The taste of bread was long gone. The wagon bed shook. A rattling vibration that struck her spine. Saki lay on the wooden floor, staring blankly at the grain of the ceiling. Her eyes unfocused. She simply surrendered to the swaying. The taste of semen still lingered in the back of her throat. A bitterness clinging to the root of her tongue. Something lukewarm she had swallowed with the bread. (I chose this.) She chose it herself. To survive. Saliva spread in her mouth. Her stomach clenched tight. She felt like throwing up. But there was nothing left to throw up. From the driver's seat, Gallon's humming drifted back. An off-key, leisurely tune. The sun began to dip. The wagon's shadow stretched long. The cobblestone road gradually gave way to a shabby town. Wooden houses lined the street. The smell of horse dung and straw grew stronger. "Alright. We stop here tonight." Gallon pulled the reins. The wagon halted. A sharp pain shot through Saki's neck. The slave brand. Gallon climbed down from the driver's seat and placed a hand on the wagon's edge. "Get down. I have things to teach you." His voice held the same business tone as always. Flat. The same voice he used to state the price of bread. Saki slowly raised her body. Her arms were heavy. Her knees trembled. Gallon offered his hand—gently, so as not to damage the merchandise. "[scared]Teach… me?" "To sell you to the Moonlit Hall, you know far too little." Gallon grabbed Saki's arm and dragged her down from the wagon. Her feet touched the ground. The cobblestones were cold. "Without the bare minimum of skill, your price drops. So I'll teach you. Starting tonight." Skill. Saki understood the meaning of the word immediately. "[scared]No… stop…" Saki shook her head. She braced her legs. But Gallon's expression didn't change. He just quietly pulled her toward the inn's back entrance. "Behave. Or you'll get hurt." It wasn't a threat. It was an explanation. That was even more terrifying. —— The room was cramped. A shoddy bed. Stone walls. Red sunset light streamed through a small window. Dust piled on the floor. The smell of mold stung her nose. Gallon closed the door. A click. The sound of the lock engaging. Saki backed against the wall. She grabbed the edge of the bed. Her fingertips trembled. "[angry]Stop! Don't touch me!" She raised her voice. But Gallon just sighed. He looked at her like she was a child throwing a tantrum. "That attitude is exactly what lowers your price." Gallon pulled a slate from his pocket. Palm-sized. Black and smooth. The surface bore the same crest as the brand on Saki's neck. "Everyone's like that at first. But you'll understand soon." Gallon's finger touched the crest on the slate. —In that instant. Her neck exploded. "Aaaaaah—!" A searing, violent pain. Like blood vessels being wrenched tight with wire. A scream tore from her throat unbidden. Her knees buckled. She collapsed to the floor. The cold stone pressed against her cheek. Pain. Pain. Pain. She couldn't breathe. Tears spilled from her eyes. She clawed at the floor, desperately trying to scratch at her neck. But the brand was beneath the skin. She couldn't remove it. "If you behave, there's no pain." Gallon's voice sounded distant. "I'm a merchant. Damaging my goods is a loss. So I won't kill you. But if you don't do as I say—this continues." His finger lifted from the slate. The pain vanished. Like a lie. Saki lay face down on the floor, gasping for breath. Sweat dripped from her forehead. Her whole body trembled. (What is this.) (It hurts. It hurts. I can't take this anymore.) Gallon crouched down. He grabbed Saki's hair and forced her face up. "Listen. You are now an object. Merchandise. An object needs no will. You just follow orders. Then there's no pain. You get to eat. It's simple." There was absolutely no malice. Just a business explanation. The same tone used to explain product handling at a storefront. That was the most terrifying thing of all. —— Gallon stood up and pulled a small packet from the leather pouch at his waist. He opened the grimy cloth. Red powder appeared inside. Fine. The color of dried blood. "This is Crimson Dream Powder. Know it?" Saki sat slumped on the floor and shook her head. Her vision blurred with tears. "A type of magical drug. Inhale it, and your body's senses become excessively sharp. At the Moonlit Hall, you need to get used to it yourself before using it on customers." Gallon approached. Saki tried to crawl away. But her legs tangled. Her back hit the wall. "[crying]No… stop… please…" "This is education. If you refuse, you'll just suffer." Gallon's hand pinched Saki's nose shut. She couldn't breathe. The moment she opened her mouth to gasp for air—the red powder was poured inside. "Ngh—!" She choked. She coughed. But the powder was already deep in her throat. At first, she felt nothing. Tens of seconds passed. —Snap. Something burst. The skin all over her body suddenly became sensitive. Just the touch of her clothes against her skin sent electric jolts racing through her. The cold of the floor seeped into her bones. "Wh… what… is this…" Her own voice vibrated against her eardrums. That vibration alone made the depths of her body tingle. Her fingertips touched the floor. The rough texture of the stone was so vivid—but it wasn't unpleasant. If anything— "It's kicking in." Gallon's voice sent a shiver down her spine. (No. What is this.) (My body is… moving on its own.) Saki grabbed her own arm. Her fingers crawled over her skin. The sensation made her hips buck involuntarily. "Crimson Dream Powder forcibly activates your veins. The life energy inside you runs wild, amplifying your senses. Just being touched makes you feel it." Gallon took a step closer. Saki tried to flee. But her body wouldn't move. No—it moved, but… every time it did, the friction of her skin against the floor felt good. (Good?) (This feels good?) Tears spilled over from fear and confusion. "[crying]No… stop… why… this…" Every time she spoke, the vibration in her throat echoed deep inside her body. Just that made her breathing ragged. Gallon's hand touched her shoulder. "Ah—!" Just that. Her mind went completely blank. Heat spread from where his fingers touched. A melting sensation. Her hips moved on their own. "This is the reaction customers want. Remember it." Gallon's hand touched her chest over her clothes. "Hyaa…!" A voiceless sound escaped her. Just the friction of her nipples against the fabric sent a sweet numbness racing down her back. (No. This isn't me.) (This isn't my body.) But her body reacted honestly. Every time Gallon's fingers traced her side, her hips swayed as if to escape. No—not escaping. Moving because she wanted to be touched more. "A good reaction. You'll be well-received at the Moonlit Hall." Gallon's voice was still a business tone. Saki cried and hugged her own body. Her own fingers touched her own skin. Just that made her hips buck again. (Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.) (Stop. Make it stop.) But her body wouldn't stop. Until the drug wore off, it just kept— Gallon didn't touch her any further. He just watched Saki being toyed with by her own body, appraising her like merchandise. "That's enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow." Saki collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath. Her clothes clung to her skin with sweat. Even that sensation still felt hypersensitive. (It's my own body.) (And I can't control it.) That was more frightening than anything. —— The next morning, the wagon rolled on. Saki sat in the wagon bed, hugging her knees. Her eyes were swollen. Her throat was raw. The effects of last night's Crimson Dream Powder should have worn off, but her skin still tingled. Gallon turned around from the driver's seat. "Now then. Shall we continue?" As the wagon swayed, Gallon climbed into the bed. Saki shook her head. "[scared]No more… please…" "You still don't get it." Gallon touched the slate. A violent pain in her neck. "—!!" She couldn't even make a sound. Her breath caught. She collapsed to the floor. "Resist, and you get hurt. It's simple." His hand lifted from the slate. The pain vanished. Saki breathed heavily, her shoulders heaving, and looked up at Gallon. She glared at him with hatred. Gallon offered his right hand. Saki moved her head with all her might, trying to bite it. —In that instant, pain in her neck. "Agh…!" Her teeth snapped at empty air. The pain numbed her jaw. "Try to bite, and this happens. It's pointless." Gallon's hand reached out again. This time, Saki tried to swat it away. —Pain in her neck. "Aaah…!" She collapsed to the floor. Her face was a mess of tears and snot. "Shouting loudly does the same. I can adjust the intensity of the pain with this." Gallon tilted the slate to show her. The angle seemed to change the pain's intensity. "Now. Once more. Take my hand." He offered his hand. Trembling, Saki stared at it. (I have to take it.) (If I don't, it'll hurt again.) Slowly, she reached out her own hand. Her fingertips touched Gallon's hand. There was no pain. "Good girl." She was praised. At those words, something deep in Saki's chest tightened. Realizing that a part of her felt relieved made her want to vomit. —— By afternoon, Saki had stopped screaming. Staring at the wagon's ceiling, she moved her body according to Gallon's instructions. Told to undress, she undressed. Told to let him touch her, she endured it silently. (It just hurts anyway.) (Resisting is pointless.) She cut off her emotions. Like flipping a switch. In her head, something snapped off. Her body was here. But her heart had fled somewhere far away. Even when Gallon's hands crawled over her skin, she felt nothing. She just became a machine that followed orders. "You catch on fast. You might turn out to be a slightly better product." Gallon's voice. In the evening, Gallon offered her dried meat and hard bread. "Here. Food. More than yesterday, right? Because you learn fast." Saki accepted it wordlessly. She bit into the bread. Hard. But it was more than yesterday. The saltiness of the dried meat seeped into her tongue. (I was praised.) (I did it right, so I got food.) Realizing she had thought that, her hands stopped. The bread in her mouth lost its taste. (I just… felt happy to be praised.) (Praised by him.) A disgust so strong it turned her stomach. But at the same time, the relief of her hunger being satisfied. The two emotions mixed into a nauseating mess. "Do well, and you get food. Obey, and there's no pain. A simple system." Gallon was laughing. Saki silently continued eating the bread. Anger. Sadness. She'd had them just moments ago. Now she felt nothing. (I'm breaking.) That was the most terrifying thought of all. —— The second night's inn. Night. Saki stood by the window. She placed a hand on the stone wall and looked up at the night sky. The stars were beautiful. Constellations she didn't recognize. Completely different from the night sky she'd seen in Japan. No Orion. No Big Dipper. None of them were there. (My old world…) (What was it like?) She tried to remember. But the memories were distant. School hallways. Friends' faces. A smartphone screen. Everything was blurred, as if beyond a fog. She couldn't grasp the outlines. Instead, what surfaced in her mind—a gleaming, flashing claw. Dagan's prosthetic hand. It had glistened wetly, reflecting the firelight. (I want to kill him.) She tried to think that. But even that emotion was fading. Hatred. The hatred that had burned so fiercely was now just smoldering. It might disappear someday. (If even my hatred is gone…) (Will I become a complete doll?) A night breeze blew in through the window. It touched the slave brand on her neck, sending a sharp pain through her. It hurt. But—because there was pain, she knew she was still ali