In 2021, aboard the rescue ship Sea Watch in the Mediterranean, I embarked on a mission as a volunteer, encountering the harrowing realities of migration firsthand. Amidst the turbulent waves, I met Daniel, whose haunting tale shed light on the dark underbelly of human trafficking and exploitation. Those rescued from the sea carried stories of desperation, lured by false promises of a better life in Europe. Instead, they found themselves trapped in a nightmarish cycle of abuse—torture, sexual violence, and extortion. Each journey exacted a toll, not just in currency, but in the shattered dreams and repeated sacrifices of those seeking freedom. We navigated a sea fraught with trauma, confronting the stark realities of a merciless criminal enterprise preying on the vulnerable.