Chapter 7 A Friend Amidst the Suffering

A raspy voice stirred Lian Xue from the pounding ache in her head.

"Is this your first time riding this carriage?"

With her wrists bound in chains, Lian Xue slowly lifted her head to see the woman who had spoken. The woman's body was thin, her face covered in bruises and scars, yet her eyes still glimmered with life. In that moment, Lian Xue felt a strange mix of fear and hope—hope that perhaps, even in this darkness, a flicker of light could still exist.

She nodded slightly. "Yes."

The woman sighed and leaned her head against the wooden wall, which shook with the wheels' movement.

"I was like that too, once. Panicked, terrified, thinking everything was over. But believe me… life doesn't end just because we're here," she said gently, trying to offer a sliver of comfort.

Lian Xue bit her lip. How could this woman speak like that? Weren't they both slaves? No one knew where they were being taken—or if they would survive at all. Her thoughts were a storm of hope and despair battling within her.

"I'm not afraid," Lian Xue replied, though her voice trembled. She tried to sound brave, even as fear gripped her heart.

The woman offered a faint smile. "That's a lie."

Lian Xue stared at her sharply, feeling cornered by the truth she had spoken.

"You've been shaking this whole time," the woman said softly. "I know that feeling. We're all here because of something greater than ourselves."

Clenching her fists, Lian Xue tried to suppress the emotions bubbling in her chest.

"I don't want to die here," she whispered, her voice laden with helplessness.

The woman turned to look at her, as if weighing her next words.

"What's your name?"

"Lian Xue."

"A beautiful name," the woman said gently. She gazed through the narrow gaps in the wooden planks, staring at the rocky terrain outside.

"I'm Yuni."

A long silence followed. Around them, other slaves sat in silence, the only sound being the occasional clink of chains as bodies shifted. The rattling of the carriage only added to the suffocating tension. Lian Xue glanced at the faces around her—faces painted with fear and hopelessness. Some had their eyes closed, perhaps hoping this was all just a nightmare.

"Were you sold by your family?" Yuni asked quietly, breaking the oppressive silence.

Lian Xue lowered her head, the pain in her chest resurfacing.

"I don't have a family," she answered, tasting the bitterness of truth.

Yuni didn't respond right away. It was as if she understood the weight behind those words. She took a deep breath, recognizing that Lian Xue was not alone in her suffering.

"Then we're the same," Yuni said eventually, offering a quiet bond of solidarity.

Lian Xue looked up at her, sensing a deep emotional connection forming between them, despite just meeting.

"I used to be a merchant's daughter," Yuni said, looking down at her scarred hands.

"My father went bankrupt. My mother died. I was sold to a loan shark to pay off our debts."

She paused, lost in the memories.

"No one cared how hard things were for me. All they saw was money."

Lian Xue swallowed hard, struggling to imagine that kind of loss. She couldn't fathom the pain of losing loved ones and being thrown into such a hopeless situation.

"But look at me now." Yuni smiled, though her eyes were hollow.

"I'm still alive."

There was a strange kind of strength in her smile, something that stirred something inside Lian Xue.

"How did you survive?" Lian Xue asked, curiosity laced with awe.

Yuni shrugged lightly, as if the answer were both simple and impossible.

"Sometimes I just held on to the hope of seeing the sunrise again. That was enough to keep me going."

Lian Xue pondered her words, feeling something stir inside her—a small spark, though fear still lingered.

"Do you know where we're being taken?" she finally asked.

Yuni shook her head.

"No one knows. Not until we arrive."

Her voice carried both despair and a strange calmness. The uncertainty was the most terrifying part.

A sudden shout from outside startled everyone. A man yelled in anger, followed by the harsh crack of a whip. One of the female slaves flinched in fear and curled up in terror. Lian Xue's heart pounded faster. The tension in the air grew heavier.

She bit her lip, trying to hold herself together.

"What's going to happen to us?" she asked, barely audible.

"We must be strong," Yuni whispered, as if reading her thoughts.

"You must be strong, Lian Xue."

Her voice carried an intensity, like a flame refusing to be extinguished.

Lian Xue stared at her.

"Why?"

"Because the world isn't kind to people like us," Yuni replied softly.

"If you give up, you die."

Her words struck deep—sharp and unforgettable.

Lian Xue fell into silence. Yuni's words echoed inside her, shaking the part of herself that had wanted to hide from reality. A new strength began to rise within her—fragile, but real.

The carriage rumbled on, and confusion clouded Lian Xue's thoughts. She didn't know where they were headed. She didn't know if she would survive. But one thing she did know…

She had to be strong.

Her heart raced as the carriage made a sharp turn. Her body rocked with the motion, and she struggled to keep her balance. In the chaos, she reached out and grabbed Yuni's hand. That cold yet firm grip was the comfort she needed.

"Don't let go of my hand," Lian Xue said, her voice trembling.

Yuni smiled and held her hand tighter.

"I won't."

In the midst of fear and uncertainty, Lian Xue felt a flicker of relief. For the first time in this journey, she didn't feel alone. Though the world outside was full of darkness, she had a friend in this suffering.

Lian Xue looked at Yuni with a glimmer of hope.

"We'll make it out alive… right?"

Yuni looked back at her, her eyes shining with determination.

"We'll fight together. We can't give up."

As time passed, they shared stories of their lives before becoming slaves. Lian Xue spoke of the warm moments with her family, the evenings filled with laughter and tales. She told Yuni about her shattered dreams and the moment everything was taken from her.

Yuni listened closely, her heart aching for Lian Xue. She shared her own stories—of a life once filled with wealth, and how everything slipped away. She recalled dancing under the moonlight with her mother, a memory that still brought her peace.

Together, they shared tears and laughter, building a bond of resilience in the face of despair. In the darkness of the carriage, they became each other's light.

But the tension never left. Shouts and the crack of whips grew more frequent, and fear once again crept into Lian Xue's heart. She wondered how far they'd be taken, and what awaited them at the end.

Sensing her anxiety, Yuni whispered again,

"We must keep believing. We can't let fear win."

Lian Xue nodded, forcing herself to stay strong.

"I'll try."