Somewhere in the continent of Mazuria,
In a certain place deep beneath the earth…
A gentle ray of moonlight filtered through a narrow window—no glass, only three iron bars—casting its soft glow into the dungeon below. The silver light touched upon a pair of crimson eyes: tired, longing, but alive.
She sat there, dazed and unmoving, chained by her ankles to the wall. Her figure was elegant despite the dirt that clung to her skin. Long, messy hair fell down her back like a silken curtain of midnight. Her beauty, even in that wretched state, felt divine—like a miserable goddess who had fallen from the heavens.
She looked to be in her early twenties. Filthy, yes—but radiant.
She wore a thin ragged white cloth .
As she was in a dazed and staring at the beautiful moon accompanied by four heavenly planets and stars.
A voice called down from above.
> "Sister Lumia! Sister Lumia! Lumia!"
The beautiful prisoner blinked, stirred from her trance. Her voice was calm, hoarse, but warm.
> "What are you doing here, Xia?"
> "I—I'm sorry, Lumia. It's all my fault…" the girl answered with a trembling voice.
Lumia's reply came quickly.
> "Hey. I've told you many times—it's not your fault. It was my choice to intervene. I got myself into this mess. So don't carry guilt that isn't yours."
Her voice turned sharp, burning with restrained fury.
> "The one truly to blame is that pig, Count Glaint. He's the one lusting after you—he's the one who doesn't know his place."
> "O-Okay…" Xia sniffled.
She was just sixteen, a small girl with soft, pale-yellow eyes and shoulder-length hair. Her cute face was stained with tears, her heart aching with guilt.
> "Why do we have to endure this…?" she whispered.
"Are we… bad girls?"
Lumia's expression softened, despite the chains and the cold.
> "No, Xia. You're not bad. None of you are. You're good girls—all of you. If you were outside, many young, kind, handsome boys would fawn over you, court you, fall for you—not pigs like him. So never think poorly of yourself."
> "Someday… we will get out of this hellhole. I promise. But until then—you have to stay strong, alright? You and the girls. Promise me."
Xia nodded, wiping her eyes. A faint, bitter smile formed on her face.
> "We always get hope from you, Sister Lumia… You're the strongest person I've ever met. Talking to you… it gives me courage."
Lumia's lips curved upward slightly.
> "And you girls give me hope too."
> "Especially your singing. Your voice is like an angel's."
> "Then… I can sing for you now, Sister Lumia," Xia offered, trying to smile through her pain.
> "Please do," Lumia whispered.
And so, Xia sang.
---
🎵 Song of Light After Shadows (by Xia)
> In the darkest dark, when stars won't shine
When tears fall down like winter's wine
I hold the warmth of voices near
And sing away the weight of fear.
> In chains, we bloom like roses wild
With broken hearts, the soul still smiled
The world may fall, the sky may cry
But hope will rise, it does not die.
> Someday we'll walk beneath the sun
Our song not silenced by anyone
Through ashes, pain, and all we fight—
We'll end in love, we'll end in light.
---
When she finished, she smiled again.
> "Sister Lumia… how was it?"
Silence.
> "Sister Lumia?"
She leaned over, peeking down the hole.
There, under the faint silver moonlight, Lumia had fallen asleep—still filthy, still chained, but undeniably beautiful.
> "Good night," Xia whispered, and quietly stepped away.
As Xia made her way back to the room, she did so with caution — sneaking quietly, every step slow and alert. When she finally reached the door, she paused, took a deep breath, and opened it.
Inside, twenty-six girls immediately turned toward her, eyes filled with worry. Their voices overlapped as they rushed to ask:
"How was she?"
"Did they hurt her?"
"Did she tell you anything?"
Xia raised her hands gently and spoke in a calm voice, "Calm down, everyone. Sister Lumia said she's okay. She just looked really tired. It didn't seem like they hit or tortured her. It was dark, but I couldn't see any visible wounds at least... she just looked starved."
"Poor Lumia..." whispered a soft voice.
It came from a young girl with pink hair and pink eyes, her appearance delicate yet bright even in the dim room. Her hair was the same length as Xia's and she seemed to be about Lumia's age. Her eyes shimmered with concern — and then suddenly turned fierce.
"That damn pig… he'll rot in hell for doing this," she snapped.
"Yeah, definitely," another girl muttered in agreement, and one by one, the others joined in, cursing Count Glaint under their breath — careful to keep their voices low so the guards wouldn't hear.
"Anyway," the pink-haired girl spoke again, clapping her hands softly, "let's sleep now that we know Lumia's okay. Tomorrow… the experiments begin again. If we don't get enough rest, we won't endure it. So go, go, rest."
Her name was Clara.
As she spoke with a quiet authority, the girls began to retreat to their beds one by one, their tired bodies surrendering to the little peace the night could offer.
After confirming that everyone was asleep, Clara stepped out briefly, making sure the hallway was clear, then silently returned. She sat on her bed, pulled the thin blanket over herself, and gazed out the barred window.
The moonlight touched her face softly as she whispered to no one:
"What does fate have in store for us…?"
To be continued...