"Alright, put him in one of those cages over there. Lock him up tight. Helva summoned us to the auction room."
"Tch, what does that woman want now? We need to get paid more."
The room was quiet, save for a faint whimper coming from one of the cages. It was a vast space lined with rows of cages, though most were empty. Only one was occupied, its occupant hiding in the shadows. Inside a gilded golden cage, someone watched silently, letting out another quiet whimper.
One of the men shoved Sylene into a cage, grinning. "Shouldn't we check what kind of hybrid he is? I can't wait to inspect him." That man eyed Sylene lustfully but begrudgingly followed the others out.
Just as they were about to leave, a gentle voice came from the gilded cage. The whimper had stopped. A thin, delicate hand reached out, tugging at one of the men's sleeves.
"H-hey, can you let me call him? Please call Sir Alistair, please, just let me talk to him. I want to know why he allowed them to put me here."
His plea was met with a loud clang as a boot struck the metal bars; one of them bent slightly. The man kicked the cage impatiently. "Shut up, you fox bitch. Your sponsor has changed. You won't be seeing him anymore. Be obedient!"
The young man didn't give up. "B-but he told me, he promised—"
"Tch! 'Told me, told me'—and where are you now? Who wants to keep you for long, anyway? You know this is a brothel, right? He got bored of you!"
The young man fell silent, assessing his situation and the people in front of him. Tears silently escaped his glassy emerald eyes, but that wouldn't make the men feel pity—only sneers, lust, and satisfaction at the hybrid's miserable state.
"What customer hasn't promised to bail you guys out?! They all do, hah!"
None of the men showed an ounce of sympathy. To them, the hybrid was nothing more than an object, an item to be sold—not a living being.
"But you're still one of our best-looking ones, and we've found you someone who likes you—even after he abandoned you."
The man suddenly reached inside the cage to touch the hybrid's beautiful face. That made the hybrid freeze in place, as if some kind of psychological shadow glued him there, unable to react.
"Ah, if not for that guy always booking you, I would have had a chance to try you. I miss the first day you came here—we had a little fun, remember?" The hybrid was already pale, but the man's words turned him even paler.
The other guy slapped the man's hand away. "Back off. His buyer wants him in pristine condition—we can't afford new bruises."
The man clicked his tongue. "Ah, yes. Your buyer is ready. He's here to pick you up today. Have fun~"
A loud bang rattled the cages as the door slammed shut. A heavy lock clicked into place from the outside, followed by loud laughter and teasing voices that slowly faded into silence.
The room grew still once more, until a shaking body slumped to the ground. A sorrowful cry echoed from the golden cage. That cry, however, faltered and faded into silence when a quiet groan came from the newest occupant of the room.
There was a faint rustle—cloaked, shadowy lumps beginning to stir. The sound wouldn't have been noticeable if not for the emptiness of the room. Dull green eyes blinked open slightly, and fingers reached forward only to meet the cold, hard steel of the large cage.
The first thing his blurry vision registered was the dark steel bars—not too thick, but firm—then the faint light source inside the dim room, and finally, the sound of someone crying so heartbreakingly from a luxurious, shiny cage across from his. The sobs were so heavy, so gut-wrenching, they made his heart ache.
His sight was still blurry, body sluggish, but he could feel his blood working—flushing out and neutralizing whatever substance had been hidden inside that candy. Slowly, but surely.
His hand reached up, gently rubbing at the thumping ache in his head.
"Ngh... where if thif..." he muttered.
Sylene looked around, blinking heavily, trying to focus on anything that could help him understand the situation.
"Where'd they tafe me...? That canfy shof...?" Even his mouth couldn't form the words properly—still slurred, still slow. It made him frustrated. He sounded ridiculous. So he decided to stop talking altogether.
That's when a gentle voice called out from the golden cage.
"H-Hey... have you woken up? Already??"
The voice, confused and trembling with leftover tears, cut through the stillness. The crying hadn't completely stopped, just softened into hiccupping sobs. Sylene turned his head toward the voice. He couldn't ignore it—it was strangely melodic.
Ah... once again, he was struck silent.
Those twitching ears... that face—nearly symmetrical, with every feature perfectly placed. He couldn't look away. When someone that beautiful asks you a question, you answer, right?
The white fur shimmered under the faint light, ears twitching inside the ornate golden cage—such a masterpiece. The cage wasn't far. As Sylene's vision cleared bit by bit, the details of that face became more vivid. The hybrid was lean, graceful—the kind of person who looked like the protagonist of a novel, the kind of character the story couldn't go on without. It was the hybrid from yesterday.
Sylene was still admiring the hybrid when the other's gentle voice turned panicked—and suspicious.
"Did they change the dose? How come you're awake so fast? No—that doesn't matter. Boy, are you alright? I told you not to come here..."
The hybrid rubbed his eyes repeatedly, clearly trying to hide his tears. He hadn't meant to show his sadness, thinking the new occupant would still be unconscious for hours. The fact that the stranger woke up so quickly caught him off guard. Embarrassment flickered across his face. He must've heard him crying...
This was the boy he had seen yesterday beneath the window.