The market was loud, filled with voices, laughter, and the clatter of coins—but none of it reached Mabusi the way it once might have. The iron bars in front of her separated her from everything, turning the world into something distant and unreachable. Around her, others stood in silence, their eyes lowered or fixed somewhere far away.

A man’s voice cut sharply through the noise.

“Step closer! Strong workers, healthy and capable!” Trevor called out, gesturing broadly to the crowd. His tone was loud, almost cheerful, as if he were selling nothing more than ordinary goods.

Mabusi’s hands tightened around the cold metal bars. She swallowed, forcing herself to stay steady.

“We are not things…” she whispered under her breath, her voice barely audible.

Trevor glanced briefly in her direction, then turned back to the crowd without pause. “Don’t miss your chance—have a look for yourselves!”

Mabusi lifted her head despite the fear pressing in her chest. She forced herself to look beyond the cage, beyond the noise—searching, hoping.

And then she saw him.

A young man, well-dressed, moving with quiet confidence through the crowd. His clothes marked him as someone of wealth, but it was the way he looked—focused, almost uncertain—that made her heart skip.

He was coming closer.