In the small run-down restaurant, a figure had been waiting for a few hours now. At this moment, the door opened, and light flooded the restaurant. All the customers looked to see who it was. When they saw the young man at the door, they calmed down and went back to eating their food.
The young man looked all over the place until his eyes landed on the dark figure seated in the corner. He moved and sat at the same table as the man.
"You are late," said the figure.
The young man groaned slightly before speaking.
"Security at the academy has been increased tenfold due to what happened to the Cursed Princess. The Vizier of the Draugr Domain has brought in more people to remove all blind spots in the academy. I had to get a good reason to leave the academy through the proper channels."
The dark figure nodded in understanding. He had expected something like this.
After all, the Cursed Princess had been kidnapped and cut into pieces before the eyes of the world.
He was even sure that the Night King would soon do something to remind the world of his power and authority.
"Where did I stop last time?" the dark figure asked the young man.
"You stopped at the moment when you and your friends were given some time to gain some weight. This was after the doors to the container opened, and you realized that you had been trafficked."
The dark figure nodded.
"During the month we spent together, we grew closer. This was when we all learned about each other's origins and how we ended up in such a miserable situation. We learned each other's names and even came to know about each other's hopes and dreams. I think we did this so as to comfort each other. We hoped that if any of us survived, they would remember us. We hoped not to be completely forgotten. As we grew closer, we also noticed that none of us was ugly. We all had attractive features, and from first glance, it was clear that we were handsome young men and beautiful women."
A waitress came around at this moment and brought with her two glasses of milk and two burgers.
"I was very young at that time, but I was not so foolish as to not know that I was fucked," the dark figure continued once the waitress left.
"Time moved on, and soon, it was time for us to learn our fates.
There was some kind of auction. One would think that this would be some hidden affair, but to our shock, the auction was held out in the open. It was inside a luxurious hall covered in golden designs and gems. There were hundreds of people in the seats. These people did not hide their faces, and from what I can remember, they did not have any kind of shame or fear on their faces. Most of these people were handsome and beautiful, reaching ungodly levels.
We were all brought onto the stage at the front, and the auction began.
Like slaves from the shameful past of humanity, my friends were sold one at a time until I was the only one left.
My friends were described as plump, healthy, beautiful, handsome, good stock, and many other words that made me realize that these people did not see us as anything but goods.
I was soon sold to some woman and taken away. I did not know it then, but this was only the beginning of my suffering."
The young man listened in silence. He did not ask any questions, but it was clear that he was paying great attention to the story.
"After the auction, I was sure that I was no longer in the human world. The currency used in this place was far too foreign, and the language they spoke made them sound like beings from a completely different world." The young man nodded.
"The woman took me to her home, a beautiful mansion in a city that looked like something from a fantasy. There, I was treated very well, but this was because I was the woman's toy boy. She used me however she wanted, and I did not dare disobey. Not after I saw the consequences of disobedience. When she said jump, I did not ask how high. I simply jumped. When she ordered me to thrust harder, I used more power. I did everything as she pleased."
The dark figure gulped down half the glass of milk and bit into his burger. A few minutes later, he continued.
"I stayed with the woman for a few years until I was sixteen years old.
During all this time, I grew used to my life, and one could even say that I had accepted my fate. I did not resist and had no intention of doing so. To my eternal shame, I had even developed what I thought to be feelings of love towards my mistress. One day, I woke up, and everything changed. The woman sold me once more. When I asked why she was selling me, her answer broke me further. It turned out that the woman preferred young boys. Anyone sixteen and above was no longer attractive in her eyes. I kicked and screamed, but nothing came of that. I was hauled off, and that was the last time I saw that woman.
I had been thinking that I had seen the worst life had to offer, and there was no need to fear, but it turned out that I was very wrong to think that way. My new owners were butchers. I had been sold to one of the most prominent butcher shops on Lemuria. I did not know what they did in this place, but when I saw the meat hanging on the hooks, I thought that I was there to work as a butcher. I hoped that they needed labor. I was wrong for a second time, but at that moment, my mind could not accept how wrong I was, even after seeing all the evidence around me."