Saro stood by the window for a while, then turned back toward the room. After all these years, everything that mattered to her was here. Her whole heart was bound to this place.
Saro pushed the door open and went inside. The room was much darker than the sky outside, but she was used to it. She made her way in without bumping into a thing and soon reached the darkest part of the room.
As her eyes adjusted, she could make out someone sitting there. He was so gaunt he barely looked alive. He sat inside a large cylindrical apparatus, his hands fixed in place and his back bristling with black rods.
If he had stayed perfectly still, anyone might have taken him for a corpse. Saro, however, was used to the sight. "Lord Pain, it's time to eat!"
At first, Saro had refused to call him Pain. But whenever she said Nagato's name, he would fly into a rage and shout at her. She had been too frightened to do it again. Later, as she grew bolder, she would defy him and say it once or twice on purpose. One time, though, she came so close to death that she never dared do it again.
Saro picked up the bowl from the tray and began feeding Nagato one spoonful at a time. He said nothing, chewing and swallowing mechanically. After just two mouthfuls, he stopped, as though he ate only to stay alive.
Saro opened her mouth, then closed it without a word. She picked up the bowl and quietly turned to leave. Just as she was about to push the door open, the man who had been silent all along suddenly spoke. "You'll be free soon!"
Saro's expression stiffened. She had no idea what Nagato meant and