Another day dawned, and the man came to her. "Time to go, miss," he said as he tied her hands with rope and led her off the ship. It was already morning, and as she looked around, she found herself in an unfamiliar place. She had never seen this area before. She could tell it was an island. The ship she had been on was different from the regular ships she had always seen near the seaside, with a unique flag she didn't recognize.
The men took her to an area where people were laboring, digging into the ground and hauling out coal, carrying objects like boxes. She had no idea where she was. The men pushed her into a room. "You'll stay here for now," one of them said before leaving.
Azusa's expression was a mix of confusion and worry. She looked around the room and saw a few more women, strangers to her.
A young woman spoke, "Sit down." She looked about a year younger than Azusa. As Azusa slowly sat down, she noticed that the women didn't seem scared. They appeared to have been talking about something before she arrived.
The young woman looked at Azusa again and said, "You don't look like one of our citizens." Another woman added, "Indeed, her clothes are different too."
Azusa felt a slight relief that the women were engaging with her. She introduced herself, "Yes, I'm Azusa. I was kidnapped from the German seaside. Do you know how I can leave this island? I need to go back." The women looked surprised.
The first woman who spoke to Azusa said, "German?!" Her face showed surprise, then confusion. Another woman responded, "Simi, don't act like you know where that place is." Simi replied,
"I heard about it somewhere though."
Their conversation made Azusa even more confused. How could they not know about Germany? She decided to ask, "Where am I?"
Simi looked at her and said, "Very far from other countries. Don't worry, we will leave this place soon!"
Another woman cautioned, "Don't speak too loudly. If those men hear us, we'll be in trouble!" Simi quickly apologized, "Sorry, Sienna..."
Azusa, not understanding a single thing about where she was or what they were planning, felt lost.
The sun had already set, and low lights were on everywhere. Azusa carefully analyzed the area. The room's structure, the way it was built, the lights—they all suggested that the island's technology was more primitive compared to other countries, reminiscent of the 19th century.
She wondered what the two girls were planning before they talked about leaving the place. But how could they escape? The place seemed sealed off with no way to run. She tried to calm herself.