"PUHS, a little help here,” the man called out to someone once his body stepped out of the room. “Have the rest of ‘em follow. It’s drinking time, anyway.”

Puhs being inside their chamber was always a positive occurrence. He either brought them food or led them to where they would be given water. It’d been quite a while since he last came with the former, but seeing the scrawny man again was a bit of a relief. There was something about Puhs that slightly intrigued Eun. It was the look he’d have in his eyes whenever he entered, perhaps guilt, although the little one could never tell, and the way he’d linger for a moment too long at the end, hesitating, before finally leaving. Boya and Ayü always claimed he was the weakest link.“

The eldest was still in the middle of denying any wrongdoing to care much about Puhs’ presence. Ayü remained focused on Keema and the fact she had not yet moved. With Eun too concerned about what would be of them all if Boya was taken away to even give much of a reaction to G’ange’s announcement, Myara seemed to be the only one out of the four girls thrilled. Her fingers trembled at her sides with electric energy, her face was aglow with warmth, suffused with euphoria the moment drinking left the large man’s mouth.

Eun melted once the first sip touched her parched tongue and trailed down her strained throat. She silently revelled in such a simple pleasure, one gulp after the other, until she eventually downed the entire cup. In these small moments, she felt more present and alive, as though relief had heightened her senses, allowing her to fully appreciate the richness of life that those in power had judiciously deprived her of.

The little girl turned to the door where Puhs stood, watching the three of them. Yes, three—Keema would not get up and with G’ange impatiently urging them to follow Puhs, they were forced to leave her behind, and G’ange had dragged the eldest the other direction, announcing Boya would get her share of the cool drink later as part of her punishment. Even now, Eun could not exactly say she understood what Boya was being punished for.

“One more minute, girls,” Puhs called out. His voice was softer and much nicer to listen to compared to the other men here. Puhs never shouted. In fact, Eun could not recall ever seeing the man angry at all.

Myara finished her cup last and walked over to the man where the other two waited beside him. She wavered a bit, her eyes on the three manacles in the man’s hands. All three of the girls shared the same thought, yet it was Ayü who found the courage to voice it.

“Puhs,” she started, smiling coquettishly. “Is it alright if we walked back to our chamber without those? There’s no need for them. We’ll be on our best behaviour, I swear it. And we’d all appreciate it if we could bring some water for Keema.” Her tone was simpering, because even though Puhs was nicer than the rest of them, he still enjoyed the company of much younger girls.

Ayü was the third oldest after Shanwu, sitting at the age of eighteen. She did not mind getting dirty once in a while so long as she was getting something out of her little act, although Ayü would never do anything as bold as what Shanwu had done. Unlike Eun who shared certain similarities, Ayü was the complete opposite of Myara.hs,

“Shoje would never approve of such an abominable behaviour,” she had told Ayü once.

“Then, it is a good thing I do not believe in your god,” Ayü had retorted.a

Puhs seemed to think about it, which was not surprising. For the right reward, he’d do anything. It was why Boya had proposed the idea some time ago of running during their drinking time. But Puhs was frequently either surrounded by other men or absent altogether—since they hardly got fed. Opportunities hardly came for them, but when it did, Myara was too afraid to try anything. It was understandable to Eun given that despite the man’s slender physique, he could still easily attack and overpower them anytime and would if it ever came down to it. Still, Boya got into a fight with the younger that day after their failed attempt. Myara had panicked and ruined the plan. It was their very first try and had been their only since today.

Myara was not an easy girl to get along with. It would always be odd to Eun how an Unmarked could worship the same god as the Holders did. Perhaps she believed from time to time that she deserved some of the penalties she was subjected to, but whenever she witnessed a person with the same status as her getting beaten, she would constantly wonder what they’d done to deserve it, if they’d done anything at all. Eun Calinao deserved to be beaten. Her family had told her so. Athena had told her so. But her friends did not deserve to be beaten. They did not deserve to die. Shoje and his decision to gift certain people charms was behind the cause for it all, the reasoning many Holders often gave, the one who’d practically doomed the Unmarked, so she could not understand why an Unmarked would praise him. Myara had such strong beliefs and adhered to them, no matter the circumstance. Eun and Shanwu were the only ones who truly tolerated her, though Eun doubted Myara would care regardless.

“See what those manacles have done to me?” Ayü carried on, displaying both of her reddened wrists to the man. “I cannot take them anymore. Please, Puhs? At least, just this once.”

Her wrists immediately set Eun off, not due to the bruises that seemed to stretch on endlessly across her entire body but because of what her wrists lacked, what all of them lacked—a Card. Eun formerly believed not being a Holder was the cause behind why Gozar collected Unmarked girls as though they were merely toys one would gift their child. No longer did she think that now, not after hearing about Pettsa, or knowing her friends had died attempting to share the cruel man’s secret with the world. No Holder, especially the Royals, would be pleased knowing he had girls with Cards locked up, particularly girls from such powerful families, but it seemed the Head Guard’s desires were much more stronger given he was willing to risk his reputation to satisfy them.

Puhs pondered some more. Eun could see his eyes trailing down Ayü’s neck right down to her left breast. And then, the right. His focus lingered on them for a moment before he finally shook his head, as though to rid himself of the thoughts that had sparked within his mind.l

“Alright, but just this once,” he finally said. “And fill up a cup for Keema.”

Eun turned to Myara. She expected the older to have an expression of distaste fixed on her face. But Myara was sniffing instead, her attention entirely on something else.

“D-does anyone else smell that?”

“Yes, I do.” Puhs nodded, his nose crinkling.

“Smells like smoke,” said Myara.

Puhs bit his lower lip. He seemed to be thinking again. After a few seconds, he reached for the girl on his right and forced her arms behind her back. Eun and Ayü watched as he slipped one of the manacles around Myara’s wrists.i

“But Puhs, you promised,” Ayü whined.

“I must check what’s going on, but I cannot trust any of you. Perhaps, another time.” He went for Eun next, and Eun did not bother fighting it. What could she do in such a weakened state, anyway?

When Ayü’s wrists were secured with the final pair of manacles, Puhs forcefully directed them toward the back of the small kitchen. The room did not look much like any other kitchen Eun had ever seen before with its usual abundance of pots, pans, dishes, and spices. No, this kitchen was almost bare. The floor was cold under her bare reddened feet. Positioned on one side of the chamber was a fireplace, while a small table, where their empty cups sat, occupied the centre. Eun found it rather difficult to perceive this space as a kitchen, at all. It didn’t have food—she and the girls had already thoroughly searched. It was clear the men had labelled it as such simply to deceive them. In reality, this area served as nothing more than a place for their drinking—water and alcohol altogether.

“Stay here,” Puhs ordered. “If I come back to see you’ve gone, I will no longer trust you, and I will no longer make you any promises. Do you hear me?”

They nodded and watched the man dart back to the door. Not even their own stench could compete with the smell of smoke now. The moment the door closed behind Puhs, Ayü started forward.l

“Are you seriously going to disobey him?” Myara hissed.

“What? You’re not really thinking of staying back here, are you?”

Myara sighed. “It’s best we follow orders now. We wouldn’t want to make the only person willing to help us angry. Besides, I’m certain he locked the door behind him.”

“I did not hear a click,” Eun chipped in.

“This is the best chance we’ve got right now,” Ayü insisted. “We’ll find Boya and get Keema.”

“What if we run into trouble attempting to save Boya?” Myara urged, clenching her hands. “Again, we cannot fight that man, unless you have some sort of a death wish.”

But Ayü did not even get far. It was as if Puhs had heard them from the other side of the closed door and came back running, and though they knew the likelihood of that was low, they could not deny the pounding of their hearts. Ayü was back beside the other two before his eyes could land on them.

Without speaking a single word, the man gestured for the girls to follow him.

Then came another voice from outside the room. “What are you doing?!” it shouted. “Leave them, Puhs!”

This declaration perplexed the girls. None of these men would ever command the abandonment of prisoners unless that captive became unstimulating—in that case, they would be killed, not simply left alone. Eun had witnessed it happen more than once. What heightened their puzzlement was the fact Puhs hardly acknowledged their presence as he hurriedly guided them out of the kitchen. Although their chances of escaping their confinement were minuscule, it was unusual for the man to display such recklessness. Clearly, something else was causing him to panic.

Only after they were out in the long passageway, the unmistakable smell of smoke inundating their senses, acrid and pungent with a sharp, intense edge that stung their nostrils and caught in their throats, did they understand. Their chamber was constructed in the basement of a tavern, as the rest were. Eun surmised they were simpler to conceal from the public eye down here. She, in her sleepless nights, would occasionally press her ear against the wall, hoping to catch the distant sounds of glass clinking and people revelling from the upper floor. She and the others had attempted numerous times before to scream until their voices became hoarse, but the noise from above always drowned out their desperate cries—or perhaps, their pleas were indeed heard, yet simply ignored.

A fire had clearly spread. That had to have been the cause behind the frantic movements and coughing of the men Gozar had assigned to the basement, as though the threat had entirely wiped away their knowledge of emergency procedures, leaving them disoriented and uncertain of how to respond. She could also see smoke hanging heavy in the air, seemingly coming their way. When Eun noticed they were heading in the direction of their chamber, her heart sank.

“Don’t take us back. Please, Puhs, don’t take us back,” Ayü cried out.

“You’ve been out for far too long, anyway,” was the man’s harsh response.

When the coughing came thick and fast, Eun knew this had to have been more than just a small fire.

“Please, take the manacles off, so we can cover our noses, at least,” Myara pleaded.

“I’ll take them off once you’re back inside your room.”

Eun and Ayü exchanged a knowing look as the gravity of their situation dawned on them. They understood that the moment the door of their chamber locked with them on one side and Puhs on the other, it was over. Born and raised Unmarked, they were not fortunate girls, and because of that, they knew no other opportunity was headed their way. This has to be it, Ayü’s eyes screamed. It has to be now!

One man running past them paused. “We shan’t douse it,” he yelled out to Puhs. “All are departing. It is rapidly approaching this area.”

Myara’s chest tightened. “Puhs, you cannot take us back. We’ll die in there.”

Although Puhs continued forward, his pace slowed, as though uncertain about whether he was still heading the correct direction, despite having walked this path numerous times before. He observed their surroundings, taking notice the absence of people nearby. The man’s eyes only returned to the girls when Myara suddenly faltered and lost her footing, causing Eun, who trailed along behind her and hadn’t seen the stumble in time, to collide with her and tumble atop the other. In the midst of it all, Puhs’ grip on their arms, which was never very firm to begin with, loosened.

“Ershad’!” the man urged. “We haven’t got much time.” He hastily reached down to take hold of the fallen girls, but Ayü did not allow him. The moment the chance arose, she brought her head forward with her mouth wide open, sharp teeth targeting the man’s hand and not missing.

While they may have silently warned each other of their dwindling opportunity, Eun was not expecting the girl to take action, especially so soon. Escaping Puhs’ sight was only the first hurdle; they still had to evade the people on the upper level—unless they managed to slip away without being seen, which Eun believed to be impossible. There were always so many people up there, brawling, drinking, laughing, mocking. Sure, the fire might have driven many of them away, but no way was G’ange going to allow his beloved tavern to burn to the ground. It was most certainly going to be put out soon, and they’d be caught again and shoved back into their prison. Everything would return to how it was. So again, Eun wondered, what was truly the point?

Regardless, it took Eun no more than a millisecond to realise what had just happened. Despite her hands behind her back, encased in manacles, Puhs was no longer holding her. Ayü was on top of the man now, his flesh still between her teeth until he finally slammed a hand into her face to force her away. By that time, the two girls on the floor had already scampered to their feet.h

Myara was the first to run. Eun, on the other hand, hesitated, caught in a whirlwind of thoughts and doubts. She stumbled a few feet away from the two but paused, and watched as Puhs threw Ayü to the ground, though it was so gentle her back hardly touched the floor before he was yanking her up again, having realised what he’d done. It was always clear from the way he stared and behaved that she somewhat held a special place in his affections. It was off to Eun that a Holder could view an Unmarked in such a way, but Ayü was a lot more daring in a manner that he loved, and so he treated her with a level of tenderness not seen from the other men. Rather than striking first with his fists as others would, Puhs unleashed a torrent of screams instead.er

Perhaps, Eun was wrong. Perhaps, the fire was not going to be put out after all. The magnitude of it surpassed her expectations, and just as the previous man had cautioned, it came to them quicker than they’d anticipated. The crackling of burning timbres echoed through the building, growing louder and more insistent, while thick plumes of smoke billowed upwards from the inferno. When some of the ceiling lanterns came crashing down, engulfed in flames seeking new fuel to feed their insatiable appetite, Eun knew remaining stationary was no longer an option.

She was blocked from reaching Puhs and Ayü, the burning lights in her way. Ayü looked up to meet her eyes, both pairs widened with fear and apprehension, before the older’s shifted, darting frantically about the room.

“This way!” Puhs’ eager voice sliced through the acrid air. He’d already grabbed onto Ayü, taking her the other direction, away from Eun, and knowing she had no other choice, Ayü followed.”

“Take the stairs, Eun!” she screamed. “Behind you!”

Myara was no longer in sight either. In fact, it seemed nobody was, not that Eun could tell through the flames mercilessly devouring all that was left of the basement, sparing nothing. There were three doors that led to the upper floor. Puhs and Ayü were heading toward one of them. In the midst of all this chaos, the other men must have left the second opened. It must have been the same one Myara took. With her thin frame and her arms behind her back, Eun slipped through the narrow crack of the opened door before the next number of ceiling lights could fall.t

But the upper level was worse. With the smoke enveloping her, Eun coughed violently. By the second, the air around her became less and less breathable. No one was in sight, no one Eun could see, not even Myara. The smoke’s pungent flavour filled her mouth to the brim. It’d been so long since she’d gotten a breath of fresh air, and Eun yearned for it now more than ever now to clear her lungs of the smog, no matter how much she’d been wishing for death merely moments ago. Her headache grew worse with her cough, while her eyes oozed and swelled.

As the fire carried on with its sadistic journey, the little girl finally caught a glimpse of the tavern’s exit on the other side of the burning space, yet by that time, it was already far too late.

She wavered again, sweat dripping down her skin, certain that whatever choice she made right now was bound to be the beginning of her end. Eun found a tight corner the threat had not touched and crammed herself into it. She slid down to the floor and brought her knees to her chest. The girl could no longer control her hands; they were shaking in an odd trembling rhythm, her heart thumping with them.

Eun closed her eyes to filter out the anxiety threatening to overtake her, as though the fire was not there at all. But she could still hear it—the crackles of flame, plastic melting and hissing into dripping puddles, the snaps and the pops and the sizzles, the woof as something else swiftly caught fire. Flames licked the walls and swept across the ceiling. It would only be moments now before it reached her spot.

Yet she dared not move. With every ounce of strength she could gather all thanks to the cup of water that blessed her throat earlier, Eun opened her mouth and let out the loudest scream she could muster.

As her breathing slowed, coming in irregular gasps, Eun felt herself slipping out of consciousness. She could no longer move. She no longer felt the need to move. Her heart hammered against her ribcage, a thunderous beat that resonated with her body—until she could scarcely hear it. This was it. Eun supposed the gods—whatever god was out there—had finally decided that she’d lived her life to its entirety.

Eun Calinao, a fifteen-year-old Unmarked born who knew where and had her life claimed by a fire inside a tavern on the nineteenth of Küngir. She’d formerly believed weeks ago marked her last, but this was really it.

It was as though all life was slowly being suffocated—and soon, so would hers.

Suffocation

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