Grind… Grind… The resonant shriek of heavy metal scraping against metal jolted a young working woman from her heavy stupor. Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, grogginess still clinging to her consciousness. Dim light filtering through narrow gaps revealed only the vague outlines of the place. The air was thick with the smell of dampness and dust. She tried to scan her surroundings, disoriented and confused, before recoiling violently at the sight of a shadowy figure. "Aah!" she cried out, utterly terrified, her heart pounding. A man was sitting, leaning against the wall of the container not far away. "Who… who are you? And where… where on earth am I?"
The man shifted slightly, turning to look at her with surprisingly impassive eyes. His voice was deep and chillingly calm. "Right now… if I were to guess, it seems we're in a cargo container on a train."
"Wait a minute," the young woman frowned, trying to process the information. "Did you just say… we?"
"Yes," he replied, gesturing slightly. "Take a good look around."
She warily turned to follow his suggestion. Her eyes, slowly adjusting to the dimness, widened at a sight that nearly stopped her breath. In the dark corners of the container were many other people—young children, older children, and women of various ages. All were in a similar state: faces pale and gaunt, eyes wide with fear and despair. A quick glance suggested over twenty souls crammed into the confined space.
"What… what is all this!? And where are we going!?" Her voice trembled uncontrollably, panic overwhelming her as tears welled in her eyes.
The young man looked at her with a hint of sympathy before asking in the same steady tone, "And you… do you remember how you got here?"
The question made her freeze for a moment, as if someone had pressed a button, and memories began to slowly rewind...
A few days ago…
"Hello, my name is Alice. I'm currently looking for a job." Alice sighed wearily. She had submitted applications to dozens of places, but there hadn't been a single response. She spent most of her time languishing in her small, cramped rented room, despair gnawing at her. The savings she'd brought from her hometown were dwindling by the day.
Ting! The notification sound from her mobile phone broke the silence.
"Hey Alice, dear, found a job yet?" It was a message from a senior from university with whom she had been quite close.
"Not yet, P'… I've applied to so many places, but no one has contacted me." She typed back, disheartened and hopeless.
"I have a great job offer for you. Interested?"
Alice's eyes widened instantly. Her withered heart swelled with hope. "Really, P'!? What kind of job? Does it pay well?" She typed back quickly, excitement coursing through her every fiber.
"Of course, dear! It's an overseas job, and the salary is fantastic. Are you interested?"
"Overseas!" The word echoed in Alice's mind. A golden opportunity she had never dreamed of. Desperate for money, and with this seemingly heaven-sent chance appearing at just the right moment, Alice agreed immediately without a second thought or any careful consideration. "Yes, P'! Very interested! Where is it? What do I need to prepare?"
"Don't worry, dear. I'll see you at the airport tomorrow. I've already taken care of the flight tickets and everything."
Alice stared at her phone screen, a wide, irrepressible smile spreading across her face. Finally, she would have a job, and an overseas one at that! Her once-fading dreams shone brightly again, little did she know it was the beginning of a nightmare that would lead her to this dark, terrifying cargo container.
The next day…
Alice dragged her small suitcase, containing only a few clothes and essential items, to Suvarnabhumi Airport at the appointed time. The airport was bustling with people, but she couldn't spot her senior.
"P', I've arrived at the airport. Where are you?" she texted her senior, anxiously craning her neck left and right.
"Boo!" A familiar voice greeted her from behind. Alice jumped slightly before turning to see her senior, grinning broadly.
"Oh, P'! When did you get here? I was looking all over for you. Are we leaving right away?" she asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Easy there, pretty girl. The plane will be taking off soon. Let's go," her senior said, casually draping an arm around Alice's shoulder.
Alice smiled happily as she followed her senior to check in and board the plane. Even though she didn't know the exact details of which country they were going to or what the job entailed, she chose to trust her senior completely. She needed the money and this opportunity too much to let it slip away.
A few hours later…
After dozing on and off on the plane, it began its descent. Alice looked out the window, a sense of unease and suspicion dawning on her.
"Why… why is this airport surrounded by nothing but desert as far as the eye can see?" she wondered. A knot of anxiety began to form, but she tried to reassure herself that it was probably normal for some country she'd never heard of.
After disembarking, Alice collected her luggage with her senior. As they were about to leave the terminal for a waiting car, she started, "P', where are we go—" Before she could finish, her consciousness began to fade. Her vision blurred as if obscured by smoke, her head grew heavy, and the world spun. She must have been drugged or chloroformed.
"Take her to the usual place," her senior's cold voice, one she remembered vividly, commanded someone.
"Yes, boss," was the gruff voice of another man, the last thing she heard before everything went black...
Present day.
Tears streamed down Alice's cheeks uncontrollably as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. She had been tricked and sold by the senior she had once trusted and respected! An overwhelming wave of profound regret, agonizing pain, and bone-chilling fear washed over her, almost suffocating her. The young man sitting nearby, whom she now noticed wore a black cloth mask, similar to a surgical mask, covering the lower part of his face, tried to console her in a calm, even voice, urging her to stay calm and gather her wits.
"Screeeech!" The train's brakes shrieked deafeningly throughout the container, followed by the violent clanging of metal, sending everyone inside tumbling.
Grind… The heavy steel door of the cargo container was yanked open. Bright light from outside flooded in, blinding them momentarily. With it appeared a group of about fifty burly, heavily armed men, brandishing handguns, rifles, and knives. They shouted aggressively in a language Alice and the others couldn't understand, their demeanor menacing, their eyes hard, clearly signaling ill intent.
"Finally… I guess it's time for me to get to work," the masked young man, who had been sitting with Alice from the start, murmured softly, as if to himself. Then, with shocking speed and dexterity, he produced a short sword hidden at the small of his back and a pistol strapped to his ankle.
"Hey! That one's armed!" one of the thugs who had first stepped into the container exclaimed in alarm, spotting the weapons in the young man's hands.
"What's so surprising?" the young man retorted coolly, before lunging at the group of thugs with astonishing speed and precision. He dodged the incoming attacks, countered with a flurry of his flashing sword, and fired his pistol intermittently, all with fluid agility. Gunshots alternated with the thud of flesh on flesh and agonizing cries. Every movement he made was smooth yet lethally dangerous, as if this was a task he performed with practiced expertise.
Ten minutes later.
Bang! The final gunshot rang out. The last thug crumpled to the container floor, lifeless. Crimson blood began to pool, its metallic scent filling the air.
Alice and the other survivors stood stunned, transfixed by the scene before them. The bodies of the thugs littered the floor. The seemingly ordinary young man had, incredibly, transformed into a skilled and ruthless warrior.
"Let's go back," the masked young man said, turning to Alice and the others, his voice normal, as if nothing had just happened. He calmly put away his weapons.
"Wait!" Alice mustered all her courage to ask. "May… may I know your name? As a way of thanking you."
"I don't have a name," he replied without looking at her. "But if you must call me something… those who just died liked to call me 'Death.'"
"Huh? Death?" Alice looked bewildered but decided to ask another question that puzzled her. "And… how old are you? Why… why do you look so young?" Even though she could only see his eyes and the upper part of his face, she could make a guess.
The young man sighed softly beneath his mask. "Nineteen."
Alice's jaw dropped at his answer. This nineteen-year-old boy was the one who had saved them? She didn't press further. A torrent of emotions overwhelmed her: gratitude that brought tears to her eyes, awe at his skill, and a slight trepidation at his cold-blooded efficiency.
"Let's go home," he said again, a reminder. "It's hot here, and probably not safe to stay."
True enough. Alice now noticed that outside the train container lay a vast, endless desert. The sun blazed down, scorching her skin, and heat shimmered up from the sand. Alice and the others exchanged hesitant glances before deciding to follow the strong, yet solitary, figure of the enigmatic young man out into the light and the desolate expanse ahead. What their future held, no one knew…