Sinking...

My exhausted body swayed with the motion.

Drifting...

A disconnected consciousness, hazy and elusive.

Blurred...

My senses were numb, as if they were distant, beyond my grasp.

— Splash!

The sound of water.

To be more precise... it was the sound of the sea.

Submerged in the ocean, the first sensation that broke through the fog of my mind was hearing.

“Hisss… hiss！”

“Urrraa… urrraaa！”

Unintelligible words, yet the tension in the air was unmistakable—an argument.

So close... it's getting closer...

Even though I knew that, my eyelids felt impossibly heavy under the weight of sleep, and no matter how hard I tried, they wouldn't open.

Splash, splash!

The sound of the water's surface being cut through.

"Hmph—!"

A powerful force struck my back, and before I could react, my body was violently dragged forward.

What... am I...

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The sound of the wind howling in my ears.

Splash, splash!

The water split in half as my lower body sliced through the sea.

The impact, the vibrations, the speed...

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Finally, the outside world's stimuli broke through the slumber, invading my consciousness with force.

Hack! Hack!

I woke up.

The seawater surged into my chest and lungs, and a violent cough tore through me, making my head throb with each breath.

"Nolama!"

Whoosh—!

Reality was anything but gentle.

My eyes were still closed from the coughing fit, but before I could open them, I heard a voice calling someone in the distance, and then, the sensation of floating suddenly struck.

I was thrown.

The force hit me from behind, and I was thrown upwards.

Whoosh!

"Sa-ka-shi-lu-ban-ma."

Just as a sharp tug on my collar lifted me off my feet., a woman's voice rang out.

Cough, cough! Hack... ha... ha...

The seawater finally came out. I didn’t care about the tears and snot that smeared across my face. I gasped for air, desperate to open my eyes—

"…!"

Eyes.

Beneath a large hat adorned with a skull, a woman dressed like a pirate, with cold, malevolent green eyes glaring at me like a snake...

No.

The lower half of her body was that of a thick, serpentine form, covered in crimson scales.

As her piercing eyes locked onto mine, her mouth flicked, and a long, forked tongue slithered out.

Half-human, half-snake!? Where am I?! What happened...? Why am I facing such a monster?

Instinctively, I struggled, trying to break free from the monster's grip.

Snap!

But, just like dealing with a child, the snake-woman effortlessly blocked my attack and then, in a single swift motion, grabbed my right hand.

"Ma-ka-gan-qi?"

The language was unintelligible, but I could see her face slowly leaning in with a wicked grin, pulling me closer.

Then...

Her eyes glowed with a terrifying purple light.

"Ugh!"

The purple light seemed to pierce through my gaze, swallowing all my nerves, as if my body was being filled with lead. Even moving a finger felt like I was exhausting every ounce of my strength.

It’s so hard... to move... I can barely... breathe...

"Al-le, do-ke-do."

Her gaze was still locked on me, but two more figures appeared behind her.

More... snake people... What... is this...

Thump, thump...

My chest and lungs, restricted by the force, struggled for air as my heartbeat grew weaker and weaker.

I'm... can't...

Thud!

Suddenly, the snake woman tossed me aside, and my back slammed violently against the deck.

At the same time, the other two snake people quickly bound me tightly with coarse ropes.

Huff...

The sound was soft, but the snake-woman quietly exhaled. As she adjusted her breath, her tongue flicked out, and her eyes, staring at me, revealed a hint of surprise. Had that last move taken more out of her than she expected?

The ropes bound me tightly, making any movement impossible. At the same time, one of the snake people snatched the suitcase from my back. This was a rare moment to catch my breath after a series of threats, even though the danger hadn't passed, gave my weary body the chance to rest. My heavy breathing was proof of the exhaustion I was feeling.

Finally, I saw the vast blue sky and the wide deck. The pirate-snake woman looked over at me, a satisfied smile on her face.

Reality had left behind a series of unsolved mysteries before dragging me back into the dark.