***

-Day one at the lab-

Wuen asked me to familiarize myself with his dome. After that, he excessively waved goodbye as he slowly backed off and disappeared in the near corner.

I was suspicious, but ignored it as I thought of what to do. Then smiled as a thought dawned on me. With such a short instruction, loopholes were bound to be present. Like, say, there was no time limit so I could keep 'trying' to memorize the place forever and nothing more.

Then and now, I had never been the most diligent individual, and since I started a new life, I never got to just sit back and relax. This opportunity to just roam and slack off was such a rare silver lining if you're a slave.

Thus, I walked on and on at a snail's pace, taking my time while occassionally sipping on the water bottle Wuen gave before disappearing. The leisurely sightseeing was actually nice. Glowing crystal were attached at the ceiling and walls, but not really bright enough for a preferable illumination. Still, walking through this dim and silent dome was like strolling under the starlight. It was very pleasant, adventurous even. It felt surreal, like I was just magically wandering in some sort of fictional setting out of fantasy books. My aching muscles were forgotten as I continued to stroll with wondering eyes.

-Day two-

... I was still walking. My earlier enthusiasm was thoroughly burnt out by exhaustion. All the sores came back with the armageddon brought by debt collectors. My whole body simply, yet excruciatingly, felt painful. Every step was a real torture. This was not an exaggeration after you had walked for two days straight without ever stopping or sitting down. And I can't stop. His second command from our midnight escapade was still active.

'Kukuku, I order you to carry on as long as you could!'

Ha! Just thinking about it pisses me off.

-Day three-

Yeah, I was dying. I saw my limbs were still attached, but I felt no sensation coming from it. I would prefer the previous pain over the this paranoia of loosing an arm or two. As for my stomach that had been grumbling since day zero, it was now raging like hell. Probably tired of digesting the blue water I keep feeding it. Ah, water was everywhere, so there was less nightmare due to dehydration.

-Day seven-

One week, and I was still alive. How cruel was that? Even though I should just drop dead with fatigue... My dear master was still nowhere in sight, probably enjoying my misery in the distance. My eyes were no longer dependable as it showed me paradise where there was a wall. It also turned the once beautiful crystals into some creepy eyes that kept staring at my every move.

-Day fifteen-

I gave up and sat, no longer caring about the damned curse shrieking in my head. I just wanted to faint, to tell this stupidly strong body of a jinn that its mind can no longer keep up with all this stress. That it should let us rest.

But I couldn't.

The high pitched noise clung to my consciousness like a leech. Very, very irritating. Then, a sudden shock took me by surprise. The noise became grating screech. I immediately crumpled to the ground and screamed as the noise started to increase in maddening intensity. Involuntarily, my hand began to claw my head without mercy. Skin was peeled off and blood dripped. It didn't feel painful, nor did it lessen the cursed noise in my head, so I resolved to banging my head again and again against the concrete ground and roared at the invisible heavens.

-Day thirty-

...My head was full of gibberish. And gibberish. And endless gibberish. And gibberish. Plus some more gibberish. Gibberish.

---

-Day fourty-

My eyes snapped open. The sun instantly glared down at me, and I winced away in response... then did I notice I was not above ground. I was riding a boat in the middle of the sea. On all directions, only endless blue greeted me. My stomach grumbled, and I instinctively looked down... to the piece of meat feasted in horror.

I staggered away. The meat flinched. It was still alive. I felt sick, and immediately threw up. A lot came out, something that shouldn't had if I didn't eat anything in the the last month... I threw up more.

"Aiyaa, finally came to your senses, eh?" An unfamiliar voice called out.

When I looked up, a beautiful woman was sitting comfortably in chair under the shade of her umbrella. She wore an ankle-length red fabric that looked closer to a curtain than a dress. Flaming red hair was ponytailed, while her irises were shades of both orange and black. She sipped some sort of juice and smiled sweetly down on me, like we were just in some fancy home and she didn't stand out far worse than a sore thumb against this bizzare scenario.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice smooth and charming. I felt disgusted all over again.

"Aracelli, business partner of your owner." She stated calmly. I opened my mouth with questions boiling inside, but she silenced me with a sweet smile. "Now, now. I know you have many question, but let's have you cleaned up first."

"No, before that, can you kill this first, please?" I looked down with guilt to the whimpering creature below our feet.

"Hmm, aren't you kind. Well, that is fine." Without batting an eye, a lance of fire materialized in her hands. She did not even pause as the lance easily pierced through the gore. The thing jerked one last time, then relaxed, free from its torture. Aracelli pointed to the sea while still sweetly smiling in my direction. I took the cue, and took my first my bath in weeks.

---

Aracelli teleported us back to the dome, back to hell.

"Oh, so you did come to!" Wuen greeted with an approving smile. "Ara, it's my win."

"You showed me something interesting, so I will honor my words." An opaque purple stone came out of nowhere, and she handed it to Wuen's eager hands.

The stone emitted eerie vibes that seemed to pulse through the air with a force that made me shiver in repulsion. For my depleting sanity's sake, I ignored that ominous thing's existence. Instead, I asked what was obvious, but still pressing on my mind.

"Excuse me." I took their attention. "Can you please tell me what happened?"

They both stopped their chitchat and turned to my direction. Wuen wore his eternally curious eyes while Aracelli hinted no emotion on hers despite the placated smile on her lips.

"Well, should I explain?" Wuen questioned his business partner while thoughts of scenarios visibly zipped through his head, imaging what would happen if he did.

"Please?" I pressed. I must hear.

"I do not see why not." Aracelli gave her permission and patted her partner. "However, you must keep me informed of anything interesting that occurs. Understood?"

"Of course! Just keep those crystals coming." Wuen beamed, greatly reducing his withering look by ten years.

"Fine." With a last smile to me, she vanished out of thin air. No staves, no incantations, no effort. It seemed I was surrounded by unreasonably powerful people... if they even were one.

"Please?" I politely urged Wuen on. If I learned anything at all this past forty days, it was patience. I was forced to endure stress worst than anything else for weeks, so moments of waiting for their round about way of dealing with things was far from draining my patience.

"I don't know where to start. Where do You want me to start?" He said and sat atop a desk with a quill and scroll in hand.

"From the start. What were you doing at the Orphanage? What was that scene you showed everyone? Why did you chose me at all just to orchestrate my death after? ...How did I ended up outside, eating something... What did I do? ...What was... was- was I..." I couldn't continue. Nothing was stuck on my throat, but words just seemed to get choked in. Then, I was crying. "Tell me... what monster am I becoming."

***