The price for her to travel was reasonable. The chosen ship belonged to merchants. A bunch of men who sailed peacefully over the waves, trying to protect their goods. They were travellers Naoe didn't have to be wary of.

With a sigh, Naoe leaned against the railing and let her gaze wander over the deep blue of the sea. Rays of light reflected, creating patterns that were broken by the gentle waves the ship parted. Things came into being only to be torn apart – the sea made it clear. What people built, it swallowed up in one go. Not alone; it never did. Sometimes it got help from pirates, now and then from the navy, but fundamentally from humans.

Naoe knew the devastating power of her species. When the cards fell, the wrong people would do anything to keep secrets, cover up events and eradicate danger. Eventually there would be nothing left but hatred, which would one day turn the white spray on beaches blood red, and maybe she would help it do that. Though she was already too tired for that. From the beginning, she had resigned herself to whatever life had given her.

A long time and a few years ago.

Somewhere behind her, a door slammed shut, was kicked open again, and unleashed a vocal mess. These men did nothing but argue all day long. One didn't like the fixed selling price of his goods, another was unhappy with the destination. There was always fuel for trouble. Loud and bossy, it stole her nights, made her stare sleeplessly at the ceiling of her cabin and develop theses about what the next task would be. A dull routine that had haunted her for three days.

Rapat was a long way off and the next island was slowly making its way into her field of vision.

"Hey!" Without further ado, she interrupted the arguing men behind her.

The response was a grumble before they turned to her. "What is it?"

"That island over there. I want to be dropped off on it." With her finger, she pointed to a still quite small spot in the middle of the sea. One of the addressed took a few steps in her direction to inspect the target before shaking his head.

"That's Synochí, there's nothing there. Besides, the port to dock is on the other side, which would mean we'd have to go round it once."

"That's not needed. It's enough if you sail close enough. You don't even have to dock."

Her interlocutor merely shrugged before glancing over his shoulder. The man he had been arguing with earlier pursed his lips. Neither of them minded her request.

"If you can manage." Without further ado, they waved her off before leaving her behind.

Slowly, Naoe turned her eyes back to the distance, taking in the sound of water and letting her thoughts dance freely a little longer. Travelling was a wondrous thing when all that was done for days was to watch the fish underwater and silently follow the clouds. Everything consisted of a contemplative harmony of sounds, if the sounds of her fellow travellers were excluded. The sea was inviting, and it was moments like these in which Naoe understood why so many people took a liking to this force of nature. It was gentle, even harmless, until the moment it swallowed entire islands.

Synochí, her next destination, was steadily approaching, growing with every minute they stayed on course. Until they were close enough.

With merchants still scurrying and arguing across the deck, Naoe manifested one of her frames. Wishing to get to the edge of the now visible walkway, she pushed open the window. A last breath gave her strength. Then she stepped to the other side.

No one noticed how she disappeared; leaving the ship behind as if she had never been there.

A few yards ahead led her to the exit of the path. She bridged it with a narrow smile and set foot on the rock she had seen from a distance. Clean, bright work. Not a single crack adorned the slabs.

Taking a quick breath, Naoe let her gaze wander. To her right rose a building, similar to a school, dotted with thousands of windows in which the sunlight reflected and fell to the ground. Up the path, past trees and street lamps, a church hid behind which the island's town resided.

There was no other destination. All that was left for her was the crowds in a crowded centre in the middle of an idyllic landscape that might just be leading its visitors on a false trail. Just as Rapat had done with its constant lack of space. It couldn't get worse than that on Synochí.

Tiredly, the revolutionary set herself in motion, following the path up and ceaselessly surveying her surroundings. Dark red maple trees brought colour to a steady green of bushes and oaks. A sight that made her steps lighter. It was like a gentle, friendly breeze that invited her to rest. Nature was something wonderful. It only took one leaf to bring her closer to freedom.

When there was no way out between grey buildings and loud voices, it was these barely noticeable little things that proved there were other places. Tiny spots only to be found if people looked more closely. Everyone's haven of peace and yet a little magical in the face of all that escaped them.

Momentarily, Naoe stopped and fixed her gaze on the short-cropped meadow outside the walkway, looking up at the red leaves that loosened now and then to follow the wind like a dance. The feeling of having lost something cradled her in the arms of this image. Yet she had provisionally reassembled everything she had ever lost. It only took a moment and everything was back exactly where it belonged. Mixed with other feelings that kept her guessing.

Uncertainty born of an incomplete lie.

With a snort, she lowered her head.

It was impossible to gather everything that had been lost. She knew it and yet sometimes gave herself over to fantasies so the courage wouldn't break; so she wouldn't forget what she could do.

The thought ate at her, made Naoe push the vague memories to the back of her mind and swallow the bitter taste on her tongue. Remembering something that didn't belong to oneself was inappropriate. She couldn't change anything, anyway. The chances were gone.

She left the images of the landscape behind her, walked past the church whose peak rose far too high into the sky. If anyone stood right in front of the entrance, they could barely make out the end up there. It left a sound of astonishment in Naoe's lungs before she turned away and dedicated herself to the city, which actually found its beginning at the side of the church.

She would get something to eat, get a room, and sleep in. All those restless nights hadn't passed her by unnoticed. Her body was sluggish and her eyelids were barely staying up.

Just as she was about to go off again to fulfil her wishes, someone called out to her. An old woman stumbled out of the church. Armed with a cane, she hurried down the path to Naoe. Her curved back and thin arms made her frail. So much that Naoe wished she would walk slower.

"How can I help you?" Tense, the revolutionary took a few steps towards the lady.

"My child, could you tell me if you have seen my brother?" The stranger came to a halt in front of her. She was breathing heavily, exhausted from the search she seemed to have been following for a couple of hours.

"Your brother? I'm sorry, I haven't come across anyone here yet. You're the first person I've met. What does he look like?" Carefully, Naoe bent down a little. Although she herself was small, the old woman seemed much tinier.

Her counterpart took a deep breath before answering, "He's about this tall." With one hand, she showed Naoe the size of the missing man, who seemed to come only up to her waist. "He also has brown hair," she continued, "and he wears big glasses behind which his eyes look like little dots."

Every sentence the woman spoke agitated her. Her voice gave way to a tearful tone that had been looking for help for a long time. The tired eyes, surrounded by wrinkles and age spots, still shone hopefully. Presumably her brother had disappeared a few days ago, and she had been searching for him tirelessly ever since.

Inevitably, Naoe averted her eyes and drew her brows together. People who cared so much about something – they triggered something in her she couldn't define. It made her chest tight and each breath a little heavier.

"Look, I'm not good at finding anyone. But I can help you in another way. We'll travel back to the day your brother disappeared and we'll just stop him from leaving. How about that?" She forced her eyes back to her counterpart before tilting her head.

"That works?" Hopefully, much like a little girl, the stranger's already soft facade seemed to crumble. Tears gathered, making her eyes shimmer. Only with difficulty could she hold back her sobs. "I beg you, my child. I must take him home."

"Will you tell me your name?"

"Isobell. My name is Isobell, my child." The addressed woman gathered her trembling voice as if she were ready to do anything. She had to love her brother, and it made helping much easier. Supporting someone in need and receiving a sincere "thank you" was better than a loveless payment on some days. It was a gesture that was used far too rarely in this world. Everything had become natural at some point.

"I am Naoe. To use my power, I would need a drop of blood from you."

"I see." With difficulty, Isobell reached into the pocket of her blue jacket, which was a little too loose. Out she pulled out a needle.

Carefully, she pricked a fingertip, where the red liquid slowly gathered into a ball. Naoe stroked the good with her index finger, rubbing it between it and her thumb. A moment later, she drew the window that would change the past. The frame solidified into nothingness. Naoe didn't hesitate to open the window sashes and turn back to her customer, who was watching the proceedings absent-mindedly.

"Well, I must ask you first not to run into yourself. As soon as your past self recognises you, you die." It was easiest to be direct.

"That's not a problem." Isobell's gaze was fixed on the window. "I'm sure I won't recognise myself. I can promise you, my child. I won't be able to."

Brows raised, Naoe took noted her counterpart's words. "Now, that being said, I would like to ask you to rest. I will take care of the change. Please focus on the day you last saw your brother. That will be our start."

She held out her hand to Isobell so she could close her eyes with reassurance. Her features relaxed as if the agony was finally over and Naoe couldn't help but gently lift the corners of her mouth. She led her companion through the window, letting herself split inside – in the same endless manner as it always happened – and reached the other side. A place filled with flowers and ponds.

Nearby was a bench surrounded by climbing roses that made their way over an attached arch. Paths of light-coloured stone led through beds of various plants, while further back a small bridge had been installed, nobly reaching over a pond full of water lilies.

"A park?" The scenery was clear and yet Naoe had to ask as she led Isobell to the bench and sat her down.

"Yes, this is where we lost sight of each other. Over there, there, that's us. Oh, how I miss those days." With her finger, Isobell pointed at two children who were heatedly discussing. They were young, maybe ten.

In disbelief, Naoe looked back at her companion, who was smiling blissfully. It was clearly her memory. Her statement had to be true. And yet it was hard to believe that she had been searching all these years. A lifetime of trying, hoping to bring someone home.

"Will you make sure he comes back, my child? May I stop looking? I am tired... For eighty years I have searched. I am so tired, my child."

"I will take care of it, I promise... Just rest."

Swallowing hard, Naoe turned away and devoted herself to the children. Her movements remained uncertain as she walked towards the two kids, who seemed to be slowly coming to an agreement. Isobell's little self turned away from her brother and covered her eyes. Her sibling run away.

Getting in the way didn't feel right. These kids wanted to have fun, enjoy their day, not listen to the twisted advice of a stranger. So Naoe waited, staying within reach and watching the game.

They were playing hide and seek, unaware that one of them would get lost. Probably the boy, who seemed to be younger than his sister, had lost his way and had fallen into the hands of someone who had sold him. Such things didn't happen infrequently. In a world full of pirates, not all of whom were simply striving for freedom, nothing had been impossible for a long time.

Isobell slowly counted what her brother was using to escape. He needed to hide and, as it seemed, he headed for some of the outer bushes. Naoe followed him unseen at a trot, trying to keep enough distance to avoid attracting attention.

His short legs carried him as fast as they could across the meadow, over to some bushes, through which he forced himself. Naoe, meanwhile, was able to see over the bushes so she could make out the walkway that ran along a low wall. A flat obstacle had been chosen to add columns at regular intervals that curved over the rock to merge into an archway. A wonderful place, suitable for loving couples who likely used the near abyss and low safety as an adrenaline rush of affection. Moments when trust was at stake. Seconds when women clung to a man's chest in played fear.

The little one dashed down the ground-hugging slope onto the pavement, glancing back briefly. His mischievous gaze met Naoe's worries, not looking ahead. The distraction caused him to stumble. His small body collided with a young woman whose drink spilled over her bright summer dress in the same breath. Her sharp cry snapped even her partner out of his lost-in-thought stupor.

It was seconds in which the world seemed to twist.

The man yelled at the boy, who hurriedly apologised. Bravely, he stuck out his chest, bowed and asked for forgiveness. No struggling. No nervousness. Merely a boy who had understood what position he was in.

The woman took it with a gentle laugh. Her forgiveness came quickly. The fright had faded, but her companion understood neither the circumstances nor the hearty spirit of his partner. The scolding on his lips was imperious, unable to be calmed even by his girlfriend's reproving hands.

Then he lashed out.

Instantly Naoe ran – down the slope towards the couple.

But she was too late to stop the blow that swept the little one off his feet. The distance between the pavement and the wall was too small. She could still hear him gasp as he bumped his hip against the edge of the stone and immediately tumbled backwards over the masonry – ready to fall into the eternal arms of the abyss.

Naoe rushed past the couple who, in shock, merely watched a life ending. With a leap, she stood on the wall, knowing she wouldn't reach the boy's hand. Her concentration mingled with panic that ate relentlessly at her. The whimper on her lips quivered to her shoulders as she manifested a window, which suddenly took an awfully long time. Every second felt like an endless minute.

The fall stretched before her eyes like chewing gum. The frantic throbbing in her chest seemed threatening and everything in her wanted to act. She had made a promise. A simple vow that she intended to keep.

Manifesting a window was no big deal. Yet it tore her up inside. Watching a child fall to its certain death had a naughtiness all its own about it that awakened nightmares. It was cruel to know it had already happened once.

Stretching her arms out, Naoe held her breath and waited for the window above her to open next. She still saw him disappear behind the lower frame and she also noticed how the panes above her jumped to the side. A moment later he fell from above and landed in her arms. She caught him, hugged him tightly and jumped off the wall. The couple was still standing in place, not moving an inch until Naoe gave them a stare. The woman understood immediately. Her hesitant nod was sheepish as she caught her lover by the sleeve and pulled him behind her – far away from the chaos.

Naoe, in contrast, dropped to her knees and set Isobell's brother down on the ground. His legs held him shakily upright. His breath stumbled over his lips, tantamount to a chase from which he had been unable to flee. Then he put a hand on his chest and adjusted the displaced glasses on his nose.

"Why did you save me?"

"Because I promised." Relieved, Naoe gave a sigh of relief. Isobell's brother was fine, which also meant there was a little less grief.

Her legs were shaking, refusing to let her stand. It wasn't the fact that she had done something good, much more the memory hit her, the knowledge of what had really happened. What had seemed like a simple disappearance before had ultimately been death. An end that had robbed a child of its future. Yet they had only played hide and seek. They had only wanted to have fun. And yet, fate had decided to give them each a hell of their own.

For decades, Isobell had searched for him, unaware that he was dead. Her whole life had been devoted to this search. Simultaneously, it was now an experience, an improvement that would eclipse all that. Isobell would remember two actions in the present; until one of them faded.

The eternal search for her brother.

And living with him.

A completely different story.

"There you are!" Isobell's younger version peeked out from between the bushes and put on a wide grin when she spotted her brother. The latter gave her a quick wave, but then turned back to Naoe.

"Thank you for ... saving my life, lady."

Naoe merely nodded and watched him run back to his sister. Sighing softly, she collected her thoughts, then picked herself up and followed the two of them in slow steps. Over the brush, along the meadow, back to the bench where Isobell sat, fixing the clouds in the sky.

"I'm done. Let's go back." Naoe held out her hand and gave Isobell a knowing smile. Half in thought, she took up the offer.

Together they headed for the window, found their way through, and Naoe regained something significant. What they had taken from her on entering, they gave back to her on returning.

They found their way out into the presence of the island where it had all begun. The window crumbled behind them, disappearing into nothingness and making Naoe groan. Fatigue gradually took over.

"That was all ... I hope I could help." Turning her gaze to her companion, Naoe let go of the old lady's hand. The latter shuffled slowly along before turning around. The hope in her eyes had disappeared and given way to a blissful gleam instead.

"Thank you so much, my child. I thank you with all my heart."

"There is no need to thank. In the end, we both know what the truth is. You could never really experience the memories that are now newly formed in your mind."

"That's not true." Without further ado, Isobell closed her eyes and turned away. "Those memories are in my head. They are wonderful and make what once happened fade into oblivion. I am too old to remember the ugly parts of life, my child. Much too old. Thanks to you, I could live my life. I have searched for so long, far too long. Now my reality has changed. My present. It is no longer sad and filled with endless days of searching."

For a moment, Isobell let time pass her by. She closed her eyes. Breathed deeply. Her thoughts only released from her tongue when minutes had passed.

"I was always sure I would find my brother. Yet I knew he was dead. They recovered his body from the lower shore, where one of the sharp stones held him in place. I didn't want to believe it, so I searched." She put her head back. "My child, I didn't want to let him go. But I don't regret my search. If I go home now, there is a man waiting for me there. I married instead of searching. My children and grandchildren, they live at the harbour because they exist. My brother lives right across the street in the little house with the cute flower decorations on the door because he is alive. He got married and lived a happy life because he had a future, thanks to you. I have no regrets, my child. I am grateful to you. I am. And now I don't want to be tired of searching. My family is waiting for me."

Wordlessly, Naoe watched as they parted ways. Isobell left. She just left all that behind and followed the path to a junction that pushed her out of sight. Naoe stayed behind. Trapped in this presence that wouldn't let her go home.

Fresh air shooed away the rising thoughts. She had done something good and her client was happy. It was fulfilling, much more satisfying than most jobs she put herself through. On days like these, she was grateful to be gifted with this Devil Fruit. If she made good use of her power, she could see a little more happiness in the world.

Maybe not her own, but there were enough others who needed it.