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"Time to go, pretty thing." The tallest one reaches for my arm.

I spring into action, ramming my shoulder into his midsection. He stumbles back, more from surprise than impact. I dart past him, my heart thundering against my ribcage.

The corridor stretches before me - just like Mar'oo described. Freedom is somewhere at the end of it.

My bare feet slap against the metal floor as I run. Behind me, curses in alien languages echo off the walls. I push harder, faster-

Something wraps around my ankle. I crash to the ground, chin smacking the floor. Metallic blood fills my mouth.

"Feisty one." A three-fingered hand grabs my hair, yanking me up. "But stupid."

I kick and thrash, connecting with something solid. A grunt of pain. Small victory.

"Enough!" The obsidian alien pulls out a small device. It hums with electric energy.

Pain explodes through my body. My muscles seize. I can't breathe, can't think-

The world goes dark around the edges as they drag me down the corridor. My limbs won't respond, but my mind screams in frustrated rage.

"Careful with the merchandise." A new voice, silky and cold. "Damaged goods fetch lower prices."

They prop me up against a wall. As my vision clears, I see we're in some kind of amphitheater. Dozens of alien faces stare down at me from elevated seats, their features blurring together in a nightmare kaleidoscope.

"Now then." The obsidian alien fastens something around my neck. "Let's begin the bidding."

The creatures tower above me, their forms blending into a horrific mosaic of teeth, tentacles, and too many eyes. My neck burns where the collar digs into my skin.

"Look at the pigmentation." A spindly being leans forward, multiple pupils dilating. "So rare to find one with this coloring."

"The bone structure suggests prime breeding age." Another voice, like gravel in a blender. "And the muscle density readings are exceptional."

Tears slide silently down my cheeks as they dissect me with their gazes. I try to make myself smaller, but rough hands force me to stand straight.

"Show them your teeth," the obsidian guard growls, yanking my chin up.

I clamp my jaw shut. A jolt of electricity from the collar makes me gasp in pain.

"Perfect dental formation." Someone clicks in approval. "No genetic modifications at all."

"The hair length is ideal." A tentacled creature reaches down, wrapping a slimy appendage around my ponytail. "Most specimens we receive have such short, coarse strands."

My stomach heaves as alien fingers prod at my arms, my face, treating me like livestock at auction. More tears fall, but I refuse to make a sound. I won't give them the satisfaction of hearing me break.

"The last one with this much fight lasted three cycles in my arena." Another voice booms. "I'll start the bidding at three hundred thousand credits."

I close my eyes, unable to watch as they bid on my future. The tears won't stop now, streaming down my face in hot rivers of despair. Everything I am - my dreams, my life, my humanity - reduced to numbers in an alien marketplace.

CHAPTER23

JACK

The stench of Glimner's underworld hits my nostrils - a mix of rotting flesh and cheap synthetic drugs. I move through the shadows of the marketplace, my true form allowing me to blend with the other criminals and lowlifes that populate this cesspool.

My fists clench as I pass another auction block. Humans aren't the only species sold here, but they fetch the highest prices. The thought of Vanessa up there makes my blood boil.

"Fresh merchandise, just in from Ataxian space!" A vendor waves tentacles at me. I grab one, twisting until he squeals.

"A human female. Where?"