushing submission. It's another kind of chain. But at least here, I can breathe. At least here, I am more than an animal in a pen.
But that wasn't the end. I felt another storm approaching, darker, more dangerous. A look. A man. The bounty hunter. He was watching me, his gaze heavy with unspoken threats, his disdainful air barely concealing his intentions. He wasn't from around here, I could feel it. Maybe a mercenary or a bounty hunter. Someone used to hunting prey. And I... I was nothing but prey. I knew what that meant: I was being followed, tracked, and the smallest mistake would be enough to catch me.
I still see him, standing there, at the entrance. The man looks confident, but he's not as strong as he thinks. I'm a runaway slave, yes, but I've survived this long by avoiding this kind of trap. The man is only level 14, he doesn't know me. He doesn't know how I've learned to sneak, to disappear, to be invisible. I don't plan on being caught. I'll do whatever it takes not to go back into those chains. I swore that would never happen again.
And yet, I feel fear gnawing at me, a small noise in my mind. What if it's not enough? What if this man turns out to be smarter than I think? Fear turns into a solid resolve. I must be smarter than him. I can't make a mistake. Not this time.
I'm ready. I face him with a cold gaze. A simple smile. And I prepare to escape once more.
Nira and Vaën's POV
A Budding Alliance
Vaën had never truly believed in alliances. Not with people like him. Life had taught him to be alone, to count only on himself. He had never wanted companions. But he needed Nira. She was a bit like him, to some extent. She had the same thirst for freedom, the same silent rage, the same pain beneath the calm mask.
They had crossed paths one evening when Vaën, tired and exhausted after a day of tasks, had come across her. She was sitting in a dark corner of the common room, alone, watching the other girls, but also the outside world. She didn't talk much, but there was something in her gaze that had drawn him in. He had noticed her immediately. The same glint of pain, the same silent solitude. A reflection of himself.
Their first exchanges had been brief. A nervous smile, a trembling handshake. But slowly, they had learned to trust each other. They discovered that they were both on the run, both trying to escape the world that was crushing them. She didn't judge him, and he didn't see her as just another woman to save. They were two lost souls, stranded on the same shore, and something in their eyes had sealed a tacit alliance.
Days passed, and their conversations grew more frequent. She had talked to him about her dreams of escape, her wild hopes, and he, in his calm manner, had offered her a listening ear. It was strange. He hadn't expected this kind of connection, but deep down, he knew he had found an ally.
The last night, when the strange man arrived, Nira had been the first to react. She had spotted him before Vaën. She had seen him, sensed the threat, and she had intervened smoothly, like a ghost, pulling Vaën aside, whispering in his ear that this man was not like the others.
That was when Vaën saw Nira's true strength. She had that instinct, that sharpened survival instinct. She didn't try to control everything, but she knew how to navigate in this ruthless world.
"We must stay vigilant," she had said. "Something's off with him. I can feel it. We need to keep our distance."
Vaën had nodded, but he knew that something was about to change. And this time, he wasn't alone. They weren't alone anymore.