Tyssa: "Why... Why would he do this...?"

  Back at the orphanage, Rel, Punjo, and Jargen had returned with the surviving citizens and the rescued girls. Every able hand was tending to the wounded, especially the girls who had endured horrors few could imagine.

  Among them, Tyssa sat in the corner of the room, her gaze distant, her voice trembling with a mix of disbelief and despair.

  Rel: "Tyssa...? Who are you talking about?"

  Her blank stare remained fixed on the floor.

  Tyssa: "He wouldn’t... He’ll come back. He wouldn’t leave me..."

  Jargen, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, cast a heavy look toward the girl.

  Jargen: "... She’s talking about Cabdan."

  Rel froze, his jaw tightening in disbelief. The anger bubbling within him was too much to contain, and his voice rose sharply.

  Rel: "Are you serious?! What will it take for you to see that that guy is a monster? All he’s ever done is take advantage of you!"

  Tyssa’s head snapped up, her wide, tear-filled eyes locking onto Rel with a fury that pierced through the room.

  Tyssa: "Shut up! You don’t know him like I do!"

  Rel: "Oh, really?"

  Rel’s tone dripped with incredulity.

  Rel: "What don’t I know? That despite abusing underage girls, profiting off the misery of the slums, and being a cowardly, greedy piece of shit, he’s secretly a saint under all that fat?! Is that it?"

  Without warning, Tyssa’s hand struck his face. The sharp sound of the slap echoed through the room, silencing the background chatter. Before anyone could react, her trembling hands latched onto his throat.

  Tyssa: "SHUT UP! HE’S NONE OF THOSE THINGS! YOU ALL ARE THE PROBLEM! IF YOU JUST DID AS HE TOLD YOU, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!"

  Rel’s shock turned to frustration as he grabbed her wrists, effortlessly overpowering her frail grip.

  Rel: "We’ve done as he’s told us for *far too long*, Tyssa! Did that improve things for anyone? Did that make life better for the people here? Open your eyes! Cabdan is the reason we starve, the reason we can barely afford a roof over our heads. He’s the reason you and your friends were trapped in that hellhole! Don’t you want to be free?!"

  Tyssa’s lip quivered, but her anger surged again.

  Tyssa: "I AM FREE!"

  She screamed, her voice cracking.

  Tyssa: "Mister Cabdan gave me everything I ever wanted! Everything! Whatever he asked in return felt like nothing in comparison. But now he’s gone... He’s gone, and..."

  Her voice faltered, tears streaking down her cheeks.

  Tyssa: "... And he didn’t take me with him."

  Her confession hung in the air like a blade. Rel’s grip on her wrists slackened, his voice softening as he tried to reason with her.

  Rel: "... He didn’t take you because he doesn’t need you anymore. He used you, Tyssa. I’m sorry, but that’s the truth."

  Her eyes burned with renewed rage, her voice trembling with denial.

  Tyssa: "How dare you... How dare you say that..."

  Jargen, who had been silently observing, uncrossed his arms and stepped forward, his voice calm but heavy with purpose.

  Jargen: "Yiel... Was it?"

  Tyssa froze. Her wide, tear-streaked eyes darted to him, her lips trembling.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  Tyssa: "How... How do you know that name?"

  Jargen took a deep breath, his expression darkening.

  Jargen: "You probably don’t remember. You were too little. But I was there. I was there the day Cabdan came to your home, looking to collect what your parents owed him."

  Tyssa’s voice was barely above a whisper.

  Tyssa: "... My mother and father owed Mister Cabdan coin. Of course, he was in his right to take it. Why should he let it go uncollected, just because they were dead?"

  Rel stared at her, utterly appalled.

  Rel: "I... I can’t listen to this. Are you even hearing yourself?!"

  Tyssa glanced at him, confusion etched into her face.

  Rel: "What kind of *animal* takes money from two orphaned kids whose parents just died?! Wake up, Tyssa! He’s been brainwashing you since the day he found you!"

  Jargen raised a hand, signaling Rel to stop. Rel huffed but stepped back, folding his arms tightly.

  Tyssa: "It’s not like that..."

  Jargen’s gaze bore into her, his voice steady and deliberate.

  Jargen: "... What happened to Yiel that day, Tyssa?"

  Her entire body tensed. Her fists clenched, and her jaw tightened as if she were physically holding something back.

  Tyssa: "You were there, weren’t you...? Why even ask?"

  Jargen: "Because I wasn’t there for the whole thing. I left... Like a coward. I quit working for Cabdan that very night. And instead of taking you and your brother with me..."

  His voice wavered, heavy with regret.

  Jargen: "... I left you there with him."

  Tyssa’s voice faltered, her defiance giving way to a soft, trembling reply.

  Tyssa: "A-and I’m thankful for it... truly! If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have had the luck of having him take care of me..."

  Jargen’s tone hardened, the regret in his eyes replaced by steel.

  Jargen: "... And what about your brother, Tyssa? Where is he now? Did he share the same 'luck'?"

  She hesitated, her breath catching in her throat.

  Tyssa: "H-he... he didn’t. He died."

  Rel’s eyes widened in shock. Punjo let out a low whistle under his breath, but Jargen remained motionless, as though he’d already known the answer.

  Jargen: "Just like that?"

  She ground her teeth, her voice rising in anger.

  Tyssa: "Of course not! He was murdered. Murdered by that maniac, Barr...!"

  Rel’s jaw dropped as he blurted out in disbelief.

  Rel: "BARR?! Barr killed your brother? He was there?"

  Rel’s words made her flinch, but she nodded reluctantly.

  Punjo: "That don’t make any sense... Wasn’t he just a kid back then? Too young ta be doin’ Cabdan’s dirty work, let alone killin’ someone?"

  Jargen’s expression remained unreadable as he pressed her further.

  Jargen: "Yeah... It was Barr’s first day on the job. The kid was terrified. He puked his guts out just stepping inside your home, Tyssa. And you’re telling me he killed a child that night?"

  Tyssa’s voice cracked as she shouted back at him.

  Tyssa: "YES! Is that so hard to believe?!"

  Jargen leaned in slightly, his voice calm but insistent.

  Jargen: "... Did you see *how* it happened? Rather -- did you *even* see it happen?"

  She fell silent.

  Jargen: "Ah. So it’s just what Cabdan told you."

  Tyssa: "S-so? Why would he lie about something like that?"

  Jargen shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.

  Jargen: "Think, Tyssa. Who gets to live in the orphanage?"

  Tyssa looked down at the floor, her fists tightening.

  Tyssa: "... Girls, mostly. Young ones. But there’s a good reason for that! Mister Cabdan can’t just provide shelter for everyone... Whoever stays has to earn their keep."

  Jargen sighed, his voice tinged with exhaustion.

  Jargen: "There’s something else those girls have in common... You know what it is."

  Her silence spoke volumes, but Rel couldn’t hold back any longer.

  Rel: "... Almost all of them worked in his prostitution ring."

  Jargen nodded gravely.

  Tyssa: "S-so? That doesn’t mean anything!"

  Jargen took a step closer, his voice low and deliberate.

  Jargen: "That night, Cabdan had two homeless children in front of him, their parents’ corpses still rotting in that house. He took one of them -- a young, na?ve girl he could mold into whatever he wanted. Someone he could profit from."

  Tyssa: "No..."

  Jargen: "Your brother wasn’t so lucky. He was born a boy."

  Tyssa: "S-stop..."

  Jargen backed away slightly, giving her space as his words hung in the air.

  Jargen: "You connect the dots. To you, maybe Cabdan’s story still makes sense. But to the rest of us? It’s obvious what happened. He didn’t take Yiel because there was no use for him. And you know better than most what he does when he has no use for someone..."

  Tyssa’s breathing quickened as she shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face.

  Jargen: "You can believe whatever you want, Tyssa... But we won’t let him step on us anymore. We’ve suffered enough under his rule -- it’s time for change."

  With that, Jargen turned and left the room, Punjo following close behind. Rel lingered, his hand on the doorframe, his voice steady but cutting.

  Rel: "You know... If there’s anyone out there who truly cares for you, it’s Faya. The girl who took a poisoned blade, who’s now fighting for her life in the next room. All because of a fight Cabdan organized... Knowing full well the other guy was going to cheat. Guess what... He probably had no more use for her, either."

  Tyssa froze, her teary eyes locking onto Rel’s.

  Rel: "Faya only ever wanted to save you and the other girls. She wanted to get you all out of this life, out of the slums, far away from Cabdan. And now, thanks to him, she might not even make it to tomorrow."

  Rel’s tone softened, but his words still struck hard.

  Rel: "So sit here and cry over the fact that he left you. When you’re done, maybe go see Faya. Maybe tell her ‘thank you’ before it’s too late. Maybe it’ll make things easier... for both of you."

  He didn’t wait for a response. He closed the door behind him, leaving Tyssa alone with her thoughts, the weight of the truth pressing down on her like a mountain.