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Chapter 11 - Chapter 11

š•®š–š–†š–•š–™š–Šš–— 11: "š–ƒš–†š–›š–Žš–Šš–—ā€”š•æš–š–Š š–‚š–—š–†š–Žš–™š–š–˜š–•š–†š–“"

Midnight rays creep along the bark of wooden wrecks—the ship.

Mine. Once.

I left it. Still keep forgetting that fact. The jagged timbers, the ripped crimson cloth, its hull broken and half-submerged in the tide.

I can still smell the scent of long-lost salt. The rot still hangs heavy in the sea breeze, mingling with a sharp tang of gunpowder.

Old times really give you something.

My gaze lingers, drifting over the eerie surroundings. Inside what was once the captain's quarters, a writing desk lies toppled, its drawers half-open and spilling their soggy contents—ink-stained maps, brittle parchment, perhaps a salt-corroded compass.

All gone.

Why does Hell feel more like home than any of the seven Heavens?

There—

A sneeze.

A subtle smile flickers on my lips for a moment — rare, and not something I'm used to... but loneliness had started to creep in.

She definitely doesn't mind being unprofessional all the time.

Creeping over the broken deck, silently followed by her not-so-silent boots clunking on soaked wood.

I can barely see the tier in her hand, but the grip she holds it with—like it's a dagger—tells enough.

Her feigned focus makes me laugh internally.

So… unprofessional—

Oh—

Her fingers grip the wooden plank shielding me from her view.

She's right on the other side.

I can't stay in anticipation for too long.

Let's see then.

"Careful not to disturb the skeletons of the ship."

Metal clashes ring out as her dagger meets my axe. She almost stumbles.

"Ah—" Her breath hitches as a spark flicks against her cheek, leaving a burnt mark.

My hand instinctively rises to trace it with my thumb—

Until she takes advantage of it.

She whirls behind me and traps me in a headlock, dagger raised at my temple.

"Ugh—" A groan escapes, and a breath. Still, I lock eyes with her—sideways, sharp, amused... but wary.

The silence cloaks the wind so tightly, I can hear Lee's heartbeat pick up.

Yet she doesn't lower her weapon.

"I should have expected you," she hisses.

I smile faintly.

"I never really told you who I am."

She stays still—still guarded.

Slowly, I straighten up.

Not trying to break her grip just yet.

Her eyes widen at the strength she doesn't have over me.

Weak.

"Guess I owe you the truth—I wasn't exactly honest back there."

"Oh? So what now? Gonna tell me you're a demon in disguise?"

"Captain of the Crimson Wraith. Leader of the last real pirates on this side of the Rift."

Lee stares. Then glares.

Predictable.

"Fantastic. A pirate and a show-off."

She jerks me off balance.

"You're brave," I add, stumbling slightly. "Or stupid. Most people flinch when they find out who I am."

"I didn't," she shrugs.

"You shouldn't be here. This wreck is mine."

My expression shifts, swift and cold.

"Not anymore," Lee retorts, eyes narrowing. "Move."

She walks past me.

I lunge—a flash of steel.

Lee parries, twisting away, dagger slicing through air.

I knew she would.

She sheathes her dagger, breathing hard, but her eyes never leave me. The wreck creaks under the tide, moonlight shifting, casting long shadows around us.

I smirk lightly, wiping a trickle of blood from my lip.

"Not bad. You fight like you mean it."

She narrows her eyes.

"I don't fight for sport. Just to survive."

I take a step closer, lowering my voice.

"You're scavenging. I'm protecting what's left of my crew's legacy. Seems we want the same things, but our methods don't exactly align."

She scoffs.

"I don't trust pirates. And I especially don't trust you."

I exhale faintly.

"Fair enough."

Suddenly, a noise—something shifting in the water nearby.

We both freeze, eyes scanning the darkness.

"We're not alone," Lee whispers.

"Looks like this night just got more interesting." I nod dismissively.

Without a word, we fall into a wary rhythm, an unspoken truce, moving together toward the source of the noise—two unlikely allies forced to cooperate.

At least for now.

That's… what I don't like. Especially with her.

I step ahead of her.

They're probably raiders.

Peeking out of the wreck, I walk farther onto the soaked sand, my footsteps leaving dark traces behind.

I look around—

Nothing.

Until—

My heartbeat drops to a numb point.

Oh shit!

"There are Carnals here!" I snap back at Lee.

I dash into the wreck, almost tumbling as I yank her behind me.

"Carnals?"

"Yes, Carnals—the darker variant of Cor—"

"Corporeals," she finishes.

I snap my head toward her. She deadpans me.

"You study about them?" I ask, frowning.

"Oh, c'mon. Who doesn't know about them—"

"No one… Corporeals can stand against Cognates once they master their ability."

"I'm aware of that too."

My eyes widen slightly.

That changes a lot more about her to me.

"Fight?" I ask, eyeing the raiders.

"What, you think I brought this dagger for decoration?"

I offer her a silent look—raised brows—before my form shatters into black dust, ash-like wisps trailing through the air as I vanish.

She freezes for a moment, almost stunned.

But she doesn't waste time.

She hurls her dagger—clean kill. One raider drops instantly. Then she steps out of the wreck, walking casually, like a diva.

The others scream, nearly loosing an arrow her way.

Dark shadows rise behind the one with the drawn bowstring—he's struck down, half-buried in the sand.

Sliding beside him, I swipe a dagger from the fallen corpse and toss it back to her.

Swinging my axe in the air, I lunge.

She mirrors me—me from the front, her from behind.

I yank one down, kick him off, trying to regulate both our heart rates mid-fight by using my ability but…

Doesn't quite work.

Alright. Last one. This one's vague—I'd better cue her to be careful so I can end this properly—

"Lee!" I call out.

A sharp breath escapes her lips as she tumbles onto jagged dunes of sand.

Striking a shadow illusion to distract the raider, she buys me time—

—I sprint in front of her.

"Finally decided to call my real name?" she grits out, shivering as she pushes herself up from the ground.

"Oh, thanks for the reminder. I gave you a nick… little peach," I remark mockingly.

"Stop calling me that, damn it!" she squawks at me, nearly growling.

"And you—"

I hurl my axe—it crashes into his abdomen. He doesn't even scream before I grab his collar and slam him against the flattened stone.

"If you're against pirates—fight me. And no one else."

He tries to use his ability, but it fizzles—nothing. He stares at me, stunned, as if I did something.

I yank him forward.

"Hurt a woman again, and I'll make sure you're not alive to do that again."

My voice lowers to a whisper, my gaze venomous.

"Now... begone."

I shove him away. He stumbles and retreats, leaving behind the corpses of his fellows.

I glance over my shoulder.

"You're a Cognate?"

"I'm a Mundane," she says straight to my face.

"Unbelievable."

I turn fully toward her.

"Yes, it is. Everyone believes."

"My abilities seem to affect things around you," I say, dropping to sit on the ground, arms crossed.

"That's what happened to him too."

She glares at me for a moment before tearing her gaze away, arms crossing as well.

"I don't lie."

After a pause, she speaks again—

"And what are you?"

There's a slight interest in her voice now.

"Duel... and a hybrid," I reply, tilting my head.

"Formation of shadow and Pulse regulator," she mutters, counting on her fingers like a toddler. "Right?"

I nod simply.

"And a flirt," she adds.

"I'm sorry, what—?"

"Yes. You're a pirate, so—"

"Doesn't mean we flirt. Nor was I flirting with you prior," I protest.

"Sure you were. You like peaches too damn much, and not to mention, you almost resembled those pervs back at the market—"

"Almost?!" I raise my voice, baffled.

She hesitates.

"Why?"

"I look way cleaner than those creeps, and—Have you even seen your hair?! It looks like it's been through three wars at once, and you're calling me a perv—"

I breathe sharply.

"People like me flirt and hit on disasters like you?!"

She just blinked at me, feigning innocence.

"That's absurd," I mutter, fuming.

Her teeth grind, her anger obvious.

"Hey! I have my own issues."

That's it.

I've had enough.

She's too stubborn, too deceptive.

I turn my back to her as we sit on the cold sand, surrounded by the dead of night.

I've judged a lot, haven't I?

Finally, she tosses a broken piece of painting beside me—slightly blurred by the damp air.

She found her piece… that fast?

My frustration eases—just a little.

"You can have it. If you want the praise that bad… you shouldn't have to deal with me like that," she says, the last words mumbled under her breath.

I turn, just to see her figure—arms crossed, eyes locked on the sea, twisting her toe into the sand.

"...I apologize for the misbehavior. I just… I don't want prying eyes here."

What am I even bickering about?

Of course she'll ask more questions, no?—

"Right. As expected. I'm out of it."

I meet her gaze briefly, still half-turned.

"For a moment, I thought you were going to kill me."

She crouches, peering down at me, amused.

"Guess it's not the time yet."

I almost want to slam my head into a coconut tree.

She's… infuriating.

"You're an extremely guarded person… and… I respect that," I say, raising my hand, lips pressed tight.

"And the painting? It's yours to keep. I'm not here for any praises," I add.

Her sage eyes blink at me.

"You—"

"I meant it." I cut in flatly. "Still doubting me?"

I pause. My voice drops lower, calmer.

"May I ask you something?"

I stand, grasping my axe, jerking it out of the sand.

She stays silent.

"Do you think that low of me?"

"No."

She looks up, confused by her own answer.

"But stay out of my way."

I step back, laughing—low and dry, mockingly.

"Likewise."

Without another word, I melt into the shadows—both wary and curious.

That's a huge stain to me. I've decided I don't like this person.

She stands alone for a moment, then slowly starts making her way toward the hill's trail.

Afraid of the dark, she seemed.

"I'm around. Don't worry," I speak lightly, appearing behind her—then disappear again into the shadows.

Out of her sight. But still… almost inches away.

"Well, I shouldn't be—if you hadn't broken my dagger."

"I broke it for a reason."

"Like what?"

"You'll find out…"

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