5. Chapter 5

Fuck...

When I open my eyes again, I'm staring at the void.

Where am I?

My arms are still numb and there are jitters all over my body.

Am I dead?

But I'm thinking and feeling the ache. That should mean it is fine, right?

Well, given someone knocked me out on the street, I'm probably only as fine as I can be.

I think it's the coal-gray beings who attacked me. I don't remember wronging anyone else. I've been paying my due and doing everything expected of me.

Those are the only ones mad at me.

I let out a soft sigh. Where am I?

If that's the one who attacked me, maybe he kidnapped me somewhere. I don't know whether the space station will care.

Even if they care, if this spaceship has already left, I doubt they can do anything to help.

Spaceships are great and fast, but that can turn against me...

Worse, I don't even know how long has passed.

I push against the bed and get off it. No one has told me to stay here, anyway.

This is a bedroom with a desk to the side against the wall. There are two doors, maybe one to the bathroom and one to the outside.

I have to get out of here and find a way to get back home.

Easier said than done.

I press my ear on the door that should lead to the corridor.

It is quiet outside.

My heart races. When I get outside, I will... go to the control panel and steal the ship? Punch whoever attacked me?

Regardless, I have to try

I press the button for the door to open, hoping I won't trigger an alarm.

Nothing happens, and no one is outside. Not a bad start.

I look around again before I run down the corridor.

The corridors have boring gray walls. I turn a corner, only to be in another that looks almost identical. There are no signs and no indications at all.

Where am I even going?

There are doors along the way, and they all look the same. How do these beings themselves know where they are going?

I turn another corner. There is a huge shadow. Before I can halt, I slam right into them.

"What are you doing here?" Someone grabs my throat and lifts me off the floor at once.

Is he going to kill me?

"Human... Why are you here?"

Huh?

I open my eyes to look at this one. He doesn't look exactly like the one talking a ton at the stall, but these all look pretty similar to me.

I say, "That's such a dumb question."

He hisses. "When I ask a question, I want an answer."

There is a fire in his eyes, and he can burn me with that. At the same time, his gaze is so cold that he chills me to my bones.

I open my mouth, but his hand on my throat makes it hard to utter a word.

He waits for another moment before he puts me down again. I stumble. I didn't expect that.

He grabs my arm and helps me lean against the wall instead of ending up on the floor.

His gaze is still on me, still demanding an answer to his stupid question.

I shrug. "You kidnapped me here, yet you are the one asking why I'm here."

He groans.

I add. "Maybe not you, but one of you. You bet I have no interest in getting on a foreign spaceship when I don't even know where it is heading."

He is still watching me. "The woman in the food stall."

I nod. "Yeah, I want to head back, but I doubt that will happen."

He stares at me for another moment. The air is heavy, but he doesn't seem to be mad at me for trying to flee.

If he is as clueless as he looks, this spaceship has poor management. I've never and would never leave my team in the dark. "I thought you knew your kind kidnapped me here."

"I didn't. But I think I know what's happening." He scowls, and that doesn't look to be directed at me either.

He asks, "What's your name?"

"Hazel."

Somehow, he seems nicer than I expected. Maybe he doesn't agree with whoever kidnapped me.

Or... He is lying to me and trying to gain my trust.

He says, "I'm Zil."

I wait for him to say something more, but he says nothing.

I clear my throat. "So... Are we going to stand here and stare at each other?"

"No, I'm thinking—"

"Zil!" Another male's voice echoes in the corridor, followed by rapid footsteps.

Zil takes a step back with a half-glare at the one approaching.

Now I know this one's annoying face. This is the one who led them to my stall and threatened not to pay a single coin.

This new one frowns. "Why are you here?"

Except for how he says it, I'm not sure whether the question is for me or Zil.

Zil points at me. "Why is she here?"

I stare at that finger, which is mere inches away from me. Not sure whether these beings think that it is fine to point at me on the nose like that, but I sure want to bite his finger or slap it off my face.

But if he is asking the weird one that, maybe he is going to be on my side, or not on the other male's side.

I grit my teeth and let that finger dangle right in my face. My eyes are on that while those two males talk to each other as if I'm not right here next to them.

Zil says, "I thought you agreed to just let her be."

"I've told you... Well, I'm the captain and she is here for her punishment."

Oh... no wonder. The captain sounds like someone who thinks that he owns everything and can do whatever he wants.

Zil grunts. "Come on. What are you planning? To put her in your room?"

Wait! I don't want that. Maybe getting out of that room is a good idea.

The captain says, "Yes, she disrespected me and will pay for that. Human, you go back to my room."

Who is he to tell me what to do? Maybe the others on the ship will listen to him, but I'm not going to make it easy for him.

Or... To be honest, I have no idea how I can go back to that room when I didn't even pay attention to how the door looked.

Zil folds his arms and glares at the captain. I guess I'm not supposed to be kidnapped. Somehow standing between two big males that are taller and stronger than me with horns who threaten to kill me feels dumber as the second passes through. What if they will fight?

Zil says, "We should go back to the space station. She doesn't belong here."

Yes, this is something I can stand behind.

The captain scowls. "Have you forgotten who the captain is? Shut up and get to your shift."

Well, that doesn't seem good at all.

Zil looks at me with an even deeper scowl. I hope he stays here. Maybe he is at least a tiny bit better than this captain guy. He shrugs. "Well, I suppose she better stay alive, otherwise... I don't know what the base camp will think about this."

The captain folds his arms. "No, you won't tell them. She will be punished and then..."

"I'll be there when you punish her."

"No."

Zil lifts his brows. Is he someone even more important than the captain of the spaceship?

But the captain told him to shut up.

But he didn't shut up.

The captain sneers. "And I'll put her into—"

"The dungeon, where the captured ones will be."

The captain opens his mouth to protest, but Zil shrugs and continues, "You know that's the rule and that fits what you said you are going to do to her. Or are you capturing her here just because?"

"Fine." The captain sneers when another of their kind is here. Maybe this is a ship with only uzains. And... if this is a group of bandits with some kind of structure, is it possible that there are only males around? Maybe they left the females in the base camp, or whatever their home is called.

The captain waves to the uzain who interrupts the conversation. "You bring her to the dungeon."

Um... I hope there's no one else in the dungeon. I don't think it is going to work if I wish the door of the dungeon isn't working.

The uzain nods. "Sure, Captain."

Zil looks at the younger-looking uzain, then at the captain. "Okay, I'll check back soon." He hurries down the corridor. Maybe he is late for his shift or something. I wonder what the shift is about. To be driving the spaceship?

The captain lifts his brows at me. "Human, you should know better than working with that ugly golden scale dumbass to make me look bad."

Except that was not my plan. I didn't even know that male. Almost all the beings know to line up for food. Even those who may be a bit too tired, who didn't see the line the moment they arrived knew to go to join the queue; at the end of it. This captain has an ego so big that he thinks everyone has to do as he wishes, which is so far away from how the world actually works that it is laughable.

I bite my tongue. Maybe I should learn to pick my battles. The other big guy, Zil, may be the one I should please so he can help me. And...

The uzain who is going to bring me over to the dungeon gestures for me to follow. The captain is leaving in the other direction, which seems to be better than if he is to follow us. I hate that one.

I stare at the back of this younger uzain. He is most likely lower in rank than both the captain, and Zil, whose role is still a mystery. These coal-gray ones walk around half-naked with black markings on their chest and maybe all over their bodies. These are swirls that look like tattoos, but maybe they are born with these.

He keeps walking until we reach a corner before he turns around to face me. "You'll walk in front of me."

Is that so I won't be able to flee? Like, jumping out of the window to the universe that'll kill me instantly?

These uzains have strong muscles, but maybe not that many brain cells.

I shrug. "Sure." It isn't like I have a choice.

I take steps forward when there are no branches in the corridor I can wander to. The uzain follows me, steps behind. I ask, "So, am I a prisoner here? Or are you waiting for ransom?"

"I don't know. I'm just an average warrior, so I don't know what happened."

Does that mean he has never seen me? At least I can get him to talk to me, so that's not too bad.

I ask, "What's the dungeon? Is that a scary place?"

"Not really. What we can do to you inside that room can be scary, but otherwise, it is just a dark room."

I'm not sure whether that's a good sign. "Okay, so how long have you been flying?"

"A shift. So... maybe four hours."

Fuck... That's longer than I'd expect. How dare the captain think he can kidnap me and do whatever he wants?

Someone grabs my shoulder. I spin around and slap at them.

The uzain groans. "Really?" He hisses and leans closer. "I told you we are taking a turn here, but you didn't hear me. And now, you slap me for that?" His bulging muscles scream how I should have calmed myself before reacting.

"I'm so sorry. It's just a reflex. You know I live on that space station, and anyone touching you up close isn't a good sign."

"Fine. It isn't like your tiny hand hurts." He points to the other side of the corridor. "There, the third door."

I take the turn. My heart races quicker and stronger. I don't like this. I'm walking to my own jail and maybe I'll be the one locking the door. What if the captain or Zil gets a bit too busy and they forget about me? Will I die inside that dark and cold room?

Fuck... Why does my luck sucks this badly?

We arrive at the door. The uzain presses the button on the wall. The door opens like every other door. The inside is dark, and it feels like a monster or two lives there.

He points at the room. "There you go. It is dark and padded with soft material."

So I can't hurt myself when I struggle? How considerate...

I go inside and the door slides to close. "Wait."

"Huh?" The uzain press the button again for it to open. "What?"

"I'm hungry. Will you bring me food?"

He shrugs. "Sure, I'll be back."

Oh...

The door closes and I'm left in the dark. It can always be worse, right?