She remembered quickly learning that some of the women who didn't return weren't killed but were sold to wealthy men to be their slaves. That's where she was taken. To her surprise, she was sold to her boyfriend's father.
Naïve, she initially believed he was there to rescue her, but once they were back at his manor, they entered through a hidden pathway in its basement. While they walked, she chose to inform him of what his son had done to her that landed her in such a horrible place.
Just then, the door to the large basement opened, and her boyfriend stepped through, smiling mockingly. Arne quickly realized that they were working together.
Her boyfriend told her that she was a gift for his father and that if she didn't want to be hurt, she'd do everything his father said.
"I've killed many men like them," Wren commented, then her voice became regretful. "If only I knew about this back then..."
"Take off your clothes," the father ordered her.
Arne remembered looking at her boyfriend with desperation, but he stared back at her with cold eyes and said, "You heard him."
Defiant, Arne told them no and tried to run away, but both started to smile wickedly as they quickly caught her and tore at her clothes as she tried to crawl away.
Afraid of what was about to happen to her, Arne screamed until her throat was raw, then something in her snapped and she went still.
"You finally learned there's no point in fighting, huh?" the father laughed, undoing his belt. "Stay just like that."
The father eagerly turned her over on her back and was struck with fear as he stared at her cold, glowing, orange eyes.
"Wha...What the hell?" He exclaimed as he stumbled, backing away.
The building began to shake as she stood. Looking down at herself, she saw she was growing claws, her skin was darkening, and her hair was growing considerably.
She felt a nearly irresistible urge to lose control, but through sheer force of will, she focused all her mental fortitude on the two men before her. Somehow, this gave her control as the urge subsided.
Unable to withstand being in such proximity to her raw power, her boyfriend and his father tried to get away from her, but she sank one of each of their feet into the ground. Realizing there was nothing he could do in the situation, the father pleaded with blood trickling from his ears. Arne slowly aimed a hand toward him.
"Stay just like that," she repeated flatly as the ground beneath him cracked open. She closed it back after he fell into the darkness below, and his screams could no longer be heard.
Then she turned her attention to her boyfriend, who started pleading and giving excuses about his father making him do it, but she wasn't interested in his pleas.
"I loved you," Arne spoke. "I was ready to marry you, to give myself to you."
"I'm sorry! I truly am, but my father..."
"You're not sorry," Arne cut him off. "Have you ever been betrayed by someone you loved? The way you betrayed me?"
Parts of the basement ceiling began to crumble and fall as the earthquake grew.
"Has being in the presence of the opposite sex ever made you feel so utterly weak? To be easily subdued by them. To be at the complete mercy of them. The subject of their depraved desires. Have you ever felt that? Defenseless?...Violated?"
Seeing that his words weren't getting through to her, the boyfriend screamed as he tried to flee, but a stone wall had risen to trap him there. Arne stared at him blankly.
"Don't bother screaming or crying. You never cared when the women did."
The boyfriend steeled his nerves and turned to face Arne. He looked her in the eye, trembling slightly before speaking.
"If you're going to kill me, do it. You won't break me."
"Relax. You'll want to in a moment," Arne said smugly with dark humor. "Don't worry, you'll die, but not before you experience the same trauma you so easily forced on others."
With that, she created a muddy, male, humanoid figure from the ground and gave it a solid shape. As the towering figure slowly approached the boyfriend, Arne walked past him and placed a hand on his shoulder as he watched the figure with wide, terrified eyes.
"Enjoy your time together," Arne said before opening a path for her to exit through the stone wall.
As she left the crumbling manor, she heard the boyfriend's painful wails as the mansion collapsed. From that moment forward, she had mentally decided to disassociate with femininity, seeing that as the day she died but was reborn as someone strong. Someone who'd never feel vulnerable again. From that day on, strength was what mattered to them.
When the memory ended, everyone looked at Arne in stunned silence. Arne felt an uncomfortable exposure having them see her at her most vulnerable.
"I'm shocked you've been holding a past like that," Damien commented.
"Yeah, you've always been this rock. I never imagined..." Naomi added.
"It might not mean much coming from me, but that's rough...I'd disconnect too," Trevor stated. "If that's what flashed across your mind when I called you a girl during our fight...I'm sorry."
"Well, now you all understand," Arne said with a stoic expression, wanting the moment to be over with.
"Arne, those humans were among the vilest of their kind," Damien said softly as he placed a soothing hand on Arne's shoulder. "You being a girl or falling in love with someone who betrayed you doesn't make you weak. Any of us could fall for the wrong person. So, anytime that memory resurfaces, you should stand proud of the fact that you persevered through such an event and literally came out of it stronger. Accepting who you are won't take that away."
To everyone's astonishment, tears began to run down Arne's cheeks.
Wiping them away, Arne spoke with a slightly shaky, softened voice.
"Thanks...," she said with a small smile.
"You're still strong enough to beat me..." Trevor commented playfully.
"And don't you forget it," Arne replied, patting her biceps.
"If you're accepting who you are now, you should wear a dress!" Naomi said excitedly. "Flaunt your figure!"
"Not happening," Arne said sharply. "After so long, I'll have to get used to allowing others to call me a girl again, but you won't catch me in a dress or heels."
"So, are you going to calm down with the fighting now?" Trevor asked her.
Arne raised an eyebrow.
"Why would I do that?"
"I mean...I just thought..."
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