Sentenced to Suffer

*Clang Clang Clang*

I open my eyes groggily as I start to wake up. Looking around the room, I see 5 other young men in the dark and cramped room getting up. We all throw on our dirty rag-like clothes as we start to head upstairs. I hurry up to walk with two of the men. The only two friends I have in this place, Devin and Drake. Devin has brown, dirty hair that hasn't been washed in ages. He is around the same height as me, being 5'11". Drake on the other hand has blonde hair, but is quite a bit taller at 6'2". I was the only one of the three with pitch black, buzzed hair. 

The most noticeable difference between them and the other men is the hopeful look in their eyes, being the only thing separating our similarly skinny, scarred, worn-out bodies. As we make our way to the temple's latrine, we pass by one of the priests. Unfortunately, Devin makes eye contact with the priest. 

"Hey Devin, come with me. I need you to arrange my room with me."

Stuttering, Devin replies "Y-y-yes sir" while despair covers his face. 

Drake and I share a knowing look, both of us having experienced the same situation many times over the past 5 years. Devin leaves with the priest, as we go about our duties cleaning the latrines. 

All of us are slaves for the Temple of Light, the temple for the winged race, better known as the Angel Camp. 

I wasn't always a slave and an orphan. I lived a decent life in a small human settlement with my loving parents until the age of 12 in the country of United Republic of America. Then the Demon Camp attacked. My dad and mom were the town doctors, helping anyone they could. They were non-violent people, only looking to help others in a time where crime ran rampant. I remember the day vividly, like it was yesterday.

I was out fetching water at a nearby spring for them so they could clean a man's wounds. It was only a 5 minute walk from the town. As I filled the metal bucket with water and made my way back, I heard the screams. My stomach dropped, knowing something was wrong. I ran back to the town and I saw the demons attacking the townspeople. The demons that day had reddish skin, with long sharp claws and teeth like knives. They were bipedal monsters that loved carnage and human flesh. I remember them ripping into the elderly, children and women first since it was easy pickings. The body parts strewn across the brick road floating in a steam of blood. Reaching the first aid center, I saw my parents making their way towards me screaming "RUN ALEX!". Just as a demon ran towards them, a figure covered in light plummeted down like a meteor impacting both them and the demon. I remember the explosion of body parts and dirt hitting me like a wave as the angel stood up. They died instantly. To the Angel Camp, they were just another human casualty, nothing more then an ant dying. I fell to my knees with tears streaming down my face as the angels killed all of the low ranking demon soldiers. I was the only one left alive.

At first I thought they saved me, and my parents were another casualty in their war, but they took me to the Temple of Light and enslaved me. For 5 years I suffered at the hands of the human priests for the God of Light. They treated us as if we weren't living beings, physically torturing and abusing us. Eventually, the Stockholm Syndrome took effect for most of the slaves. They prayed to the God of Light, atoning for their non-existent sins. However, I was the opposite. I cursed the God of Light in my mind, never speaking out. This is how I became who I am today.

All of the slaves had similar strength, so I assume our Systems looked similar. The average human has 10 for each attribute, but due to the abuse and malnutrition we have about half. 

[Alex Woodly]

Race: Human

Title: N/A

HP: 8/10

MP: 10/10

Strength: 5

Agility: 5

Stamina: 5

Magic: 0 

Control: 0

Occupation: Slave of Temple of Light

Skills: N/A

These stats have remained the same since I was enslaved. The only one that fluctuates is my health due to the abuse. I never had the opportunity to learn even the most simple magic manipulation, because my parents died too soon. 

Back to the current time, Drake and I finish our morning duties and go to the prayer room for the daily required prayer. Usually Devin, or whoever was unlucky enough to get picked, meets us back there. It's an unspoken rule among the slaves not to talk about the abuse because if you do, you might not be seen or heard from again. While we're walking towards the room, the priest who took Devin away passes us with two other slaves in tow carrying a body.

Dread fills my body as they get closer, because I can see the dirty brown hair matted with blood. A flash of pity can be seen on Drakes face as it returns to the blank look he always has. Passing by Devin's corpse I see the revealed back with bloody whip marks, at least in inch deep. His pants were torn and covered in blood. I remember the hopeful look in Devin's eyes, the hope of eventually being free one day. 

I start to feel something bubbling up inside me as we keep walking to the prayer room. By the time we arrive, I understand what I'm feeling. 

Hate.

I hate how the monsters attack us humans. I hate how the humans take advantage of each other. Most of all, I hate the gods. They are the cause of my suffering, along with the shitty humans and vicious monsters. I hate enduring all of this. 

We sit down on our knees to pray, but instead of praise and thanks, I keep remembering Devin. He was one of my only friends and now he's gone. 

I finally talk out loud "O' Holy God of Light, I have been a slave for 5 years. I've been abused, tortured and treated like shit the entire time. You sit by idly while YOUR priests commit atrocities."

The feeling of hate starts to grow as my tone turns venomous. 

"Fuck you, fuck all of the gods, fuck the monsters, the angel race and the demon race. You SHITTY beings came to Earth and treat us humans like animals. "

I continued on saying blasphemous things for another 15 minutes while Drakes face starts to pale as sweat drips down his brow. I finally finish my tirade and take a breath of relief, knowing the gods can hear our prayers. 

THUUUUM

A beam of light smashes down through the roof as I hear a voice. The oppressive aura pushes me flat on the ground, as blood trickles out of nose, mouth and ears. It's the god of light speaking from his domain

"YOU ANT. YOU'RE JUST A SLAVE YET YOU SPEAK TO US LIKE THAT? WE ARE GODS! WE ARE SUPREME BEINGS WHILE YOU'RE NOTHING. HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THAT BLASHPEMY. YOU DON'T KNOW SUFFERING! I'LL SEND YOU TO THE DEMON DOMAIN WHERE THEY WILL EAT YOUR FLESH AND TORTURE YOUR SOUL FOR ETERNITY. I SENTENCE YOU TO SUFFER!"

My vision goes dark as a miniature gate opens up above me.