Mina's story

My life was peaceful; I lived with my mother, father, and little sister in a quiet village near the Abyssal Forest.

My father was a farmer, but his previous job was as a soldier; he was discharged from the military due to injuries. My mother was the daughter of a wealthy merchant; however, her family were killed by bandits. My parents met when my father rescued her from the bandits and later got married.

My little sister, Lina, whom I cherished, was nine years old whilst I was fourteen. We were just a typical working family until they came.

It was the dead of night when the minotaurs raided our village. They rampaged throughout the whole village, slaughtering and destroying.

My parents died trying to protect my sister and me. The minotaurs brutally hacked my father into pieces and severed my mother in half.

The minotaurs took my sister and me along with several other people from the village deep into Abyssal Forest. There was primarily women, children, and the elderly.

The minotaurs took us to their camp in a cave, and for two days, we were locked in cages and prisons without food and water. There were also other groups of people who were there before or after we arrived.

Every so often, a man and woman would be taken into the deepest part of the cave, to be never seen again. We would hear their screaming, and then nothing.

This day, there were mysterious explosions, and a group of faceless people rushed in, opening all our prisons doors. We were then guided outside onto these giant horseless wagons that were reinforced with large metal plates.

We have all felt a weird sensation, like a powerful force acting on our bodies. The next thing we knew, we were flying in the air, over the trees. This was the first experience probably for all of us; it was scary but exciting. I was surprised that Lina wasn't frightened of the height; instead, she was very joyous. It had been a while since I last saw her smile.

"Greetings, everyone; I am unit 8, and under the orders of the Supreme Commander, we were sent to rescue you. We are now returning to our base, where food and water will be provided. So for now, please stay seated; there will be medical units coming around for quick individual checks."

Two faceless people were doing a medical check on us. Generally, a simple check-up by a doctor costs one silver coin each, which is crazy expensive for a simple farming family, and the only thing we have are the tattered clothes that we are wearing; there was no way we could pay them.

"Excuse me, I am medical unit 3; I will be doing a quick medical examination. Am I right to assume that you are sisters?"

A feminine voice pulls me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see a faceless person; just like the others, they have greyish metallic skin, but this one had a more feminine look.

"Yes, we are. I am Mina, and my sister, Lina."

"And how old are you."

"I am 14, and my sister's 9. About this check-up, are we able to refuse it?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, the Supreme Commander has made it compulsory to ensure that no sickness can be spread amongst the rescued hostages."

"Please do one on my sister; we don't have any money, but I will pay the fee, even if I have to sell myself!"

I realised that I had shouted the last bit out loud, everyone just stared at me with a surprised expression. But I meant what I said. Now that it is just my sister and me, I have to take responsibility to provide for her. Thankfully, I am a young virgin girl, and my looks were okay. If I sell my body to a brothel, I should be able to earn enough money.

"Please don't misunderstand; we will not be taking payment for the medical examinations. This is the goodwill of our Supreme Commander."

"Thank you," I managed to let out.

I felt a sudden relief rush over my body. For now, I did not have to sell myself to pay for the medical examinations. I felt truly thankful to these people and the one they call the Supreme Commander. To have all these things must mean they have a lot of power.

Medical unit 3 used a needle and extracted some blood into a see-through tube. Then something was wrapped around our arms which gradually got tighter until it started to feel numb. It was a strange and confusing examination compared to what doctors would typically do, but we all went along with it since it was free and compulsory.

"Medical examination is completed, for now; however, the blood samples we have taken will be processed back at base. Like everyone else, both of you are malnourished and severely dehydrated. Please make sure you eat and drink plenty when we land."

We all nodded our thanks, though I think my sister was still holding back her tears from the pain of the needle. I held her close, assuring her that it would get better soon.

"Thank you, everyone, for complying with the medical exam. We are about to land, so please stay seated." announced who I assume is the same one who made the previous announcement.

I looked outside the window and saw a massive clearing coming into view. There were rows of grand buildings and houses that only nobles and the very rich would live in. Even the wall that surrounded the whole place made my jaw drop. This is the faceless people's home.