⛓ My beautiful caged songbird ⛓

Chapter 1: Dreamon

Before we start......
-creds:
•the picture above belongs to @seiro4aka on DevianArt

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--Prologue--

A few years ago, in a spacious shared room, .....

A 15 year old boy was sitting on his bed, singing a strange song as he strummed his guitar. He smiled and giggled to himself from his mistakes and off singing in some parts, but he was getting better.

There were 5 older girls as his audience, listening to his song, laughing with him as they listened. One of the girls sat behind him, brushing his long blonde hair, trying to make a ponytail with a cute red ribbon.

Once he finished singing, they clapped for him.

Before they could nag the younger boy to play another song, someone came into their room.

"Mom?" The boy said, frowning.

"Miss Raven?" One of the older girls said, getting up respectfully. The other girls followed her example. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing alarming. However, it seems we have a sudden increase in customers. So fun's over, girls. Sorry." The older woman said, and the other girls groaned and pouted in response. The boy put his instrument aside, about to get up. "Not you, Emerald. There's... We need to talk."

The boy frowned, but nodded without questions. The girls gave curious glances, but left them alone.

Once they were gone out of earshot, Raven sighed heavily. "Someone... a man wants you."

Emerald stiffened as his green eyes widened. He touched the cool metal collar that was around his neck, and put a leg behind the other to hide the broken ankle handcuff. "Another person wants to own me? Is it one of the customers we kicked out?"

"No. It's different this time. He doesn't want you as a slave, he wants you as a son." His eyes widened. "His wife caught a glimpse of you the other day, and she immediately wanted to."

Emerald huffed. "Because I'm a slave? Or because she saw me as an irresistible pretty 'girl'?" He splayed his hands to himself, then twirled his body. The oversized white shirt was loose enough to reveal the high waisted shorts he wore, and some of his fair skin above it. His blonde hair, that was now tied to a long ponytail, danced behind him as he twirled.

"Neither...," Raven replied, shaking her head. "However, that man claimed you almost look like his child." Emerald frowned. "His son passed away 3 months ago in a freak accident. His wife was so heartbroken, she could hardly sleep, nor eat."

"What? I'm not going to go and replace his son!"

"You're not. That man promised he never had that intention."

Emerald narrowed his eyes at the woman who raised him. "You already sold him to me, didn't you?"

"Emerald, I didn't sell you." She corrected, her voice stern. "That man has been approaching me for nearly a month. We had a meeting last night, and after much discussions, I agreed to give you to him to be adopted into his family, not work as a slave."

His vision slowly blurred, his tears fell. Was she getting rid of him? Did he do something wrong? "Weren't we family...?" His voice broke.

Raven, his guardian and his foster mother, smiled sadly as she wiped his tears. "We are. It's just that I can't let you live and work in this place all your life. This place isn't an ideal environment for you. It's a big world out there, Emerald. There are amazing people you can meet, too. You'll be free from your slave status, and live the way you want to live! Not be dressed and pretend to be something you're not."