After leaving the pace, Kety went straight to the pce where she lived—the royal family’s residence. It was located in the nds of Oshu, bordering the ocean. The house was built in a Japanese style and was open, but it was constantly protected by the SGU. One of them greeted Kety as she arrived.

  She stepped inside the house and called out,

  "I'm home, is anyone here?"

  Kety looked around before seeing a blonde woman with blue hair approaching her for a hug.

  "You're back, Kety!"

  Kety smiled at the girl who had just hugged her. She was dressed in a maid’s outfit. Her name was Shai, Mia’s servant since childhood. She was the same age as the queen, in her thirties.

  "Yes, I'm back, but without... Mia."

  Shai nodded and sighed.

  "I know, but… at least you're safe. When I heard the news about the kingdom of Okarie on the radio, I was really scared for both of you… It's unfortunate that the queen was kidnapped."

  Kety broke the hug and looked around once more, as if searching for someone.

  "Where is the princess?"

  Shai pointed upstairs.

  "She’s resting in her room. She’s been depressed since she heard the news."

  Kety nodded.

  "Poor Leylia."

  Shai headed toward the kitchen with a small smile.

  "Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea? Water?"

  Kety followed her into the kitchen and pced her hands on Shai’s shoulders.

  "No, that’s okay, thank you. Besides, you're not supposed to serve me—we have the same status."

  Shai sighed but understood the nurse’s point. She turned toward the living room and started dusting. Kety sat down on the couch and began to think. Her mind drifted to Sarah and how she had been saved by Felicity’s royal guard. She couldn’t help but draw a parallel to what had happened thirteen years ago.

  Eventually, exhaustion caught up with her, and Kety fell asleep on the couch. Now that she was somewhere familiar, she could finally rest.

  It was dark, extremely dark. A deep silence filled the space, with barely any noise except for the creaking of the wooden floor above. For a long time, the pce remained shrouded in darkness until, through a small window with frosted gss, a beam of light illuminated the room—the headlights of a car.

  The light revealed a young woman. She had long, unkempt red hair, as if it hadn’t been brushed in ages. A bandage covered her left eye. Her clothes were filthy—her green sweater was stained, and the same went for her bck skirt.

  Kety Shepard—that was the name of the young woman trapped in this dark pce. Her ankle was chained to the wall, preventing her from moving freely. She had been locked in this basement for a month—one month since she had been abducted from the street.

  She had lived in the Empire, in a small town. Four months had passed since she turned 18, and she had been coming home from school—it was her final year.

  But that dream had been shattered. As she took a shortcut through an alley on her way back to her aunt’s apartment, a white cloth was suddenly pressed against her nose. Despite her struggles, the person behind her was far too strong for her to resist. Slowly, she had lost consciousness. When she woke up, she was chained in this basement.

  Suddenly, the sound of keys jingling pulled her out of her thoughts. The basement door creaked open, and a woman descended the stairs. She seemed to be in her twenties, with red hair. She tossed a loaf of bread toward Kety and stared at her.

  "Prepare yourself for tomorrow night. It’ll be a night you’ll never forget. I’ll leave you in peace for today."

  She spoke with a smile before turning on her heel and locking the basement door behind her.

  Kety didn’t know much about this woman—only her name: Flora.

  Flora had used Kety to fulfill all of her desires, every night. For a month, the redhead had tried to survive, to stay strong. But each day broke her more and more. Now, she had no will left—no will to escape, no will to fight.

  Kety then tried to fall asleep, which was never an easy task. Rare were the nights when she could sleep for more than six hours. However, that night, she had a dream—a strange one.

  In the dream, she found herself in a long hallway. She seemed distressed, looking left and right. As she moved forward, she stumbled upon a group of three people. Suddenly, at the sight of them, she saw a cat-woman with blonde hair, gravely wounded—on the verge of death. Kety approached her, but the moment she reached out and touched her, the blonde vanished. Tears began to stream down Kety’s face.

  Suddenly, a woman appeared behind her. Kety didn’t know who she was, but her white hair and long white coat made her feel uneasy.

  "This person will save your life when you least expect it. And yet, you won’t be able to heal her. She will die in your arms, and you will lose what is most precious to you."

  In her dream, Kety turned around and stared at the woman in the white coat.

  "That doesn’t mean anything… I don’t even know this person. And besides, I can’t escape."

  The scientist shook her head, a small smile appearing on her lips.

  "If you believe you’re doomed, then that’s exactly what will happen. But in the end, I’m no one to influence your choices."

  Kety looked down at her feet.

  "…I… I… Madam…"

  The woman raised an eyebrow before pcing a hand on Kety’s head.

  "Save yourself… That girl you couldn’t save will change your future. Well, that’s all I have to say. If you do nothing, it won’t be my fault."

  The woman turned away, and Kety shouted in her dream,

  "Who are you, really?!"

  To this, the scientist responded with a smirk.

  "Death..."

  Suddenly, Kety jolted awake. She was still in the basement, locked away with no way out. However, something had changed—it wasn’t her surroundings, but her determination. She had to escape. She didn’t know why, but she felt it as an undeniable obligation.

  She began formuting a pn, trying to figure out a way to break free. She examined her surroundings. She couldn’t move far with the chain secured to her ankle—it was sturdy and heavy.

  The only time the chain was removed was when Flora took her to her room—but even then, she was usually tied up. There was nothing nearby she could use as a weapon.

  Her escape would have to happen in that brief moment—when Flora unchained her to take her upstairs. That was her only chance.

  The day passed in the basement, and Kety’s mind was racing with questions. Escaping was one thing, but where would she go? She had no idea where she was.

  Finally, night fell. Flora came down to the basement, holding a length of rope.

  She tied Kety’s hands behind her back, then unlocked the chain from her ankle before leading her toward the bedroom.

  As they walked through a hallway, Kety suddenly stopped and kicked backward—right into Flora’s groin. Flora cried out in pain, and Kety took off running.

  She rushed down a flight of stairs and bolted toward the front door, which Flora had left unlocked.

  Of course, Flora was right behind her.

  As she ran, Kety desperately tried to break free from her restraints. She pushed herself to move as fast as possible, dodging obstacles along the way. While sprinting, she finally managed to snap the ropes binding her hands—her escape just became easier. But the distance between her and Flora was shrinking fast.

  As they neared each other, the chase led them to the edge of the water. The ocean stretched out before them, and Kety continued running along the beach. Her movements were slightly slowed by the sand, but the same was true for Flora, who was also struggling to run.

  In the distance, Kety spotted an escape route—an abandoned rowboat. But she knew she wouldn’t have time to reach it; Flora would likely catch up to her before she could get away.

  Thinking fast, Kety turned around, grabbed a rock from the ground, and hurled it at Flora.

  It was a slow throw, and Flora easily dodged it, closing in rapidly. But whether by luck or fate, something stopped Flora just as she was about to strike Kety down.

  A new figure had arrived.

  It was a girl around Kety’s age, with red hair and gsses, dressed in a military general’s uniform. She wasn’t alone—beside her stood a small group of armed individuals, including two guards in police uniforms and four SGUs—soldiers cd in copper armor, their helmets terrifyingly resembling jack-o’-nterns.

  Upon seeing them, Flora spat at Kety in frustration before turning on her heel and fleeing. She had no intention of being captured.

  The red-haired woman watched Flora run but made no move to pursue her—it wasn’t her concern.

  Instead, she approached Kety and extended a hand.

  "You don’t look like you’re in great shape… Do you have any family?"

  Kety tried to speak, but after weeks of silence, she couldn’t form a single word. The woman raised an eyebrow.

  "Guess not. Do you want us to take you back to my kingdom?"

  Kety nodded weakly. Slowly, she stood up and took the hand of her rescuer.

  "I'm Princess Mia. And you?" she asked with a reassuring smile.

  Kety hesitated, then finally managed to force out a few words.

  "K-Kety… my name is… K-Kety Shepard…"