The market

[MasterZero]

Hoods created a dozen orbs, and then a dozen clones of himself. Going at a dozen at a time, he would ask a slave to enter an orb with him, or one of his clones. Inside, Hoods or his clone would ask the slave a series of questions. He needed to know their minds, understand how they think, and how they would think. Hoods was smart, and cunning, and he was good at reading emotions, even hidden ones. Some of the questions he asked were....

Did they have any living friends or family outside of slavery?

How long had they been under Arkurus' ownership?

Could they imagine life without a Master?

If Arkurus told you to serve another, would you serve that other faithfully?

Did they want freedom?

All of these questions would result in his choice of letting them free or not. While some wanted freedom, and Hoods would allow them, other minds just weren't able to let them live in the outside world.

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"Calm down! I ain't going to hurt none of you....Not physically at least," D said. "This is Alex's final test. Once it is done, he will truly be the Master of Magic. But he must pass it, and you are a part of it. A very important part....You may want to leave her," the master said, pointing at Neko. "It might be a little much....Then again, her pure, innocent love could be a deciding factor. Her you'll definitely want to leave," he pointed at Melody, and then pointed at Sarah. "You don't really love my apprentice, so you can choose to go or not."

"D....They are not a part of-"

"That's...where you are wrong. They are an important part of this...Now come on, or I'll torture them instead."

Alex quickly pulled away from his girls, and he stared at each of them lovingly, before following D outside the door. "I'll be back, in fifteen minutes. Read a book while we're gone or something," D said as the door closed behind them.

For fifteen minutes, the girls would wait. They would hear nothing, only silence. They were all alone in the library, and for fifteen minutes, Alex and D were gone. What they did in the fifteen minutes was up to do.

In the closing seconds of those fifteen minutes, it happened. A horrible, bloodcurdling scream. A scream of pure pain, that could only be heard in the library. The voice was unmistakable. It was Alex's voice. He was screaming in pain.

The door then opened, and D stood there, with a blank expression on his face. "Coming?"

It was up to the girls to pick who would go to see their tortured Master.