In the North of California, on a desolate island, stands a square building.
The tall city walls and heavy iron doors block any prying eyes.
This notorious hell on earth allows entry but no exit.
Under the scorching sun, Flora, wearing a yoke around her hands, and shackles on her feet, squats down and struggles to lift a long log onto her shoulders. Her slim figure does not help, the wood is too heavy, and she falls down, unable to get up for a while.
"Slut, trying to shirk, aren’t you? Get up quickly!" The guard yelled angrily, raising his long whip and whipping it on her back. In an instant, flesh was torn and to put it grotesquely, it looked like a blooming flower.
Flora gritted her teeth, without crying out in pain, she propped herself up with both hands desperately trying to get up.
She had been here for a year now, she was long accustomed to such beatings.
The wounds on her body never healed, there were just more new wounds on top of the old ones.
"What are you looking at? You do not like it?" The guard viciously whipped again, Flora instinctively raised her hand to block, adding a new wound to the blood-streaked arm.
"If you do not move this pile of wood today, do not think about getting any food." The guard sneered at her, snapping the whip on the ground with a crisp sound.
Flora maintained an aloof expression, she had long forgotten the taste of tears.
Bearing the pain, she kept repeating the mechanical movements.
Even if she becomes a walking dead, she has to survive.
She promised her mother that she would take good care of her younger sister, and she must do it.
...
"Flora, someone is here to see you, follow me." The guard strides forward, unmindful if she'd be able to catch up.
Flora is puzzled. Who would come to see her in this place?
She is quickly led to a clean room. Although only laid with simple white porcelain tiles, it is the most luxurious space she has been in for the past year.
A woman sits behind a desk, clad in loose black clothes, wearing sunglasses and a face mask. Her true face is concealed, fully armed.
"Who are you?"Flora curiously questioned. After spending a year in the purgatory, she had gotten used to associating with all kinds of monsters and demons. She was not scared.
Her calmness exceeds the visitor’s expectations. A hint of approval flashes in her eyes, "You do not need to know who I am but I'm here to rescue you."
"What do you want me to do?" Flora outrightly asked.
"Do you know the second son of the Wills?" Her visitor eyes her keenly, not missing any subtle changes in her expression.
"Xavier Wills? We've met once." She replied, knowing fully well that whoever could find this place must be immensely influential and would have thoroughly investigated her. She had nothing to hide.
"He's in trouble now, are you willing to help him?"
Flora, dirty and disheveled, has eyes that are exceptionally bright, "How can I help?"
"Use your medical skills to heal him." The visitor says firmly.
The expression on Flora's face changes drastically, "How do you know I possess medical skills?" She whispered.
From a young age, apart from treating her sister's minor ailments, she had never revealed her medical skills in front of anyone else. She was just a sophomore at the Deep City Herbs and Roots Medicine College; her visitor was implying a level of expertise beyond that of a sophomore.
After a long moment of silence, the visitor finally speaks, "Do you know why you have been locked up here?"
"I killed someone." That was the reason she was imprisoned. But it was a false accusation.
The visitor shook her head, "This is a place for serious criminals who have committed monstrous crimes. You are not qualified enough to be locked up here."
"What do you know?" Flora leaned forward, with so much agitation, the clanking of her shackles piercing through the silence.
"I know what I should know, and I also know what I should not."
Dropping her gaze in contemplation, ten seconds later, Flora slowly raised her head, "I agree with you."
"A smart person." The woman replied, sounding so pleased with Flora’s sense of timing.
"I have one request though." Biting her lip, Flora squarely met her gaze. She had a strange sense of déjà vu; was she dressed this particular way out of fear of being recognized?
"Being able to leave here is already the greatest form of kindness to you." The visitor stood up, her gaze chilling, chastising her for her greed.
Flora opened her mouth, ultimately not negotiating any further.
She was right, leaving this place was much more important than anything else.
"Alright, I agree."
"You cannot talk about what happened while you were here." The woman warned.
"I will arrange a new identity for you so you can easily get close to the Wills and remember, the deadline is just a year. If you cannot cure him within a year, you will have to return here." The visitor eyed Flora, a piercing gaze that held an intense focus.
"Yes." Flora said before giving her a deep bow, indicating her submission and respect.
….
That night.
Stars twinkled brilliantly across the sky, turning the inky darkness into a romantic milky way, weaving a girl's dream.
The wedding car parked in front of a luxurious villa. The door opened, and Flora, dressed in a beautifully made wedding dress, stepped out. The long red carpet led to the entrance of the mansion, yet, the surroundings were as quiet as if Hades himself was getting married.
Stepping on the red carpet, Flora moved towards the open door step by step, with the spirit of a valiant warrior ready to sacrifice his arm. For the man she dearly loved, no matter how much Xavier had changed, she was determined to heal him.
Suddenly, all the lights went out.
A creepy hissing sound echoed in the darkness, tenseing Flora's nerves.
Driven by instincts, she quickly leapt onto the sofa. Peering out at the faint starlight outside the window, Flora's face turned pale, the floor was full of crawling snakes, hissing viciously as they made their way towards her.
