The sun was bright and out. I didn’t travel far, but it looked like I had gone to a completely different area.

  Huts, shacks, and even broken down homes. I clutched onto my poncho, it was a bothersome sight to say the least. But what do I expect? These are slaves. Of course, they will be treated like the trash that everyone assumes they are.

  I knock on the door twice. Out of respect. My authority is respected around here, but out of the eyes of the other ranchmasters, and any other humans, I can breathe. I can start showing some proper decency and respect.

  I have to make sure this mask of mine stays on, because if it slips—I’m done for.

  The door creaks open, and initially, I don’t see anyone. It wasn’t until I look down slightly that I see her.

  White short hair, two small horns with one just slightly gashed into, fiery orange eyes that looked dimmed by her own will from time to time.

  It was Rei–no doubt.

  But her face, it was not one of excitement or approval. It was shock. Genuine shock.

  Her mouth opens, but no words come from it. The sun-lit eyes slowly widen, perhaps in realization.

  Which fuels my suspicion all along that Jex was indeed lying. Perhaps the two had talked about this…but to what lengths would they would both go to even hide this?

  Secret rebellion?

  Since she’s not saying anything, I take this moment to do so.

  “Morning to you too, Rei.”

  She’s still stunned, but for a moment, she regains her composure. She immediately goes on her knees, her face planted on the ground. Not dramatic. But hurried, rushed. As if to say judgement has fell upon her.

  But in the way that she’s doing it…it felt off. She’s not trying to be funny, but as if she was pleading. Pleading to me for something she already did.

  Rei thinks I know. And worse? She probably thinks I did something to Jex.

  Don’t worry Rei, she’s well-fed now.

  “I-I’m sorry…m-master…!” I can hear her words stammer between each heavy sob. Instantly breaking down. What could even garner this reaction?

  I thought of it as overreaction, that maybe entire time she just didn’t want to work. But there has to be something more to it.

  “Up.” Is all I say, my tone cutthroat as it could be. I still need to maintain my authority while I can, however. I’m not ready to ease up on Rei just a bit.

  She slowly gets up, and wipes the tears from her eyes. Hesitantly looking away from me.

  “Don’t bother. I just came here to check on you.”

  Her crying stops, paused even for a moment. She looks at me, not believing a single thing that I’m saying. It’s not that she refused to believe it, it’s moreso she couldn’t fathom, it looks like.

  But I don’t need to say anymore, I let the silence settle in, and let the words sink in her mind. Slowly, creeping into her emotions. Her initial face of weariness gradually becomes one of acceptance.

  I move ahead, and Rei steps out of the way. I look around the place, the broken down shack she was living in. It was anything but modest, but if anything, it was home.

  More of a home than my regal ranch house.

  “You have a nice place, here. Live with anyone?” I ask, and she follows behind me after closing the door. Her hands are pried into each other yet again. Maybe it’s a characteristic she has. A little mannerism of her’s.

  She begins with a small nod, and continues. “Y-yes…with m-my grandm-mother…”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Ah.

  I see.

  I had my questions about Rei being only fifteen and a slave. I’ve never quite paid attention to her before Flugel did, and even then I assumed that most of the slaves here were adult age.

  But it’s no longer what I thought it was. A simple kidnapping a distinct race and force them into their new lives.

  The more I think about it, the more it hurts my heart and my brain.

  Rei was probably born into slavery.

  This beatdown village. This complex. All of the houses are outdated, and old. None of this even compares to the decoy houses at the front of the park.

  I take another look around, dusted paintings, dirty rugs, and even broken plates.

  My body physically recoils at the look of it all. Not in disgust, but in pity. A sheer pity.

  No way this is just karma. Not now. Not in this hellhole of a country.

  I can hear the floorboards creaking, and there was another. An elderly oni with gray hair, perhaps the grandmother Rei spoke of. Her face is lined with wrinkles, her steel-gray eyes dulled with age.

  Not the same as ones that could cut through something or someone just by looks alone.

  “...m-master? Is that you?” She says, and I was going to comment something. Maybe just by the looks of it, until it hit me.

  She’s blind.

  Of course, she doesn’t see me.

  Rei doesn’t abandon from my side, but she’s itching too. Most likely because she’s probably used to aiding and guiding her grandmother.

  I take her hand, out of respect. My body seemed to move on it’s own there.

  She accepts it, fondly feeling my hand. Her expressions are hard to read, most likely because of the eyes.

  “I just came here to pay a visit. That’s all.”

  “...I see.”

  Her soft, yet raspy voice, doesn’t tell me a lot. It’s mysterious, and I can’t decipher it like usual. Maybe I’m being a bit too nosy…

  …but if this backfires, if whatever these Oni are doing backfires–and I’m the one to blame? I don’t even want to think about it.

  I take a seat, on a creaky old chair. Surprising me, Rei’s grandmother was able to do so as well, as the red oni only watched. Her eyes constantly glancing between her grandmother and I.

  That look. It’s there again. On Rei’s face. She’s trying to guess me. Predict my angle. But she can’t come up with something. And if she did, she wouldn’t do it. Powerlessness.

  Back to the task at hand, however. The whole premise of Rei leaving intrigued me, which could be both dangerous and mysterious.

  I didn’t spend too long on my thoughts before I opened my mouth, “Say, I heard Rei came home on a…emergency basis.”

  I don’t question anything, too early, would give my position away. If I’m lucky, the Grandmother would surely tell me. I don’t think she would lie to my face…but in the occasion if she did, I wouldn’t be able to tell.

  Her body control and language is complete. My eyes don’t pick up anything out of the norm regardless.

  Rei clears her throat, assuming the open-ended question was for her, but I raise a single finger towards her. A signal for silence. I wasn’t asking her.

  I was asking her grandmother.

  Hearing the smack of her lips filling the silence—slow. I anticipated her answer, and it would be moments before I actually got one.

  “...yes. I’ve recently injured myself you see? I had not been able to work for the past few weeks, and without supervision, I endanger even myself.”

  I slowly nod, but not like she can see that. I scan her body, but nothing screams “fatal injury”. If there was, it might’ve been a bruise, and at her age? It could probably pass of as a fatal injury.

  But still? I can’t tell if she’s lying.

  I have a trump card ready on standby, but I don’t want to use it just yet. There’s no significant reason for me to.

  “Injured? How so?” I ask, my voice lined with a certain curiosity.

  Rei’s grandmother laughs shortly before answering. “Me? My old brittle bones can barely move a pickaxe. Threw my shoulder out of the loop with that one back in the mines.”

  I nod. Mines? That’s what Flugel’s quadrant must be. That’s where she works…but someone as old as her? She has no use for the mines. If anything, she would be better of in mine quadrant. At least farming isn’t as exerting as direct mining.

  “There was a large tremor coming from the mines. It almost felt like an earthquake. Shook the entire place, and then some.”

  I turn my head, unable to hold back the genuine surprise on my face.

  This is the first time I’m ever hearing of something like this.

  “Earthquake?” I ask.

  “Yes, Earthquake. Straight from the Mining Quadrant itself. Happened a few weeks ago, and nobody knows what caused it.”

  I slowly move my head in realization.

  Huh.

  Nobody’s ever told me of that.

  I wonder why?