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Holy s**t, it was actually a casino. More incredulous staring was had, the intensity kicked up a notch. This... this was definitely not what she'd been expecting.

It'd been nearly a month since her last cigarette; the smoke in here was almost overwhelming after that dry spell and Sylvi coughed, covering her mouth with a hand.

As she did so, a woman in fancy clothes came up to her, waited patiently for her coughing to subside before handing her an even fancier cocktail with a beaming smile.

"Welcome to Delta Casinos! To begin, we will play with a currency called Casino coins. You can use them later for fantastic prizes!" It sounded like a sales pitch, and her nod was a bit baffled as she tried to hand the drink back.

The lady was a bit reluctant to take the hint, but some staring did the trick and finally she left with the drink, but not before passing the blonde some Casino coins.

A bit dazed, it took a bit for Sylvi to collect herself again; once she did, she counted the coins. Exactly 50. For playing, that was what the attendant had said, but she wasn't quite sure she wanted to play. People lost money at casinos, right? Not that she had any money to lose, but with her luck she'd end up losing the stuff she'd been stocking up for an emergency.

But the coins had been free... ah what the hell, the world had gone to hell in a handbasket, might as well try having a bit of fun when she could.

Playing blackjack had been a high, something fun after all the hardship of the last month.

She'd wandered a bit after that, taking in the sights, before she noticed that her hands were giving off sweat marks on her clothes. A wave of dizziness hit her as she looked down to check herself over and Sylvi staggered, reaching out a hand to steady herself - and then there was nothing.

She woke, feeling like she'd just taken the worst beating of her life. Everything was sore, and her senses were coming back rather slowly. First the aching of her body, then the smell of terrified people and then the sound of terrified people, muttering from all around her and quick, desperate gasps as someone tried to control their fear.

Then there was light, and she wished there weren't. Her eyes hurt, watered, and she blinked rapidly trying to normalize her sight. When it came back she saw the room, which didn't look like somewhere she recognized and then someone was speaking.

Not someone actually talking in the room, she realised, but someone speaking through speakers.

The words made no sense. She listened, disbelieving, as the speaker talked of annual casino games, buying people and being bought. It seemed so outlandish, so weird, even after everything that'd already happened. Surely they couldn't mean this - this was a room full of people, not cattle.

Opening her mouth to say something, maybe ask a question or demand an explanation or maybe even burst into tears - she wasn't quite sure which it'd be, but it started with "what-"

and that was as far as she got, before the announcer was speaking again. More words that made no sense. Maybe she was going to speak again, but she never got that far before an attendant had grabbed her (and her chair; in another time and place she'd be quite impressed) and hauled her into another room.

This one had less people, she realised. Only two people in the same situation as herself, a young woman and an even younger man.

The announcer's voice came back again, and announced that she was now responsible for someone's life. Sylvi blinked, barely had time to properly register the thought before she was being asked to choose one to save.

"The lady," the response was fast, automatic. She didn't even think about it, although she probably should have. Regret for not considering the situation more properly set in as soon as she'd said the words but... well, she could only save one. Assuming she managed to save anyone at all.

The attendants freed her choice and there was a brief moment of relief, having done something good as the young lady sobbed in relief and then -

then the attendants turned to the young man, and he screamed and there was blood and then they were dragging him off into another room.

She'd never felt so low in her life.

Sylvi and the young lady were brought to another room, this one a washroom, where they were given a chance to clean themselves up. The young lady had thanked her, sincere gratitude shining out of her but the blonde was still numb from the shock of seeing the young man dragged off. She nodded, mechanically, cleaning herself off in a daze.

This was a bad dream, only her limbs were still aching too much for it to be a bad dream.

The young lady was dragged in a different direction as Sylvi was escorted down the hallway by attendants. She spared a thought to her, hoping she'd be alright, wherever she went.