A New Life

**Date Started:** January 5th, 2021
**Date Completed:** Finished
**Users Involved:** User:FlowGoer
**Setting:** East Blue
**Characters Involved**:
* **Sariel**

## Getting Ready

January 6th, 1558. East Blue
“Alright everyone,get ready to move out once we get there! Everyone stick together, because if we’re gonna get lost, then we might as well get lost together! No one knows what might await us, so tread carefully. If we find treasure, then we can call it a successful expedition!”

The leader of a group of explorers said while they were slowly cruising towards an island on a ship. The man who was simply known as Walhart. They were on a relatively small ship, and the entire expedition group consisted of just 10 people, Walhart included. Many of the people that were part of this expedition group were people who either wanted to go out on adventures, or were out to earn money by finding treasure.

The group used to consist of 9 people, but a few days ago, someone new had joined. His name was Armin. A young man in his early 20’s who was awfully quiet and didn’t interact with the other people. The reason he was even taking part in the expedition was because he just wanted to see the world. Walhart didn’t mind taking someone such as him on the expedition, which was why he got accepted.

And among the others who have already been part of the expedition was their second newest recruit. Only having been part of the group for a few months, yet active and open enough to fit in better than the young man. A more traditional outfit, wild, blonde hair and a pleasant smile on her face. A 17 year old girl named Sariel had joined a few months back, due to her family situation having taken a turn for the worst. Wanting to get away from all the trouble and wanting to feel free again.

Everyone within the group had their own responsibilities. And within the group, Sariel essentially acted as a muscle, or a combatant. When exploring, it wasn’t unusual to meet wild animals or pirates who have their eyes on treasure. With experience in brawling and basic martial arts skills, she makes sure that the group stays protected in case something bad happens.

While everyone was cheering and getting ready to dock on the island, the newest recruit Armin was being awfully quiet. Sariel thought that he was simply someone who hadn’t been able to come out of his shell just yet, and thus it didn’t take long for her to turn towards the quiet young man-- And lightly karate chop him on the shoulder in order to get his attention.

“Hey there. Your name was Armin, right? I know that you’ve only recently joined, but if it makes you feel any better, I was the newest recruit before you came, and I’ve only been part of it for a few months. But, I can assure you that everyone here is a great person. Why don’t you try and properly get to know some of them?”

Sariel tried to engage in conversation with the quiet, young man. And while her approach might have seemed a little too upfront with her chopping him lightly. He looked visibly confused, and to an extent, even scared. Being approached this aggressively wasn’t something he enjoyed, and he recoiled backwards without saying a word. Sariel figured that she might have been a little too upfront.

“Uhm… Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to grab your attention. If you don’t want to talk, then it’s fine. I just thought it’d be easier for you to work with us if we got to know each other a little better. Perhaps I should have introduced myself first. My name is Sariel. I basically serve as the group’s bodyguard. Walhart used to do all the occasional fighting before I came around. Mind telling me a little about yourself?”

Sariel’s introduction had become a lot more formal and quiet. She could tell that Armin was not feeling comfortable with her being this open and loud about. Especially with the physical approach. But with her quieting down and showing that she can be reasonable as well made Armin finally open his mouth.

“My name is Armin, as you already know. And… That is basically all you need to know. Sorry, but I am not really good with other people. I am a bit, as they say: Antisocial. Don’t worry about me, alright? I am merely tagging along to see the world.”

“Ah, there you go! Already, I know more about by you being simply a little more open.”

Sariel said, and for some reason, Armin looked rather nervous after she said that. But he kept his cool and tried to play along with the girl who was a little bit too active for him to feel comfortable. He stayed quiet, to which Sariel continued to chatter with him.

“You’re not even in it for the possible treasure, and just want to see the world? The East Blue is mainly covered in the ocean, but… The few islands there are can be full of adventure. My situation is actually a bit different. I’ve been having trouble with my parents, and decided to set out with this explorer group. So, I am not really out to find treasure or see the world. This is basically… A getaway? For the lack of a better word.”

Sariel played her situation off as a joke. Her family situation had never been that good. But she was too young to take care of herself. But with the explorers having stopped by at her home, she saw the opportunity to leave and start a new life.

While Armin listened, he got more and more nervous the more she talked. He really tried to put himself together, yet something about what she said rubbed him the wrong way.

“You wanted to get away from your family?” He asked.

“Huh? Well, yes. It’s a bit of a troublesome story, so I don’t want to bother you with it. Me and my family got into a bit of a fight, let’s say.... So, I saw no more reason to stay home. Don’t worry too much about it, alright? I am doing perfectly fine here!”

Something about what Sariel said didn’t sit right with Armin, yet, he didn’t want to pay it any further attention. But, in a way, he felt connected to the girl. Even though he was reserved and didn’t really want to interact with other people, Sariel was a lot more inviting than some of the other people.

“Maybe we two aren’t too different.” Armin quietly whispered to himself.

## Expedition

A few minutes into the conversation that Sariel and Armin were having, the boat they explorers used was slowly but surely approaching the island of interest. From afar it wasn’t clear as to what kind of island they were dealing with. But Walhart who had been on his fair share of islands could immediately detect what kind of island they were approaching once it had got into sight.

“The island we are approaching appears to be a summer island! Very tropical with large trees and thick greens. A jungle, if you will. Jungles are a prime location to hide treasure if you ask me! But be careful, because depending on how this expedition takes, we might also come face to face with the weather conditions of a jungle. Oh, and animals of course! As I said before, we are going to stay together!”

Everyone listened to the leader’s words, because his judgement of the situation was always the best. Those who stayed with him longer also knew that he could always be trusted. And Sariel and Armin also listened to what he had to say. Once he finished, Sariel looked at Armin with a bit of a smirk on her face. She seemed excited.

“Hey, since we are going to stick together on this expedition, it’s the perfect chance for you to get to know some more of us! Perfect opportunity if you ask me.”

“...I think I’ll pass. Knowing one person is already enough.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying that I alone am important enough for you to along with? Are you trying to flatter me? Well, keep it up and it might work!”

Sariel tried to once again play into jokes as well as poking Armin’s chest as if she was trying to tickle a response out of him. Yet, Armin once again returned to just being quiet and reserved. Much to Sariel’s dismay, who sighed in disappointment.

“Guess I gotta be quiet around him or else he won’t talk to me…”

The conversation between the two just came to a stop, as now what mattered was setting off onto the island. The boat continued to drift forward, until the sails were pulled back once they were close to the shore of the island. The anchor was tossed into a water, with it getting a hold on a nearby rock formation. They had finally arrived at their destination.

Walhart jumped off the boat and landed onto the shore. The other explorers of the group shortly follow after, with Sariel having to literally drag Armin just to have him come along. Apparently he was fine with just sitting the entire expedition out, but Sariel wasn’t having any of that. And with the man on her shoulder, she jumped off and joined the group.

“Come on, as long as you stay with us, nothing bad could possibly happen. You don’t want to stay on the boat all by yourself, right? I mean, what if someone tries to attack you?”

“LET ME GO!”

Even though she kept trying, Armin really wasn’t having any of it. But the risk of being attacked while he was all by himself wasn’t something that he liked thinking about. In the end, he had no other choice but to tag along with everyone. Sariel was not sure what to think of Armin’s behavior. He seemed awfully on edge for no good reason.

But once everything has settled, the expedition could finally begin. As a large group, they left their boat behind and entered the lush jungle of the island, with Walhart leading the way of the group, as he always did. Armin would stay close to Sariel, despite what happened. She was the person he got the closest to, and despite her behavior which oftentimes left him feeling uncomfortable, he was trusting her the most.

While going through the jungle, the sounds of water dropping off of leaves could be clearly heard. The place was still wet from a previous rainstorm that had covered the island. Storms in climates like these were common, and it indicated that one had arrived a few hours before they got the island. Giving them some time before the next one should come.

The island-- As far as people knew, was completely uninhabited. The island was also rather small compared to some others that could be found throughout the East Blue. But even then, it was unexplored, so they were mainly working with assumptions.

“Stick together, everyone. Last thing we want to happen is every one of us getting lost in here and no longer being able to find one another. While we may not be able to cover more ground, what is more important is that you all stay safe.”.

As he explained, the quiet sounds of water droplets continued to echo in the background. Everything seemed rather quiet and safe for the time being. But Walhart knew better than to drop his guard in an unexplored area.

And with quiet rustling echoing in the distance, how could he possibly lower his guard? All of the other explorers were present with him, and thus any sound that came from afar had to come from some of the wildlife that was present. Normally, messing with nature when he shouldn’t get involved in it in the first place wasn’t his style. But if he has to defend someone, then he will go out of his way to fight.

As they advanced deeper into the jungle, the noises from afar kept creeping. Something was following them, Walhart could tell. Meanwhile Armin was pushed up against Sariel as they were going together. Armin seemed beyond scared to be part of this.

“For a guy who wants to see the world you are quite the scaredy cat, sheesh. But don’t worry, as long as you stay with me, I will protect you!”

Sariel said, wrapping her arm around his shoulder like they were buddies. Normally, Armin would react by recoiling back. But something about these words resonated within him. Knowing that he can count on someone to protect him.

Then all of the sudden, a growling could be heard. The unmistakable sound of a growling cat. A large one at that. Multiple even. One could feel how the ground trembled from the sound of the roaring. Immediately, everyone went into such a position that their backs were turned to one another, and they all got a view from every side. Something like this happening wasn’t out of the ordinary for them.

Creeping out from the thick jungle were tigers. But not any ordinary tigers. These tigers were huge. While a tiger could be as long as a person, these ones were even taller than humans by just standing regularly. They were just that huge. Their maws are big enough to easily bite off half of a person if they so please.

“Well, this ain’t looking too peachy… Is what I would say If I wasn’t here! Time for some proper self defense. Oi, Sariel, help me out, will ya?”

“Yes sir!”

The confidence that oozed off of their leader was enough for them to never lose their hope. And Sariel was there as well, and she had previous fighting experience. But that didn’t mean that the others weren’t able to put up a fight. The moment they were surrounded, their fighting instincts kicked in for all. All, save for Armin, who was scared for his life.

Walhart jumped into the frey and grabbed one of the large tigers by its tail, before swinging it around by the tail to attack its brethren. Sariel jumped in with a series of fast punches in kicks to aim for the weak spots of the animals to instantly knock them out, despite their fearsome size. However, most of the work would be done by Walhart, whose display of casually swinging around a giant tiger by its tail was enough to scare some of them off. Those that stuck around would get hit, and eventually run away after realizing that the effort wasn’t worth it.

After a short skirmish, everything returned back to normal. Walhart having done most of the work, with Sariel helping out a bit, even if it wasn’t much. The group was rather calm about the entire situation, safe for Armin, who immediately held onto Sariel after she was done fighting some of the giant tigers. She wasn’t kidding when she said that as long as he stayed with her, she’d protect him.

“Hey hey, were you worried? As long as Walhart is here, nothing could possibly happen to us. You should thank him more than me.”

Sariel said while casually patting Armin on the head. The shy young man recoiling backwards after realizing that he had been holding onto Sariel out of fear. He was really taking her words from before to heart. Having someone who can protect him was certainly good. Especially these days.

“Where did you learn to fight like that?” Armin asked her.

“I took some fighting lessons. Believe it or not, but I got into a lot of fights when I got younger. People used to get on my nerves incredibly quickly. Especially those that mocked me. For the longest time, I used to have some lung disease that made it incredibly hard for me to breathe. But as the years went on, It just went away. But-- Please don’t take this the wrong way! I am not a rowdy person normally, I promise!”

She kept most things to herself regarding her past. In fact, she can’t even remember most of it. Everything before when she was 8 years old seems to just have vanished from her memory. She didn’t want Armin to think that she was a freak. But, Armin wasn’t in the least bit worried. Knowing that she can fight was reassuring.

“Everyone…” Walhart raised his voice.

“In… what direction did we go again? I lost track while I was fighting.”

He asked the group, to which everyone just questioningly looked at each other. Much like their leader, even they forgot which way they went. They were so distracted by the fight that they forgot which way they went again. This is why they weren’t told to split up.

“Oh well! Let’s just go… That way! Gut feeling. You can always trust it.”

Walhart said before once again leading the way. He wasn’t sure whether or not the direction he gave was the right one, but he didn’t want to keep his group waiting. Thus they went forward without question, because his word was absolute. And thus came another few minutes of walking. This time it was a lot more quiet however. The tigers that had been stalking them were thoroughly scared of them and would not try to attack them again.

After several minutes of walking, through the lush greens of the jungle a light peered through. A great sign, as it would mean that the density of the trees would finally reduce and indicate a larger open area. Without second thought, Walhart and the group continued to move forward towards the light. Pushing away thick leaves and branches, weaving through nature in order to embrace the light.

And past everything was…

The shore.

They went the wrong direction. They didn’t walk to where they came from, but they took such a sharp turn in direction that they ended up leaving the jungle again without advancing deeper inside of it, and instead ended up at the shore again. Everyone was a little dumbfounded, and Walhart was thoroughly embarrassed about the fact that he lead the group into the wrong direction.

“Well… This is awkward. Guess we went the wrong way. But, hey at least now we know where we shouldn’t go! Let’s go and--”

“Walhart?”

“Hm, yes?”

“Do you see that boat over there?”

One of the members of the explorer group said while pointing at the shore. It wasn’t the same shore they came from, yet in the distance, a small boat could be seen. A rowboat at that. Small, made for just about two people to sit in.

“Huh, that is odd. Either that thing got stranded here, or we aren’t the only people on this island after all! No other way to find out than to investigate. Who knows, maybe there are people who actually live here.”

The group went forward, following Walhart. While everyone was rather surprised at the appearance of a lone boat, Armin out of all people was getting even more nervous than he usually was. Sariel turned towards him, tilting her head.

“Are you scared? It’s just a boat. Maybe it got stranded here after getting carried by the waves.”

“Maybe, but… What if someone is on here?”

“Well, then it wouldn’t be much of a problem, right? Another explorer, or a pirate, doesn’t matter. I mean, there couldn’t have been that many people on it.”

The two of them quietly discussed as the whole group made its way towards the rowboat to investigate. As they got closer in order to inspect it, nothing out of the ordinary could be found upon first glance. At least not without thoroughly looking at it from every possible angle. But they weren’t pirates. Snooping around wasn’t something they should do.

As they looked around the boat, they didn’t look at the sand. Footsteps should indicate where someone went, and Sariel noticed dents in the sand that could’ve only been made by the person that used the boat to get here. The fact that they were still visible and that the boat wasn’t carried away by the waves was an indication that whoever got here was also still on it.

Without telling the group, Sariel just followed the track of footsteps. Surprisingly, the footsteps didn’t go towards the inside of the island, but rather seemed to be going along the shore. Thus she continued to follow the tracks. Looking ahead to see if she could detect anyone. But, eventually it just stopped. As if whoever walked along the shore just vanished.

“That’s strange. Did the person that came here suddenly decide to get rid of their tracks or something? Huh… weird. Maybe they went ahead.”

Despite the tracks ending, Sariel decided to continue moving forward. One step towards the tracks had ended, Sariel would just continue onward.

*Thud.*

As she moved forward, something odd happened. With one step forward, she suddenly bumped into something. But, there was nothing in front of her. At least not something that she could see.

“What the?” Sariel gasped in confusion.

“Tch…” A mysterious voice was heard.

The sand in front of her kicked back, and a gust of wind went past her, that once again bumped into her. This time catching her off guard and causing her to fall over. By observing the sand, she could see that there was sand being kicked up, like feet kicking sand up from running. Dents in the floor appearing with each step.

“Invisible?!”

She didn’t know how to explain what she was seeing. She heard someone, and she definitely saw something moving. The only conclusion was that there was indeed something, or someone invisible there. And whatever it was, it was running… Towards the group!

“EVERYONE, WATCH OUT! SOMEONE INVISIBLE IS RUNNING TOWARDS YOU!”

Sariel yelled at the group who were still occupied with looking at the rowboat. None were paying proper intention to her warning, and only glanced over towards her in the last moment of her sentence. Everyone looked rightfully confused about what she had just said. Someone invisible seemed preposterous. But Sariel wasn’t the only one to notice the sand that was being kicked up, and steadily approaching at a fast pace.

Without even being able to properly react to the situation, everyone in the group was caught by surprise. Including the otherwise cautious Walhart. But, whoever it was that was invisible, wasn’t just running towards them without a target. In a moment’s notice as the footsteps approached, Armin, who had been staying behind the group fell over!

“Ah! Help! Something is on me!”

## Unwanted Visitor

A mysterious, invisible person had suddenly arrived and surprised everyone. No one could’ve seen this coming. Finding an empty rowboat was one thing, but an invisible person attacking them was something no one was prepared for. But out of all people that this person could have possibly attacked, it went with the shy and meek Armin, who was definitely not a fighter, and thus was the most vulnerable out of the entire group.

Armin flailed with his hands in order to try and push whoever was on top of him off. As he swung his hand around, it was grazed with something sharp. Pain suddenly overcame his hand, and Armin winced. Upon looking at the hand he swung around, there was a giant cut in his skin. As if he had been slashed at with a knife. The blood dripped all over the surrounding sand as he continued to fight back despite the pain.

Sariel stood up as soon as she could in order to run back towards the group. But she wasn’t there in time to prevent Armin from getting hurt by whoever this invisible person was. Walhart was quick to act however. Out of all the people, he stepped forward and spread both of his arms apart. Seemingly grasping at the air, but actually holding into the invisible person that was attacking Armin.

“Get your hands off him, you ghost or whatever!”

With a firm grasp, he was able to pull the attacker off of Armin. He was still damaged, but at least the risk of getting stabbed again wasn’t there. Armin got helped up by some of the other explorers, with one of them acting as the nurse of the group and immediately getting to work on fixing his hand. Meanwhile Walhart was struggling to hold onto the enemy, as whoever it was was kicking him. Walhart was unable to tell just how he had grasped the foe.

Sariel finally returned and saw that Walhart got a hold onto the enemy. Still, it was not a situation to suddenly get calm for. Even Walhart wasn’t sure just how he was handling the foe. Being kicked repeatedly in the stomach, which he could endure however. But in a sudden twist, Walhart too felt pain in his hand. As if something stabbed right through it. And with the gushing of blood, it became all too clear that his hand got attacked too.

“Graaarrgh!”

Walhart screamed in pain, which caused him to let go of the invisible. Whoever it was, they weren’t unarmed. An invisible knife, alongside an invisible body. A combo that was most certainly lethal. Everyone gasped in shock as their leader was hurt. Losing sight from the foe, whose footsteps indicated that he was running away from the group this time. Sariel would run after him, but knew that it was a bad idea to chase after someone that she can’t see. Especially now, as the footsteps were leading into the jungle.

Armin’s wound was quickly closed up with bandaids, and the nurse of the group went to rush and help  Someone was here. Someone that they couldn’t see. And judging by what happened after they arrived, their intentions were clear. They were aiming to attack the group for whatever reason.

Walhart had his wound quickly tended to, and the group was in great distress after seeing two people getting attacked. The newest member, and their leader. Whoever it was, they have done enough damage already. This was supposed to be an expedition of an unknown island, and hopefully find some treasure. But now, with someone like that, the plan changed.

“Grh… Whoever it was, they are messing with the wrong people! They ran into the jungle. That means we can’t go explore anymore. On the shore, we were able to see the footsteps in the sand. But in lush jungles against someone we can’t see? No way. This is dangerous. Best idea is to get off this island as soon as possible!”

Walhart said. Armin was in great pain after getting attacked, and clenched onto his hand with the other. Sariel immediately rushed over towards him to look at his wounds. She told him that she’d protect him, yet in the end she was the one who got distracted and let him get hurt.

“I am so sorry that I wasn’t there to protect you… You got hurt because I didn’t pay attention. This time I won’t leave your side, I promise!”

Sariel felt genuinely terrible about being unable to protect him. Before, she told him that as long as he stayed by her side, nothing bad would happen to him. And the moment she leaves his side in order to investigate something, he gets hurt. She had no one else to blame for what had happened but herself. She looked beyond frustrated and sad because of what just happened.

Armin clenched his teeth, trying to hold back the tears from the pain that he was feeling. He remembered what Sariel told him. That as long as he stayed with her, she would protect him. And looking at her, he could immediately tell that she was more than just upset about what happened. Someone feeling so terribly bad for him...  There is no way that he could be mad at her.

“I-- Uh… Thank you. I will keep it in mind…”

He wasn’t sure what to tell her. He was glad that she felt so inclined to protect him, despite the fact that they have just met. Even though this Walhart seemed to be the more protective and stronger person, for some reason, Armin simply felt safer around her. He couldn’t explain why he felt this way. But knowing that she was there to protect him put him at ease. Especially now, considering what just happened.

Without further questions, the group moved along the shore. They didn’t know which direction they came from, but as long as they followed the shore, they should be able to find their ship again. And during all this time, many stares were thrown at the distant jungle. The place that they came here for to explore. Now, it was out of question. Someone was lurking in there that wanted to harm them. And treasure was not worth the risk of getting hurt, or even killed.

Walhart didn’t want to risk anyone getting hurt anymore. Armin was enough. No one else should suffer because of his desire to explore. Still, this whole situation was strange. A row boat that carried an invisible person that was set to attack them? Walhart couldn’t explain the reason behind it. No one would just attack them for no reason. It’s not like they were criminals. Unless this is some kind of very violent mugging. Either way, something seemed off.

They continued to walk along the shore of the island, while keeping a close eye on the jungle. No one could see this mysterious person, which was by far the greatest issue. And no one knew that was even the case. No one could explain how it was even possible. But that mattered less. What was important is that they all watched out for each other.

Sariel was staying close to the injured Armin. She was not going to go out of her way to look for the invisible attacker. She had let Armin down once, and she was not going to let it happen again. If she can’t even protect one person, then she won’t be able to protect anyone.

Meanwhile, within the jungle, the invisible attacker slowly creeped along. Staying at the edge, basically hiding in plain sight. The fact that he was invisible helped him greatly, yet he can’t help but feel watched as everyone just stares aimlessly into the thick greens of the jungle. They were no longer trying to explore, but instead get away. That much he could tell. And as long as his target was in sight, there is no way he can let up.

As they continued to walk, eventually they got to a spot where the greens extended further outward. This might be the spot for him to strike. He could finally get closer without having to step into sand and risk giving his position away. With them just looking at the same spot, he advanced forward towards the expanded greenery. Getting into position and waiting for them to get even closer.

Sariel noticed that there was a part of the jungle reaching outward to the shore. No sand, but more dirt and grass. This could be the prime opportunity for someone like the attacker to strike. But, she didn’t tell anyone. Not even a slight warning. Because if what she thought was indeed the case, then confirming her suspicion to the group would scare him away. She had to keep quiet, and wait for the moment to arrive.

*Thush--*

A gust of wind grazed her hair, and the strands waved around. This wasn’t just a regular gust of wind. No trees shook from it. It was much smaller. Like someone dashing past her at high speed. Sariel knew it. This attacker couldn’t wait to use the moment to dash into the group for an attack. But, this attacker wasn’t just aimlessly jumping into the group and trying to attack anyone. Sariel took note of who she tried to attack.

Armin. This guy wanted Armin.

“GOTCHA!”

Sariel turned her body at high speed, with her leg raised into the air. With the gust of wind blowing past her indicating where the guy had gone, Sariel seemingly aimed a kick towards Armin. But, she saw through the mysterious attacker. And with a direct kick, her leg came to a stop mid air. Only to impact with something solid that was right before Armin.

“GAAH!”

The voice screamed, and the sand around the area kicked into the air. Another gust of wind, this time carrying an entire, invisible person. Her kick packed enough strength to send the man that was trying to attack them flying, and in such an arc that he would fall into the water. With no control of himself airborne, the invisible attack was forced to land into the water.

With a loud splash, and Sariel’s yell from just before, the entire group looked over towards the water. Droplets of water flying into the air from the impact. And alongside water flying into the air, something strange emitted from the impact zone.

It looked like smoke. Not regular smoke, but one that looked somewhat sparkly, like glitter. And the color wasn’t a deep black or gray, but a vibrant blue. Not something that one would see from a natural source.

But as this smoke vanished after rising from the water, a body became visible. A figure… A man! A masked man that was floating in the water. This had to be the invisible attacker that tried to attack them. When he landed in the water, something got cleaned off of him that revealed him to the group.

“Damn it, you brat!” The masked man yelled at Sariel.

“HEY! Who the hell are you?! Were you the one who tried to attack my group?!”

Walhart yelled at the man in the water. Little does anyone realize that just because the man was in the water, didn’t mean that he wasn’t ready to attack again. The weapon he used became visible as well, which revealed a small, yet incredibly sharp knife. The same one that he used to attack Armin and Walhart before. And with the brief moment of distraction, the main whipped his arm forward, sending the knife flying!

With not even a second wasted after his reveal, he attacked again. Once again, an attack aimed at none other than Armin. A knife thrown at such speed that barely anyone could react to it. And the man managed to hit Armin with the knife. The sharp edge dug into his chest, causing blood to leak out from it, before the shock caused Armin to fall onto his back and immediately pass out.

It all happened so fast. Sariel could barely tell what happened. But the knife in Armin’s chest told her everything that she needed to know. The man in the water had thrown the knife he used before to this time just to get a clean shot on Armin. Judging by the reaction of the man, even he was surprised that he was able to hit it. This was a desperate attack, hence why he didn’t try to throw it before.

But now, with Sariel realizing what happened, her heart slowed down, and her skin grew cold. The sudden realization that even though she told him she’d protect him, she failed to protect him when it ultimately mattered the most. And in the end, Armin got hit in the chest. Seeing him lying on the ground, Sariel immediately thought that he died. And that thought alone sufficed to make Sariel grow cold.

But this cold feeling didn’t last long before her heart started to violently pump. The heat in her body rose as blood went rushing through her veins. The shock of defeat had been quickly overcome with an intense anger that none could possibly match. The anger and heat within her body literally caused her skin to turn red. Emitting steam from the visceral heat that her body was suddenly emitting. Sheer, unbridled anger.

“RRHGGRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!”

Sariel released a blood curdling scream that caused everyone in the group to recoil. With one step forward, Sariel pushed herself off the sand with such force that a large hole was generated in the ground. Sending sand flying as if a bomb just went off underground. One jump with such force that she was literally flying at the man in the water at speeds that the eye could register.

Within the air, she turned in such a way that the heel of her foot would connect with the man’s mask before he could even realize it. And with an intense, loud splash that caused water to consume the surrounding area, Sariel landed a direct hit on the man’s mask. As her heel impacted with the mask, it immediately cracked, and the sharp shards that were created immediately dug into the flesh of her foot, and his face.

Several more cracking sounds could be heard, like a shockwave being released inside of the man’s body. A vibration carrying itself throughout his body, causing multiple of his bones to snap. And with the impact over, the attacker was sent diving down into the water, until a loud tremble made itself noticeable.

But even then, it wasn’t enough for Sariel.

Once she landed in the water, she chased the man down by diving into the water herself. And with a firm jank, she pulled him back to the surface. Not because she wanted to save him from drowning, but because she wanted to beat him up more on solid ground. She swam back to the surface, holding onto him by the collar of his clothes, before tossing him into the sand.

She stood up and began to violently stomp his body. Kicking away the shards stuck in her foot before brutally pummeling him. Her own blood on his body, but more of his owl would end up being squeezed out with every kick. A violent trampling that caused even more bones in his body to shatter, and organs to receive major damage. Coughing up blood with each stomp, before Sariel began to stomp on his face. Kicking in the shards stuck on his face even deeper, and completely dismantling his face.

Walhart ran over towards Sariel and pulled her off. At this point, she’d end up killing the man for good if she continued. Her struggling was quite rough, even he could barely hold onto her. But with Walhart’s grasp on her, she eventually started to calm down, and those violent screams of hers that caused everyone to recoil finally stopped. After venting all her anger in the form of physical violence, she still couldn’t rest though.

“Walhart! Armin is still alive! The knife barely missed his vital organs!”

The nurse of the group yelled back. And as Sariel heard that, she could finally calm down. Armin was alife. But that doesn’t change the fact that she failed to protect him as she promised. Sariel once again grew cold as her heart went slower from the shock of what just happened.

In conclusion, the expedition had to be postponed. Armin, Walhart and Sariel were injured after being attacked by a mysterious person. They took the unconscious, brutally beaten man with them, but were unable to identify his face due to Sariel’s beating. Once everyone returned to the ship, they had to return to the nearest island to get medical attention, as well as call the Marines in order to arrest the man that tried to attack them.

It was an unsuccessful expedition. But what mattered more was the well-being of all those that took part in it.

## Criminal Connections

2 days have passed since the unfortunate events on the unexplored jungle island.

Armin slowly but surely opened his eyes again. His pupils shrunk as they adjusted to the light of his surroundings. Looking left and right as he slowly moved his head, he noticed that he was in some kind of nursing room all by himself. Or at least, that is what it seemed like at first. With a proper look to his right, he saw a figure with blonde hair resting on the side on his bed.

It was Sariel. The room only had one bed in it, and yet Sariel rested by his side. Either she was forced to sleep on the ground, or she had been waiting by his side the whole time. The latter of the two options makes the most sense however. He can still faintly remember what happened before he passed out. They were ambushed by an invisible attacker who was actively trying to attack him, and in the end knocked him out by hitting his chest with a knife.

What had happened didn’t make sense to most people. But to Armin, it was perfectly clear as to why it happened. And it was foolish of him to think that he should be safe by simply sticking with a group of explorers. They were going to chase him down after all, simply for failing to fulfil his end of a bargain…

“Sariel?”

Armin quietly asked towards the sleeping girl. Once the familiar voice rang within head, and Sariel’s eyes shot open the moment the sound was registered. Frantically looking to her side, she saw that Armin was awake. She sat next to his bed the whole time and had waited for him to wake up. After what had happened, she could barely rest properly. She was overcome with guilt when she failed the promise she gave him.

“Armin! Thank goodness you are awake! I was so worried that you’d be gone for good, but the knife this guy threw at you missed your vital organs. I-I beat the dude up real badly out of anger. So much in fact that I got scolded by the Marines for nearly killing the guy… But, he’s been arrested, and we all brought you here so that you can recover.”

Sariel quickly filled him in on everything that had happened. Armin figured as much. He was knocked out for most of it. He didn’t think that Sariel would get so angry that she’d nearly kill the guy. But knowing that he’s been arrested puts a lot of weight off his shoulder. Still, there was another thing that simply wouldn’t let him rest. And with Sariel here, he felt like he was able to tell it.

“Hey… Are you the only one who’s currently here?” Armin asked.

“Huh? Yeah, I am the only one here. Walhart also got injured but he’s in a different room, with the other guys waiting for his and your recovery.”

“Alright… Good to know. Sariel, there is something that I need to tell you, and only you. This is a secret that I didn’t want to tell anyone. But, I feel like I can trust you not to tell anyone.”

“What is it?”

Sariel scooted closer towards his bed to carefully listen. It must be rather important if she is the only one he wants to know about it.

“This might come of as a surprise, but, the guy that attacked us, well… He wasn’t trying to attack the others. No, he was out for me. It was an assassin of an organization I used to work for. An underworld organization. When I worked for them, my job was to find out information about certain individuals in the East Blue and send them over to the boss. One day, I messed up big time, and accidentally revealed classified information. The moment that happened, I was on the hit list.”

Armin explained openly. His typically quiet and reserved nature turned out to be an act to try and seem like a person no one wanted to talk to. But Sariel was the one who openly approached and talked to him, and with the truth finally being revealed, Armin had no issue with openly talking to her, and telling her the truth about the situation.

Sariel listened to what he had to say, and by the end of it, was practically frozen in place. Unmoving due to shock. The surprise that someone like him was actually affiliated with a criminal organization. In one way, she really didn’t want to believe it. But the mysterious invisible man attacked Armin multiple times. If he was just out to kill, he’d have attacked anyone. But no, he had a target.

“Armin, you… You didn’t tell anyone about this?”

“No. If I did, people would’ve most certainly reported me to the authorities. I want you to know that the job I did did not involve killing. I was responsible for gathering intel, nothing else. I was desperate for work. I needed money. And in the end, I had no choice but to submit to the underworld. And in the end, I messed up, and now I am forever a hunted man, until I am dead. But at this point, I am not going to fight it anymore…”

He explained. Sariel didn’t know what he was trying to imply with the last part, but before she could even ask him, the explorer group suddenly bursted through the door, with Walhart leading the day. Everyone saw that Armin and Sariel were talking to each other. Sariel was fine, and Armin finally woke up. Everyone was glad to see that he recovered.

“Armin! You’re awake! We were so worried about you. Sure, you’re a new recruit, but that doesn’t make your life any less valuable!” Walhart said.

“Ah… I am glad to know that you were worried. But, Walhart, I need to tell you something. Even though we barely got to know each other, I am afraid that due to my injuries, I won’t be able to be much help for you. Because of this I am going to leave the group, and return to my previous life.”

“WHAT?!”

Everyone’s voice echoed throughout the room. A recruit that just joined, and on his first exploration he gets attacked by a mysterious person. In a way, Walhart could understand why he didn’t want to come with them anymore. An experience like this was certainly traumatizing for a regular citizen such as Armin.

“...I understand. It is a shame, we thought we could get a new group member. But, I am not going to hold anything against you Armin. What happened was truly unfortunate and uncalled for. Exploring isn’t for everyone after all. Everyone, we are going to respect his choice, understand?”

“Yes sir.”

His words were absolute, and he always knew what’s best. There is no reason for the others to disagree. Even know. It was ultimately Armin’s choice. And after what happened, no one could possibly be mad at him.

“Uhm… Walhart?” Sariel said.

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Sariel?”

“I’d like to step out of the group as well.”

“WHAAAAAAT?!”

Once again another fat what by everyone. This one caught everyone more by surprise however. And that included Armin. His eyes widened when Sariel announced that she wanted to leave as well. He can’t think why she’d possibly want to step out. Sariel was one of the prime combatants of the group, and thus losing her would be a great loss to the group as a whole.

“Waiwaiwaiwait, Sariel… Why do you want to step out? You are barely injured! And you’ve always been a great member, even though you were only part of us since a few months ago. What could’ve possibly changed your heart?” Walhart asked, bewildered, much like everyone else.

“Well… There is something I feel very responsible about. And… I don’t know how else to put it. But now, I feel like I need to follow this responsibility, or I might never forgive myself. Sorry If I am being vague, but that’s how it is.”

Sariel answered, much to everyone’s surprise. She was indeed being incredibly vague about it, which was ultimately what made it so difficult for them to understand. But Walhart thought differently. He wasn’t going to question the choices of those he worked with. In the end, Sariel did a lot of great things for them, and saying goodbye to someone who put in so much effort was truly heartbreaking.

Yet, as an adventurer, he knows what it’s like to follow your heart. He is no different.

“While these are shocking news, I understand. We are just explorers after all. We go where we want, and do what we want. Not letting you go do what you want would be against our way of thinking. All I will do is wish the both of you farewell. And I hope that one day, we will meet again! Recover well, and continue living! We will always keep you in our hearts.”

And with those words, Walhart turned around and left. The other members of the explorer group bowed one last time, wishing farewell too. With everyone leaving one by one, the door had closed, and the only ones remaining within the nursing room were Sariel and Armin.

The group wasn’t the only one baffled by Sariel’s decision. Armin looked nervous as he quietly stared at Sariel for a while once everyone had left. He had to ask her. Ask her why she was doing this. For some reason, it felt a lot more difficult to do than expected.

“Why… Why are you leaving them behind?” He asked.

“Why? Because I made a promise. I told you I’d protect you, right? It doesn’t matter for how long we have known each other. You are struggling with life due to past actions, and leaving you hanging is something that I simply cannot do. I am leaving the explorers, but staying with you. I will protect you!”

Sariel explained with vigor. When she told him those few days ago that as long as he stayed with her she’d protect him, she was being genuine. And now, after she failed to protect him once, she didn’t want to let that happen again. And to ensure his safety, Sariel will stay by his side and protect him from anyone who might try and claim his life.

Armin could barely believe his ears. At first, he thought that Sariel was going to try something malicious, such as turning him over. But this revelation was unexpected. He could’ve never seen it coming. It was shocking news. Someone he had just met caring this much about his life is hard to imagine. His heart ached just thinking about it. Having someone who didn’t want him dead.

Despite his injuries, Armin leaned to the side, loosening himself from various tubes stuck in his body-- All for the sake of embracing Sariel in a tight hug. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he cried his eyes out. Even though his voice indicated sorrow and pain, these were clearly tears of joy. Tears of a man who couldn’t believe that he’d get a second chance at life with someone like this.

“S-Sariel! I.. I can’t thank you enough! I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make it up to you! Anything!” He yelled.

“Anything, huh? Heh… I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.”

And in that moment, an oath had been set. One that Sariel gave herself. She is going to protect this man to the best of her abilities. And not just that, but also use this as a chance to finally start the life that she always wanted.

## New Life

Once Armin got out of the hospital, the both of them had gone to work in order to go into hiding. Despite having only been part of the explorers for a few months, Sariel managed to earn some money by selling the treasures she has found. Sariel decided that it’d be best to keep him away from the organization altogether, and thus go into hiding. With the savings Sariel had, they were able to determine an ideal location to live, and also move to it without catching anyone’s attention.

In the end, Sariel and Armin managed to relocate on a remote, small island with a community that lived self-sufficient lives. Not relying on outside influence and living by combined efforts of the community. They introduced themselves with different names and basically started an entirely new life together.

In late 1558, Sariel had turned 18. On the day, she mentioned how she remembered Armin’s preposition that he’d do anything to repay her for protecting him. She told him how one of her greatest desires is to have a family. While Armin wasn’t exactly sure how to handle the situation, due to the fact that they’ve only known each other for a few months, Sariel insisted that if she was going to live with him to protect him, they might as well have a family.

For the longest of time, Armin was still unsure about the preposition that she offered him. But he remembered how he told her that he wanted to make it up to her. Following the next few months, Sariel was eagerly bothering Armin on a daily basis to have a child together. And one day, in early 1559, Armin finally surrendered to the demands of Sariel. The thing that Sariel always wanted was a mere 9 months away.

June 28th, 1559. East Blue
They had been living together for over a year now. Even though Sariel was really demanding about her desire to have a family, Armin eventually succumbed to her wishes, and was bound to become a father in just about 5 months. He had come to terms with himself and the new life that he had started. He was still incredibly happy to have someone there to protect him in case something bad happens.

But, nothing happened while they stayed together. Sariel’s and Armin’s combined effort managed to completely fly under the radar of the people who were out to end Armin’s life. The first few nights were still filled with paranoia, but as more and more time went on, falling asleep became easier for Armin. A self-sufficient life wasn’t the easiest to maintain, but it was the best way to stay away from most of the outside world.

But on this very day, as both of them went to sleep together something abrupt happened.

Living in a two story home, they slept in the second story. Sariel had become a lot slower ever since she became pregnant. She used to be full of energy and strength, but with a child growing inside of her, she had become more vulnerable. And during the night, no one knew what could possibly happen.

During that very night, a concerning noise echoed its way to the upper floor, which immediately alerted Armin. A sound of a distinct door opening. With great force however, as the door was always locked during the night. The thought in Armin’s head immediately went to one option: Someone broke into their home.

Next to him in bed lied Sariel. Quiet, unmoving and asleep. She didn’t notice the sound of the door opening, but Armin was alert as ever. While they were on a small island within a small community, having the door being forcefully opened was still something rather concerning. But, normally Sariel would check. But in her current condition, Armin didn’t want to wake her up.

“Don’t worry… I will check on what happened. I’ll make sure you and our child will be safe.”

He quietly whispered before leaving the bed. It was in the middle of the night, and thus it was pitch dark. He could barely see anything, even after his pupils had adjusted themselves to the currently present lack of light. He left the bedroom with careful steps, trying to be as quiet as possible.

When he got to the stairs that lead down, he tried to take a glimpse over what might be down there. Yet he was unable to detect anything. But the door was clearly open. He won’t see more by just standing at the top of the stairs. He mustered up his courage and quickly went down.

“Anyone here?”

He asked. Not trying to scream, as to not wake up Sariel. But his question seemingly went unanswered. He went around the lower floor in order to check if he could find anyone. But even after searching every nook and cranny, he didn’t find anything. Ultimately, it felt like the door had just opened with the passing with.

“Guess it was nothing after all.”

Armin went to the door, grabbed the key that he kept within a shelf and tried to close it. Upon inserting the key into the lock however, for whatever reason, it wouldn’t turn. It was as if it was stuck. There is no way that a simple lock like that could suddenly malfunction. Upon inspecting the door a little closer, he saw that the lock was bent and scarred. It had to be broken after all.

A shiver crawled down his spine, and he frantically looked around again. Yet, he could not see anything or anyone. At least not until a mysterious blue smoke appeared in the middle of the room he stood in. As if hidden within the shadows themselves, a group of 10 masked people presented itself in front of Armin out of nowhere! He immediately grew cold, and did the only thing he could do.

“HELP!”

He screamed for help once with his voice raised as high as he could. But before he could scream any further, the masked people overwhelmed him, choked him and forced him to the ground. It seemed like that his call for help would go unanswered.

But on the upper floor, Sariel’s eyes immediately opened. Next to her bed was no one. But she could’ve sworn that she just heard Armin screaming for help. The only conclusion was that he had to be somewhere else. Sariel stood up as fast as she could, despite having to carry a 4 month old child inside of her womb. Carefully navigating her way to the door, she went to check where the sound came from.

“!!!”

Overcome with pure shock, Sariel looked down and saw Armin being forced down onto the ground by 10 masked figures. The mask they wore brought up unpleasant memories. Sariel couldn’t quite explain why that was the case. But with a moment of thought later, she figured it out. It was the same mask that the person wore that tried to attack Armin over a year ago. Without a doubt, these people had to be affiliated with that very organization that Armin talked about.

“LET HIM GO-- GRR!”

She tried to jump, but her body wouldn’t let her. It were those paternal instincts kicking in, refusing her to do intense actions that could possibly harm the child that she is carrying inside of herself. She was in no condition to fight, even though she really wanted to. This situation has turned incredibly bad in the shortest amount of time.

All the figures looked at her, holding onto her lover. He was still alive, but was clearly in distress. The people remained quiet for just a moment, before one of them opened his mouth.

“Armin and Sariel. You both are wanted people. Armin because of his grievous mistakes to reveal classified information, and you for brutalizing, and getting one of our colleagues captured. For these actions, you must both be killed.”

As the masked man explained the situation, both Sariel and Armin grew incredibly cold. A few of them continued to hold him down, and a handful of them went to chase after Sariel. They were so quick, and Sariel was in such a bad shape because of the child. Without even being able to react, she was grasped by the masked men and escorted downstairs and put next to her husband.

After being put next to each other, it had become clear that they were at the mercy of these men. They were overwhelmed by sheer numbers alone, and due to the fact that Sariel was unable to fight due to being pregnant. But that fact didn’t go unnoticed by the masked men that wanted her dead. Upon the group being informed that she was pregnant, they briefly had a conversation between each other, before facing the two again.

“The fact that you are pregnant makes our job a lot more difficult. We have a certain assassination policy that states that we are not allowed to kill children under normal circumstances. However, you cannot go unpunished for what you have done. In order to save yourself and your child, you must kill Armin yourself.”

Upon hearing those instructions just to save herself and her child, Sariel once again grew colder than a block of ice. One of the men crouched down in order to hand Sariel a flintlock pistol. With a weapon in hand, the 9 other men readied their own weapons and pointed them at the two of them. Armin and Sariel were ultimately in a hopeless situation.

Sariel knew that if she even tried as much as to point the weapon at them in retaliation, they would kill her, and thus her child as well. But, looking over at Armin, she saw the expression of pure despair on his face. There was no easy way to put it. They wanted him dead, and with Sariel’s condition, there is no way she could save him.

But worst of all, they wanted her to do the job.

“Sariel… I am sorry for dragging you into this. I have sealed my fate the moment I got on the wrong side with these people. And now… Now, I am getting what is coming for me. This is all my fault...  And I dragged you into. Sariel, please, I don’t want you to forfeit your life because of me. Nor do I want our child to die! Just… Please…. Please just kill me.”

Armin too realized that the situation was hopeless. And not wanting to endanger Sariel or their child, Armin completely gave himself up his fate. This was simply meant to happen, and there was no way for him to escape it. He tried to start a new life, but his mistakes will carry him even there. Despite Sariel’s best efforts to protect him, it was ultimately an impossible thing to achieve.

Sariel’s hand shook as the pistol was within her grasp. She didn’t want to do this. But looking at the men with their weapons pointed at them, she knew that there were only two options. Either turn on them in an attempt to retaliate, and get killed alongside Armin, or put matters into her own hands and finish off Armin herself, just like the masked men asked.

With shaky hands, she slowly raised the flintlock pistol and aimed it at Armin’s chest. Aiming right for his heart. She was barely able to see properly due to the tears that were clouding her sight. Everything seems blurry, and her constant gasping from nearly bursting out crying made it difficult to aim. But the most difficult part was going through with it.

Armin looked at Sariel for a brief moment, nodded, and closed his eyes. If his death were to come, then he didn’t want to look into the eyes of the one who was forced to fulfil it. There was no other option to be had but than to accept death. Sariel didn’t want to look either. But if she misses the shot, she risks that her lover would die a painful, agonizing death.

“Armin… I am so sorry that I failed you. After all this time, I couldn’t protect you… Forgive me!”

With her finger on the trigger, trying to muster up all the strength she could just to try and focus. The ultimate moment was mere seconds away. With no other choice, Sariel bit down on her lips and braced herself.

And with one loud shot, a bullet was fired from the flintlock pistol. A round shot that dug itself through flesh and bones. Piercing through everything until it connected with the most vital of organs. The heart. Blood pouring out of Armin’s chest, he instantly collapsed to the floor. Shot dead with a bullet piercing his heart. Meeting his end by the hands of the person who promised to protect him.

In the very moment he died was the same moment where Sariel’s mind went numb. No more thoughts crossed her mind, and instead she was felt with a complete feeling of emptiness. He hand dropped to the floor, with the pistol landing on the ground. The men that observed got just what they wanted. Their mission was done.

Without a word, they each pulled out a vial that was filled with a powder of blue color. Upon opening it, a blue smoke was released that shrouded their bodies. Mysteriously turning them invisible. And with them out of sight, it didn’t take long for them to completely evacuate the scene altogether. Leaving Sariel behind, sitting in front of the corpse of her lover.

The gunshot and the scream were heard. The neighbours that lived around the house that they lived in went to check on what happened. Opening the door, the people of the self-sufficient village were met with a sight straight out of a thriller drama. Sariel, sitting in front of her dead lover, with a gun lying in front of her.

They didn’t think that people that have practically just moved in about a year ago could be the reason behind perhaps one of the greatest outrages the village has gone through. Armin and Sariel also thought that living in a self-sufficient village would keep any potential trouble away. But in the end, it didn’t matter. And that was one of the reasons why Sariel was so heartbroken over what just happened. Despite her best efforts, it did not work out.

“SHE KILLED HER HUSBAND! GET HER, QUICK!”

The people immediately overwhelmed Sariel, who didn’t even fight back. All hope and thought was gone. It was like Sariel was dead herself. It didn’t take many people to overpower her. It was known that she was pregnant, and thus they had to be careful as well, as to not harm the child. But they still saw Sariel as a criminal who killed her husband in the middle of the night.

The village worked quickly to report this criminal offense to the Marines. Even though they didn’t affiliate themselves with the Marines, they still reported the murder nonetheless. And during all this time, Sariel didn’t even try to argue. Not a single word escaping her mouth that could possibly get her out of this situation. She has given up.

The night happened quickly, and the repercussions for her actions followed quickly as well. Sariel was held captive by the villagers until Marines arrived. Her murder against her husband was reported, and she was imemdiately captured by the Marines. She didn’t even argue about any accusations. Any question was met with cold silence. It’s like Sariel didn’t even want to live anymore.

And with no arguments against her supposed actions, she was brought to a Marine base and locked up. Framed for murder that she was forced to commit. This was the plan of the men altogether. The risk of being killed was there, but due to her being pregnant, she got her only chance to continue living. They knew that if she was found with the weapon and the corpse, she’d get captured.

Even though they didn’t kill her, they still assured that her life was ultimately ruined.

She spent months in the jail of the Marine prison. Unmoving, and not talking to anyone. She continued to eat and drink for the sake of the child that was still growing inside of her, but didn’t do anything else. She was the closest thing to a living corpse at this point. No desire to live, and no energy to show even a hint of positive emotions.

As the months had passed, November the 13th approached. A day where Sariel finally achieved what she wanted. Her child had finally been born. The child that belonged to her, and the now deceased Armin.

The child she got had many identical features to her parents. In particular, she shared both of their eyes. One of them was colored red, and the one one was colored green. It’s like a part of herself and her former lover was reborn within this very girl. For a brief moment, Sariel could feel something akin to joy again. But that joy wouldn’t stay for long.

But she was a criminal. She had multiple years to stay in jail for her crime. The thing she wanted-- A family-- It was taken from her as well. The Marines took away her daughter the moment she was born and declared the newborn girl as an orphan. Thus taking away the only thing that kept Sariel from just giving up at life altogether. Following her child being taken away was a full week of such a deep depression that she was refused to eat and drink entirely.

For the next seven days, Sariel refused to do anything but what was necessary. She didn’t even eat anything anymore. She also skipped out on drinking. It was like she was trying to dehydrate or starve herself to death. Every joy of life within her had vanished.

A week has passed since her child was taken away. She does nothing but lie in bed. Refusing to eat and refusing to drink. At this rate, she could possibly die. And the executives within the base took note of that. It was within their duty to ensure the life of those that they had captured. And during one day, two marine soldiers made their way towards the cell that she was located in.

“Sheesh… To think that we have to do this. If the girl doesn’t want to eat or drink, then just let her starve for crying out loud! She is a murderer, you think she deserves this? She’s almost as bad as those pirates. At least she doesn’t pride herself on her murder.”

“Be quiet. We have no other choice but to follow the orders that were given to us. Let’s just get over with it quickly and get to our break. Stuff some bread and water in her mouth and call it a day.”

With the voices approaching her cell, followed by the sound of her cell door opening, Sariel immediately sprung up. Even though she didn’t eat or drink for an entire week, she had an incredible amount of energy. The unexpecting marine soldiers thought they’d just feed a woman who was done with life. Yet instead they were met with a girl who had months of pent up anger to absorb.

They didn’t get their chance to even scream for help before Sariel attacked the both of them. Precise strikes with great strength and speed that shattered their bones. Slashing with her nails like a wild tiger mauling its prey. Slashing at their faces and ripping off skin and flesh until blood was pouring from it.

A beating so fast that one could miss it by just blinking. In the fraction of a moment, Sariel had brutalized and crippled the two soldiers, and only left them to live within an inch of their life. She always had the strength to break out and fight after her child was taken from her. But she needed to psychologically recover before being able to do anything at all.

She rushed out of her cell, and her escape alarmed the entire base. Immediately, Marines went into position to block off all possible entrances and exits. But that didn’t matter in the slightest to Sariel. With all the pent up anger within her, she completely obliterated thick concrete walls with as much as a single tap of a knuckle.

As she ran, her face looked downright feral. An expression like that of a wild animal. Anything that was within her way was destroyed in an instant via sheer force alone. Having mentally recovered to the point where her anger could finally be used as a weapon, Sariel escaped the Marine Base with ease.

“They framed me for murder… They took my lover… They took my child… They ruined my life! This crime organization… I swear that I will utterly destroy it all, including anyone that is part of it!”

Sariel screamed to herself as she ran across the island she was on at stunning speeds. The journey she had to took-- She doesn’t know where it might lead her. But what mattered was the fact that she is going to search the entire world until she has found the very roots of the organization, and destroyed it entirely.

Without much of a thought, she stole a random ship that she could get her hands on sailed off into the sea as fast as she could. There was no clear destination, but there was a clear goal. Avenge Armin for what those cursed assassins did to him, and her.

In the end, she wasn’t able to get the life she always wanted. The family she had was taken away, and all whom she could blame was the crime syndicate that caused all this.

Her new life was ultimately at sea. Whether she wanted it, or not.