I WAS SOLD TO THE UNDERWORLD KING

CHAPTER TWO

cage was too small for all of us crammed inside. At first, no one spoke. We stood packed

together, touching shoulders, our breaths mixing in the tight space. The air felt too warm and thick with a worry that hadn't found words yet. Every little move we made caused a ripple, and each ripple reminded us how little space there was.

Then the quiet talking started.

"Does anyone know where we are?" a woman asked softly from behind me. Her voice shook a little, but she tried to keep it calm. No one answered right away. A man near the front took a slow breath. "Some kind of waiting room," he said. "It has to be."

"That doesn't help," someone grumbled.

Another voice, sharper this time, added, "They can't just take people and expect nothing to happen. Someone will notice."

I didn't turn to look. I stayed near the edge of the cage, where the bars let me see a little of the space outside. It wasn't a perfect view, but it was something.

"I told you we should have fought," another man said, his voice low and tight. "We just let them—"

"And what good would that have done?" someone else interrupted. "You saw what happened to the one who tried."

Silence followed that. We didn't need to talk about it. The memory was still strong, still felt very real.

The talking died down after that. One by one, the conversations ended, replaced by a heavy quiet that settled over us. It wasn't a peaceful quiet. It was a quiet that made every second feel like it lasted too long.

I kept watching what I could see. People walked by outside the cage, going about their business without looking directly at us. Some had blank faces, others glanced over with a quick bit of interest before moving on. They didn't seem rushed or confused. This place seemed to run on a schedule. That thought stayed with me as the minutes passed slowly.

The door opened without warning. The sound cut through the quiet, sharp enough to make everyone jump. Our bodies tensed. Our breathing slowed. The little space we had seemed to get even smaller as all attention went to the opening.

The man who stepped forward didn't hurry. He stood just outside the cage, his eyes slowly moving over us, looking at each face as if he had all the time in the world. He didn't seem impatient or unsure. He was just in quiet control.

Someone near the front shook their head, already stepping back. "No, no—please—"

The man lifted his hand and pointed. The choice was made. The man he pointed at froze for a second, then panic took over. "Wait—no, you don't understand—"

They grabbed him before he could say more. He struggled, his movements desperate, his voice getting louder as they pulled him toward the door. "Please, I didn't do anything—let me go!"

No one moved to help him. No one stepped forward. The door slammed shut behind him. The sound echoed inside the cage, louder than it should have been, leaving a ringing silence.

Then we heard it. Voices. They came from outside the cage, carried through the open space. Calm voices. Steady. They sounded interested in a way that made my chest feel tight.

I moved closer to the bars, careful not to draw attention, and leaned just enough to see. The man was brought into a bigger room, placed under a bright light that showed everything he did. The change of place made everything clearer.

There were people sitting around him. Not standing, not watching from far away. They were sitting comfortably, as if they had come to watch something they expected. One of them leaned forward slightly. "Turn him."

The man was made to turn, his movements shaky as he tried to stay balanced. His hands were still tied, his breathing uneven as he looked around for something—anything—that might help him. Nothing came.

Another voice spoke, calm and clear. "What's his condition?"

"Okay," someone answered from the side. "No marks on him." A quiet sound of agreement followed.

The man tried again, his voice breaking with strain. "Please… you don't have to do this. I can—"

"Start." The word cut off his plea. The bidding began. Numbers were called out, one after another, going up steadily without stopping. The voices stayed calm, unaffected, as if they were talking about something normal. The speed was controlled, almost expected, like a process that had been done many times before.

The man's voice grew weaker with every passing second. He begged. He tried to talk sense. He promised things he couldn't possibly do. No one answered him. The numbers kept going up.

I felt my hands tighten at my sides, my fingers clenching into my palms without me noticing at first. My breathing became unsteady, my chest rising and falling too fast even though I tried to control it. This wasn't a discussion. It was a sale.

The numbers stopped. A final price was said, and no one argued. "Done," a voice confirmed. Just like that. The man was taken away. No one watched him leave. All attention had already moved on.

The cage door opened again. This time, no one spoke as the next person was taken. A young woman, barely able to stand, was pulled forward even as she clung to the bars. Her nails scraped against the metal, her grip breaking as they dragged her out. Her cries followed her. Then the door closed again.

The process happened over and over. Each time, the same pattern repeated. Someone was chosen. They fought back, or they didn't. They were taken, shown, and sold. The voices outside stayed calm, distant, talking about things that made it clear they saw no person in front of them.

I watched all of it. There was no way to look away. The truth sank in deeper with every round. This place didn't work by chance. It wasn't a mess. It was organized, planned, set up to run without stopping. We weren't special cases. We were part of it.

The cage became quieter. The whispers stopped completely. No one asked questions anymore. No one tried to speak over what was happening outside. The silence pressed down on us, filling the space until it felt like we couldn't breathe. My body reacted even though I tried to hold myself together. Sweat gathered on my back, slowly sliding down my spine. My hands felt colder than they should have, even in the heat. My breathing wouldn't steady, each breath sharper than the last.

I tried to focus. To observe. To understand. None of it helped. Understanding didn't change what happened. Watching didn't create a way out. The numbers kept going up. The voices kept talking. People kept disappearing.

By the time only a few of us were left, the space felt emptier than it should have. The missing bodies created more room, but it didn't make anything better. It only made everything clearer. We were running out of time. No one looked at each other. There was no comfort to offer, no words of hope that could mean anything now. Each of us stood in our own silence, waiting for something we couldn't stop.

The door opened again. The sound didn't surprise me this time. I had been expecting it. The man stepped forward, his presence just the same as before. He took his time, his eyes moving over the few of us left, as if he was thinking more carefully now. The pause lasted longer. Long enough for the tension to build in a way that made my chest tighten even more. Then his hand lifted. And pointed at me.

For a moment, everything seemed to move slowly. I didn't move. My body felt heavy, unresponsive, as if it hadn't caught up with what had just happened. The silence inside the cage grew deeper, the others stepping back slightly, making space without being told. Then hands reached in. They grabbed me firmly, pulling me forward before I could fully react. My feet stumbled on the rough ground as I was dragged toward the opening, my balance unsteady, my thoughts struggling to keep up.

The door closed behind me. The sound felt final. I didn't look back. I couldn't. The space outside felt bigger now, more open. The light ahead seemed brighter, harsher, pulling me toward it whether I wanted to go or not. My legs felt weak as I walked, each step heavier than the last. Everything I had just seen pressed down on me all at once. The voices. The numbers. The way they had looked at the others. It was my turn now.