Chapter 1: A New Life

A monster. That's what she was.

Akiza sat, curled up in a ball in her room while she listened to her parents talk downstairs. They thought she couldn't hear them, but with how loud they spoke it was impossible not to.

"Our little girl is... is... oh, I can't even bear to say it!"

"Dear, please, calm down! This is our daughter you're talking about, we can't do this to her?"

"You think I'm not aware of that! I don't want to do this, but I don't have a choice. Think of my career, if this were to get out..."

"But sending her away? Is that really going to solve this?"

What? Send her away? Akiza bolted up right. Surely it wasn't that bad, I mean...

"Is now the time to bring up politics? Think about what you're doing! Giving her away to these...these..."

"They can help up, Setsuko. She'll be among her own kind, and learn to harness her abilities Maybe then...we'll have our daughter back."

Tears began to well up in Akiza's eyes. Have their daughter back? Did..did they not love her?

"You're right, dear. I'll...I'll call them tomorrow."

"This is for the best, I promise. I just hope Akiza will understand."

Akiza understood, alright. She understood that she was a freak of nature, and that she had no family.

Hours had passed, and Akiza still couldn't sleep, their conversation playing on repeat in her head. Among her own kind? What kind was that? Freaks of nature? People who could make Duel Monsters real? If that's what they meant, then she didn't want any part of it. Not after what happened to her father...

But from the sounds of their voices, she didn't have much choice. They'd ship her off the first chance they got, and there was nothing she could do about it. After all, why would they want her, a freak of nature as a daughter?

Akiza sat up, knowing what she had to do. Grabbing a small knapsack, she gathered what few belongings she had and opened her window. It was too far down to the ground, but she had a way around that. Taking out her deck, she pulled out Rose Tentacles.

"Please don't wake mommy and daddy up."

As quietly as she could, she placed the monster on her duel disk, creating the monster for real on the ground. For a moment, she thought she heard a noise from her parent's room, and she thought her plan was over before she had even started. Luckily, nothing came out of it, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Phew. Okay, on to phase two."

Quickly and quietly, she edged out onto the window sill, allowing Rose Tentacles to wrap a tentacle around her and gently lower her to the ground. Returning her monster to her deck, Akiza sprinted as fast as she could towards the docks, her one hope to escape.

Luckily for her, the docks were empty when she got there, save for one ship. There was a guard, but he had dozed off, leaving her an opening. She hesitated for a moment, unsure if this is what she wanted.

"I need to do this...I must..."

Gathering her courage, she ran up the gangway and into the cargo hold. Hearing footsteps approaching, she quickly ducked behind some crates as some sailors walked by. Luckily, they didn't see her as they made their patrol.

"Alright, let's get this job over with. Sooner we set sail, the sooner we can get back."

"I hear that. Just thinking about Satellite gives me the creeps."

The two sailors left, leaving Akiza to ponder her next destination.

"Satellite? I think I've heard Daddy mention that before..."

Before she could contemplate this further, the ships horn blasted, and she felt it move out of its dock. Akiza looked out a nearby porthole to see the city grow farther away. Sighing, she squeezed into a tiny corner of the hold.

"Well, guess I'm going to Satellite. Farewell, New Domino City..."

Knowing she had a long journey ahead of her, Akiza went unhappily to sleep.

The next morning, Akiza's parents walked up to her room. They figured it'd be best if they both broke the news to her. Sadly, her mother knocked on the door.

"Akiza, honey? Can we come in?"

When she received no answer, her husband stepped forward.

"Akiza, please, we need to talk. I know you're upset about what happened, but I promise you're not in trouble."

Still no answer. Now he was starting to get mad.

"Young lady, if you don't open the door this instant, I'm coming in!"

"Dear please, calm down!"

"ALRIGHT, YOU ASKED FOR IT! i'M COMING IN!"

In a fit of rage, the man forced the door open with all his might, the house shaking as it hit the wall.

"Now, you have a lot of...explaining...to..."

Instead of their terrified daughter, the two were met with an empty room, the curtains flapping in the breeze of the open window. Akiza's mother brought her hands to her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh god...she..."

"She must have heard us. She thought...oh my god."

Setsuko buried her faced in her husband's chest, sobbing as he held her close. Tears started to form in his own eyes as he thought back on it all. What he could've done differently, what he should've done.

"What have I done?"