It took Zara thirty minutes to reach the hospital where her mother was being treated. She got off at the bus stop out front and had to walk several hundred yards to reach the hospital's main entrance.
Along the way, Zara enjoyed the gentle breeze brushing against her body. The sun now offered only a pale glow beneath a gray sky. The surroundings seemed deserted, with only the roar of vehicles on the road breaking the silence.
Zara noticed a black car parked in front of the hospital's main entrance. She slowed her pace when her gaze fell on three men dressed in black, their movements suspicious.
They appeared to be watching their surroundings. Not long afterward, two more men dressed the same way emerged from the hospital building and approached them.
Zara tried to ignore them and continued walking normally. She lowered her gaze as she drew closer to them.
For some reason, their aura felt terrifying.
One of the men glanced several times between his phone screen and Zara as she walked, making sure she was the same person shown on his phone.
"There she is," the man muttered, pointing Zara out to the associate beside him with his eyes.
All of his associates immediately took their positions. Two of them got into the car, while three men walked toward their target.
Zara's unease deepened as the three men approached her.
"Aulia Zara?" one of the men asked. Zara tried to hide her panic and fear by shaking her head quickly.
The three large men looked frightening, their hard expressions made even more intimidating by scars across parts of their faces.
With swift movements, the three of them surrounded Zara, making it difficult for her to escape.
"Come with us willingly. Our boss has business with you."
Zara shook her head in refusal. She didn't know any of them, and she was especially afraid that her safety would once again be threatened. "I have no business with your boss!" she said fearlessly, batting away the hand that tried to touch her arm.
"You haven't paid the debt your mother promised to repay," the man in front of her informed her.
Zara froze. Once again, financial troubles had ensnared her. It hadn't even been an hour since she'd tasted freedom after leaving Tama's apartment, and now she was shocked by a demand from the loan shark's men—the same people who had been hunting her all this time.
Her face went pale, her hands trembled, and deep despair shone in her eyes.
"Please give me more time. I'll take responsibility. Please let me go," she pleaded, trying to convince him. She would work even harder to find the money. She didn't care if she had no time to sleep; what mattered was getting the money she so desperately needed.
But the man in front of her shook his head, rejecting Zara's offer to negotiate.
Zara knew the debt was far too large, and she couldn't pay on time every month, causing the interest to keep piling up.
"You've been stalling for far too long! Come with us, or your mother's life is on the line!" he threatened. His rough hand clamped tightly around Zara's arm, dragging her slightly as she struggled to resist.
"Shut up, or we'll get violent!" the man beside him threatened, pulling a small dagger from the inside pocket of his jacket.
Zara shook her head in resignation as tears slipped down her face despite her efforts to stop them. For some reason, the hospital grounds felt completely deserted. She wanted to scream, but the dagger's faint prick against her waist terrified her.
She could scream for help and attract other people's attention. And even if she were injured, a doctor could treat her immediately, considering where she was.
But Zara didn't want to take another risk. These people weren't only threatening her; they were also threatening her mother's safety.
Zara was then forced into the car, with two of the men sitting on either side of her. The hand that had gripped her so tightly was released, leaving behind a painful sensation and a bruise that was beginning to stand out against her pale skin.
Zara's thoughts spiraled as she wondered what they intended to do to her. Would they sell her and turn her into a prostitute? Or would they harvest her organs to pay off all her debts?
Zara shook her head. Those suspicions made her feel nauseated and weak. Tears continued to stream down her face as she wept silently.
For a while, Zara sat in a tense, oppressive silence. The sky outside had already darkened when she got out of the car. The same man grabbed her arm in the same spot again, making Zara wince as she followed where he led.
They took Zara into a three-story building that housed a nightclub. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary building. But the moment she stepped inside, Zara was stunned by the sight before her.
The stench of alcohol and cheap perfume assaulted Zara's nose as soon as the door opened. She was taken down a long, dimly lit hallway. Its walls were decorated with horrifying surrealist paintings.
The pounding sound of techno music echoed in the distance, mixed with laughter, screams, and unidentified moans.
Along the hallway, doors to rooms stood slightly ajar, their dim lighting creating a frightening chill in the air.
At the end of the hallway, Zara was brought to a tightly closed steel door. The room beyond was spacious but barely lit. Red walls and red lights made it seem to glow in the darkness.
Inside stood a luxurious sofa in a color matching the room's decor. A wooden shelf held books and strange, frightening decorations: deformed statues, grotesque masks, and unidentifiable objects. They only deepened Zara's fear.
Zara then saw a middle-aged woman with a striking appearance and heavy makeup sitting on the sofa, smoking.
Her eyes were sharp and cold as she stared at Zara with an unreadable expression. Zara lowered her face to avoid the woman's scrutinizing gaze as it swept over her entire body.
Then a faint smile curved the woman's lips, and a deep, hoarse voice echoed through the room. "So this is the one you were talking about. She deserves the highest price. One of them will fight hard to get her," she said cheerfully. But for Zara, it was a terrible disaster.
The girl's face lifted as she stared at the woman in shock. She imagined the terrible fate that would soon befall her.
"Sherly! Take her away and get her dressed now!" the woman shouted, her voice echoing through the room.
Zara weakly shook her head. "No... Uncle Tama... Please..."
The club grew even more crowded as several girls stood on a stage.
Their appearances were so vulgar that they stirred lust in every eye watching them.
Zara never could have imagined she would end up in a situation like this—being watched by people looking at her lecherously. Her body tensed, every pore on her skin seeming to break out in goose bumps beneath those hot, lustful gazes. These weren't ordinary looks. They were degrading stares that judged her body as an object rather than seeing her as a whole human being. She felt every breath of the people around her, as if it were tangible proof of this invisible violation.
Shame flooded her—not ordinary shame, but a shame that tore her dignity to pieces.
Tears streamed down her cheeks again, hidden by the red mask covering half her face. She felt there was no hope left for her life.
A female host spoke loudly and excitedly, discussing bids for the girls standing in front of them. Her words made the audience even noisier, filling the room with provocative whistles and lewd remarks.
The host's loud, raucous voice displaying the young women's bodies like merchandise only deepened Zara's nausea and disgust. The audience's whistles and obscene shouts intensified the oppressive atmosphere, creating a heartbreaking orchestra of injustice.
Zara felt herself growing more distressed, crushed beneath immoral social pressure and trapped in a vicious cycle with no end in sight.
Then a man boldly climbed onto the stage and whispered into the host's ear, making a delighted sparkle appear in her gleaming eyes.
"Wow, it looks like one of our 'angels' has already stolen the benefactor's heart!" the host exclaimed, making the room even more raucous.
Then the host, dressed in an outfit that left almost nothing to the imagination, approached Zara and ordered her to step down from the stage.
Zara hesitated as fear began to overwhelm her. If she stepped off the stage, it would be like descending into a steep abyss ready to destroy her.
"Hurry up!" she hissed when Zara remained frozen in place.
Completely resigned, Zara stepped down from the stage and was met by a male guard, who immediately took her to a room.
'Thank you, God...'