"I won't tell you!" Aurianna snorted, making the bottle in her hands vanish before sticking her tongue out at Avriel.

"Oh? Now then, Jade, what were your crimes?" she asked, shifting her attention to him.

"Human dissection and the pursuit of mortal evolution," Jade stated calmly, his cold golden eyes locking onto hers.

"And also for creating monsters in my own world. I was a researcher imprisoned for my unorthodox experiments. That's my story," he added, his tone devoid of emotion.

"Ehh, no more?" Aurianna pressed, raising a brow.

"That's all you need to know," Jade replied, his gaze unwavering.

"I was really looking forward to knowing more about you, though," Aurianna said with a playful smirk.

"There’s no need for that. Sometimes, the less you know, the better it is," Jade responded.

"Damn," Aurianna muttered under her breath.

"Umm..." Kiana suddenly blurted out, fidgeting nervously.

"Kiana, if you want to say something, just say it," Aurianna said, her eyes shifting to the girl.

"Aurianna, can I speak with you?" Kiana asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, go on," Aurianna encouraged.

"I... I wanna leave," Kiana admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I knew that already," Aurianna chuckled.

"Ehh, you did?!" Kiana gasped, eyes wide.

"Of course. I’m connected to anyone who bears my mark," Aurianna replied with a calm smile, but a disappointed look appeared on her face.

"Oh... right," Kiana murmured.

"I want to fix some things back at home," Kiana said.

"Sure, sure. Go ahead. Just don’t come back weak," Aurianna teased, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

"I won’t! And thank you so much!" Kiana beamed, suddenly wrapping Aurianna in a tight hug.

"Hey, Kiana," Aurianna said softly as Kiana placed her down.

"Yes, Aurianna?" Kiana responded, looking at her.

"Don’t make me get a system message that you died. You’re lucky my powers can revive you, but I don’t know how far they can protect you. Stay safe," Aurianna added, her face slightly flushed. "I don't really care—just don't die after all that time I spent helping you!"

"Ehh, are you worried about me?" Kiana grinned mischievously.

"Who the hell is worried? Go away!" Aurianna shouted, her voice filled with annoyance.

Kiana chuckled before leaping out of the ship window and diving into the sea. Aurianna followed her and stood by the wondow, sighing as she stared at the stormy seas through the glass.

"Damn, we’re totes not seeing that mermaid again, are we?" Avriel quipped.

"Says who? We’ll obviously see her soon!" Aurianna huffed, crossing her arms defiantly.

'Aurianna, I know you wanted me to come with you, but I have things to do. I’d love to follow you, but I can’t stay by your side the same way I am now. I promise to get stronger. I promise to be someone who can stand beside you one day. Even though your dreams and ambitions are twisted, I can’t help but be captivated by them! But I’m too weak for all of that, and if I stay, I fear I’ll never grow,' Kiana thought, her resolve firm as she swam through the sea.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"That stupid mermaid. She could just use the domain prison with me and get stronger. Tch," Aurianna muttered, frustration clear in her voice.

"Ehh, so you really see the mermaid as your friend?" Eva's teasing voice echoed in Aurianna’s head, and Aurianna could practically feel the smug expression she probably wore.

"Yes, and so?" Aurianna shot back, defensive.

"Ahhh, so adorable!" Eva squealed. "I must take a picture of this and save it in my memory book! My baby is growing!" she beamed, suddenly appearing beside Aurianna, though no one else seemed to notice her. She immediately began snapping photos of Aurianna with a camera.

"I’m not a baby!!" Aurianna shouted, her cheeks reddening.

'She’s talking to herself,' Jade, Avriel, and Jugi Candy thought in unison, watching Aurianna with blank expressions. However Hadina was unbothered, thinking about something else. ‘Heh two rivals gone, a blessing indeed.’ she thought happily.

"Why are all of you staring at me like that?" Aurianna snapped, crossing her arms.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Jugi said, quickly averting his gaze.

'She’ll probably get mad again,' Jugi thought nervously.

"I can’t see anyone there... Is she actually crazy?" Jade mumbled under his breath.

"Stop looking at me like that!!!" Aurianna yelled, her frustration rising.

"Alright, alright," Avriel said.

"I’m going to get something to eat," Aurianna grumbled, turning to leave.

"Well, can I have some of whatever you're eating? Your food is totes delicious," Avriel asked, flashing her a hopeful grin.

"No! Make your own!" Aurianna retorted sharply.

"So mean," Avriel pouted dramatically as she watched her walk away.

"Candy, escort me to the kitchen!" Aurianna ordered.

"Yes, Lady Boss!" Candy responded, jumping up and rushing to Aurianna’s side.

After a few minutes, they arrived at the kitchen, and Candy gave a quick bow before hurrying off.

"Hmm," Aurianna grumbled as she picked up some vegetables and bread, setting them out on the kitchen table.

"What's wrong?" Eva asked, appearing beside her.

"I wonder what Iris is doing now. I haven't heard any news about her from the system," Aurianna muttered, her brow furrowed in thought.

"Well, she's strong, so I’m sure she’s fine," Eva reassured her.

"Yeah, I guess so," Aurianna sighed, still deep in thought.

"I wonder what she’s like though," Aurianna mused aloud. "Can I get an image of her?" she asked, glancing upwards.

[Sure] the system responded, projecting an image of Iris: a young teenage girl with beautiful brown skin, one purple eye, and one black eye with skull-like designs in them. Her long black hair had purple stripes running through it, and she looked eerily like a flawless, beautiful doll. She looked a lot different compared to before.

"Her eyes... so dull yet so pretty," Aurianna murmured, mesmerized by the image.

"I wish I could talk to her like I do with Leila," Aurianna added.

"I wouldn’t advise that," Eva warned, her tone serious. "You know how the system keeps telling you not to make any connection with her."

"Yeah..." Aurianna trailed off, a hint of reluctance in her voice.

"So, what food are you going to make?" Eva asked, changing the subject.

"Just a simple sandwich. I’m not too hungry right now," Aurianna replied with a shrug.

"Alright then, I’ll be in the void space if you need me for anything," Eva said before disappearing.

Once Eva was gone, Aurianna quickly prepared a few sandwiches for herself. With nothing else to do, she wandered around the ship, feeling lost. After a while, she finally made her way to the deck and sat down on a chair, staring out at the stormy seas.

"Hah, it’s so boring doing absolutely nothing," Aurianna muttered to herself. "Just sitting and watching the seas all day…"

"Even Bartholomew and Peter are busy. And Kiana’s gone too. What a rough day," she sighed, resting her chin in her hand.

"Maybe when she gets back, I should get her a phone. I doubt there’s a need since we’re connected, but it’s better than her voice intruding in my mind like Eva's. That would be creepy," she mused, half-jokingly.

"Master!" a familiar voice called out, and Aurianna looked down to see Zagan in his cat form.

"Oh, Zagan! You’re awake. Come here," Aurianna said with a smile. Zagan leapt onto her lap, curling up comfortably as Hadina watched from the side, her face contorted with envy.

'If not for worrying Master too much, I’d be the one there!!' Hadina cried inwardly, biting her lip. As she remembered when Aurianna glared at her a few days ago and asked her to stop being clingy. The memory was enough to make her cry.

"Want a bite?" Aurianna offered, holding out a piece of her sandwich and Zagan took a small bite before she took did as well.

"Why the bored look on your face, Master?" Zagan asked, his orange eyes looking up at her inquisitively.

"The sea is unbelievably boring," Aurianna muttered, slumping further into her chair.

"Well, this ship is filled with strong people, after all. No sea monster would dare attack it," Zagan said, curling up more comfortably on her lap.

"You're right, but sitting down and doing nothing for several days is so annoying. There's nothing to fight against," Aurianna grumbled, her fingers drumming on the armrest.

"You could read," Zagan suggested.

"Already did that," Aurianna replied, and Zagan gave her a blank stare.

"What about board games?" Zagan offered next.

"I'm not interested in those like those old people," Aurianna dismissed, and Zagan stared at her blankly once more.

"Or you could go swimming in the sea?" Zagan tried again.

"The salty water is something I'd like to avoid after being stuck in it for a whole year," Aurianna complained.

"So, you basically don't want to do anything?" Zagan asked, exasperation creeping into his voice.

"Hah, you just don't understand, Zagan," Aurianna said, shaking her head.

"Bored, huh?" Saem asked, approaching from the side, his boots thudding against the deck.

"As you can clearly see, Saem," Aurianna replied dryly.

"That's normal with the sea life. It's why things like looting ships give a rush—adrenaline from surviving the dangers of the sea," Saem remarked with a casual shrug.

"Yeah, surviving can be fun sometimes, but suffering too much isn't," Aurianna said, her gaze drifting back toward the endless ocean.

"The more one suffers, the stronger they get," Saem countered.

"I highly doubt that. Some people suffer their entire lives and end up dying without accomplishing anything," Aurianna pointed out, her tone sharp.

"True, it’s truly an unfair world," Saem admitted with a thoughtful nod. After a pause, he added, "Also, I have something to apologize for."

"Hmm? For what?" Aurianna asked, her curiosity piqued.

"The more I thought about your words, the more I realized that you were right about some things," Saem confessed, his eyes avoiding hers.

"Oh really?" Aurianna raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"There are still some things I don’t agree with you on," Saem clarified, "but after rationally thinking about my experiences since becoming a pirate, I realized that maybe my so-called acts of kindness aren’t really benefiting those in need. At least, not in the long term."

Aurianna leaned back, a small smile tugging at her lips. "It’s about time you started seeing things more clearly.”

"I still stand by my belief, though," Saem said firmly. "And I’d like to change the world one day."

"Hmm, do whatever you want," Aurianna responded with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Can I ask what you plan to do with your life?" Saem continued, his tone growing more serious. "You seem to hold some resentment, yet at the same time, you care about the people around you. Honestly, I thought you'd be some kind of dictator, but you don’t bother my crewmen, for which I'm grateful."

"Don't place me in such a good light," Aurianna replied with a cold chuckle. "I just see no need to waste my time with your people."

Saem paused, then asked, "So, where would you want to go?"

"You’re heading to the Promised Land, Karo, right?" Aurianna asked.

"Yes, but why do you want to go there?" Saem probed, his curiosity piqued.

"Well, I have a few friends I want to meet there," Aurianna said nonchalantly.

"Wow, you actually have friends?" Saem quipped with a grin.

"I’ll kill you, nose-long boy!" Aurianna snapped, her glare sharp.

"Just kidding, just kidding!" Saem quickly raised his hands in surrender, chuckling nervously