At present time.
The wind gently rustled through the trees as silence settled over the battlefield.
Aishwarya stood motionless, unable to speak after hearing Kamali's story.
Kamali stared at the sky.
Her golden hair swayed softly in the breeze.
"...For three months," she said quietly, "I lived in that hell."
Her voice carried no emotion.
"Everyday men came and fulfilled their sexual desires from me ."
Aishwarya looked toward her.
"Every single day was the same."
"I was forced to fulfill their desires."
Kamali lowered her eyes.
"If I made even the smallest mistake..."
She looked at the scars on her arms.
"...I was punished."
Aishwarya's fists slowly clenched.
"The customers who chose me always make disgusting faces.."
Kamali smiled bitterly.
"They weren't interested in who I was."
"They only admired my appearance."
"My face."
"My hair."
"They treated me like an object instead of a person."
She gently touched her long golden hair.
"The beauty I once treasured..."
"...became the reason my life turned into a nightmare."
"I began to hate it."
"I hated my reflection."
"I hated these golden strands."
"I wished they would disappear forever."
Silence filled the forest.
"My heart slowly broke."
"My hatred for the world kept growing."
"I had nowhere to go."
"No one to rely on."
She paused.
"...Or at least, that was what I believed."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"But deep inside..."
"There was still one tiny spark of hope."
Aishwarya quietly listened.
"I realized how foolish I had been."
"My mother had always tried to protect me."
"I misunderstood her."
"I thought she wanted to control my life."
"But she was only trying to protect her daughter."
Tears rolled down Kamali's cheeks.
"I wanted to see her again."
"I wanted to hug her."
"I wanted to apologize."
"I wanted to tell her..."
"...that she had been right."
Her voice trembled.
"I knew..."
"She would forgive me."
"She was my mother."
"And mothers always forgive their children."
Aishwarya's eyes softened.
"...Then one day..."
Kamali slowly closed her eyes.
"...an opportunity finally appeared."
Flashback
For 3 months...
Kamali observed everything.
Every hallway.
Every locked door.
Every guard.
Every routine.
She memorized every movement inside the building.
"That old women always left her office at exactly two in the afternoon for lunch."
Kamali watched quietly through a small crack in the wooden door.
"And every day..."
"...her older brother took her place."
A middle-aged man lazily sat behind the reception desk.
Unlike the owner, he was careless.
He spent most of his daytime drinking, sleeping, but at night, he chose one of us to fulfill his sexual desires..
"He was a pervert."
Kamali smiled faintly.
"And that pervertness became my chance."
She took a deep breath.
Slowly...
She walked toward the reception desk.
The man looked up.
His lazy eyes widened slightly.
"What do you want?"
Kamali forced a smile onto her face.
For three months...
She had learned one thing.
Sometimes...
The strongest weapon wasn't strength.
It was a deception.
"I wanted to thank you."
The man blinked.
"...Thank me?"
Kamali nodded.
"You've always treated me better than the others at night."
The man's expression immediately brightened.
His pride swelled.
"Oh?"
"I never realized you noticed."
Kamali lowered her head.
"Suddenly I started feeling hot…"
"...perhaps you can help me."
The man's grin widened.
Without another thought...
He stood up.
"Very well."
He proudly followed Kamali into a nearby bedroom.
The moment he stepped inside—
BANG!
A wooden pole crashed against the back of his head.
His eyes rolled upward.
He collapsed unconscious.
Kamali stood there, breathing heavily.
"I would never have feelings for someone like you."
She threw the stick aside.
Without wasting another second...
She ran.
Her heartbeat thundered inside her chest.
"This is my chance!"
She sprinted through the hallway.
Past the reception.
Past the staircase.
Only a few more steps...
Freedom was right before her.
She reached the front door.
Her trembling hand grabbed the handle.
Just as she pulled—
A hand seized her shoulder.
Her body froze.
Slowly...
She turned around.
That old women stood behind her.
Her eyes burned with fury.
"How dare you try to run."
Kamali's face turned pale.
The woman shoved her backward.
She crashed onto the floor.
The heavy front door slammed shut.
Boom!
The sound echoed throughout the building.
"So..."
The woman slowly picked up a thick iron rod leaning against the wall.
"You've forgotten your place."
Kamali instinctively crawled backward.
"No..."
"Please..."
"I only want to go home."
The woman's face remained expressionless.
"This is your home."
She raised the rod.
"And today..."
"...I'll make sure you never dream of escaping again."
The rod swung downward.
Crack!
"Aah!"
Pain exploded through Kamali's arm.
Another strike followed.
Then another.
Each blow echoed through the hall.
Kamali tried shielding herself, but every movement only brought more pain.
"Stop!"
She cried.
"Please stop!"
The woman ignored every plea.
"You belong here!"
She shouted after every strike.
"You have no family!"
"No future!"
"No freedom!"
Those words pierced Kamali's heart far deeper than the rod ever could.
Her body hurt.
But her heart...
Hurt even more.
Despair swallowed every remaining hope.
"...Why?"
She whispered.
"What did I ever do wrong?"
Tears blurred her vision.
Her trembling fingers slowly closed into a fist.
Something inside her...
Broke.
Then...
Something else awakened.
A warm energy flowed through her body.
Golden light began gathering around her hand.
The owner frowned.
"What is that?"
Kamali herself stared at the strange glow.
"...I don't know..."
The light intensified.
Suddenly—
WHOOSH!
A strange yellow mist burst from her palm and rushed toward the woman.
"What—"
The owner inhaled before she could react.
Almost instantly—
She staggered backward.
Violent coughing escaped her throat.
Her eyes turned red.
She desperately rubbed them.
"I..."
"I can't..."
She dropped the rod.
Her breathing became ragged.
She collapsed onto her knees, coughing uncontrollably.
Kamali stood frozen.
"I..."
"...did this?"
The woman desperately reached toward Kamali.
"Make..."
"...it stop..."
She gasped.
"Please..."
Kamali stared silently.
For the first time in months...
The person who had tormented her every day...
Was begging for mercy.
The despair inside her heart slowly gave way to something new.
She started smiling.
TO BE CONTINUED…