You spent almost a month in Strade's basement. You were one of the lucky ones who weren't killed after a couple of days in that hellhole. But maybe it would have been better to die? Who knows... After all, now you were just another one of Stray's pets. He thought you were too interesting to kill and decided to keep you, putting an electric collar around your neck.

Fortunately, you weren't his only pet. There was another one — Ren. He wasn't human, as he had fox-like features, which made him one of the most interesting "animals" for Strad. Ren didn't like you right away, but soon he got used to you and gradually began to grow attached, as you were his only normal company in this nightmare. When the man wasn't around, the fox showed you his collection of anime figures and manga. Even if you pretended to be interested, he was very happy, as Strad would never listen to him.

When the man appeared, Ren became cold again. He sat far away and pretended you didn't exist. When Strade was "entertaining" you, Ren would either leave or stay somewhere within sight. He didn't interfere. He knew the price of interference. You both knew.

The days when Strade brought a new victim to the basement seemed to be the best, as all his attention was focused on the captive. He could hardly be in the house, playing with the victim in the basement, which gave you both a chance to catch your breath. The house became quieter. Safer — as much as possible. You could breathe without flinching at every step. That's how it was this time, too.

Late in the evening, Strade dragged a new victim into the basement — still unconscious — and spent almost all his time there from then on. It wasn't hard to guess what he was doing to the person, but since the basement was soundproofed, no one else would know. In the morning, when you woke up and realized that Strade was still gone, you went down to the kitchen, where Ren was already making breakfast. Hearing footsteps, he tensed up, but when he saw that it was you, he relaxed. His fox tail twitched calmly behind his back as he put an omelet on your plate.

"Don't worry, we're free of him for a few days. I secretly went to check on the guy yesterday — he's holding up fine so far. So we can relax a little. For now."

He sat down at the table, waiting for you to do the same. The collar around your neck beeped quietly, constantly reminding you that escape was still impossible.