[Irene Campbell's POV]
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Last week, I was fighting against zombies with my life on the line. I had lost my family and most of my friends. If not for Sir Michael, I might as well have lost my entirety by now. But it was fine… at least things were moving forward to a better end…. Or at least that's what I had thought.
I regressed back in time. About 6 months before the apocalypse occurred…
I had thought it was my chance to change everything, save my father from ever dying. I had to repay Sir Michael as well, so I was planning to meet him in a week or two, but prioritized working harder to become stronger than ever while making sure all my friends survived…
I had already invested in stocks, earned a lot back and did a lot of other things which were moving my life forward to a better future.. But then…
Today… I woke up, only to find myself in a room which was smaller than a bathroom. It was a single bed, and the smell was worse than you'd find in the slums. For a second, I questioned if I were dreaming… for a second, I wondered if this was a nightmare… alas, it was not.
Searching around the place, I found myself in a prostitution center, as I, one of the prostitutes, was working there. For a second, my heart sank as I did not know what the heck was going on anymore… just what in the world is happening?
First thing that I did was to call a couple of people I knew but… they denied my existence at all… all the more, it wasn't just them… some of them outright said that the place where I lived didn't exist at all. It was getting worse and worse… was I still in my world?
Those men who were working there found my behavior strange as they asked me what was wrong. I tried to faint ignorance, but they started cussing me and began moving towards me with their eyes filled with disgust.
I guess it had become an innate memory, but I was able to kick them and run away from the center. Though that was the beginning of my horror. Wearing a bikini, as I ran down the alleyways, I met one scum after another. Some were weak, some were monsters in their own… or perhaps I had grown far too weak. While some regarded me as 'interesting' others saw me with pure lusts…
I wanted to cry… In just a few hours, I was losing any hope of living anymore.. But I was a survivor, so I kept my will and hopes up… something good was bound to happen… as long as I survive… I will live another day.
And my hopes did not betray me…
I saw him.
He was walking through the crowd as I escaped those prostitution staff. Michael Aroa was walking through the crowd with the same gusto, with the same smile, with those same analyzing eyes.
Just like always, he was observing everything, as if he was reading through people. And that slight cunning smile that he had… he was still planning something…
Looking at him, I couldn't help but run to him. Even if it means exposing my position, I am willing to take the risk… I just need to reach him… I believe in him…
Walking through the crowds was difficult. It was hard to move forward and reach him… please let me reach him… I saw that he was getting farther away as I was moving… I need to run… I need to run…
With all my fears and anxiety, I finally reached him… held his hands tightly as possible. Please… save me…
Much to my happiness, he held my hands tightly and started moving much faster. We walked for another few minutes, as we reached an open area, before he turned around to take a look at me.
And he was surprised… his eyes were widened up…
"Huh?" I heard him exclaim a little as he looked at me from top to bottom. Perhaps all my worry was being washed away, and all that was left was sorrow and tears that started escaping through my eyes.
"You know her?" a girl beside her asked as she kept her arms tucked in with his. She had a familiar face… wait, isn't she the Witch of Darkness? Angela Reas? The one whom Michael fought before?
I was surprised as I looked at her…
"Yeah… I do…"
His voice brought colors to my face as I couldn't help but ask,"Sir Michael… Do you remember me?"
He stood there as he answered,"She is the 4th regressor who came with me back into the past," but his expression was turning furious.
I just ran to him as I hugged him tightly… I finally felt safe after running from those bastards… It seems fine now. It is fine now.
"Which fucking bastard did that to you? Tell me… Irene." he spoke in a furious tone as I cried a little more before I felt his hands covering me. He slowly pulled me away and took out his shirt and covered me from behind, as he spoke,"Let's first get you dressed up properly. And get you something to eat as well."
He spoke as he sighed and then patted me while I wore his shirt. He looked around for a couple of minutes before his eyes fixated in a proper direction.
"Let's go," he spoke as he held my hands and began moving in the opposite direction where he was walking towards. Angela too started walking beside him without caring much about the situation. In fact, her eyes were glancing at me every once in a while…
Not long after, we reached a certain clothes shop, which looked really lavish, to say the least. I observed his face as he was thinking something before making a call,"Hey Leeway. I am at this shop called 'Bing Clothes.' Can you send one of your butlers here? I need some quick cash…. Okay… thanks… Where are you though?... All right. Catch up later."
After he was done with the call, he then turned to me with a smile,"let's get you a makeover too, while at it."
I could only get embarrassed at this… I never thought that there would be a day when a man would be doing this for me… well… Neither in a situation like this, of course. I nodded at him as all three of us moved into the shop… but the guard stopped us at the entrance.
His eyes looked at Michael, then Angela, and finally at me. He then spoke with disgust as he spoke,
"No slaves are allowed in this facility."
His eyes were observing me for a couple of seconds, but Michael asked first,
"What slave?"
He didn't seem like he was hiding his rage right now… his cold, serious eyes were locked on the guard… but the guard didn't flinch at all. He pointed at me and spoke,"that upside down leaf mark is the slave mark of The Vintages… you aren't even trying-"
And Michael simply brushed his hands against my neck before asking…
"What leaf?"
The guard just stood there for a few seconds… as he observed me again… this time… a little stupefied… a little horrified.
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