Sarah wakes up in the uncomfortable bed of the Kinku Club room, already regretting the bunk on the boat. She gets out of bed and quickly takes a shower. The water was cold—colder than on the boat. It was obvious she wouldn’t have hot water on an isnd where the buildings were all cracked and worn.

  She puts back on her military outfit, finding it comfortable, and hesitates to wear anything else that might reveal too much of her body. She had noticed the way some men stared at her figure, which she didn’t appreciate. She had never really been interested in men. During her teenage years, she started feeling attracted to women—first to her adoptive sister, though she completely forgot about that idea a few years ter. Love and Sarah had never been an easy match. She was beautiful, but women who shared her orientation were rare.

  Once dressed, she heads down to the club, hoping to find it a bit emptier—but that wasn’t the case. It was still quite crowded, which she found strange. The pce always seemed full. She sits at the small bar that serves food, where a few cooks are working, including Baky, who is preparing meals.

  "Did you sleep well, Sarah?" She shakes her head quickly.

  "Not really. It’s hard to sleep knowing my life could be shattered at any moment."

  "Yeah, I understand. But hey, look at the bright side—you’re not locked up in a cell."

  Sarah couldn’t help but smile. She had barely escaped prison. She still felt indebted to Kety and Gdys, who had come to her rescue.

  "What will you have?"

  Sarah looks at the menu. The dishes were traditional isnd food from the Okamoto Isnd region.

  "I’ll have a traditional breakfast."

  Baky nods and asks one of the cooks to prepare it for her.

  "Why is the club so popur?"

  Baky smirks slightly.

  "Because there are no ws here. Well, inside the club, the club makes the rules. It’s been that way for a long time… One day, I’ll expin why."

  After a few minutes, the cook preparing Sarah’s meal pces a small tray on the counter in front of her. There was a bowl of rice, an omelet, some marinated vegetables, a miso soup, and green tea as a drink. Compared to the club’s ambient smell, the dish had an incredibly appetizing aroma. Sarah starts eating—the food was delicious. She eats silently while Baky and the other cooks continue serving customers quickly.

  Suddenly, just as Sarah is finishing her bowl of rice, the club doors swing open. A blonde woman with gsses and a ponytail steps inside. She immediately recognizes Janira—the journalist who had accompanied the queen to the kingdom.

  "New article from the Enquirer and an announcement—the Denka will make an appearance at the pace at precisely noon. Be there!"

  A few people murmured among themselves upon hearing this, but most went back to their activities. Some grumbled at the thought of having to attend an announcement from the Denka.

  Sarah stayed at the bar until noon, chatting with Baky and a few other girls who had joined their conversation. They talked about anything and everything. Sarah described the outside world to the various natives of Felicity, who had never really left the isnd. Baky listened with admiration, fascinated by the mysteries of the world beyond.

  When Sarah asked why the isnd's natives couldn’t leave, the answer was simple—without the queen's authorization, no one could leave the isnd. It was a tradition dating back to the first queen of Felicity, and no one had ever dared to challenge this immutable w. Sarah wondered who was in charge of granting authorizations in the queen’s absence. The girls revealed that it was the judges who handled it.

  Eventually, the club slowly began to empty as people made their way toward the pace for the Denka’s announcement. Sarah left among the st, wanting to be accompanied by Baky on the way—she trusted her.

  After crossing the various bridges leading to the pace, they arrived at a rge crowd gathered before it. Police officers stood on the sides, watching the crowd and scanning for any signs of crime. Captain Kimberly moved among them, repeating instructions. When Sarah looked at the officers, she could see the boredom on their faces.

  She also noticed several other captains besides Kimberly and Sabrina. One was a human woman with bck hair streaked with blue, holding a beer bottle in her hand. Another stood rigidly, scrutinizing the people around her. She had short bck hair in a bob cut and a nose piercing.

  For a brief moment, Sarah locked eyes with her, and a chill ran down her spine. It was the most authoritative gaze she had ever seen in her life.

  Finally, Sarah moved through the crowd, searching for Kety. After a few minutes of looking around, she spotted her—it wasn’t difficult, given how much Kety stood out with her eyepatch.

  She walked up beside her and smiled.

  “Hey, how was your night?”

  Kety nodded, unable to take her eyes off Sarah. Last night, she had dreamed about the moment Flora had locked her up and the prophecy the scientist had given her. It was her—it was Sarah whom she would have to try to save one day. Acting on instinct, Kety took Sarah’s hand, causing Sarah to blush briefly.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Do you mind if I hold your hand? Just in case you get lost in the crowd.”

  Sarah shook her head, still blushing.

  “No, no, it’s fine. Don’t worry.”

  On the stage stood the two judges, Odeita and Wolf, but there was no sign of the Denka yet. The only strange thing Sarah noticed was a rge eagle perched on the pace roof, watching the crowd as if searching for prey.

  As the murmuring in the crowd grew louder, Gdys stepped onto the stage, giving a small bow.

  “Thank you all for coming. Our great Denka has agreed to help us in the difficult situation Felicity faces without a queen… Great Denka, I leave the stage to you.”

  Gdys took a few steps back. Sarah watched, expecting the Denka to appear magically. She even wondered if the Denka truly existed or if the Felicians were all just delusional.

  Finally, the rge eagle she had noticed moved toward the stage—and then transformed into a human form. The figure was a woman with brown hair, wearing a crisp white military uniform. Her gaze was strict and piercing, radiating an aura of authority.

  “We… Are of peace, always.”

  Suddenly, 99% of the crowd recited the phrase in unison, as if part of a cult. Kety leaned in to whisper to Sarah.

  “It’s… the official slogan of the isnd. She works for peace here.”

  The Denka continued scanning the crowd before finally speaking. Her words surprised Sarah—she spoke in the plural.

  “We have… read the reports on the incident in the Savannah Kingdom. We have considered a solution to restore peace and bance to our isnd.”

  No one dared to speak. Everyone avoided making eye contact with the Denka.

  “The accident that occurred… is very serious. But we are merciful, and we forgive the mistakes made by the team that accompanied 00001.”

  Sarah felt relieved hearing that. But then, the Denka’s voice turned stern.

  “However… someone among us is a special case.”

  Sarah prayed it wouldn’t be her. Maybe it was someone else in the crowd? But deep down, she knew. It was going to be her.

  The Denka emitted a beam of light that illuminated Sarah.

  “Come.”

  Before she could even react, Sarah’s body started moving on its own. Her legs carried her forward, pushing through the crowd. She bumped into several people before stepping onto the stage. Now, she stood right next to the Denka.

  The eagle on the Denka’s shoulder turned its sharp eyes toward Sarah and let out a piercing cry. A shiver ran down Sarah’s spine.

  What was the Denka about to say?

  The Denka locked eyes with Sarah, as if scrutinizing her very soul and memories. Standing before a goddess was terrifying. She felt completely paralyzed, unable to move even an inch, as if she were nailed to the ground.

  Finally, the Denka spoke directly into Sarah’s mind.

  "Our predictions were correct. We are pleased that everything is unfolding as expected."

  But the Denka said nothing more. Instead, she pointed to the ground.

  "Sit."

  Without her consent, Sarah's body obeyed, dropping to her knees. The Denka had humiliated her in front of everyone.

  Someone in the crowd couldn't hold back a ugh. The Denka turned her piercing gaze toward him.

  "What is so funny?"

  The man coughed awkwardly.

  “Hehe… It’s just funny, Denka, hehe.”

  She continued staring at him before shifting her gaze to the guards.

  "Very well… We believe that a few months in the mines will do you good and cure you of this ‘hehe.’"

  Captain Sparks gestured to one of the guards, who stepped forward and grabbed the man. He struggled, but the guard silenced him with a jolt from his stun prod. The man colpsed, weakened, making it easy for them to drag him away. His knees scraped against the tarmac as he was hauled out of the crowd.

  His cries and protests echoed through the air but gradually faded as he was taken inside the prison. A heavy silence fell over the gathering. No one dared to speak. No one dared to scream. No one dared to resist.

  The Denka allowed the silence to linger for a moment before continuing.

  "We believe that it is imperative to find the queen. Therefore, we have decided to use our ancient powers to deliver a prophecy to five individuals of our choosing."

  Suddenly, the Denka extended her hand forward. A radiant light glowed in her palm, and, one by one, five people colpsed to the ground.

  First, Noctis, the queen’s shield, fell into a deep slumber. She was followed by Captain Sparks, then Gdys, the Denka’s representative.

  After them, Baky also succumbed to unconsciousness.

  And finally, Kety, the nurse, closed her eyes and fell to the ground.

  The Denka then began to recite verses that echoed across the entire isnd.

  Through whispers lost in sacred halls, Dark secrets dance as silence falls. Where gods are praised, a scheme takes flight, And fate is sealed on a fateful night.

  Beneath the stone, the past bleeds through,

  A shattered trust, a fate askew.

  A door unlocked, yet chains remain,

  As blood and duty forge new pain.

  A warrior falls, yet sets her snare,

  While shadows strike from poisoned air.

  A shield once strong now shatters wide,

  But newfound strength will turn the tide.

  The beast awakens, wrath untamed,

  A priestess lost, yet power cimed.

  A final trap, the gates collide,

  And from the storm, they soar and hide.

  The night is still, yet fate draws near,

  A kingdom waits in silent fear.

  With peace decred, the past must fade,

  As destiny's price at st is paid.

  Noctis, Gdys, Kety, Sabrina, and Baky were still asleep on the ground, their minds entangled in the prophecy and the dreams woven into them. Sarah had experienced this feeling before, but what shocked her wasn’t the ones who had been chosen—it was the fact that she had not been chosen. She needed to find the queen in order to save herself, and if the people closest to her decided to leave, she would be left alone on this isnd.

  Sarah looked at the Denka and whispered, her cat-like ears lowering in sadness. The Denka turned her gaze toward Sarah, watching her closely.

  "Speak."

  The Denka’s authoritative voice made Sarah gulp before she finally spoke.

  "Madam Denka… Why wasn’t I chosen? I have to go with them."

  The Denka continued staring at Sarah with that strict and commanding gaze.

  "We did not choose you because we do not believe you are capable of saving the queen. We have another pn for you."

  Sarah attempted to argue, her bold nature taking over.

  "But I am capable! I already fulfilled a prophecy, the one of Lu—"

  "SILENCE!"

  The Denka suddenly shouted, and Sarah let out a small yelp of fear, quickly lowering her gaze to the ground, too afraid to say anything else. In that single word, she had felt the full weight of the Denka’s power and authority.

  The very same shout stirred the five individuals chosen by the prophecy from their deep sleep. The Denka let a long silence settle over them as they slowly got to their feet, shaking off the strange visions they had just witnessed.

  "You have now seen the events we have shown you for this mission… Queen of the Night."

  The heavy silence continued to hang over the pace grounds. The Denka’s presence was truly overwhelming, and the arrest of the man earlier had been a chilling demonstration of her divine authority over the isnd.

  Then, suddenly, the Denka reached for Sarah’s neck. Her hand pressed against the back of her nape, and Sarah felt something—some kind of power—flowing into her. A mark began to form on her skin, a number etched permanently onto her body.

  21.

  "Now, we will address the matter of 00010."

  Murmurs rippled through the crowd at the mention of Sarah’s number, a number she had desperately tried to keep secret. She still didn’t fully understand why there was such an obsession with 00010.

  "We have decided to grant you 21 days to find the queen. If she is not found, a new representative will be chosen, and 00010 will be publicly executed."

  A stunned silence fell over the audience. The shock was palpable.

  Executions were exceedingly rare on the isnd, reserved only for the worst criminals—cannibals, traitors of the highest order.

  Sarah felt like lightning had struck her. Not only was she being forbidden from leaving, but now her very life depended on these five people—some of whom she had only known for a week.

  A sword now hung over her head. 21 days.

  Sure, maybe she could be revived using Denasaia’s machine—but would resurrection even be possible if she were killed by a goddess?

  "That concludes this announcement… We advise you to depart at dawn… We are of peace, always."

  And just like that, the Denka vanished, transforming into a bird once more.

  Sarah remained on her knees on the small stage.

  Tears streamed down her face.

  She was afraid. Afraid of dying. Afraid of losing everything