He was at the same human trafficking stop that he usually visited on the first of every month. It was one of the most nasty, run-down places in the entirety of the demon realm. He actually pitied the wretched souls that had the misfortune to get stuck in a place like this.

"Hello, hyung," the man said.

"Doojoon!" a short, round man greeted the newest arrival in the warehouse. He was the one who called the shots in this warehouse. He was notorious for being the most brutal and slimy bastard in the underground. He was wearing an ill-fitting, dark blue pinstriped suit and smelled of booze and weed. "Always good to see my favorite customer of course. And what did I tell you? Call me Sebastian!" The man patted Doojoon on the back and grinned. "So, I suppose since you're here, you're looking for more of my merchandise?"

"Of course, it is the first of the month after all. Show me the unruliest you got. You know how I love breaking in my new toys," he said with a sneer that must have been menacing enough to chill the demon salesman to his bones, judging by his shudder.

Sebastian's human smuggling shop was buried so deep in the underground that people in the top layer didn't even have access to information about the level he was on. It takes years of devotion to a supplier before they're willing to pass you a name of someone further up the food chain. At Sebastian's level, it takes decades. Going that deep into the underground can severely change a person.

"Well, sadly I don't have any new unrulies since your last visit and you deemed them as not to your taste, so I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to look for a different sort today." Sebastian looked slightly nervous, but it was barely perceptible. Only someone who had been visiting him for years would ever notice anything different in the crooked smile and shifty eyes.

"Fine," Doojoon sighed. "Maybe show me some well-behaved slaves that won't talk back, ones that take orders well. And if they bore me, I can just give them to the hounds as a new chew toy." He gave a horrifying leer that could send chills down the spine of even the scariest and most vicious creatures.

Sebastian chuckled nervously but looked pleased at this change in direction. "I have just the perfect one. She won't say a word no matter what ya do to her. Perfectly trained, docile, and not bad looking either."

He walked his client down a couple corridors lined with cells like a jail. Doojoon knew where they were headed. It was a corridor for the slaves that weren't staying long. That meant there was either something wrong with them, or they were on a watchlist for someone else. They kept walking to the very back of the corridor where Sebastian stopped and pulled out a giant key ring. There was a master key for the bigger cells, but this apparently was one of the smaller ones. He fiddled with the lock for a while before the door swung open.

A girl was sitting against the wall next to the door, but as soon as the slant of light hit her, she scrambled back into the corner as far away from them as possible. Her eyes were impossibly bright, blue and flecked with gold. Her hair was dirty but there were places where you could see brilliant blonde showing through. She was dressed in a torn up dress that looked more like a nightgown. It was dirty and went down to her knees. Her feet were bare and dirty. Her face was fixed with a scared stare, but it was mostly aimed at Sebastian.

"Now, don't be like that baby doll. This guy over here wants to take you home, so you'd better be on your best behavior." He looked back over at Doojoon who had just been standing arms crossed looking at the girl. "She actually has no ability to speak. I've had her checked by a doctor who verified it. She won't make a peep no matter what you do her." The girl looked alarmed after the statement, eyes widening more as she tried to curl further into the wall.

"So that's what's wrong with her. I know you only keep reservations and broken dolls back here. The idea of having a perfectly silent slave intrigues me, so I'll fall for your lame attempt to dump her off on someone else. Go get the paperwork while I get more familiar with... What's her name?"

Sebastian took out a device and jerked the girl's hand out scanning her handprint before letting her pull it back around her legs. "Number 8840561: Laeri, or whatever you want to call her. She's known for being passed through hands very quickly because she's too obedient apparently. But then again isn't that what you asked for?"

"It is. Go ahead and get the paperwork while I get to know her a bit." He was smirking now, giving the impression that he didn't care one bit about getting to know the girl. It looked more like he was planning on testing her pain threshold.

"Alright. But don't break her until you've paid. We can negotiate pricing when I get back with the papers." Sebastian gave a nasty cackle and left, letting the door creak closed.

Doojoon watched him go, then approached the girl who was still cowering in the corner. She had been startled enough that she was shaking uncontrollably. He walked over and knelt in front her. She was watching him closely now. Her breathing had gotten harder and more audible as her fear grew. He moved some hair away from her face, frowning when she flinched away from the touch.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. I'm going to get you out of here."