章 2: in the bar
Leo sat beside her, catching his breath, his eyes fixed on the door, wondering how he would face a world that had become merciless.
Leo glanced at the girl, who was still crying. He took a deep breath and tried to calm her, despite not being in the best shape himself. He said in a low voice, "Hey, little girl, it's true that I saved you, but don't expect much more from me, You'll have to figure things out on your own," Yet, the girl didn't respond, only continued to cry, as if her tears were screaming the words her tongue couldn't express.
Her sobbing irritated him, but he didn't ask her to stop, He knew too well the meaning of orphanhood and loss, The two spent the night in that abandoned house, relieved just a little from the horrors of war, but fear still surrounded them like a shadow.
In the morning, Leo woke to find the girl leaning against him, sleeping on the cold ground, He gently moved his shoulder, trying to wake her.
"Hey, wake up," he said softly, The girl opened her eyes slowly, and when she saw Leo, she seemed unaware of her surroundings.
"Let's get up, I'll take you to a place where you belong," he said, as he began to walk with her toward the outside, until they reached a large door, He placed her in front of it and said, "Knock, and wait for someone to open the door. Tell them your story, and they will accept you."
The girl didn't fully understand what he said, but all that mattered was hope—something she hadn't known for a long time, When she knocked on the door, a woman opened it, Leo watched from afar, as the girl stood there, her innocent face bathed in light, embodying new hope in a world filled with darkness.
As the woman opened the door, she didn't give the girl a chance to speak, "Well, another girl, huh? Damn it, we can't house these pests anymore," she yelled angrily, "I saw the boy who brought you here, Go with him." She slammed the door shut before the girl could even react.
The girl clutched the hem of her dress, her eyes filled with fear and surprise, and moved away from the door, Leo watched from a distance, shocked, "Wasn't this supposed to be a shelter for children? How could they turn away a thre-year-old girl?" he wondered to himself.
The girl turned, searching for Leo, but in that moment, she realized he had left her, She felt loneliness creeping into her heart and tried to catch her breath, but things didn't end there, Suddenly, someone lifted her.
It was Leo, and anger flared in his eyes, "How could they do this?" he said, glaring at the woman, while the girl felt safe again in his arms, as if she had found shelter in the chaos.
She could feel his protection, and despite everything that had happened, she knew someone was looking out for her, "You didn't leave me, did you?" she whispered, her eyes shining with hope and gratitude.
Leo's expression softened as he held the girl, He looked at her hesitantly, thoughts clashing in his mind, "What do I do now? Should I leave her somewhere and escape while she's asleep?" It was an internal battle he fought between his compassion for the girl and the harsh reality he lived in.
As they walked, Leo's attention was drawn to a poster hanging on a crumbling wall, He stopped abruptly, his eyes widening in disbelief, "Impossible!" It was the same girl's picture, and beneath it, a large reward was written: "Twenty thousand Krull for returning the child."
He couldn't believe what he was seeing, "Is this really her?" Shock mixed with sudden joy, With trembling hands, he pulled his coat tightly around her to hide her from view, His heart raced, and he whispered to himself with unexpected excitement: "Twenty thousand Krull for this girl... Life is finally smiling at me!"
Leo hurried to what he considered home, which was in fact the ruins of an abandoned house, He sat in the corner, the girl still in his arms, while he looked at the torn poster he had ripped from the wall, He examined the picture carefully, making sure the girl in his arms was the same as the one in the wanted poster.
He laughed lightly, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "I'm going to be rich..."
Darkness had already fallen, and Leo knew that night was the perfect time to deliver the valuable prize in his hands, "This girl is worth a fortune... I'll sell her and become wealthy." For a moment, Leo was completely devoid of humanity, He headed toward the place that had announced the auction, He sneaked into a dark tavern and approached the tavern owner, whispering, "I found the girl, and I want to exchange her for money."
The tavern owner's expression quickly changed, and he exchanged glances with the bartender, Soon, the bartender came over to Leo and said, "This way, sir, We hope the exchange goes smoothly," Leo followed him, while the girl clung tightly to his leg, not budging even as they descended the stairs to the cellar.
At the bottom of the stairs, there was a fat man sitting in the corner of the cellar, smoking a pipe and looking at Leo with a terrifying gaze, The man asked in a low, menacing voice, "Are you sure it's her?" Leo hesitated and stammered, "I think... Yes, I think it's her."
One of the man's assistants approached the girl, who clung tightly to Leo, and began to call out to him in a trembling voice,"Daddy... Daddy..." She didn't know any other name to call him, but her little mind had settled on that word. Suddenly, a strong kick shook Leo, and the fat man's face turned into a mask of fury.
The man grabbed Leo by the chin and asked sharply, "Did you bring your daughter to sell her to me?"
Leo stammered, trying to defend himself, "No... I swear I don't know her!" But the blows kept coming, one after the other, Before the situation escalated further, the bartender intervened, saying, "Sir, the seal is present."
The man looked at the back of the girl's neck, where a distinctive four-star seal appeared, This seal was known to signify girls born from a pure bloodline, untainted by mixed blood. These girls were known as "Kinner Stars," possessing powers that surpassed those of ordinary sorcerers.
The fat man smiled as if he had found a priceless treasure, While the girl cried and called out "Daddy," the man picked up a knife and made a deep cut in her hand, Her blood flowed into a cup while Leo watched in utter horror.
"Look, you've brought me an inexhaustible fortune, This blood is worth millions, even billions of Krull, I will never be sick or suffer as long as I drink her blood," the man chuckled quietly and instructed his assistants, "Take her inside, When she wakes up, we'll draw more blood."
Leo's eyes bulged in terror. "What have I done? Oh God... They're using her as a juice facto," He felt an overwhelming sense of guilt weigh on his heart, realizing that he had delivered this innocent girl to monsters.
As he was lost in his thoughts, drowning in regret, one of the assistants glanced at him and signaled to the fat man, He quietly said, "Get rid of him... Burn the body so no one will recognize him."
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