The ship rocked gently as it cut through the sea. Above deck, Captain Timothy had already called in a guard to deal with Daemon. Two officers grabbed his chains and dragged him toward the lower deck—toward the criminals.
"Number 234, this is your new home. Try anything stupid again, and you'll lose a limb."
The guard shoved Daemon forward. He stumbled and hit the floor hard, landing in the dim, stinking underbelly of the ship. All around him were chained men in oversized yellow prison suits, each with a numbered tag stitched to the chest. Some had dead eyes. Some glared like cornered animals. None looked friendly.
Daemon ignored the stares and sat in the far corner, lowering his head. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was getting to Kame-shima.
He could feel their eyes on him—glaring at his white hair and red eyes. Unique traits had always drawn attention, good or bad. He shut his eyes and waited.
Hours passed. He didn't know how long. Hunger clawed at his stomach. Just when he began to lose track of time, the heavy door creaked open. Guards stepped in with a burlap sack. One of them shoved his hand in and started tossing dried jerky across the floor like feeding dogs.
The prisoners lunged for it like rats, fighting and scrambling. Daemon didn't move at first. Then, without looking, he snatched a piece that landed near his boot and leaned back against the wall.
He chewed slowly, eyes half-lidded.
"Better than starving."
"Uh... hello," a quiet voice said beside him.
Daemon glanced up. A young boy stood awkwardly nearby. Dark-skinned, with short black hair and soft eyes. He couldn't have been older than twelve or thirteen. No aura. No mana. Just a regular, scared kid.
Daemon nodded once. "Hey."
"Umm... do you mind if I sit next to you?"
"Sit wherever you want. It's not like I own the place."
The boy beamed and plopped down beside him, nibbling his piece of jerky. "Sorry if this is weird, but... I really like your hair and eye color. It's kinda cool."
Daemon gave a faint smile and glanced toward the men still glaring at him across the room. "Let me guess. You picked me because I looked less scary than them?"
The boy looked down, embarrassed. "Y-Yeah... they're terrifying."
"I get it." Daemon leaned back. "You look young. What'd you do to end up here?"
The boy's expression dimmed. "I'm an orphan. Grew up with a bunch of pickpockets. One day, they told me to swipe something big. Promised me money. But when we got caught, they pinned it all on me and ran."
Daemon watched him for a moment. "Tch. Figures."
The boy looked up. "What about you? What did you do?"
Daemon paused. He could lie. But what was the point? After all he wasn't innocent either.
"Mass murder."
The boy went pale. "I-I see..."
"Don't worry. I don't kill kids." Daemon smirked. "Unless they snore too loud."
The boy laughed nervously. "Guess we'll be spending the rest of our lives mining on Kame-shima, huh?"
"Looks like it. You know much about the place?"
"Of course. I'm from Velmira. Kame-shima used to be a fancy vacation island. Beaches, food, rich people... Then the mages bought it and turned it into a labor camp."
Daemon's eyes narrowed slightly. So they already made their move... even while I was unconscious.
He clenched his fist lightly. They've had a head start. I'll catch up.
"D-Did I say something wrong?"
"No, you're fine. Don't worry about it," Daemon replied, more gently this time. "What's your name?"
"Oh—right! I didn't even introduce myself. I'm William."
"I see. William, I'm—" Daemon hesitated. Giving his real name could stir trouble. And judging by how sharp the kid was, he likely had ears everywhere. "I'm Dan."
"Nice to meet you, Dan! Where are you from?"
"Aurelian."
"WHAT?!" William's voice shot up before he quickly glanced around and lowered it to a whisper. "That's the kingdom that got wiped out by demons!"
Daemon stiffened slightly. So the rumors really did spread.
"Yeah... but I got out. Barely. Some of us survived thanks to the Holy Temple. I was just a criminal back then."
"That's awful. I heard Aurelian didn't even have beggars or thieves. It was like a paradise. Who would've thought it'd be destroyed like that?" William frowned. "They say it was a demon prince who did it."
"A demon prince?" Daemon's eyes narrowed. Those damn mages... they must've started that story.
"Well, it's just rumors. No one really knows the truth. But the survivors all say it was something demonic."
Daemon exhaled quietly in relief. So the details are still vague. No one saw me clearly. And the mages wouldn't have told the Holy Land—they hate each other too much. That means... my secret's still safe.
He gave a faint smile and leaned back. "Rumors always get twisted. But don't believe everything you hear."
William nodded, looking thoughtful.
BOOM!
The entire ship shook violently, knocking people off balance.
"What the hell was that?!" someone shouted as panic spread through the lower deck.
The walls creaked and groaned. Heavy footsteps echoed above as soldiers scrambled across the ship. One of them shouted down from the stairs, "Everyone stay calm! Don't move! It's just a monster—we've got it under control!"
Daemon looked over at William. "Did he just say monster?"
William nodded quickly, eyes wide. "Yeah. If it's what I think it is... it's a kraken."
Daemon's expression tightened. He'd heard the stories. Massive sea beasts, bigger than ships—rumors said they could swallow entire fleets. If that's what hit them...
A sudden surge of mana filled the air—thick, heavy, pressing on everyone's chest like a weight.
"You okay?" William asked, clearly nervous. "You're kind of zoning out."
Daemon's eyes narrowed, scanning the ceiling above them. "Don't worry. Judging by that spike in mana, those soldier bastards must be mages too. They probably activated some kind of shield."
"You mean like magic tools?"
"Artifacts," Daemon corrected. "High-grade ones, from the looks of it."
Even though the ship kept shaking, it was less violent now. The hull groaned, but didn't crack. After what felt like hours—though it was likely less than thirty minutes—the tremors finally stopped.
The air in the room was still. Silent. Until someone whispered, "...Did we make it?"
Daemon leaned his head back against the wall and sighed. "Yeah. For now."
William slumped beside him. "I seriously thought I was gonna die..."
Daemon glanced at him, amused. "Get used to that feeling."
After few minutes
"Alright, you bastards—off the ship!" a soldier barked, his voice echoing across the deck. "Welcome to Kame-shima, the island where you'll mine until you drop dead. Try escaping and you'll find out just how many traps are waiting out there. Spoiler: it's a lot."
The prisoners groaned as they stood and lined up, chains clinking with every step.
Daemon stayed silent, his thoughts turning. Seven hours by sea—so the island wasn't far from the mainland. Close enough for trade, but remote enough for no one to care what happened here. First, he needed to find the fragment. Then, figure out how to escape.
Beside him, William was shaking, his face pale as he stared blankly at the floor.
As they walked up the ramp and onto the dock, Daemon finally laid eyes on the island. At first glance, it was breathtaking—clear blue skies, fresh ocean breeze, and vibrant greenery covering much of the inland. But the deeper he looked, the more wrong it felt.
The island was shaped like a giant tortoise, with steep cliffs forming what looked like a shell rising from the sea. A massive black fortress loomed on its "back," chains connecting towers like a web. Its rocky "head" jutted out toward the sea, carved into the shape of a roaring dragon—likely an old cultural relic before the mages took over. The place was a contradiction: beautiful, brutal, ancient, and violated.
Daemon took a deep breath. The air here was rich with mana, more than he expected. That explained the interest of the mages. Whatever fragment was here, it was potent.
As they marched down the dock, Daemon's eyes caught a familiar figure. Nyxtriel, dressed in her soldier uniform, stood by the gate with her arms folded. She looked stiff—uncomfortable, even—but she played the role well.
He couldn't help but smirk. She really hates humans, but here she is playing along like a pro...
"Whoa," William whispered beside him, nudging Daemon. "That female soldier—she's got red eyes and white hair. Just like you. She's really pretty."
Daemon didn't look at him. "Yeah."
Ahead, Captain Timothy barked more orders and saluted the stationed guards. "Let's move! Get these rats to the processing gates!"
The march continued—into the heart of the island. Into the unknown.