As we strolled past the tightly packed stalls, a sharp voice cut through the murmurs of the market. At first, I barely registered it, just another argunt in the background noise of the city.
But then I heard it, words choked with fear, a thick accent, pleading.
Nora tensed beside .
I followed the sound, my gaze drawn to the mouth of a shadowed alley. A man was backed against the wall, his wide eyes darting around like a trapped animal. Towering over him was a bear-woman, her claws lazily trailing down his chest as she chuckled.
“Co on, stray.” The word rolled off her tongue like an insult, sothing laced with disgust. “You’re not trying to run, are you?”
The man flinched, his breath shaky. “P-Please, I-I didn’t do anything-”
She leaned in, fangs flashing as she smirked. “Who asked you? Now be a good fucking mongrel and keep quiet.”
It was then that I noticed it. The thick black collar around his neck with a peculiar design, sothing about it looked too precise, too distinct. It wasn’t just a piece of clothing. It ant sothing.
My stomach twisted.
Before I could say anything, Nora grabbed my wrist, her grip tight. “We’re leaving.”
I resisted, my gaze still locked on the scene. “Nora, what-”
“Now.”
She yanked away before I could protest further, dragging back into the flow of people. Only when we had put enough distance between us did she finally let go, exhaling sharply.
I turned to her, my chest tight with unease. “What the hell was that?”
Nora didn’t answer imdiately. She looked ahead, her expression unreadable. “A non-citizen,” she finally said. “No rights. No protections. People can do whatever they want to them, and no one will stop them.”
I swallowed, my throat dry. “You an that collar-”
“Marks them,” she confird. “Tells everyone exactly what they are. That’s why no one intervenes.”
My skin crawled. The way the bear-woman had played with him, the terror in his voice, it wasn’t just cruelty… It was casual. Like it was normal.
My voice was hoarse. “Are there more cases like this?”
Nora sighed, her gaze flickering toward . “Do you really want to see more n getting pushed around like that?”
The weight of her words settled in my gut like a stone.
She exhaled, running a hand through her hair. “It’s still di a dozen. They pop up in your feed sotis.” She tried to sound casual, but there was sothing forced about it.
I pressed my lips together, hesitating before asking the next question. “And… slavery?”
She was silent for a long mont. Then, without looking at , she murmured, “Mhm.”
That single sound carried too much.
I opened my mouth to ask more, but she cut off before I could speak further. “Let’s not talk about it,” she said, her tone soft but firm. “I want to enjoy spending ti with you, not sour the whole mood.”
Before I could protest, she shifted the conversation entirely, pulling close as she raised her phone. “Now, smile for the cara~”
I barely had a chance to react before the click went off, as she pressed against in a way that felt too close for comfort.
“Alright, done,” Nora said, clicking sothing before I could see.
I tried to get over the sinking feeling settled in my gut. I leaned over, only to see the latest post glaring back at .
"Just got engaged
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