Well, here's the counterpart to the big update. Chapter 21, the Psychosis. It's relatively short, but you'll understand why when you're done reading. Have fun!

Chapter 21: The Psychosis

"So, they're all gone, then?" Hassan asked Tsau.

"All of the servants are dead," Tsau stated clearly. "Or, at least the ones I signed the contract for."

His mentor looked at him in the eye. "Are you alright?"

Tsau snapped from his slight trance. "What? Of course. Is there a problem?"

"You seem like something is bothering you," Hassan noted. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The Reaper shook his head. "I'd talk if something was wrong with me, but unfortunately, there isn't."

"Don't bullshit me, Tsau," Hassan said. "It's already enough that you've been killing for the past half decade."

Tsau looked away and sighed. "It's just my last target. It was a young lady."

"How old?" Hassan asked.

"About my age when I started contracts," Tsau said. "Probably 18, 19."

The Altair nodded. "I understand that this business can leave psychological scars on you. Just take it easy."

"I'm getting over it," Tsau said. "It's nothing. Are there any more contracts?"

"There is one…" he said. "It's the same client again. He wants you to kill the leader of the Manifest. Your target is a Persian woman named Farah. She's always where someone can see her, so even when she's out, it'll be hard to kill her without the patrol spotting you."

Tsau shrugged. "Then I'll just sneak into the Manifest and kill her when she's inside."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hassan asked. "I mean, I can ask Ramadi to do it. He's more into talking with women anyway…"

"No, I'll do it," Tsau said, shaking his head lightly. "I'll get into the Manifest tonight."

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The cool temperature of being out at sea woke Zi up as she opened her eyes. She turned to the other side and noticed Tsau. He didn't wake up early today like he usually does. She gazed at him for another few minutes with a gentle smile. Getting up from the bed, she quickly put on her pajamas and was ready to head back to her room to get dressed. Before she left, she sat on the bed and looked at him again.

"Tsau…" she said quietly. "Do you love me?"

He yawned slightly and pulled the sheets over his head. "What was that?" he mumbled tiredly.

"Uh," she stopped. "I said do you love the sea?"

"What?" he said, sitting up with a yawn. "The sea? Eh, I've never really enjoyed being out on the water. Not much room to run on unlike the city. I don't think I'll ever be as familiar with it as you are."

Zi gave a smile with a hint of bitterness behind it for not repeating her real question. "I have to go change."

"Yeah, you do that," he replied with a slight smile. "I have to change, too."

He sat up and kissed her before she went out the door. Zi blushed slightly and shut the door quietly. Very few people seemed to be up at the moment, and she had to sneak quietly. The first step she took already caused someone to detect her.

"Aha!" a voice said behind her. Zi turned around and saw Elizabeth, who just so happened to walk by. "There you are! What were you doing in there? I heard you walking out of your room last night."

"You did?" Zi said innocently. "Why, I don't know what you're talking about."

The door opened from Tsau's room and Tsau leaned out the door with a blanket covering his lower body. "Hey, Zi you for got you under…" he spotted Elizabeth, who immediately noticed him. "…wear…"

"Tsau…" Elizabeth said in acknowledgement.

Tsau looked at her oddly. "Oh, hey there…Elizabeth."

Zi went over to him and took the underwear from his hand.

"It's a…nice morning," he said. "Perfect…for breathing. Breathing air, that is…and air is good. It keeps us alive…I, um…I love air…hopefully nothing taints it..."

He cleared his throat and slowly backed into his room, shutting the door. Elizabeth then looked back at Zi, who blushed.

"I have to go to my room now," Zi said. "Um…I'll see you in a few minutes."

She turned around and headed off, leaving Elizabeth standing there speechless. Honestly, she wasn't expecting Zi to warm up to Tsau so soon, but then again, they have been on the same ship for weeks now if they summed up the trip to Aswad and back. She was also surprised that Tsau was a bit more light on his words since they spent the night together last night.

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"You! 'Ey, you!" Jack yelled from his prison cell. He was below Blackwell's mansion, but they put a bag over his head, so that he doesn't remember the way out. The only thing he remembered was that they went down an odd descending platform, like an elevator.

The guard that patrolled the cavern-like area approached his cell and stood in front of him. "What do you want?"

"I've got a map," Jack said desperately. "It leads to some great treasure somewhere!"

The guard yawned. "Mr. Sparrow, I'd appreciate it if you didn't act so foolish. You have a very nice cot to sleep on and we supply you with food each day. Just take Blackwell's plan seriously."

Jack smiled and went back to sit down. "Alright, mate. Just wait until the time is right. You'll regret not helping me out."

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Nighttime had already come quickly for the Dutchman, for the day was fast and unforgiving. Tsau and Zi spent most of their time together that day, talking about several things. He was definitely more reserved than last night, but more approachable than his usual self. Elizabeth and Will watched their relationship closely.

"Aw, look," she said to him while in his arms. "They're a perfect couple for each other."

Will smiled and held her. "Of course, just like us."

Zi looked up at the sky. Her sudden tranquility was disturbed by an odd sound, almost like music. "Do you hear that?"

Tsau, who sat next to her on the steps, looked at her oddly. "No. What?"

"Sounds like music," she said. The sound in her head put her in a state of trance. "That's odd."

As soon as Tsau turned away to look towards the front of the ship, he immediately noticed something burning in the distance, and so did Will and Elizabeth. The fire was intense, and illuminated the night as they got closer. He stood up, but noticed that Zi was passive. Ignoring her, he walked towards the front and uncovered his hood to get a better view of the wreckage. Will and Elizabeth stood next to him.

"Sailors," Tsau said, feeling the heat from the burning ship.

The ship wasn't completely burnt yet, but the outside parts definitely were. In about a good half hour or so, the ship will be burnt to a crisp. Broken parts were all over the place. Will heard a scream from inside the deck, and looked at his wife and the assassin.

"Someone's still alive," he said. "Quick, let's go find them!"

Will immediately started running to get a rope to swing across towards the other ship. Elizabeth looked at Tsau, who shook his head.

"I think I'm good," he said. "Plus, your husband can't die, right?"

She gave Tsau a scowl and followed Will. As they swung across to the other ship, Tsau watched and shook his head at the same time. The very few remainder of the crew were asleep already, and Zi was out of it, so Tsau stood there in thought. Before he could think for another moment, a chilling presence crept up from behind him, and he quickly dodged to the left, avoiding a very sharp blade stroke. As Tsau turned to look at his assailant, he noticed who the person was. Ramadi. His friend began hacking the blade at him and started to attack. Will and Elizabeth were on another ship, Zi is in a trance, and now Tsau had to deal with his friend.

"The Psychosis," he said while dodging another swift stroke.

Ramadi stopped and smiled. "So they told you about me already, huh? You won't live long enough to hear my name again."

"Why are you here?" Tsau asked him.

"Because you pose a threat to our cause," his enemy sincerely replied. "You are the only way that stands between us and the Executives."

He raised an eyebrow. "Executives? Of what?"

"Don't worry about it, Tsau," the Psychosis insisted. "You won't live long enough to find out."

"You were the one who killed Hassan," Tsau said. "Why did the Necromortalis help you?"

The Psychosis smiled. "You just seem to solve so many mysteries, don't you?"

"No," Tsau shook his head. "They do."

"It's a pity, then," the blindfolded samurai replied. "I thought the White Falcons would prove themselves as useful adversaries. I guess I was wrong. They ended up killing themselves instead…"

"If you're so good at controlling minds," Tsau said deeply. "Why can't you control mine?"

The Psychosis scowled. "When you meet Drak Nesirus, then you'll understand why. He's the one that's up there with Zhao and Blackwell. They all have their own plans, but are forced to work together. Blackwell has the East India Trading Company, Nesirus commands the battlefield, and Zhao has his rebel army…and us."

"I'll send Zhao that blindfold of yours," Tsau said. "Then he'll understand."

"I'll send him your blade," the Psychosis responded. "And I'll send your friend's skull after you kill him."

Tsau drew his blade. "Let go of Ramadi. Your fight is with me."

Just right above and behind Ramadi was the blindfolded samurai warrior, floating in the air. That must be the Psychosis. His image was a bit transitioned between invisibility and reality. Perhaps this image was a hallucination.

"No, Tsau," he replied. "You'll have to get through your friend before you touch me!"

The possessed Ramadi began swinging the blade at Tsau once again, each time edging closer and closer to cutting him. Tsau parried a few blows, but was hesitant to kill his colleague.

"What's the matter, Tsau?" the Psychosis said. "I thought you were all business! You can't even go through Ramadi to kill me?!?"

As Ramadi began hacking at Tsau again, Tsau took deep breaths whilst defending himself. As his breaths sped up, he decided that there was no other way that this can be done. Ramadi lunged in to attack one more time, but Tsau swiftly dodged to the side and shoved his new saber into his friend's chest. As the moment lay still, Ramadi looked up at Tsau and smiled one last time before succumbing to his death. Tsau pulled out his saber and his friend descended to the hardwood floor of the ship.

The Psychosis was no longer transparent, and he allowed himself to be fully visible.

"Tsau, Tsau, Tsau," he started. "Why, oh why can't you stop killing people? That blade you have there is very special, because Hassan gave it to you. And now, the first life you take is your friend's. This is quite tragic."

Tsau looked down at Ramadi in slight remorse, but looked back up. "Don't worry about it. You're next."

The Psychosis laughed out loud. "Are you sure?! If you're ready to face me, then I am more than prepar—"

A gunshot fired from behind him and the Psychosis fell over, dying instantly. The cold, instant moment was odd enough, for this was surprisingly quick for one of Zhao's Deaths to die this way. Tsau was bewildered by such an immediate death. He was probably too distracted, and didn't anticipate that shot. Perhaps he wasn't all that psychic.

"Hello there, mate!" a familiar voice shouted from an approaching ship.

Tsau looked over and saw Jack Sparrow and his Pearl crew draw by closer. How did they find them so fast? Will and Elizabeth swung back from the burning ship, and brought back with them a young girl, probably about Bill's age.

When they looked over, they saw Jack and the crew.

"Jack!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "How did you get here?"

Jack tipped his hat to her and a smile came across his face. Will walked right by Tsau with the little girl in his arms, unconscious and cold from her tattered clothes, although she just came out of a burning ship. The two ships began slowly drifting away, oddly, from the debris that floated in the water.

"Excuse me there," Will said as he passed by.

Tsau watched suspiciously as everyone went about their business. They were definitely far ahead of schedule now, and perhaps they can release Will from his service now that Jack has the chest. He accepted the moment and walked towards the steps to talk to Zi, who was still in her state of trance. Maybe the Psychosis was doing this to her the whole time.

"Izzi, you alright?" he asked.

Zi looked up at him and tried to clear her head. "I think I'm fine…just gimme a few minutes."

Tsau nodded. "Okay."

After that, he walked up towards Jack and Elizabeth, who were conversing about what the next plan was. Tsau looked at the two, and broke their discussion by clearing his throat.

"Ah, there you are," Jack acknowledged.

"Did you get the chest?" Tsau asked.

Jack smiled. "Aye, but under one condition: I get the Dutchman as my ship."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Fine by me," Tsau said. "But…I have to get my end of this bargain."

She then looked at Tsau. "I thought you were helping us!"

"Help isn't for free, Elizabeth," Tsau said. "Jack knows this…and you, as the Pirate King should know as well."

Will approached them and looked at Tsau. "So…what is it that you want, Tsau? What have you been helping us this whole time, for?"

Tsau was about to speak, but noticed something when he looked at Will. There was no scar on his chest. No evidence of his heart being removed. Not only that, but they haven't even engaged the Necromortalis yet to capture it in the dagger. And, they still haven't found what "the blood of its liberator" was, either. There were lots of holes in the equation here. Tsau looked down with a hint of paranoia and waited for a few moments. He then looked up and gave them a smirk. He wasn't going to be taken for a fool.

Oh, no. Is something wrong? Hah, you'll have to check in to the next chapter to find out. By the way, if you don't remember what "blood of its liberator" was, it was mentioned in Chapter 10, "Decipher the Curse," when they were reading that letter that fell from the piano.