Warm sunlight filtered through an open window, dust motes floating in the golden glow.
Ken laughed softly as a pair of small arms wrapped around his waist from behind.
"Onii-chan! You promised we'd go today!"
He looked down. There she was, Miyu, his little sister.
Bright eyes, messy black hair, and her favorite oversized sweater that hung past her hands. She was barefoot, clutching her worn stuffed rabbit, pouting with her round, chubby cheeks puffed out.
Ken scratched the back of his head, glancing toward the doorway.
"I can't today. Father gave me tasks to finish…"
Miyu puffed her cheeks and pointed a tiny finger at him.
"Liar. Just say it! You're scared of going to the shrine!"
Ken laughed awkwardly.
"Wha- no I'm not! We'll go tomorrow, okay?"
"You always say that. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow."She squinted up at him, unconvinced.
"Onii-chan… don't tell me believe that rumour..."
He leaned down, pinching her cheek gently.
"You've got a big mouth for such a tiny person."
Then he stepped past her, raising a hand lazily.
"Alright, alright. Tomorrow, for real this time."
But before he could take another step…
"NO no no no! Let's go now!"
Miyu tackled him from behind, arms clinging tightly around his waist like a determined koala.
Her little feet slid on the floor, but she held on.
"You promised! You promised, Onii-chan!"
Her voice echoed in his ears, sweet and stubborn.
He laughed, just about to turn and answer, "Miyu…" The word slipped out of his lips…
A cold hand brushed against his cheek.
"Hey! You! Wake up!"
The warmth of sunlight was gone. Coarse sand pressed against his back.
A chill breeze blew over his soaked clothes. The salty air was sharp, filled with the faint scent of smoke and blood.
"Oi. Open your eyes, come on!"
His vision blurred, then slowly came into focus.
Aira was crouched beside him, dirt and blood painted her face. Her cloth was soaked, her hair tangled from wind and sea.
He stared for a moment, still caught in the dream. "Miyu…?"
Aira blinked, startled.
"Who's that? I'm Aira"
"KAK!" Nyx's sharp cry snapped Ken fully awake.
Any trace of emotion vanished from his face.
He pushed himself up quickly, eyes looking at his sourrounding.
Pristine golden sand stretched out around him, waves gently lapping at the shore. Beyond the sandline, thick greenery formed a wild wall of jungle.
He turned the other way, The ship they had stolen was split in half, cracked and ruined, barely holding together in the shallow surf.
Notifications flickered across his vision:
[Combat Mode: Exited]
[Total Points Used: 1,018]
[Assist Bonus: +185 Points]
[Saved multiple people from death.]
[Remaining Points: 331]
Ken clicked his tongue.
'Years of saving… wasted. Tch.'
He turned toward Aira, voice flat.
"Where are the others? Is it just you?"
Aira shook her head, then pointed to a massive rock not far away.
Several figures were huddled behind It. Someone had clearly dragged them there on purpose, using the stone as cover.
Ken shifted, then froze. He tried to lift his right hand, only to realize it had been tightly bound across his shoulder.
"Your arm's broken," Aira said, noticing his reaction. "Hope you don't mind. I… did what I could."
Ken glanced down at the crude sling, then to the torn edge of her robe.
It didn't take a genius to figure out where the fabric came from.
"You didn't have to," he muttered. Then, after a short pause, "But… it's fine."
They turned and began walking toward the tall rock where the others had taken shelter. As they rounded the edge, the survivors came into view.
Takeshi was sitting with his back against the stone, one arm wrapped tightly in blood-soaked cloth.
Tsubame was crouched near Shiran, inspecting a cut above his eye. Her face was pale, her robes torn and soaked, but her hands moved steadily.
She didn't look up when Ken approached, she was focused on keeping the boy conscious.
Yuki sat beside them, clutching her knees, silent. Her eyes were wide, unblinking, staring out toward the sea.
Only Nyx moved freely, circling in the sky, scanning the tree line and horizon in turns.
"They're alive," Aira said softly. "But barely."
Ken didn't respond right away. His eyes moved from face to face, measuring wounds, posture, breathing.
Calculating who could still fight…
And who wouldn't survive the next threat.
Nyx landed silently on his shoulder, then let out a sharp cry. "KAK! KAK!"
Ken turned toward the treeline.
"Wait here," he muttered, already stepping toward the jungle.
Despite what he said, Aira followed.
Everyone was hurt, Ken included, but somehow, he still feel dependable. Maybe it was foolish… but if he decided to abandon them, she wanted to be there to stop him.
Then he stopped, right beside one of the larger trees.
Aira's eyes widened.
There, carved deep into the bark, was a mural scorched into the surface and a twisted symbol etched into the trunk, Two numbers, 2 and 7, fused and warped like a brand.
She recognized it instantly.
"That's… a pirate crew mark. The Crimson Tide"
Ken stepped closer to the carving, brushing away vines and dirt. His eyes narrowed. Carved above the symbol, in rough but deliberate strokes, were the words:
For Those Who Come After
Beneath it, a warning scorched into the wood:
Please leave this island immediately.
If you cannot avoid the forest,
If you must go, do not enter after sunset.
Aira leaned in behind him, "Why would a pirate crew left something like this..."
Ken said nothing. His eyes had already moved lower.
Beneath the warning, partially buried under moss and bark, was a second carving, this one different.
Lines of burnt grooves formed a mural, wrapping around the tree like a story.
It depicted a woman standing at the edge of a cliff, overlooking a vast expanse of dense jungle. Her hair flowed like wind, her stance firm. Above her hung a crescent moon.
But her eyes weren't on the sky. She was looking downward…
Toward a lake nestled in the heart of the jungle.
The lake was perfectly round, like some made it on purpose.
At the lake's center was something carved into the bark , a symbol or structure… But it was blurred, as if someone had tried to scrape it away.
At the base of the mural, words had been burned into the roots: "If you seek the One Treasure, find the eaten moon."
"You said… the Crimson Tide?" Ken asked, frowning. "Never heard of them. What kind of pirate crew is that?"
"Not weird you haven't," Aira said quietly, stepping closer to the symbol. "They're ancient. A pirate crew from over a thousand years ago."
She ran her fingers lightly across the scorched carving.
"I only saw the name once… in an old book from the capital's restricted archive."
She nodded toward the mark.
"This was their symbol. Back then, if any ship spotted it at sea, they'd turn around without hesitation.
No one dared challenge them. Their presence was feared, like how we fear the Shadow Fog now."
Ken stayed silent, eyes narrowed.
"And this... 'One Treasure'?" he asked. "Any idea what it is?"
Aira's brow furrowed as she searched her memory.
Names. Maps. Legends.
And then… Her eyes widened in shock.
"It can't be…"