Chapter 7

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It was a strange, gut-wrenching feeling....knowing you were about to be sold off like a mere object. Stripped of your humanity, reduced to nothing more than an ant. The thought was both humiliating and suffocating, weighing down on Toshi's chest like an iron chain.

Why was the world so cruel…?

Why was the world so merciless to the weak…?

What had they done to deserve this? Most of the people being auctioned off hadn't done anything wrong. Some had families, friends, even children...only to be ripped away from them overnight. Lives shattered, dignity stolen, and futures erased in the blink of an eye.

No wonder they had lost all hope. For them, everything precious had already been stripped away, leaving nothing but despair. But for Toshi, he had nothing to begin with, there was nothing left for him to lose. Even so, he understood all too well what it meant to lose something dear.

In fact, that was all his life had been, losing the few precious things he managed to hold onto, only to have them torn from his grasp.

As he sat in the cold, damp cell, he could feel the heavy stares of others directed at them. Those gazes weren't filled with malice or contempt...only pity.

In this place, it seemed, the weak were the ones who thrived.

No one could really judge one another...they were all trapped in the same miserable circumstances. There was no point. All Toshi could do was sit and wait, watching as, one by one, a slave was taken from their cell to be sold off like merchandise.

The fact that their weren't any windows made it impossible to track the passing of time. Every second stretched endlessly, the silence in the cell heavy and awkwardly. No one spoke or dared to make a sound. It was an awkward, suffocating quiet, as though everyone had already resigned themselves to their fate.

Despite himself, Toshi felt a strange connection to the others. They all shared the same overwhelming sense of helplessness. Weakness wasn't something you could see or smell, but here, in this grim place, it felt like the very air was saturated with it. The stench of weakness was unbearable, choking him more than the silence ever could.

. . . .

Time crawled painfully slow, yet the pace at which each slave was auctioned off felt unnervingly fast.

Possibly days had passed, though Toshi couldn't be certain. He curled up on the cold, unforgiving floor in the corner of his cell, isolating himself from the others. Many of the slaves slept on the other corner of cell, staring blankly at the ceiling, unable to sleep.

The cycle was unbearably soul crushing: sleep, wake up, stare. Breakfast... if it could even be called that, a simple bland bowl of oatmeal porridge shoved through the bars by the guards. Then more staring, and dinner was no different, and back to staring again.

They were kept just nourished enough to avoid starving away, feeding them so they could fetch a higher price. Even in this dehumanizing nightmare, they weren't allowed to simply die.

That was the constant cycle for possibly days. Until...

It was Toshi's turn.

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The woman from before approached Toshi's cell, her usual demeanor the same, flanked by two burly bodyguards. Without a word, she unlocked the door with the key in her hand. The two men stepped inside and grabbed Toshi roughly by the arms, hauling him to his feet.

"You don't have to drag me! I can walk myself," Toshi snapped, shrugging off their grip. The guards exchanged a glance but shrugged, stepping back to let him move freely. Straightening himself, Toshi walked out of the cell.

"It's your turn to be auctioned off," the woman stated flatly, adjusting her glasses. She pressed her clipboard to her chest, her gaze staring directly at his eyes. "For your best interest, don't try doing anything stupid." Giving a quick glance to men behind him.

Toshi gave a subtle nod.

"Good," the woman replied, her gaze flicking over him one last time before turning on her heel. "Follow me."

Without a word, Toshi obeyed, trailing behind her as the two suited men flanked him. The woman moved calmly, weaving through corridors. Corner after corner blurred together, the constant cycle only broken when they came across a staircase that spiraled downward.

She walked down without hesitation, her heels *clicking* sharply against the cobble steps with each step. Behind her, Toshi followed silently, his bare feet making no sound as they pressed against the cold surface.

' Holy shit, a whole lot of walking… ' Toshi sighed inwardly, suppressing his growing irritation.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, they finally arrived at a tall, heavy metal door. The woman stopped abruptly, raising a hand to signal the suited men. 

One of the men stepped forward casually, approaching the metal door. Placing his large palms flat against its surface, he pushed slowly, his muscles bulging under his suit, threatening to tear the fabric.

With a sudden motion, he flung the door open effortlessly, revealing a brightly lit room. The light spilled into the dim stairwell, momentarily dazzling Toshi. Inside, a large chandelier hung from the ceiling. A red carpet stretched across the glossy black marble floor, leading to another tall door at the far end of the room.

Flanking each side of the door were large, round men built like a sack of potatoes. They wore black overalls with red shirts underneath, and on their necks were black and white ruffle clown collars. On top of their heads sat red top hats, and dark round sunglasses concealed their eyes.

Toshi couldn't help but stare at the Ugly Duo.

The woman glanced at Toshi, her expression unchanged from before, cold, yet tinged with that same flicker of pity.

"I wish you the best of luck," she said flatly.

Toshi let out a small grunt, his face twisting in annoyance. "Wishing me good luck on being sold off? Yeah, not exactly comforting," he replied bluntly, pausing at the doorway of the open doors.

Adjusting her glasses, she responded, "I apologize, but that's the best I can offer you." Her voice was calm, almost unaffected by his words.

Toshi sighed, exhaling to steady his nerves. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, dismissing her words as he stepped forward. His bare feet pressed against the red carpet.

' Luck hasn't been on my side since the day I was born… ' Toshi thought grimly at the fact. The fact he was even in this situation prove it as such.

The two men in overalls stepped forward, one of them reaching into his overall and pulling out a set of shackles. They slowly approached Toshi, fastening the heavy restraints around his neck, arms, and legs. 

"Is this really necessary?" Toshi muttered, tugging at the chain collar around his neck to give himself room to breathe. "I'm not going anywhere, you know."

One of the men grinned, the expression unsettling on his round face. "Oh, it's not about you running," he said with a chuckle. "It's in case you try to escape... Your head will blow off."

Toshi froze, his blood running cold. The mere thought sent shivers up his spine, goosebumps prickling across his skin.

' There really wasn't any hope of escaping now… ' Toshi thought with a defeated sigh, his circumstances growing bleaker by the second. ' So much for her good luck… ' He exhaled heavily, resignation settling in as he accepted his fate.

One of the large men grabbed hold of his shackles, yanking him forward without a word. They dragged him toward the tall, closed door at the end of the red carpet. Using one massive arm, the man pushed the heavy door open with a low groan of metal.

("Ladies and gentlemen, auction item 3200…")

The booming voice of the announcer reverberated through the air, muffled yet undeniably clear. As the door opened wider, the piercing brightness of the stage lights spilled into the hallway, flooding Toshi's vision. He squinted against the glare, his heart pounding uncontrollably despite his efforts to calm it. The closer he got, the harder it became to steady his breathing.

When the door finally swung open, the blinding stage lights hit him fully. His body instinctively flinched under their intensity, but most of the light was blocked by a massive red curtain partially rolled back, concealing the view of the stage from him. The curtain loomed like a barrier, delaying the inevitable for just a few more moments.

In the center of the stage, visible through a small gap in the curtain, stood a man dressed impeccably in a sleek black suit. His white buttoned shirt was crisp and nothing but stylish, with a perfectly bow tie around his collar. 

The man wore striking red square glasses with golden frames, perched beneath a pure white top hat. He was fairly tall and quite lanky figure with a gray goatee on his pale chin hinted at his age. His white gloves glimmered faintly under the stage lights.

Suddenly, he extended an arm, pointing directly at Toshi. 

As the guards urged him forward, Toshi's gaze instinctively shifted to the left. Rows upon rows of people filled the audience. They wore strange animal masks, but even through the obscured faces, Toshi could feel their piercing gazes. Their eyes seemed to strip him bare, judging him from head to toe. To the point it was almost suffocating. His legs felt like lead as he weakly stepped to the front of the stage, his face bombarded by the blinding spotlight.

Toshi's stomach churned, but he forced himself to keep walking, even as the pressure of their judging stares bore down on him.

"Starting bid is 500,000 berries!" the announcer called out, his voice lively. He spoke into a circular device, connected by a curly wire to a snail perched nearby, which repeated his words in a amplified voice.

The crowd stirred, murmurs rippling through the rows of bidders. Yet, despite the initial chatter, no one made an offer. The room grew eerily silent.

Toshi could feel their judgment, their collective dismissal. He wasn't worth 500,000 berries...not to them. His scrawny body, covered with scars, and being just 5'9" worked against him. In their eyes, he simply didn't have value...not even a shred.

' So what'll happen to me if I don't get sold off? ' Toshi wondered, his heart pounding in his chest. He swallowed hard, the thought chilling him to the core. 

' Am I going to die? '

The announcer's eyes darted across the room, his forced smile twitching as frustration crept onto his face. He cast Toshi a quick irritated side glance, before snapping back to his polished façade.

"510,000!" A sudden, slurred voice rang out from the crowd. It was loud and drunken, but unmistakable. Toshi couldn't make out who had spoken, but relief flooded his chest.

' Thank god! ' he thought, nearly overcome with emotion. ' I don't care who it is… I'd rather get sold off than stay here. ' The thought shocked him, but it was true. He inwardly cried in gratitude.' I never thought I'd say this, but… thank you, sir, for buying me. ' He bit his bottom lip, closing his eyes as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"510,000 going once!" the announcer called, scanning the room for any competing bids. No one responded. "Going twice…?" he added, leaning forward slightly. The silence persisted, thick and absolute.

"And… SOLD! To the gentleman in the back!" the announcer declared, pointing theatrically toward the far end of the crowd. Toshi opened his eyes, exhaling shakily. He didn't know what awaited him, but for now, he was spared from possible death.

The announcer's gaze flicked to the men in top hats, and with a quick snap of his fingers, they moved. With rough, unhurried motions, they began to drag Toshi across the stage and through another set of heavy doors, his footsteps scraping against the worn floor.

On the other side was a wide area, illuminated only by the flickering light of torches mounted on the stone walls. Revealing hints of the room's sheer size—a vast, empty space filled with a silent crowd. A few thousand people stood there, their faces barely visible, eyes fixed on the door ahead of them.

Toshi was shoved inside, stumbling to catch his footing. One of the men in top hats thrust a slip of paper into his hand, a ticket with a number printed on it. Then, without a word, they shut the door behind him, leaving him in the oppressive silence of the dark room.

Toshi's eyes dropped to the ticket. His voice was low, bitter as he read aloud, "Auction item 3200... Damn it. I'm not even human to them anymore…" His fingers tightened around the slip, his knuckles whitening as he crushed the paper in his fist.

 No one dared to speak above a murmur, as if their mouths were welled shut.

"Auction item... 2100." A booming, mechanical voice crackled from the snail speakers embedded in the walls, making the crowd shift uneasily. One figure broke from the crowd, stepping forward, with dragging steps. 

All eyes were fixed on the man as he walked, his steps heavy and slow. The double doors creaked open slowly, revealing a blinding beam of light that spilled into the dim room, illuminating it for just a fleeting moment.

He moved toward the double doors at the front of the room. The doors groaned as they inched open, and a harsh, blinding light flooded the room. For a brief second, the entire room was cast in a bright light.

With a shaky breath, the man stepped forward, his silhouette trembling as it passed into the light. Then, the double doors began to close behind him, swallowing him whole. No one knew what lay beyond those doors, but Toshi's gut twisted at the fact. Whatever awaited on the other side, he was certain it wasn't anything good.

' I'm sure of it... ' He had literal chills.

*Slam!*

The double doors slammed shut with a resounding finality, the light vanishing as quickly as it had come. Darkness settled over the room like a heavy blanket, thicker and more suffocating than before. The silence grew, pressing down on the crowd, who stood still, barely daring to breathe.

Especially for Toshi...

"Auction item... 3200..." The voice crackled from the speakers.

Toshi's heart skipped a beat.... He was next.

TO BE CONTINUED.

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