Chapter 9 Despair of Sara
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”…Rick, you know, he’s been by my side since we were kids. Strong, confident, sometimes a bit rough around the edges… but to me, he was always so bright…” Sara’s voice drifted through the dimness, soft and tinged with a distant loneliness. Her words fell slowly, like raindrops, each one carrying a piece of the feelings she’d kept locked deep inside as she spoke to Kanata.
”But… I think Rick’s heart belongs to Syl. The childhood friend who isn’t me…” Sara hugged her knees, her shoulders trembling faintly as she lowered her head.
”What should I do? I don’t know… Should I cheer them on? Is it okay to still love him? Or…” Her voice broke, trailing into silence.
Kanata slid closer, his presence warm and steady. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, his voice a quiet whisper, like a breeze through the dark. “It’s okay, Sara. You don’t have to change. You’re an amazing girl, just as you are. Anyone who can’t see that is the one who’s wrong. Stay you… and if you’re feeling lonely, I’m right here.”
With those words, Kanata’s fingers brushed her chin, tilting her face toward his. Their eyes met, hers wide with surprise and uncertainty.
But—
”No…!” Sara’s hands shot up, pushing against Kanata’s chest, the force sending him stumbling back. The dry thud of his hands hitting the floor echoed through the shadowed corridor.
”I-I’m sorry…!” Sara’s voice cracked, her eyes shimmering with conflicting emotions. Was that… a betrayal of Rick? But Kanata… Her heart churned, confusion tightening its grip. She lowered her head, her lips trembling, and when she looked up again, Kanata was gone.
”Kanata…?” Her voice was small, searching the darkness. The corridor stretched on, silent except for the faint drip of water somewhere far off.
”Kanata…? Where are you…?” Still no answer. The silence pressed against her, heavy and suffocating, stoking her unease.
”I’m sorry about earlier… I didn’t mean it like that…!” She stood, taking hesitant steps forward, her eyes scanning the gloom for any sign of him. But the shadows held nothing.
”Kanata, please… answer me… don’t leave me alone…!” Her voice shook, her chest tight with a growing ache. She’d pushed him away, rejected his kindness—or so she thought. Regret and fear flooded her, each step heavier than the last.
”Kanata…!” Her cry was raw, on the verge of tears, but the corridor answered only with cold silence.
”No… Kanata… don’t leave me… where are you…?” Her voice broke, the ground seeming to sway beneath her. It was as if the one thing holding her together had vanished, leaving her adrift in a sea of doubt.
Sara’s heart pounded, her breaths shallow with panic. She felt like she couldn’t stand, couldn’t move forward—until a faint sound caught her ear. Footsteps, soft but unmistakable.
She whipped around, hope flickering. “Kanata…?”
But what emerged from the shadows wasn’t him.
”…Who…? That’s not Kanata…” Sara’s body tensed, a chill crawling up her spine as the footsteps echoed closer. Something was there, in the dark, but she couldn’t see it.
That wasn’t my imagination… She tried to stay alert, but exhaustion and tension had pushed her to the edge. Her vision blurred, the world tilting as she crumpled to the ground.
It’s finally kicking in… A voice seemed to murmur, but before she could grasp it, Sara’s consciousness slipped away.
Silence swallowed the corridor.
When Sara’s eyes fluttered open, she stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling. Her head felt heavy, her thoughts foggy, her body sluggish and unresponsive. Where… am I?
She tried to sit up, but a cold, biting sensation yanked her back to reality. Her wrists, ankles, and waist were bound tightly to a soft bed, the restraints unyielding. Her clothes were gone, leaving her completely exposed, her skin prickling in the cool air.
”What… what is this?! Let me go! Someone, please!” She thrashed, her voice echoing in the empty room, but the restraints held firm, biting into her skin with every struggle. [T/N: Restraints are magical bonds used in the Dungeon to immobilize captives, often amplifying their emotional distress to generate Dungeon Points.]
The more she fought, the more the restraints rubbed against her skin. Sweat beaded on her brow, her throat burned, and tears welled in her eyes. Time blurred, her strength fading until she lay limp, exhausted. That’s when a voice cut through the quiet.
”Sara.”
It was low, dry, and unfamiliar in its tone. Sara’s eyes snapped to the doorway, where a familiar figure stood—but the expression on Kanata’s face was nothing like the warmth she’d known.
”Kanata…?” Hope sparked in her chest, her voice trembling with relief. “Thank goodness… you’re okay! Please, get me out of—”
”Hah!” Kanata’s sharp laugh cut her off, cold and mocking. Sara’s words died in her throat.
”‘Thank goodness’? ‘Save me’? You really don’t get it, do you?” His voice was laced with a cruel edge as he stepped closer, his boots clicking loudly against the stone floor.
”What…?” Sara’s eyes wavered, confusion clouding her thoughts.
”I’m the one who brought you here,” Kanata said, his tone matter-of-fact. “The teleportation, the restraints—all me. Snatched you right out from under Rick’s nose.”
”No… that’s a lie…! You were so kind to me…!” Sara’s voice cracked, disbelief warring with the sinking dread in her chest.
”Kind? That was just to reel you in, Sara-chan. And you fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.” Kanata’s smirk was sharp, his eyes glinting as he sat on the edge of the bed, leaning close. Sara turned her face away, the proximity overwhelming.
”Why…?” Her voice was barely a whisper, trembling with betrayal.
”Why? Because I wanted you, obviously.” His words carried no shame, only the casual confidence of someone claiming what they believed was theirs.
”You don’t even realize how easy you made it,” he continued, his voice low and taunting. “So caught up in Rick, you never noticed what was coming. No wonder you’re no good with magic.” His fingers brushed her bare skin, a touch that sent a shiver through her.
”No… stop… please, let me go… back to Rick…!” Sara’s voice broke, tears spilling as she pleaded.
”Rick?” Kanata snorted. “He’s irrelevant now. It’s time you figured out your real worth.” His voice dripped with a twisted fascination, savoring her distress, her despair, as if each shudder fed something within him.
Sara clenched her teeth, fighting back tears. Her voice trembled as she whispered, “I never should’ve trusted you…”
”Too late. The moment you did, you lost.” Kanata’s grin widened, a predator’s satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. Sara’s heart sank, a bottomless despair swallowing her whole.
”It’s… not true, right?” Her voice quivered, absorbed by the cold air of the room.
Kanata held out a thin crystal tablet, its surface flickering with images of Syl and Alma, bound and trembling under some unseen torment. Their faint cries echoed softly—pleas and gasps that twisted Sara’s heart.
Sara’s lips were parched, her voice a faint rasp as she whispered, “Syl! Alma! …This… you didn’t…? It can’t be true, can it?” The words trembled, barely escaping her lips. Doubt had no place here—not when Kanata stood before her, his presence a cold certainty that snuffed out her fragile hopes.
Kanata’s lips twisted into a mocking smirk. “So innocent,” he said, his tone laced with disdain. “Dragged all the way here, and you still held on to trust?” His laugh sliced through the air, sharp and cruel. The warmth she once saw in him was gone, replaced by a chilling truth that left her heart reeling.
Sara’s bound wrists and ankles quivered as she shook her head, desperate to reject his words. But her spirit buckled under their weight, each syllable a stone crushing the trust she’d so carefully built. “If it’s the two of them,” Kanata said, his voice low and venomous, “they’re already mine.” He leaned closer, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Alma-chan, she was sobbing, calling for her big sister to save her as I claimed her in front of you. ‘Help me, Onee-chan!’ she cried. But her dear sister was too lost in her own torment, wasn’t she?”
A low, guttural chuckle—kuh-kuh-kuh—rumbled from him, sending shivers down Sara’s spine. “And you,” he murmured, his voice a cold whisper, “you know what’s coming next, don’t you?”
His words were frost, sharp and unyielding, cutting through her defenses. Sara’s breath caught as Kanata’s hand reached for her chest. She writhed, trying to twist away, but the bindings held her fast, rendering her struggles futile. His fingers grazed her, a possessive touch that sent a jolt through her.
”Ngh!” A sharp gasp slipped from her, raw and unbidden.
”Responsive, aren’t you?” Kanata’s voice carried a dark amusement as he lingered, his touch stirring sensations she fought to suppress.
”No!” Sara’s protest was a desperate plea, but it only seemed to fuel his intensity. Her body was caught in his grip, each movement drawing a reluctant tremor from her core. “Ah! Nn…!” The sounds that escaped her were soft, almost betraying, echoing her body’s defiance of her will.
”Hahaha!” Kanata’s laughter boomed, cruel and triumphant. “Such a sweet sound you make. Let’s hear more!” His hand drifted lower, brushing against her untouched warmth. His fingers moved with deliberate care, tracing her with a rhythm that threatened to unravel her completely.
”No… please…” Sara’s voice was a faint murmur, her cheeks flushed with heat as she turned her face away, unable to meet his gaze.
”Please?” Kanata mocked, his touch unrelenting. “You’re already trembling!” His laughter grew sharper, more biting. “Gasping like that under my touch—you’re caught in this, aren’t you?”
”Nn…! No… stop, ah…!” Sara’s voice broke into a shuddering sigh as her body betrayed her, swept away by a wave of overwhelming sensation. Her peak crashed over her, leaving her trembling, breathless. “No…!”
”There it is,” Kanata said, his voice thick with satisfaction. “So quick to surrender to the rush, aren’t you? Just a girl lost in the heat of it all.”
”That’s… not true…” Sara’s voice was faint, her defiance crumbling under a tide of shame.
”Oh, really?” Kanata’s grin widened. “Then try to resist this time.” His fingers returned, gliding with renewed intent, stirring her warmth once more.
”No… please, don’t…” Sara’s pleas were drowned by the soft slish-slish of her own response, the sounds echoing in the dim room as Kanata’s touch grew more insistent.
”Come on, let it take you!” he taunted, his movements quickening. Her body shuddered, betraying her again. “No…! I’m…!”
Kanata’s fingers found her most sensitive point, coaxing it with cruel precision. “Aaaah… I’m falling…!” Sara’s body arched, her second peak washing over her, leaving her breathless and trembling.
”How was that?” Kanata asked, his voice deceptively sweet. “It swept you away, didn’t it?”
”…No…” Sara’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her voice barely audible.
Kanata’s smirk held firm. “Sure, sure. Well, it’s time I felt that rush too.” He loosened his clothing, drawing closer with a bold intensity. “Open up.”
”No…” Sara shook her head, her lips pressed tightly together as she recoiled.
”You want me to force it, like I did with Alma and Syl?” His words made her flinch, her shoulders trembling with fear.
”…No… I’m scared…” Her voice was small, barely a whisper.
”Don’t care,” Kanata said, pressing closer. “Take it.”
Tears welled in Sara’s eyes as she reluctantly parted her lips, yielding to his demand. Kanata let out a low, “Ohhh, that’s it!” as she moved hesitantly, her face etched with reluctance.
”Keep going,” he ordered, and Sara complied, her movements slow but obedient. “Yeah, just like that. It’s perfect.”
Sara continued, her eyes squeezed shut, trying to block out the moment. “More!” Kanata snapped. “Don’t falter.”
”Mmph…! Mmm…!” Sara’s muffled sounds filled the air as she moved, caught in his rhythm.
”Here it comes!” Kanata growled. “Take it all!” A rush overwhelmed her, and she tried to pull away, but his grip held her firm. “Every bit!”
With no choice, Sara endured, her throat tightening as she complied. When he finally drew back, she slumped, exhausted, a faint trace of her ordeal lingering at her lips.
”…Is it… done…?” she whispered, her voice fractured.
Kanata’s grin was predatory. “Done? We’re just warming up.”
”No… please… let me go…” Her voice trembled, barely holding together.
He leaned in, his voice low and dangerous. “One more time. Satisfy me, and maybe I’ll ease up for today.”
Despair washed over Sara as she yielded again, her heart sinking deeper into the void.
* * *
The room fell silent, save for the faint echo of Sara’s sobs. “Why… how could you do this…?” Her eyes brimmed with tears, not just of sorrow or anger, but of a deeper wound—a fracture in her soul, the sound of her trust breaking apart.
Kanata didn’t answer. He turned his back, heading for the door. “It’s up to you, Sara,” he said, his voice cold as stone. “You’ve got one moment to choose.”
In the aftermath, Sara had endured Kanata’s demands three more times, her spirit worn thin by his relentless will. It wasn’t just submission—it was a merciless claiming, Kanata taking what he desired without remorse. When it was over, he offered her two paths.
The first: defy him, hold onto the faint hope of rescue, and continue resisting. But if she chose that, he vowed to treat her as less than a servant, a mere shadow to be used. The second: abandon everything and become his. If she did, he promised to free Rick, still wandering the labyrinth, and release Syl and Alma from their chains. But there was a price—she’d be his forever, bound by a Collar of Subjugation [T/N: A magical restraint that ensures obedience, often used in fantasy settings to bind servants or prisoners]. He swore he’d be “gentle,” but the word felt like a cruel jest.
That word—”gentle”—stirred a faint tremor in Sara’s heart, a weakness she despised herself for feeling.
The door slammed shut, leaving only her sobs to fill the empty room.
She shouldn’t have trusted him. But oh, how she longed to. The contradiction clawed at her, dragging her deeper into despair.
In the dim, cold room, her shackled wrists and ankles felt numb, the iron biting into her skin. Sara’s head hung low, her emotions a tangled storm she couldn’t untangle. He was kind once, she thought. When he shared water in that dark corridor, when he stood by her side when she felt so alone—those moments had felt like a lifeline, like someone truly cared. She’d leaned into Kanata, let herself believe in his warmth.
”If we could’ve just… stayed together a little longer…” Her voice was a faint whisper, the words slipping out unbidden. “I think… I could’ve loved you.” The confession startled her, so raw and true it felt like a betrayal of herself. If time had been gentler, if fate had been kinder, maybe they could’ve shared laughter, built trust, felt their hearts race with every glance, every name called in warmth.
But now—
”Why… why did you betray me…?” A single tear traced down her cheek. Had everything she believed in been a mirage? Had he planned it all—his kindness, his care—just to seize her heart before shattering it?
And yet.
A stubborn spark refused to die. It can’t all have been a lie, she thought. She remembered the warmth of his hand, the way his eyes seemed to shield her from fear. She couldn’t believe it was all false.
She wanted to believe. She needed to believe. Even now, despite everything—
The reality before her was too cold, too merciless. Sara clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms. “Please…” she whispered, her eyes closing as another tear fell. “Let me believe… just a little… that some part of you was real…”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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