At nine o'clock in the evening, in one of the rooms of the villa:
"Boss! We have completed the mission you assigned to us."
Boss: "Very well. Now let's see how he manages to get out of this."
At the same time, in the corridors of the villa:
Woof! Woof!
Damn it, will that dog ever leave me alone?!
I don't even know how long I've been running from it. I'm exhausted. None of the doors are open—I'm just running in circles with that dog.
Angi: "I have to… huff… find a way…"
I was starting to feel nauseous. Running on an empty stomach is a death sentence.
I couldn't see any escape, and the dog didn't seem willing to leave me alone.
Woof! Woof! Woof!
Damn it… even if the villa is huge, if all the exits are locked, there's nowhere to go. I thought this was the end for me. Memories of Soren and me began flashing through my mind. I felt my strength leaving me. I collapsed to the floor, and the last thing I saw was the dog charging toward me at full speed.
Angi: "S… So… Soren…"
---
In a secret room of the villa:
Boss: sigh "How disappointing. He didn't even last two hours. Completely useless."
"Boss, what should we do now?!"
Boss: "Throw a bucket of ice-cold water over his head and leave a stale piece of bread beside him."
"Yes, boss. At once!!"
Boss: "It's not over yet. Don't pass out too quickly—I'm not done with you yet… Angi."
Boss: "Also, open all the doors."
"Yes, boss!!"
---
Later, in one of the villa's corridors:
"SPLASH!!"
Angi: "Wha—?! Cough! Cough! Cough! What's going on?!"
I didn't know what had just happened. I couldn't believe it. I had fainted, and they had thrown cold water on me. But no one was in sight.That only proved one thing—someone was definitely behind all this. At first, I had pretended to faint… but then I really fell asleep.
And now what? A stale piece of bread? Are they kidding me? If they think I'm just going to let myself be treated like this, they're wrong.
Angi: "Actually… where did the dog go?!"
I was so cold that I could feel my lips turning blue.
Angi: "Brr… Brr… Achoo! Sniff…"
Soaked and shivering, I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to warm up.
And that stupid piece of bread—they could keep it!
Looking around, I noticed that the rooms had been unlocked. What were they trying to do? I entered one of the rooms—it was a guest bedroom. I took a bath and changed my wet clothes.
Angi: "Poor me…"
After I was done, I decided to explore again. The next room I entered was an office. I searched everywhere, but found nothing that could help me. Then, looking at the ceiling, I noticed something shiny.
Angi: "Ah! A camera?! Does that mean they've been watching me this whole time?"
I felt anger boiling inside me. Since I couldn't lash out physically, I used my words instead. I took a deep breath, stared straight into the camera, and shouted:
Angi: "Even a dog is smarter than you!!! Honestly, this is shameful!
Come fight me face to face if you're real men!!!
I'm talking to the one watching me through the camera! He's nothing but a coward! He'd never dare look me in the eyes!"
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the room—it was coming from a loudspeaker.
Loudspeaker: "You really have no idea what situation you're in, do you?"
Angi: "You're nothing but a bunch of thick-headed brutes!!"
Loudspeaker: "Brutes, you say? And yet, we haven't even harmed you yet."
What did he mean by that? That this was only the beginning?
Angi: "Release me immediately! You have no right to kidnap me and lock me up here!"
Loudspeaker: "I'm sure you're hungry! Ha!"
Angi: "Of course I'm hungry, you bastard with no life!!!"
Loudspeaker: "…"
The man on the loudspeaker stopped speaking. For a moment, I thought he might let me go… but no.
Loudspeaker: "I see you still haven't realized your situation. Let me make something clear: if you don't beg me on your knees, you won't get any food."
Angi: "What?! You're completely crazy!!"
Loudspeaker: "I don't think we're close enough for you to speak to me so casually."
Angi: "Grrr… sigh… NEVER!!!!!! I WILL NEVER DO SOMETHING AS HUMILIATING AS BEGGING YOU!!!"
I screamed those words with all my strength. I hoped they would burst his eardrums.
Loudspeaker: "...We'll see. Hé!"
Angi: "You bastards!!"
The loudspeaker hadn't even finished buzzing when my stomach growled: gllrrr.
Damn it… And as if that weren't enough, the door wouldn't open anymore. He had locked it with a key. I was trapped in an office with nothing to drink and nothing to eat.
The shock made my head spin. I hadn't slept for hours, and sleep was creeping up on me—but I was afraid to fall asleep.
I crouched down on the floor, holding back my tears. Then I started thinking about Soren. I wondered how he was doing, what he was doing, and with whom. Was he worried about me? Did he even think about me?
I didn't even understand why I had ended up in this situation. Then I remembered the love of my brother's life… What was his name again? My memory is terrible when it comes to remembering ugly people.
Angi: "Ah!! Right!!! Katara?!"
Oops—I shouted way too loud. Had he heard me?
Loudspeaker: "…"
No sound. Phew—I was relieved.
Well, since I had nothing else to do, I decided to search the office again. With some luck, I might find something useful.