The Island of the Damned

The air was filled with metallic and putrid smell -

the scent of bloodshed and death.

I had lost track of time as I drifted

for days in the middle of the ocean. Fortunately, my supplies

were still enough and the ocean

was calm.

Nel would surely be awake by

now. I could imagine her angry

face, questioning Cliff and Jett

about me. A smile escaped my lips

as I reminisced the life I had in

CIA. It was never easy but it was

less troubling than where I was

headed.

Shima had been a subject of

myths and rumors among

Erityians. Many believed it was

not real, until he met his demise. I

could still remember that time:

Executioners were ready to

slaughter every Shinigami they

had imprisoned, not minding

the repercussions from the

administration and the council.

Ise, then head of the Jikko

clan, vowed to kill every single

Shinigami who made his grandson

suffer.

"Naia, you should never allow

anyone to read your mind, " Vince

would always say when I was a

child.

"Why?"

"Because they can use your thoughts and memories against

you."

I heaved a sigh. It's been more

than a decade since he died yet

the pain still lingered inside me. I

missed him.

My thoughts returned to the

present when the clear sky and

water suddenly turned dark. In a

span of a few seconds, everything

was already covered in fog.

A wave of nostalgia hit me as I felt

the fog brushed against my skin.

"Farallon," I called.

As if on cue, the fog dissipated

and the familiar island came into

view. The silence I was enjoying

a while ago was replaced by cries

and screams of agony and pain.

The air was filled with metallic

and putrid smell—the scent of

bloodshed and death.

"Is that you, Naia?" a voice

echoed.

I smirked. "Yeah. I thought you've

already forgotten me."

A guy clad in black holding a huge

scythe appeared in front of me.

He still looked the same except for

the additional creases on his face.

There was a hint of surprise, even

disbelief, on his inscrutable face.

Farallon was never fazed with

anything. Even when Vince

brought her here, he remained

inexpressive. When Vince died,

his face was expressionless but his

eyes were gleaming with wrath.

Seeing him after a long time made

me feel like I was a kid again.

"How's everyone?" I asked as I

came ashore.

"Why are you here?" he

questioned without answering

"I have a special delivery."

Despite his skepticism, he walked

with me toward the forest. I heard

the familiar roars of Shira and

Hyora, the guardians and first line

of defense of this island.

"Hey," I snickered as the lion and

leopard made their way to me.

"Missed me, buddies?"

I didn't have any friends of my

age in this place and all the

Executioners were busy with their

jobs and missions so I befriended

these two. Among the natives of

this island, only me and Aristus could snuggle with these deadly

predators.

"Everything has changed here,"

Farallon said as we passed

through the forest.

It was always dark in the woods

as the canopy of trees blocked the

sunlight. I remembered getting

lost here when I was young and

Farallon found me in a critical

state. My arms accidentally

brushed against the leaves of a

poisonous plant and rendered me

motionless.

The venomous insects buzzed

around and the deadly plants'leaves fluttered in the wind. It

took us a while to get out of the

forest and the stretch of sludge

came into view.

Farallon wounded himself, his

blood trickling from his finger and

it dropped onto the boulder at the

forest's threshold.

The path of stone emerged,

bridging the gap between the

forest and the village. The

rancid smell was enough to

make someone nauseous but

it was already normal for the

inhabitants of this island. When

we reached the end of the path,the stones sank back into the

sludge and we marched forward.

Some Executioners halted, others

took a glance at me, as I walked

beside Farallon. The older ones

were able to recognize me as the

child who had red eyes.

"Naia?" One of the called. "Is that

you, Naia?"

"Yuma," I replied. "You look old

now."

He drew his sword and I swiftly

fended off his attack. Some

Executioners gathered around,

bellowing and cheering, as the two of us were caught in and

onslaught.

He was still fast and agile despite

his age. I could feel the cuts on my

skin, blood streaming through my

arms. I managed to land a gash

on his cheeks and he looked more

excited.

"Damn, child, you better not

underestimate me," he beamed as

he charged at me.

That moment, my skin tingled as I

felt an intense bloodlust from him.

He was going for my vital point.

"The unprepared are the first to die."

I remembered what I told to Jett

and cursed myself for being too

softhearted. This was Shima, a

place where comrades could kill

one another without giving a

thought.

He disappeared from my sight,

and the next thing I knew, the tip

of his blade was already piercing

through my right shoulder. I

gritted my teeth in pain and held

his sword. I kicked his neck as I

my hands bled while gripping his

blade. The force made him lose his

balance and grip on the sword and I immediately pulled it out of

my flesh.

Yuma sat up and laughed

hysterically as he looked at me.

"Shit, this is bad," he chuckled. "I

want to kill you now."

He was ready to charged at me

but everyone suddenly fell silent.

I felt the immense pressure in

the atmosphere, making my body

tremble in fear.

"W-what was that?" I mumbled.

Amidst the silence, I heard heavy

footsteps approaching our direction. The Executioners gave

way and I saw a hooded man

walking toward us.

The tattered cloak fluttered as the

wind howled. Behind him was a

woman who was eerily familiar.

Then I remembered Nel's story

about a Senshin who had the eyes

of a Shinigami and a Custos.

The Executioners, as well as Yuma

and Farallon, bowed to him and

that got me confused.

As far as I remembered, Lionel

should be the de-facto leader since

Ise lost his only heir when Vince

died. I was sure Lionel didn't look like that when I left Shima.

LO

"Child, state your name," he

demanded and I flinched upon

hearing his voice.

"N-Naia," I answered.

"I see. The child of Diona and

Heron," he said and my stomach

churned in distress as I heard my

parents' names.

He carefully removed his hood

and I almost got paralyzed by his

stare. Intense and cold green eyes

looked right into mine.

"W-who are you?" I asked, my voice shaking in fear.

He bellowed in laughter as if my

question was something funny.

"A Jikko branch clan member," he

responded. "That old fart didn't

even talk to me until he needed

someone to inherit his position."

Some Executioners were visibly

uncomfortable after hearing

him badmouthing Ise. I, too, felt

annoyed as Ise was the most

respectable person in this island.

"I vowed to hunt down every

single Shinigami but they locked

me up in this place," he seethed and I had to step back because his

anger screamed danger. "Damn

that council of old and coward

shitheads."

"Dad, calm down," the woman

behind him softly said.

The man looked at me again after

he calmed down.

"I am Kyo," he said, "the strongest

Executioner, and this is now my

turf."

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