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"Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light."
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PRESENT
Rose could barely hold her head up. Her limbs felt like lead weights, the sedatives coursing through her veins fogging her thoughts and numbing her senses. Yet, beneath the haze, her anger burned hotter than ever. Elric… her little brother… where was he? Who had taken him? She would find him. She had to.
For now, all she could do was replay the memory of the night her home got attacked. All she could do was try not to forget the faces of her enemies.
The auction hall swirled around her. Crystal chandeliers glared down from above. Wealthy patrons shifted in their seats, their murmurs filled with greed. Before them loomed a long wooden platform, and at its centre stood the auctioneer, with a gavel in hand.
"Next up," the auctioneer announced, his voice booming over the low hum of conversation, "a rare, untamed beauty. Strong..." a man forced her to stand up straight, presented like a valuable artefact. "She may be a little dangerous, but do handle with care."
Rose heard laughter and bit back a curse. 'Dangerous? Do they think danger is a novelty'. They had no idea what true danger looked like.
The first bid rang out from a man in the front row seat, one she could see clearly, he had slicked-back hair and a predatory smile. "Fifty thousand," he called, eliciting appreciative murmurs from the crowd.
"Seventy," another man countered.
"Eighty," chimed in a third, adding to the frenzy.
But her mind drifted, the numbers blurring into the background. What am I going to do? I was supposed to protect him, and I failed. I failed my own brother.
Elric. The boy, although so young, knew everything there was to know about the family business, every good, every dirt, every account, the tunnels, he knew everything, if anyone got their hands on him... but that's not what concerned Rose, she just wanted her little brother safe.
Then, a deep, controlled voice cut through the chatter. "Two hundred thousand."
The room fell silent, and Rose lifted her heavy eyelids. A figure sat in the far corner, broad-shouldered and commanding, radiating an aura that pulled the very air around him like a gravitational force. Dangerous didn't even begin to cover it. Rose knew men like him, men worse than her father who weren't afraid to get their hands dirty.
The auctioneer cleared his throat, bringing her back to the chaos. "Two hundred thousand, do I hear two-fifty?"
She strained to focus, but the sedative pulled her deeper into its grasp. Bidding continued, fragmented voices echoing through the hall.
Her body burned with a fury she could barely contain at being treated less than livestock at a market.
Finally, a sharp hammer strike echoed through the hall. "Sold!"
Suddenly, the chair she was leaning on tipped, and strong hands gripped her arms, lifting her effortlessly. She was being carried forward, her vision swimming, but the shape of him grew clearer— the man who had bought her.
"You sure about this?" someone who stood next to him hissed. "When I was viewing the girls back there, I heard one the man say she killed 3 men, with a damn knife. And broke someone's jaw. She's..."
The man cut him off, he didn't flinch as his eyes roamed Rose. His voice was smooth as silk, yet lethal as he spoke. "I wasn't looking for a fragile bride."
Rose's stomach twisted at the word "bride." It was like poison. Bride? She tried to focus on the man, to see him clearly, but her vision only worsened. Last thing she could see was the man's back.
Then, darkness closed in around her.
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Rose woke up in a bright, sterile room. The white walls seemed to close in around her as sunlight streamed through the window. She sat up slowly, heart hammering in her chest, flinching as a woman pressed pillows behind her.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice hoarse.
The maid didn't answer. Instead, she pressed a buzzer. Less than a minute later, a man entered the room.
He wore a sweaty vest and shorts, broad shoulders and thick bones making every movement appear measured. Impassive eyes scanned her like a predator calculating its next move. Panic gripped her as she reached for the knife she always carried at her thigh... only to find it empty. Her chest tightened.
"Hello, my sweet," he greeted with a smooth unnerving voice.
She glared at him, unwilling to show weakness.
"My name is Damian. Tell me your name."
"Where's my brother?" she growled through gritted teeth.
Damian steps closer, remaining calm and collected. Her mind raced, searching for answers.
"Only three humans were sold at that auction—and all were women, including yourself. Unless one of those women was a man."
He stepped even closer, his demeanour controlled. "What's your—"
Acting swiftly, she lifted the sheet covering her and latched onto his arms, attempting to lock his head between her legs in a chokehold. He lifted her effortlessly, slamming her down with enough force to loosen her grip.
But she didn't give up easily. Climbing onto his back, she wrapped her legs around his waist, tightening her hold around his neck. "I said where's my brother! What did you do with him?!"
Damian remained unfazed, reaching behind him to gently but firmly force her down. His movements were precise, lacking carelessness or cruelty.
"Oh this woman..." Damien shook his head as he pinned her down to the ground.
Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open, and a man strode in, gun raised.
"Don't shoot her. Put that away."
Damien kept one hand steady around her neck. "Calm down," he ordered, his tone commanding.
She thrashed against his hold, fury coiling within her. With a surge of strength, Damian tightened his grip, choking her. His words were gentle yet laced with danger.
"I will find out where your brother is," he said, his voice unwavering. "But I need you to calm down."
Damien was a tad bit surprised. Yes, he could tell from her very evident muscles that she was strong, but for her to force him to use all his strength? That was something he never saw coming.
Her body weakened from lack of oxygen, exhaustion, pain, and grief coalescing into a crushing weight. She stopped, hot tears streaking her face as she turned away from him, despair washing over her.
"All of you…" Her voice cracked. Rage and despair burning. "I will kill you all!"
She let out a wail, raw and painful. "All of you! You hear me! I will kill you all! I will make you pay!"
Tears blurred Rose's vision, her body shaking with anger and loss. And for now, that's all she was: fire and grief.