Hakua Shiodome was trembling. Not from cold, but from uncertainty. She sat curled up, knees to her chest, wrapped in a silence that clashed against the loud, rough voices echoing beyond the bars. She was trapped in a cage made of wood and iron, with thick ropes along the sides and an old rusty lock that looked impossible to break.
Outside, the pirates laughed, shouted, and argued. The sea gently rocked the ship's hull. Everything felt strange, uncomfortable… and scary.
She didn't understand how she had ended up there.
Hakua closed her eyes tightly and tried to focus. She remembered how her life had been before.
She lived in special facilities. Laboratories, white-walled dorms, long rooms filled with screens, schematics, and machines. Her whole world revolved around science, logic, and things that could be measured and calculated. Yes, she was a child, but also a brilliant mind. Everyone said it: "A gem for humanity's future."
She had no friends. She didn't need them. And that was fine.
She had once overheard a rumor. They were planning to bring in an ordinary boy to the institution. Someone who could help the girls learn how to interact with "normal people," from the middle class. She thought it was a waste of time. Why should she care about that? Her world was science. Not small talk.
But one day, everything changed.
She had been working during one of her "inspiration fits," as the adults called them—surrounded by scattered blueprints, loose components, and a mug of tea gone cold. Suddenly, a bright light appeared behind her. So intense that she barely had time to turn before being pulled by some invisible force. Everything spun, flashed, vibrated. She felt like her body was being broken down and rebuilt. Then, darkness.
She woke up later in a strange place. A metallic room, vast and alien, lit by soft glowing lights. Her thoughts were slow, fuzzy. And in front of her… was a white-haired young man.
He was tall. Handsome, even. But what stood out most was his expression: calm, kind, as if he already knew what was happening. He looked at her with a mix of curiosity and warmth.
She didn't know where she was. So she stayed still. Waiting.
While the others were still unconscious, he came closer again. He called himself "the Doctor."
And he offered her food.
She raised an eyebrow. She was used to a strict, specially prepared diet—perfectly calculated meals designed to support her health, energy, and mental clarity. She looked at the container in his hand with suspicion.
—"What's this?" she asked quietly.
—"Yogurt," he replied with a soft smile. "Or something very close. You'll like it."
She hesitated. But there was something about him… something she couldn't explain. Finally, she brought the cup to her lips and took a sip.
And then something completely unexpected happened.
It tasted like strawberries… and blue.
Yes. Blue. Not the color—the taste.
She couldn't explain it. But her tongue felt it: something fresh, soft, sweet, and a little magical. Like drinking a piece of the morning sky.
—"It tastes like blue…" she murmured, surprised.
—"I know," he said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "Not everyone can identify it."
Then, he offered her some cookies. They looked strange. Unlike anything she'd ever seen.
—"And these?" she asked, sniffing them.
—"Moon rock flavored cookies," the Doctor said, as if talking about chocolate.
She bit one. Expected something dry—but they were crispy and soft at the same time. They tasted… distant. As if every bite contained a pinch of stardust.
She didn't fully understand it. But she liked it. And she liked him.
—"What's your name?" she asked.
—"I'm the Doctor," he answered again.
She frowned slightly.
—"No… your real name."
He paused. His eyes drifted to a point in the air.
—"I mustn't tell anyone my name," he whispered. "No one would understand it anyway. Except children… if they're good, and the stars are aligned."
She didn't know what to say. But it felt like a beautiful answer.
A few hours passed. He walked everywhere, fixing things, explaining things even she couldn't understand. Hakua just sat quietly, observing him. Fascinated.
Then they arrived somewhere new. He called it "the Caribbean."
Everything was different. The sun, the sea, the breeze. He told them to stay in a safe area.
She wanted to obey. But… something happened.
The red-haired girl decided to fight. And thinking about it, maybe it was partly her fault too. She hadn't hidden when they told her to. She stayed, analyzing… and then everything went wrong.
And now she was kidnapped. Trapped in a cage. Surrounded by pirates.
She wondered when her life had changed so suddenly. She didn't know. But she did know one thing:
That kind young man who called himself the Doctor would come.
And just like that—as if her thoughts had taken shape—he appeared.
The Doctor. Alongside the other boys she recognized from the TARDIS: Komatsu, who, even without powers, was doing everything he could to help; Kaminari, who lit up the battlefield with electric sparks; and Mineta, using his strange sticky spheres to slow the pirates down.
The Doctor, calm as always, made his way directly toward her. In his hand, a green-glowing flashlight. He pointed it at the lock.
A soft click broke the silence.
The lock opened effortlessly.
She looked at him in surprise, but didn't hesitate. She threw herself into his arms—relieved, happy, safe.
He held her gently, stroking her hair.
—"Don't worry…" he said in his warm, quiet voice. "I'm here."
And at that moment, for the first time in what felt like a very long time…
Hakua smiled.