Chapter 2: A Spark in the Dark

Mira pressed herself against the cold iron bars of the cage, her sharp gaze tracking the movements of the nearest guard. He was a large man, burly and dressed in worn leather armor, a baton hanging from his belt. His posture was relaxed—too relaxed.

He didn't see her as a threat.

Good.

She turned to Nia, who remained curled in the corner, golden eyes flickering with uncertainty. The girl was wary—understandably so. The weak didn't survive in a place like this. But Mira had no intention of remaining weak.

Leaning closer, she whispered, "We need a distraction."

Nia's ears twitched, her tail shifting slightly. "What kind of distraction?"

"The kind that gets them looking somewhere else while we get out."

Nia frowned, her small hands tightening around her knees. "Even if we make a distraction, the shackles won't let us use magic, and we don't have weapons."

Mira smirked. "We won't need magic. We just need to get the guards to open the cage."

Nia hesitated, then whispered, "They don't open the cages unless they're dragging someone out."

"I know." Mira's gaze flickered to the girl who had been beaten earlier. She was barely conscious, her breathing shallow. "And I know how to make them desperate enough to come in."

Nia's eyes widened slightly. "You're going to act sick."

"Not just sick." Mira's lips curled. "I'm going to make them think I'm dying."

Mira slumped against the bars, her body convulsing in exaggerated tremors. She forced her breathing to become ragged, her fingers twitching weakly. Then, she let out a low, gurgling groan before collapsing completely.

A few moments later, she heard footsteps. The burly guard from earlier ambled over, his brow furrowed as he squinted into the cage.

"The hell's wrong with this one?"

Another guard, a wiry man with a sneer permanently etched into his face, glanced over. "Tch. Probably just starving."

"No, she's seizing or something." The burly guard tapped the bars with his baton. "Oi. Girl. You alive in there?"

Mira didn't move.

The wiry guard sighed. "If she croaks, we'll lose profit. Damn slavers'll dock our pay."

The burly one grunted. "Yeah, yeah. Open it up. Let's check."

A metallic clank echoed as the key slid into the lock. Mira remained limp, her heartbeat steady but her muscles coiled beneath the surface. The moment the door creaked open, her fingers flexed.

Three… two… one—

The instant the guard stepped in, Mira exploded into action.

Her shackled hands snapped up, grabbing the burly man's wrist. Before he could react, she drove her knee into his stomach with all her strength. He let out a strangled wheeze, stumbling back.

The wiry guard cursed, reaching for his baton—but Nia moved. The small girl lunged forward, sinking her sharp teeth into the man's wrist. He howled, trying to shake her off, but Nia clung like a feral beast, refusing to let go.

Mira didn't waste the opportunity. She grabbed the fallen baton and slammed it into the burly guard's head. A sickening crack echoed as he crumpled.

The wiry guard shoved Nia off, his face twisted in rage. "You little—"

Mira swung the baton, striking his knee. He collapsed with a strangled yell, and she didn't give him time to recover. Another blow to the head silenced him.

Panting, she turned to Nia. "Keys."

Nia scrambled over the unconscious guards, searching their belts. A moment later, she pulled out a set of rusted keys, her hands trembling.

Mira held out her wrists. "Hurry."

Fumbling slightly, Nia unlocked the shackles. The moment they fell away, Mira exhaled sharply. The weight, the suppression—it was gone.

Magic thrummed in her veins again.

A sharp shiver ran through her as her divine blessing flickered to life. The world became clearer—sharper. She could hear the faintest creak of movement in the distance, the accelerated heartbeat of a nearby prisoner.

She turned to Nia. "Get the other cages open. We're not leaving anyone behind."

Nia hesitated, her ears flattening. "But—"

"No one deserves to rot here." Mira's voice was firm. "Besides, the more chaos, the better."

Nia bit her lip, then nodded. She moved quickly, unlocking cages as prisoners—some weak, some strong—staggered free.

Mira grabbed one of the fallen guards' daggers, testing the weight in her palm.

By the time the rest of the prisoners realized what was happening, the underground slave ring had already begun to descend into chaos.

Shouts echoed through the corridors as more guards rushed in, weapons drawn. Mira ducked under a sword swing, slicing across the attacker's exposed thigh before kicking him away.

She turned to Nia, who had armed herself with a smaller blade. The nekomimi's movements were fluid, her strikes precise. Good. She wasn't defenseless.

Mira's thoughts raced. The exit. There had to be one.

One of the other prisoners—a tall man with a jagged scar over his eye—shouted, "There's a passage in the back! It leads to the sewers!"

Mira grinned. "Then that's our way out."

She turned to Nia. "Stay close."

The two of them weaved through the chaos, avoiding fights when possible, taking down enemies when necessary. Mira's body moved on instinct, each motion fueled by the arrogance that coursed through her blood. She was not prey. She was a predator. And she would not be caged.

A guard lunged—she parried. Another swung—she dodged, countering with a brutal stab. Every action felt natural, as if her body knew exactly what to do.

Then—

A sharp pain lanced through her shoulder as a crossbow bolt buried itself deep into her flesh.

She staggered, biting back a curse. The shooter—a guard perched on a wooden balcony—was already reloading.

Before he could fire again, Nia moved. The nekomimi sprinted up a stack of crates, leaping onto the balcony with inhuman agility. In one swift motion, she slashed the man's throat.

Blood sprayed, and his body crumpled.

Mira let out a shaky breath. That was close.

Nia landed beside her, golden eyes sharp with concern. "You're hurt."

"I've had worse." Mira yanked the bolt out with a wince. Not the smartest move, but there was no time.

The passage was in sight. Prisoners flooded toward it, desperate for freedom.

Mira grabbed Nia's wrist. "Come on."

Together, they ran.

As they slipped into the dark, damp tunnels of the sewers, Mira glanced back one last time at the crumbling slave ring.

The place that had tried to break her.

The place she had burned down instead.

A smirk played on her lips.

This was only the beginning.