A rge ship sailed peacefully through the Pacific Ocean. It was not just any ordinary ship. Painted in blue and white, it was actually a floating prison, transporting prisoners from the United States to Japan.

  In the year 2025, the presidents of both countries signed an agreement allowing any prisoner—so long as they were at least half Japanese or American—to be transferred to a prison in the other country.

  In one of the ship’s cells, a girl y on a bunk bed, dressed in the stereotypical dark orange prison uniform, with pin white underwear underneath.

  She had fair skin with a slight tan, and her shoulder-length, bright ginger hair created a stark contrast with her clothing.

  Lying on her back, the girl covered her face with her hands, lost in thought about the recent changes in her life.

  Great. Fucking perfect. I just had to get thrown in jail ONE damn day before receiving a letter from my absent father—his first attempt to reach out to me in my entire life! And for what? I know I’ve done some not-so-good things, but I only ended up here because I was hanging out with my friends. Who cares if we got a little drunk and Tom beat up and robbed some guy?! Fucking Tom. I knew it would end badly one day. BUT NOT FOR ME TOO!

  Her inner monologue was interrupted by a voice calling her name.

  “Nicole, just look at that!”

  The voice belonged to her cellmate, Annie. Nicole turned her head and saw Annie pointing at the window—a strange mix of thick gss and metal bars, designed to keep prisoners contained while still offering them a glimpse of the outside world.

  But that wasn’t what had Annie so excited.

  Nicole sat up and walked over to the window, her eyes widening at the sight.

  On the horizon, a mass of dark clouds was approaching at an incredible speed, devouring more and more of the previously clear sky. But that wasn’t the strangest part. The storm clouds had a faint red glow, and bright red lightning bolts were striking the ocean below.

  Within seconds, the red storm had already covered half the sky above the ship.

  “What the hell is this shit?” Nicole muttered under her breath.

  Annie, standing close enough to hear her, simply shrugged. The girls watched as the sky turned completely bck, the red lightning now the only source of light. Thunder rumbled in the distance, but strangely, it wasn’t as loud as it should have been—it sounded almost... far away.

  I just hope it doesn’t hit the ship. Or at least kills me quickly.

  The moment that thought crossed her mind, a deafening explosion rocked the ship. The floor lurched beneath them, and both girls were thrown off their feet.

  “What the fuck was that?!”

  Nicole shouted, struggling to get up, but the explosions didn’t stop. They came one after another, shaking the ship violently.

  And then came the worst part.

  A bolt of red lightning struck near them, and the resulting thundercp was so loud it made Nicole’s ears ring painfully. She clutched her head, trying to block out the noise.

  A sudden burst of red light flooded the room for a split second, and then—

  To Nicole’s horror, half the cell wall was simply gone.

  Her wide eyes grew even wider as she stared at the massive hole, where the ship’s metal hull had been melted and torn apart.

  “Oh shit, shit!”

  She shouted, but her voice was lost in the howling wind and roaring storm.

  Her panic worsened when she realized Annie was unconscious on the floor—and slowly sliding toward the gaping hole.

  Nicole lunged forward, grabbing Annie’s arm with one hand. But just as she did, the ship tilted violently to the side, nearly sending them both over the edge.

  At the st second, Nicole managed to grab onto the leg of the bunk bed with her free hand, holding on for dear life while still clutching Annie.

  Ah, fuck… maybe I should’ve joined Amy at the gym from time to time, huh?

  That was her st thought before her grip failed.

  And the two girls plummeted into the ocean below.

  * * *

  Nicole slowly opened her eyes. Her head was spinning, and she felt as if there was a constant buzzing inside it. Bright rays of sunlight blinded her, forcing her to shut her eyes again.

  Fucking hell, what the fuck happened?

  After a few seconds, even through closed eyelids, she noticed something blocking the light. Curious, Nicole opened her eyes once more—only to see a face unnervingly close to her own.

  "AH, FUCK!"

  Nicole screamed, adrenaline surging through her veins as she rolled to the side and jumped to her feet, instantly taking a fighting stance. She was panting, wide-eyed, as she stared at the person in front of her.

  It was a girl—short, even compared to Nicole—but clearly not a child. Her body was that of a woman in her twenties, with tanned skin and long, light brown hair. She wore only a loincloth and a leather chest piece, both adorned with green vines and a few flowers. But the most shocking part was the pair of brown cat ears atop her head and the long tail swaying behind her.

  "Who are you? What tribe are you from? I've never seen anyone like you," the girl said. "I am Soi, from the Torakai. I live in Greenshore Vilge. And you?" She tilted her head slightly.

  Nicole remained frozen for a few seconds. Seeing that she wasn’t under attack, she slowly lowered her hands and finally responded.

  "Uh… my name is Nicole. I-I'm not part of any tribe. And honestly, I have no idea where I am."

  Soi's eyes widened even further.

  "What do you mean, no tribe?! And with how you ck any tribal traits… I get it now!" Soi gasped. "You were cast out as punishment, and they even cut off your tail! Poor thing."

  She took a few steps toward Nicole.

  "But don’t worry! If you promise to behave, I can ask the elders to let you stay in our vilge!"

  Soi reached for Nicole’s hands, but Nicole quickly yanked them away and took a step back.

  "I was not cast out of any tribe! And I never had a tail either!" she snapped, raising her voice.

  Soi flinched, her cat ears fttening against her head.

  "I understand it might be a painful memory for you," she said, her tone softer. "I didn’t mean to upset you! But anyway, I think you should come with me. Staying alone after dark is dangerous."

  Soi turned and started walking away, gesturing for Nicole to follow.

  Nicole stood there for a moment before reluctantly trailing behind her.

  As they walked along the sandy beach, Nicole gnced toward the rainforest on their left. The ndscape transitioned from tall grass into a dense wall of trees.

  Maybe this pce—strange as it is—is better than a prison. I can just think of it like some kind of vacation.

  By the time the sun had sunk halfway below the horizon, Nicole spotted a faint glow ahead. As they drew closer, she saw a tall wall made of sharpened logs forming a barricade. At its entrance, wide enough for five or six people to walk through side by side, two figures stood guard.

  As they neared, Nicole could make out the details—two men, both cd in primitive leather armor and holding wooden spears. Or rather, long sticks with sharpened tips.

  One of the guards immediately raised his weapon.

  "Soi, who is this? She looks suspicious," he said, eyeing Nicole warily.

  Soi waved a hand dismissively without breaking her stride.

  "Oh, don't be like that. I'm not about to leave a poor girl alone at night. Let me take her to the elders—they can decide what to do with her."

  The guard frowned but made no move to stop them as they passed through the gates.

  As they ventured into the vilge, Nicole felt dozens of eyes on her. The inhabitants—every single one of them possessing cat-like ears and tails—stared curiously. Dressed in primitive leather garments and vine accessories, they whispered amongst themselves as she walked by.

  Nicole felt uneasy under their scrutiny.

  The houses were wooden, simple structures scattered throughout the vilge. Since the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, torches now provided the only source of light.

  After several minutes, Soi stopped in front of a rge, round building—taller than the others. She gnced back at Nicole and nodded before stepping inside.

  Nicole followed.

  Inside, three figures sat on the floor—an old, bald man, a middle-aged woman, and a tall, muscur man. As the girls approached, all three turned their attention toward them.

  Soi bowed deeply before speaking.

  "I found this strange girl unconscious on the beach. I brought her here for your judgment—to see if she can stay in the vilge for a while."

  The elder man studied Nicole carefully.

  "What tribe do you come from, girl?"

  Nicole rolled her eyes.

  Oh fuck, not this again.

  "I don’t know anything about your fucking tribes! I was on a ship when a weird storm hit. I fell into the water and woke up on the beach. That’s all I can tell you."

  They don’t need to know I was in jail.

  The muscur man stood and stepped toward Nicole, stopping right in front of her.

  "And what’s with those clothes? I’ve never seen anything like them!"

  He turned to the other elders.

  "I think she should strip. She might be hiding her tail under her clothes."

  The woman smirked and chuckled.

  "Oh, Ters, you're just looking for an excuse to make a girl strip. But alright, I suppose we should check."

  Yeah, like I’m going to undress in front of some… cat-people.

  Nicole took a step back, eyeing Ters warily.

  "I have no goddamn tail! And I’m not stripping in front of you all! Why should I care what you think?"

  Silence filled the room.

  After a few seconds, Ters stepped closer. But before he could say or do anything, Soi quickly moved between them.

  "Wait, wait!" She turned to Nicole.

  "Listen, if you don’t prove you don’t belong to any tribe, they’ll either throw you out or think you’re a spy and imprison you! Just show them!"

  Nicole exhaled sharply.

  "Alright, alright. Not my first time undressing in front of strangers anyway."

  She slid down her orange prison pants and unbuttoned her shirt, letting them drop to the floor. Standing in her gray sports underwear, she turned her back to them.

  "Happy now?" she said ftly. "See? No tail. Never had one."

  When she turned back, the elders were staring at her—not at her body, but at her tattoos.

  "Hm, she truly has no sign of a tail or ears from any tribe," the old man murmured.

  "But what in Risme’s horns is that on her skin?" Ters pointed to the tattoo on her chest—an eerie skeleton with glowing pink fmes in its eyes, its hands seemingly grasping her breasts.

  Suddenly, Ters reached out, grabbing her bra with both hands and tearing it apart in one effortless motion.

  "What the fuck?!"

  Nicole yelped, trying to cover herself, but the man seized her wrists, holding them back.

  Her breasts were now exposed, but that wasn’t what the others focused on. Their eyes were glued to the skeletal tattoo.

  "This is a sign!" the woman gasped. "Could she be cursed by the gods?"

  Ters released her and circled behind her, pointing at another tattoo on her lower back.

  "Here! A snake marking! She’s one of the Lamias! Those bastards must have stripped her tail and sent her here!"

  Nicole arched her spine, gncing over her shoulder at the tattoo of a coiled snake with red and violet scales.

  "I don’t even know what a Lamia is! I’ve never been on this isnd before! Just get the fuck off me!"

  Ters smirked.

  "Hah. Like we’re going to believe anything you say now, girl."

  He grabbed Nicole’s shoulders and spun her around to face the elders.

  "She should be locked up. Maybe then she’ll start talking."

  The old man slowly nodded.

  "Agreed. The snake marking is too suspicious to ignore."

  Nicole tensed as Ters tightened his grip.

  Soi stood frozen, clearly not expecting things to turn out like this.

  Ters grinned.

  "Alright, girl. Time to get some rest."

  Then, without warning, he punched her in the stomach and Nicole's world went bck.