Chapter 4- Rules
The hours of the day slowly passed as time ticked by. The morning turned into an afternoon, and the afternoon slowly faded into the darkness. That entire time, the prisoners sat in that dark, humid room, not being able to even move. The smell was incredibly foul and suffocating.
Some had already defecated where they sat because there was no toilet. There was also the smell of dry blood and dirt, so just a small whiff of the place would make someone dizzy or even throw up.
However, for these prisoners, that was their day-to-day life in their crammed cells before. They forgot what a good smell even is.
Eventually, as the darkness settled in, the small lamp in the heart of the room illuminated itself. It was weak and flickered every few seconds, but it was enough to reveal the miserable faces of the people around.
Rein spent that time curled up in a corner, resting his head on his knees as he stared through the window.
The darkness had completely melted the outside view into nothingness. He couldn't see anything anymore, and the only indication of the situation outside was the water splashing against the window. The wind had grown stronger in the past few hours, so the waves were bigger and louder, making sleeping almost impossible.
However, nobody truly cared about that, as they were awaiting the announcement they were told earlier that day.
Minutes ticked by so slowly that some were on the verge of losing their mind from anticipation.
Eventually, they heard the door click. Everyone looked up as the same guard from earlier walked in.
"..."
"Hm, alright." He said as several other men stood behind him. He scanned the room with his eyes before he pointed his finger at a seemingly random man. "You, over there, stand up."
"M-Me?" The man pointed at himself as he looked around, a panicked look appearing on his face.
"Yes, you. Stand up."
The man's lips quivered before he did what he was told.
"Step over here and don't try anything funny."
"Sir… Sir, please, where am I-"
"Shut up. Who told you to ask questions, huh? Step forward!"
The man's booming voice made the prisoner's legs shake before he nodded, almost as if he was about to cry. Then, he stepped over the other prisoners and walked to the gate. Standing in front of the guard, he looked so weak and pathetic that it was almost comical. The difference in build was ridiculous.
"Take him out." The guard said.
"Huh? Wha-"
Before the prisoner could even react, he was grabbed by both arms and dragged outside.
"WHAT?!! NO, SIR!! PLEASE!!! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!! PLEASE!!!" The man begged and resisted, but he was far too weak to overpower the guards. Eventually, he was pulled outside under the horrified looks of the prisoners.
The man then pointed his finger at another prisoner. "You, over there, the one with the beard, stand up."
That felt akin to a death sentence, the man whispered a prayer under his breath before he stood up tiredly. He was old and sick, looking so weak that it was almost pitiful.
"Step forward."
Without any resistance, the man walked ahead and was dragged out.
Then, another one was chosen, the another one, and another one after that. The cries of despair filled the room as some resisted and begged while others accepted their fate.
"What are they going to do to them?"
"They are doomed…"
Everyone tried to hide their faces not to be chosen. This was clearly not going to be a nice trip outside.
Eventually, the number of prisoners chosen reached 9. The guard looked around, thinking for a few seconds before his eyes finally locked on someone.
"You, the kid over there, step up." He said.
Rein looked up, realizing that everyone was staring at him. He thought for a second before he sighed and stood up, his shackles rustling subtly.
Then, he walked to the door, not bothered whatsoever.
The guards were about to grab him; however, he surprised them by simply walking outside on his own, not caring to wait or say anything.
Staring ahead, he noticed that the door that led down to this floor was wide open, meaning that he was about to leave this floor for another place.
"Move." One of the guards pushed him forward. Rein looked at him before he started walking, climbing up the stairs as he emerged outside on the deck.
The wind immediately slammed into his body, cold and ruthless. His hair rustled, and his body shuddered.
The waves were strong and high, visible from this altitude. There, he saw the group of prisoners waiting with terrified looks on their faces.
Rein joined them as they stood in a group until the guards came outside. Then, they were forcefully led through the deck to one of the many doors on deck. It was a rather small and hidden one, almost as if they didn't want anyone to see it.
Opening it showed them a long tunnel that led into a bright room.
"Get in."
"..."
Almost everyone hesitated to be the first to walk in, except for Rein. He pushed them aside and walked in.
'Just get this over with.' He muttered as he moved through the tunnel, barefoot, shackled, cold, and hungry… But completely unbothered. As he got closer to the end of the tunnel, he started hearing noises.
The sound of laughing, some random words, soothing music playing in the background, and… The rustling of dishes and utensils.
Eventually, the bright light blinded him as he entered this new place. Immediately, the warmth engulfed his body. He had been sitting in cold temperatures, so much so that this warmth made his feet and limbs burn at the sharp change in temperature.
Opening his eyes slowly, he was met with a peculiar sight. He was standing in an open space with wooden tiles beneath his feet. Surrounding this open space was a cage, made out of strong, black iron.
All around this cage, tables were set in an organized manner. The smell of delicious food entered Rein's nose unwelcomed, making his stomach grumble loudly.
He remained stoic, inspecting his environment.
'The dining area, huh?' He mused. Every single person sitting at every table was a noble. They were having their lavish dinner, laughing and enjoying their time. Upon his entrance, many went silent as they looked at him.
"Hm? A kid?"
"Is this little rat going to be the show? Such a disappointment."
"Wait, maybe he will be worth the time."
Disdainful comments were thrown left and right as the laughs loudened.
'The show?' Rein caught that word as his eyes squinted. Slowly, he was starting to understand what this could be.
As he was contemplating that, he felt eyes staring directly at him amongst the crowd. Slowly, he looked up to the highest floor. There, sitting at the biggest table, was the young woman at the heart of all of this.
Aralyn stared at him silently. He stared back at her for a few seconds before he looked away. She was of no interest to him.
At the same time, the rest of the prisoners finally arrived within the cage. The sight was shocking to them… They had never been in the presence of this many nobles before in their lives… And all these nobles were staring at them.
Who would be able to handle that pressure?
"Ladies and gentlemen. We apologize for making you wait this long." An announcer spoke on the microphone, his voice reverberating through the entire hall.
"Welcome to the first night of entertainment aboard the Serenity of the Sea. Since it is a day of celebration, we wanted to make it something special. Our prisoners here are ready to bring you a night of unforgettable entertainment."
"What in the Dead Gods' name is going on?" One prisoner asked in a daze.
"We will be hosting ceremonial battles. Each night, these prisoners will be fighting for survival against monsters, and against one another for the chance of complete freedom!"
"What?!"
"Nobody told us this!"
"..." Rein listened quietly to the announcer, almost as if he was amused.
"Hahaha, so these scum wish to be freed?"
"Did he say monsters?" Another noble asked with an amused look. "They will never see freedom. You'd better finish your dinner quickly, because it's about to get gruesome."