"Well, nice to meet you, kid," Akarui greeted with a nod.

"Y-yeah, y-you too," I stammered, my voice low and uncertain.

I turned to Akarui, asking where we were. His expression shifted from neutral to puzzled.

"Wait, you don't know where we are?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't be asking," I retorted sarcastically.

"This place is called 'Death Triangle'," Akarui explained, his tone grave. "It's an island teeming with dangerous creatures. How did you end up here with no equipment?"

"I was washed ashore," I explained hurriedly. "I jumped off a cliff to escape armored pursuers, and the current brought me here."

Akarui's face betrayed concern. "Armored pursuers? Did you see their armband colors?"

I struggled to recall. Then it hit me: "Red."

"Red... Templar knights," Akarui muttered under his breath. He abruptly grabbed my arm. "Sorry, but this is serious. Where's your family?"

"G-gone," I managed to reply.

"Dead or missing?" Akarui pressed gently.

"Dead," I whispered.

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that, kid."

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Suddenly, my stomach growled loudly. Akarui chuckled, and I blushed in embarrassment.

"Hungry, huh?" He tossed me a piece of bread from his bag. "Eat up."

I caught it, looking at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, kid. I've got plenty," he reassured me.

With the bread, I finally quieted my hunger. Akarui then asked about my parents, and I recounted everything, including how the armored men had killed them. His eyes widened in realization.

"They... killed your parents?" He seemed lost in thought before snapping back. "Hey, are you okay, Akarui?"

"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking," he replied vaguely, but I sensed he was hiding something.

"Say, Akarui, want to come with me?" Akarui changed the subject. "Staying here isn't safe."

I hesitated, but with no other options, I agreed. "Yeah, sure. Where are we going?"

"The Kingdom of Sorable. It's safe there, away from the Templar knights still searching for you. But let's rest for now."

After our conversation, we settled in for the night. The stone floor of the cave was uncomfortable, but sleep claimed me swiftly. In my dreams, a figure beckoned me urgently, its voice familiar yet distant. Darkness crept in, and I woke abruptly to find Akarui watching over me.

"Finally awake. Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's go."

We packed and headed towards the Kingdom of Sore. Akarui handed me a rusty blade for protection. After hours of walking, my legs gave out. Akarui insisted on stopping for the night.

"I could go further," I protested weakly.

"Not with your legs shaking like that," Akarui said firmly. "We're close enough. Let's camp here."

While setting up camp, I felt eyes on me and spotted a bear. I readied my sword as it charged.

"Too quick, too heavy," I thought desperately, trying to block its attacks. My sword snapped, and the bear's claws tore through me.

"This can't be how it ends," I thought as darkness closed in.

Then, unexpectedly, a voice echoed: "Dangerous wound detected. Automatic usage of Divine Skill: General Adaptability, Regeneration."

I woke in a room adorned with gold, greeted by Akarui and a man with blonde hair.

"Hello, Akarui. I'm Adrian Albrecht," the man introduced himself politely.

Confused, I asked what was going on. Then Adrian said something that shook me to the core.

"Akarui, the truth is... we believe you're not human. You're a Curse."

"I'm a what?!"