My Most Precious Human

I felt uncomfortable. My arms hurt, and I could barely feel my fingertips. As I was slowly regaining my consciousness, I realized I was kneeling on some dusty floor with my hands chained high above my head and attached to some kind of vault. I had handcuffs that were severely hurting my wrists. I was unable to tell how long I had hung in such an unbearable position. I must have overstretched my arms several times while being unconscious because I could barely move them, but at the same time, I was completely unable to stand on my feet. I could only hang, hoping that my strength would return quickly…

I was cold. I looked at myself and saw that my costume was gone. I was wearing a simple white dress with shoulder straps, and I was barefoot. The dress's fabric was light and airy, which made me shiver as if I was naked.

When my vision became less blurry, I saw I was inside something that looked like a human-size round birdcage. The place where I was looked like a basement that was barely lit up by a few hanging from the ceiling light bulbs. I couldn't hear any voices except for my own painful moans. It even made me think that I was there alone, but then I looked to the sides and noticed a row of cages similar to mine. Each one of them was placed around two meters from the next one. I focused on the shapes covered in a dimmed light and realized that there was a chained person in every cage just like I was. I realized that there could have been all of the waitresses from the event, including Carla. My heart started to pound frantically. If there really were girls from our team in those cages, I prayed that they would be alive…

"Carla…! Carla!" I called out, stretching my sore throat.

I heard a weak mumbling.

"Carla… Please, let me know that you are here…" I muttered nervously.

I started to hear more faint voices coming from different cages. It seemed like people trapped in those cages were waking up.

"L… Lilith?" Carla's hoarse voice whispered.

"Yes! Yes… I'm here! Thank God you are alive!" I cried uncontrollably.

It was merely the second time in my life that I was gravely worried about someone else. I used to be only concerned about myself since I was always alone, but now the thought that something might have happened to my friend almost made me suffocate.

Suddenly we heard footsteps. I focused my hearing sense and counted seven people that were coming our way. A few seconds later, I heard the squeaking sound of an opening door somewhere deeper in the basement. The footsteps were getting closer. At one second, someone pressed a switch and turned on a row of blinding spotlights that were on the ceiling. The lights were so bright I couldn't open my eyes for almost a minute until my sight adjusted. I was only able to hear those people who came in, walking towards the row of cages.

"Release the chains. They won't escape anyway," a man with a deep voice said.

I couldn't see him clearly yet, but I noticed he was wearing a fitted suit which was far different from the casino's staff uniforms. He must have been someone in charge. I saw someone running towards a big lever sticking out from a wall. When he turned the lever down, the chains in every cage were released from the vaulting, making all of the caged ones collapse on the floor.

I couldn't even express what kind of relief it was not to hang anymore. Groans and whimpers filled the air, as most of the caged ones must have felt the same way I did. I tried to stand up while swaying on my feet and walked closer to the bars of my cage. Only then did I see Carla two cages away. She stepped closer to the bars just like I did.

… Thomas Dorwart?" Carla muttered

chuckled and

nonchalantly and looked Carla up and down. "But judging by your looks, you are going to be quite an expensive

all the other men around

mean?!" she shouted, her voice shaking, "Let us go! Y-you cannot k-keep us like

laughed even

need for that since the chief of the police

while trembling, but then

right in front

organizes special events to provide… rare goods. Let's call it a supermarket for filthy rich people

away from the pack where I was born because I didn't want to be treated like a thing, just to

blood bags…? What does it even mean?!" Carla called out, gritting her

man

man wearing

one on the right end of the row, my "value" would become known as the last one. Mr. Ponte

girl inside

one of your hands through the bars," Mr. Ponte demanded

"N-no…" the girl muttered.

the cage, break your arm, and then I will do what I have

around the basement. She must

and stabbed one

he pulled up her hand and smelled the

five thousand dollars," he stated loudly, looking at

smirked and nodded towards one of his men, saying,