Sarah's eyes open abruptly as she jolts awake from her bed. She clutches the red stone around her neck, having just experienced a strange dream. In it, she saw a woman resembling Denasaia along with other people engaged in battle. She lets out a slight sigh and murmurs:

  "Beauty will save the world."

  She remembered the prophecy Denasaia had told them about—an ancient prophecy linked to the Red Epidemic.

  Getting out of bed, she walks over to the porthole. Before her, a vast sea stretches out.

  It had now been a week since she left the kingdom with the queen’s group. She had been forced to accompany them, having become the queen’s property, and only the queen could set her free.

  Sarah moves towards the small shower in her cabin. The hot water feels comforting. She had never been away for so long, and never had she been separated from her sister for such an extended period.

  After stepping out of the shower, she dresses in a military-style camoufge uniform, which Noctis—the expedition leader and the queen’s protector—had kindly lent her.

  Just as she finishes getting dressed, a knock sounds at her door. She walks over and opens it. Standing before her is Kety, dressed in her elegant nurse’s uniform.

  "Sarah, get your things ready. We’re arriving in Felicity."

  "Yes, I’ll do that."

  Kety smiles and leaves Sarah’s cabin. Instinctively, Sarah pces a hand over her heart. Lately, she had been feeling strange whenever she saw the nurse—her heart would pound wildly. She had felt this way ever since Kety treated her back in the kingdom, when Sarah had been fleeing from the Martyrs and had accidentally bumped into her.

  Sarah begins packing her belongings, though she doesn’t have much to take—just a few changes of clothes and some personal items. She also takes down a photograph of herself with Mikki in the garden of Saint Bathory Asylum.

  She pced the photo in the pocket of her jacket, slung her bag over her shoulder, and stepped out of her cabin.

  As she arrived on the deck, she saw several familiar faces—Kety, Noctis, Janira, and the few remaining SGU survivors.

  The isnd slowly came into view on the horizon. It didn’t seem very rge, more like an archipego, but the various isnds were connected by metal bridges, forming a rger ndmass. The city center was surrounded by old walls topped with barbed wire, though parts of the structure had colpsed, leaving gaps.

  After a few minutes, the ship docked safely. The pier was quite small, capable of accommodating only two boats at a time. A flight of stairs led directly from the dock to the city's entrance, where an old, abandoned checkpoint stood beside a rge arch bearing the town’s name.

  However, the area was not deserted. At the top of the stairs, a crowd of police officers stood waiting. Noctis had warned the isnd of the queen’s disappearance after their departure. The group was in trouble—they were likely to be accused of treason and imprisoned.

  One woman stood out among the officers, though she appeared rather ordinary. She had simple brown hair, but her uniform was slightly different from the others, making her distinguishable.

  Sarah, Noctis, Kety, Janira, and the SGU disembarked and approached the gathering. The brown-haired woman stepped forward.

  "I’m gd to see you, but the fact that the queen is not with you is a serious problem. We’re going to face major communication issues in the city. This is a real problem, and in any case, you’d better follow me. We need to go to the pace—the regency is waiting for you patiently, so don’t waste time, got it? I don’t want any more communication issues, and I expect respect."

  The woman unched into a long-winded monologue, but Sarah had stopped paying attention after the first few words. She found her unbearably boring, and she wasn’t the only one—some of the officers also looked visibly annoyed by the speech.

  The woman who stood out among the officers turned around and motioned for them to follow. The surrounding policemen moved into position, forming an escort around the group.

  As they began walking, Sarah leaned in discreetly and whispered to Kety,

  "Who is she?"

  Kety let out a small sigh before answering,

  "She’s one of the five police captains, Kimberly Oswold. She rose to power in the prison by strictly following the rules and proving her dedication through hard work."

  Sarah nodded quickly.

  "And is she always like this? I mean… this boring?"

  Kety confirmed with a simple response,

  "Yes."

  As they walked, Sarah caught glimpses of the isnd. They passed through the city center, where the streets were narrow and strictly pedestrian—no room for vehicles. The buildings were old, seemingly dating back to the colonial era.

  Exiting the city center, they crossed a bridge leading into a stretch of unspoiled nature. Sarah looked into the distance and saw a strikingly different ndscape—a lush, green area dotted with unusual buildings. She quickly recognized the architecture as being simir to that of Okamoto Isnd.

  They continued their journey, crossing two more bridges that connected tiny isnds, until they finally reached the second-rgest isnd in the archipego.

  This was the prison—a massive, multiple floor concrete structure. A towering fence surrounded the area, designed to prevent any prisoners from attempting an escape.

  However, the group did not stop at the prison. They continued on their way until they reached a grand pace with a gss dome—the royal pace.

  The police officers led the group inside and escorted them to a throne room. There were three seats, and in two of them sat two women whose ages were difficult to determine.

  Kimberly gave a polite bow before speaking.

  "Here are the members of the expedition. I brought them as you requested. I made no detours, no stops, and I arrived on time. I hope this satisfies you, Judge Skullbone."

  "You may go, Captain Oswold. I appreciate your work."

  Judge Skullbone had short blonde hair, with a single braid falling over the front of her uniform. Her uniform was red—a military general’s attire. Her tone was neutral but strict, and she spoke slowly and distinctly.

  Beside her sat another woman, also on a throne. She wore a white military uniform with a bck tie. Her short bck hair had yellow highlights on the inner strands. Turning her gaze to Noctis, she asked,

  "Expin to me what happened, Queen’s Shield—Noctis Shadow."

  Noctis let out a sigh, looking at the judges before expining the situation. She detailed the coup and the chaos in the Kingdom of Okarie. She recounted how, as the group attempted to flee, they were ambushed by a group of winged semi-humans who kidnapped the queen.

  "I see… That is not very good news," Judge Skullbone responded, her tone neutral, as if she were only mildly interested in the story.

  "We will need to consult Grand Denka on this matter. A meeting will be held here tomorrow."

  Kimberly nodded dumbly before raising her hand.

  "Yes, Captain Oswold?"

  "High Judge Odeita, I cannot help but notice that there is an unknown individual among the group. I wonder if this is an issue, as no strangers— and I mean absolutely no one—can enter this pce without a visa. Therefore, I request a verification of who exactly this blonde-haired cat-woman is."

  Sarah swallowed hard, feeling at least twenty pairs of eyes shift toward her. She could feel the weight of their gazes, but she remained composed, trying her best not to show any signs of distress.

  "That is true… Queen’s Shield, Noctis Shadow, who exactly is this person you have brought?"

  Noctis answered briefly,

  "A new property of the queen. She was saved by Her Majesty and is repaying her debt."

  Judge Skullbone nodded.

  "Since the queen is not here, I believe she should be sent to the mines to work alongside the prisoners. That way, she will be of use to us."

  Sarah began to tremble. Fear was now evident on her face. She absolutely did not want to spend her life working in the mines—she didn’t even want to spend a single day there.

  Kety gnced at Sarah, clearly hesitant. She wanted to speak up but cked the courage to oppose the judges. Judge Wolf Skullbone and High Judge Melodie Odeita were known for their strictness, their severity, and their willingness to impose unjust sentences over the smallest mistake or even a minor insult to justice or the monarchy.

  Suddenly, someone spoke up, their tone rebellious.

  "That is not the right pn, Judge Skullbone."

  Sarah turned around and saw another cat-woman, about her age, with strikingly light blue—almost cyan—hair. She wore a kimono, part of which was a deep shade of blue.

  "Observer Gdys, share your opinion with us."

  Sarah raised an eyebrow at the word "Observer." The woman gave a small bow to the judge before speaking.

  "The queen may be absent, but that is no reason to treat a stranger in such a manner. I propose that she be officially registered."

  High Judge Odeita countered immediately.

  "She has not been registered as a citizen but as the queen’s property."

  At that moment, Kety gathered the courage to intervene. She raised her hand, and the high judge pointed at her, granting her the floor.

  "Having been with Sarah for several days, I can confirm that Queen Mia has not yet officially registered her. She merely pced a colr around her neck. According to the w, this means Sarah is neither a citizen nor officially the queen’s property."

  Kety then lowered her gaze, wondering if she had said too much or if her argument was convincing enough. She hoped none of the judges would find it insulting and decide to imprison her instead.

  After a moment of silence, High Judge Odeita finally responded,

  "I see… Until the queen returns, she will be registered as a citizen."

  Sarah let out a quiet sigh of relief. She was beyond grateful not to be sent to the mines.

  The judge then pointed at one of the guards, who had been discreetly observing the meeting.

  "Captain Sparks, could you take care of this feline’s registration?"

  Sarah turned to look at Captain Sparks. The woman appeared to be in her thirties, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a police uniform and a beret.

  "Understood."

  High Judge Odeita gave a small nod before announcing,

  "Very well, you are all dismissed. Return to your duties."

  Slowly, the throne room began to empty. The police officers went back to their tasks, whether patrolling the archipego or overseeing the prisoners in the prison. The SGU members left with some officers, ready to return to the mines.

  Noctis walked off toward the Royal Guard, a small trio she seemed familiar with. Janira headed to the city center to write an article. The judges remained on their thrones, reviewing documents.

  Sarah gnced at Kety for a few seconds, and Kety responded by gently touching her own cheek.

  "I’m going back to the queen’s residence… Good luck, and try not to get into too much trouble."

  Sarah nodded, and Kety left the pace. Now, only a few people remained in the throne room—Captain Sparks, Observer Gdys, and Sarah herself.

  Gdys stepped closer to Sarah with a small smile.

  "Welcome to Felicity. I apologize for the rather unique reception. My name is Gdys Lidell, and I am the spokesperson for the Denka."

  Gdys gave a slight bow before extending her hand. Sarah took it, a small smile forming on her lips as she shook Gdys' hand. This girl had just saved her from an indefinite stay in the prison mines.

  "If you have some time after your registration, we could explore the city together—if you’d like."

  Sarah nodded. If she could make trustworthy friends quickly, it would help her survive in this unfamiliar pce, far from her family at the asylum.

  "Yes, of course, I’d love that."

  Gdys smiled warmly before heading toward the exit.

  "See you ter."

  Sarah then turned to Captain Sparks, who was staring at her intently. The captain’s gaze lingered as if something about Sarah triggered a memory.

  Curious and slightly uneasy, Sarah took a step closer and asked,

  "So… you’re the one handling my registration?"

  After a brief pause, Sparks nodded. It seemed like she had been lost in thought, as if something had momentarily pulled her into the past.

  "Are you okay?" Sarah asked.

  "Yeah, I’m fine. Just didn’t have my coffee this morning… Follow me."

  Sparks took the lead, motioning for Sarah to follow. They exited the pace and headed toward the prison. As they approached, Sarah swallowed hard before hesitantly asking,

  "…The prison?"

  "The admissions office is also where we register newcomers," Sparks expined. "Since we often receive prisoners from other countries, it's more efficient to handle all documentation there."

  She opened several doors, leading Sarah into one of the empty admission rooms. Sarah stepped forward toward the designated spot for mugshots as Captain Sparks pointed to the wall.

  "I’ll take your photo first, then I’ll make your identity card."

  Sarah nodded and positioned herself against the wall. She put on a small smile—at least she could try to look decent in her ID photo.

  The captain snapped the picture and gave a satisfied nod.

  "Perfect. Now, come join me by the computer."

  Sarah walked over and gnced at the screen while Sparks typed. By chance, she caught a glimpse of the captain’s identification—her full name was Sabrina Sparks.

  "Alright, I need your full name, nationality, date of birth, and gender."

  Sarah was surprised by how little information was required, but she answered without hesitation.

  "My name is Sarah Hearts. I was born on February 10, 2357. I was born in the Republic, but I also have citizenship in Neko City, and I’m a woman."

  Sabrina nodded and entered the details into the system.

  "The Republic… I heard about what happened there. It’s unfortunate."

  Sarah gave a small nod, not wanting to linger on the topic. Sabrina then pressed "Enter" on the keyboard and turned back to Sarah.

  "So, let me expin—everyone here is assigned a unique number. I’m number 00008. I wasn’t the eighth person to arrive on this isnd, but my ancestor was. The system assigns numbers based on historical records of families who have lived here for generations. Newcomers, however, receive a brand-new number… which should be the case for you."

  Sabrina pointed to a device with an outline shaped like a hand.

  "Pce your hand on the scanner. It’ll register your identity and assign you a number. It should be 29837…"

  Sarah nodded and pressed her hand against the scanner. A moment ter, a number appeared on the screen—but it wasn’t 29837. It was much lower.

  "00010…"

  She whispered the number, staring at it in confusion. Sabrina, on the other hand, looked completely shocked.

  "There must be a mistake…"

  Sabrina checked Sarah’s identity file, her expression unreadable. There was something in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything about it.

  "That’s strange. Number 10 hasn’t been assigned in a long time."

  Sarah raised an eyebrow. She was curious, but she didn’t dare question it—not when Sabrina was a captain who could lock her up if she stepped out of line.

  "Well… it’s not a problem. Now, to finish your registration—you have two weeks to find a job. Unemployment is illegal in our country."

  Sarah nodded. She’d have to secure work quickly. For a brief moment, she considered joining the police.

  "I was wondering—where can I stay?"

  "Go to the Kinku Club and check in at the reception. It’s the city’s official hotel."

  Sarah gave a small nod, and Sabrina escorted her outside the prison.