Levy and Aurora were both shoved out of the cage no, "shoved" wasn't even the right word. They were kicked, thrown out like trash, one strong swing of the octopus-man's thick tentacle launching them forward.

"Hey HEY! Slow down! He's weak!" Aurora snapped sharply, her voice echoing through the watery air as Levy's body flew out helplessly.

"Argh !" Levy hit the sand-covered hard ground with a rough thud, his already exhausted body folding like a ragdoll. He would've slammed face-first if Aurora hadn't lunged forward at the last second, catching him with both arms.

It was almost comedic how she had to cradle him like a dying prince.

But nothing felt funny now.

Up close, Levy's condition was worse than she'd expected sunken eyes, pale lips, limbs trembling from nothing but starvation.

One of the nearby Atlantians scoffed loudly.

"Look at that. Weak as a dried clam," he said mockingly, gills fluttering on his huge yellow arms as he crossed them. His entire body was built like a boulder towering, pure muscle, thick yellow skin that gleamed under the glowing sea-light. "Four days without food and he turns into this? How can ANY Atlantian have such a weak body?"

"Why do you think I'm throwing them out?" the octopus-man said dismissively, shrugging his slimy shoulders. "My sorting is NEVER wrong. These two are worthless. I only left them in a cage because it was empty anyway. Now others are coming ..we need space."

He didn't even look at Levy and Aurora as people. Just… things occupying space.

Aurora's jaw clenched so hard her teeth hurt. The insult struck her pride like a blade. She wanted to fight to make this weird looking being shut up

But logic won over rage.

She lowered her gaze and focused on Levy instead, slipping an arm under his to help him stand. His knees buckled, but she held him firmly, adjusting his weight onto her shoulder.

"Alright… let us leave then," she whispered under her breath not to them, of course, but to herself, hoping, praying they wouldn't pick up on her desperation. "No one wanted to stay here in first place.. anyway…"

They turned to go.

But before they even took three steps

"Where do you think you're going?" The octopus man's voice slithered across the space like a cold hand wrapping around their throats.

Aurora froze.

"'Worthless' doesn't mean you can leave whenever you want," he continued lazily. Then one of his long tentacles shot forward with terrifying speed.

It wrapped around Levy's arm.. tight.

And then

YANK.

Levy was ripped right out of Aurora's grip and flung backwards like a rag being tossed across a place.

"ARGH!" He crashed to the ground again, landing painfully at the octopus-man's feet, coughing as his ribs jolted.

"You..!!" Aurora burst out, anger flaring hot and raw as she rushed forward. "Give him to me!"

She didn't get to finish her sentence.

As soon as she took two steps toward Levy

THUD.

A massive foot slammed directly into her stomach.

"Ghhh!" Aurora folded in half and flew backward several meters before crashing into the sand. Even underwater, the impact was brutal.

"Where are YOU going, woman?" the muscular yellow-skinned Atlantan said, lowering his leg casually as if he'd just kicked a pebble.

"Aurora!" Levy's voice cracked in panic.

Ignoring his weak state, he pushed himself up and staggered toward her.

Aurora winced, clutching her stomach though the pain was already fading thanks to her immortal body. Still, the humiliation burned. She hadn't even seen the kick coming.

"Damn it…" Aurora whispered, rising shakily. "I should've taken that training seriously… if had i wouldn't be like this"

Her eyes sharpened, and she prepared to fight. She was immortal maybe she couldn't kill them, but she could definitely do Many things

But just as she took a single step toward Levy

"Alright, stop there, woman."

The yellow-skinned man grabbed Levy by the shoulder with one huge hand and jerked him upright like a doll. Then, with his other hand, he pressed a sharp bone-made knife against Levy's throat.

A bone-white knife, jagged, and gleaming dangerously. Even in water, its edge looked sharp enough to cut through stone.

"Take one more step…" the muscular man said calmly, "…and this dry-boned little man will become half-bone."

The blade pressed a fraction tighter.

A thin bead of red shimmered at Levy's neck, dissolving into the surrounding water.

Levy swallowed shakily, feeling the cold bite of the blade.

Aurora's steps halted mid-motion, her entire body freezing as sharply as if someone had plunged her into ice water. The moment she saw the blade pressed to Levy's throat gleaming cold and predatory against his fragile, starved skin her breath caught inside her chest. Her pupils shrank, her heartbeat throbbed painfully against her ribs, and every trace of color drained from her face.

Levy, meanwhile, could barely move at all. His whole body was already weak from hunger, but the grip the muscular fish-man had on him was monstrous unnaturally strong, like iron wrapped in flesh. Even if Levy had all his strength, escaping that hold would've been impossible. Now, in this half-dead state, he was nothing more than a ragdoll held up by brute force. He could only stare helplessly toward Aurora, silently pleading for her not to do anything reckless because one wrong twitch from her could trigger the knife.

"Ohhh… ohhhh, what do we have here?" The octopus-like man stepped forward, his heavy tentacles slithering across the cage floor, steel rods clanging faintly beneath his weight. His voice came out wet and mocking, bubbling with sick delight. "Two koi fishes… how romantic, isn't it?"

His massive bulbous eyes gleamed as he looked from Aurora's rigid posture to Levy's limp, trapped form. He lifted one tentacle to his chin, rubbing it thoughtfully as if admiring a beautiful painting instead of two terrified captives.

"Awww, I love this," he cooed, tone twisting into something grotesquely playful. "Look at her frozen in place just because the little goldfish has a blade to his throat. Clear hesitation in her eyes. Loyalty, affection, fear… such a delicious combination. We finally have entertainment."

Aurora gritted her teeth. She wanted to attack, to rip that smug grin off his disgusting face but the knife pinned her in place more effectively than any chain not like she could've done anything.. but now this was definitely difficult scene for her. Her eyes flicked repeatedly between the blade and Levy's trembling body, her mind racing uselessly. She hated this helplessness.

Levy forced himself to swallow, although even that slight movement made the sharp bone-edge dig uncomfortably into his skin. He took a shaky breath. If Aurora tried anything, he'd die. If she didn't, he'd die. He needed to try something.. anything.

"Let me go. Believe it or not, my boss is a ruthless person. If he came here, he might kill you just for finding out you kidnapped us and kept us as prisoners. And if we are talking about killing, believe me, he would torture you first. You do not want trouble with us. Let us go quietly, and we will stay silent about all of this," Levy said.

The situation was tight. A knife pressed against his neck, cold and sharp, and he could feel Aurora's hesitation. He stayed calm because he had no other option.

He wasn't even sure if what he said sounded convincing. But he doesn't have anything else anyways.. so he tried it anyways.

The octopus man paused mid-motion, his tentacle lowering slightly as he slowly turned to face Levy. His bulbous eyes narrowed thoughtfully. The muscular fish-man exchanged a glance with him, the kind that said he, too, felt a moment of uncertainty. Clearly "my boss is ruthless" had struck the tiniest sliver of unease.

But only for a moment.

"A boss?" the octopus man echoed, before letting out a wet, bubbling chuckle. "I don't care who the fuck he is."

His tentacles writhed, amusement returning.

"And if he cared for you both, wouldn't he have come in the last few days? Yet here you are rotting, starving, abandoned." He leaned closer, his huge face inches from Levy's. "And even if he came here… what is he going to do? No one leaves this place alive. No one walks into the Drowned Exchange and walks back out."

The muscular man smirked, emboldened by his boss's words. He pressed the knife even closer to Levy's throat just enough to draw a faint line of blood.

"So… should I kill these two kids, boss?" he asked in a low, eager tone, waiting only for permission.

"HEY.. NO, WAIT!" Aurora's voice cracked out, panic sharp in her tone as she threw her hand out instinctively. She didn't even know what to say but she knew she couldn't let them kill Levy.. Like heyy she literally made her first boyfriend just now.. She couldn't let him die like nothing right

But neither man even glanced her way.

The octopus man waved a tentacle dismissively. "Ahh, not this early. We haven't had entertainment in days. It's been so boring… don't you think?" His grin stretched unnaturally wide. "Let's have some fun first."

His large form drifted closer to Levy again. A thick tentacle hooked upward beneath Levy's chin, forcing his face upward in a humiliating display. Levy instinctively tried to pull back but the knife instantly pressed deeper.

He froze.

His heartbeat hammered so loudly he felt it echo in his ears. His body trembled not from the knife, but from days of starvation. Even staying conscious was a struggle. He briefly considered using his illusion ability for a desperate escape… but the moment he looked at these men, he knew it wouldn't work. Slave traders. Killers. Monsters with hardened minds, strong wills, and no fear. His illusions might not even faze them, and trying could make things worse.

No, he couldn't risk it.

He needed another way out.

"Tell me," the octopus man said suddenly, voice dripping with false casualness. "Do you know how to dance, woman?"

"…Huh?" Aurora blinked, confusion overwhelming her anger for a moment.

"As long as your feet keep moving," he said, his tone turning cold and gleefully cruel, "he lives."

One tentacle slid slowly, deliberately, along the back of the bone knife pressed against Levy's neck just enough to show how casually he could push it in.

Aurora's throat tightened.

"You stop dancing…" The tentacle tapped the knife lightly.

"…And he'd stops breathing."

Aurora lips parted, but no words came out. She glanced at Levy his weak, terrified eyes locked onto hers. His chest rose and fell in shallow, strained breaths. The tiny cut at his neck gleamed faintly with blood.

She didn't know what to do honestly.. she could just silently stare at levy...

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