Canary woke up with a sudden movement above her. Sebastian had just used his bedside book to block a flying needle. The house's first son must have sent one of his mind-control needles through the closed door.
Her heart raced while the head butler told her to stay there before rising from the bed. Faster than she could answer, he rushed outside with the needle in one hand and the book in the other. The house member's face looked enraged during the second the door was open.
The adrenaline rush made her hands tremble as she tied her dress. Heavy steps resonated from the suite's main area and she was terrified. The first son intended to kill both her and Sebastian. Canary held her hands and closed her eyes.
Only a miracle could save them and she wanted to pray for something to happen. She never considered herself a believer until now. She didn't even know what to have faith in or how to pray. All she could hang on were her joined hands on which her tears were falling.
Suddenly, heavy rain poured and gushes of wind entered through the window. She supposed the balcony glass door was still open when she heard decorations crash on the floor from the other side.
The door opened and her heart stopped beating for a second. Then, her tension fell when she locked eyes with Sebastian. He walked to her level and grounded her with his hands around her, telling her it was over.
Under her unsure eyes, he dressed before taking her hand and leading her outside the small bedroom. She was horrified when they passed the first son's body on their way to the main bedroom. He was covered with his needles and was probably out cold.
She started hyperventilating as she realised Sebastian killed him. She knew he didn't have a choice but was still distraught. The house would seek revenge and their days were now numbered.
The former head butler told her the first son was merely paralysed until someone removed the needles. She didn't know if it was true but chose to believe him. Shaken, she changed inside the main bedroom where she had spare clothes.
She guessed she was running away with Sebastian and needed resistant shoes with fit clothes. Her options were limited since only dresses were packed for her. Therefore, she put on pants from her former master's drawer with a long-sleeved shirt on top of a combination garment.
The pants didn't fit at her waist and she added a belt. For her feet, she picked the kitten-heeled boots she wore when boarding the vessel. Those were the fittest pair she had for running and they made her remember Sebastian's earlier words.
He stated that she had been brought on the mission to indulge. She had to concede her wardrobe for the occasion limited her mobility. Unlike the pieces she wore on mundane events, her current ones were long and flowing with too much fabric.
Yet, from the angry look on the first son when he saw them, the latter hadn't planned things to happen like they did. He must have plotted to be the one who would make her experience what she did. Then again, relationships were forbidden by the house.
She shuddered at the thought he might have intended to dispose of her after the two weeks of the commute back. If that were true, the house must have known his plans from the start and she couldn't have returned there anyway.
She felt less horrified when she exited the suite with Sebastian. They left through the balcony and used a lifeboat to return to New Kakin. The shore was still in sight but they couldn't dock at the port.
They sailed further down the coast until they stopped at a sea cave half an hour from the floating city. To avoid drifting away, they pulled the ship on the covered beach where they intended to spend the night.
Sleeping in caves was always dangerous since predatory animals often settled there. Thus, they remained inside the flood-resistant lifeboat and closed it for the night. Sebastian suggested resting until she came down from her emotional roller coaster the next day.
Then, they would wander deeper inside the unknown island. She guessed she should ask him what he had in mind but she didn't have the words to express herself. She was too numb and could only follow suit, laying beside him before falling asleep.
The waves calling her name woke Canary up. The clearing sky of dawn could be seen through the lifeboat's tiny windows. The waves' motions were soothing and she felt tranquil. The night of sleep seemed to be what her body had needed for a while.
Detaching himself from her, Sebastian was rolling awake on the hard floor. The first day of her new life was starting like the end of her former life. Hours ago, she woke up panicked beside her companion. Now, she woke up in peace.
They ventured inside the island as planned. Tall and furnished branches made the forest significantly colder and darker than the beach area. Bugs crawled all over the moist ground and wet trunks. Insects were flying around and she was glad they were fully covered.
Needing to find running water, they followed the sounds of trickles and rushes. During the walk, she noticed rounded fruits that looked like the ones her grandmother used to make pots. She remembered the yellow and dried items inside the kitchen of her former home, in the dumpster city where she was born.
She showed them to Sebastian who walked to the plants, making rodents flee on the ground. He poked at them with one huge needle. When he removed it, the stolen tool dripped with juice and they concluded the fruits were drenched.
That made them second-guess drinking running water. Fruity juice alone couldn't replace water but sources could be contaminated with parasites in the wild. Having a recipient to heat it would be safer.
They could make a stone oven to heat the rounded fruits. They might even find some clay to bake cups for water. But before that, they needed to find some flint and collect leaves and sticks to let them dry on the beach.
Their plans were settled and the duo kept walking towards the riverbed to look for glossy little black stones. The pieces were sturdy and water resistant, meaning they often protruded out of larger stones that the humidity was eroding.
They collected some rounded and elongated stones before returning to their settling point. There, Canary picked the driest branches' sticks while Sebastian mounted an oven with rocks lying around.
He sharpened the elongated flints on the rocks before they walked into the forest again to pick some thick-skinned fruits to heat. It was midday when they consumed the warm, sweet and juicy fruits.
Once they were satiated, Sebastian asked Canary if she knew who she was. She knew Canary wasn't her real name but grew fond of it despite its degrading undertone. The name had become a synonym for her accomplishments under the Zoldyck house.
She might have to part with that name to free herself from her former master's control. Freedom was on the tips of her fingers and she was already physically there. Yet, her mind was still trapped and her attachment to a pet name proved it.
He reassured her she didn't have to feel pressured. Remembering her real self was vital but he was confident she would do so sooner rather than later. His statement confused her and she wondered why her name was such a big deal.
She asked him if he remembered his real name and he answered he never changed it. The revelation surprised her since she assumed all the servants received names from the house. He then told her she was the only one with a different name.
She didn't remember many details about her former coworkers. Tsubone was Amane's grandmother and they acted as if they were accomplices from later's the first day. Others had distant relationships with a few family members she never saw.
She wondered if she was the only one stranded from any acquaintances. She hadn't witnessed any kid under fifteen training with her. It seemed everyone had a life while she didn't even have room to express a personality.
She remembered bits of her childhood surrounded by her family but couldn't remember the day she started training in the hunters' estate or how she ended there. It could be that something traumatic happened and she defensively concealed some parts of her memories.
And her name. She couldn't remember her name. In her mind and remembrances, she had always been called Canary even though she knew it wasn't how her family called her. Unlike her companion, she had little hope of remembering who she ever was.
Canary dreamed of her grandmother during her second night on the island. In her dream, they were sitting inside the bedroom they used to share. The elderly woman was braiding something she couldn't see on the edges of her hair.
She spoke softly in her ear and Canary woke up inside the lifeboat. Her dream felt eerily real. She felt her grandmother's warmth and smelt the distinctive smell of clay on the walls. Moreover, she felt the breath tickling her ear as the woman spoke.
Looking around, Sebastian already left the ship. She stretched awake and walked outside, where her companion sat by the cold oven. He asked her if she had sweet dreams and she answered that maybe she did.
They walked together to the previous day's source to clean their faces. Now that they had sharpened flints, Sebastian drew symbols on some trees to mark their way. Horizontal arrows for the paths parallel to the sea and vertical arrows for the perpendicular paths.
The setup limited their motion range but should help them return to their camping. They would rely on it until they had a clear map of their surroundings. The island was too large and they couldn't venture further than the cliffs blocking the way a hundred metres inside the forest.
They had a useful map after exploring for another couple of days. Then, Sebastian suggested keeping track of possible expeditions from the docking port towards the island. From afar, they tailed one of the small groups inside the forest.
The expedition arrived in front of huge gates that opened after a minute. Canary felt strangely sorry for those who walked through the gates. Looking at her companion, he seemed to know what was happening and asked if she wanted to walk to the door.
She declined and the stranded pair remained hidden until sunset. They had to return to their lifeboat and she supposed they wouldn't witness the expedition coming back. After three days, another expedition arrived at the gates.
None of the previous ones emerged from inside the cliffs when the new troupe arrived in front of the gates. Canary asked Sebastian what was behind the gates. Again, he had a knowing look but answered it wasn't the time yet.
Thinking back, he looked confident from the start. She would have lost her mind if he hadn't been around and wasn't maintaining a semblance of normalcy. She questioned him in the evening, and he said she had to remember herself before he could answer.
She was getting frustrated. She had vivid dreams every night but couldn't remember what she was told. It was as if she didn't understand what she heard or couldn't register it. Searching for answers in dreams was ludicrous but she didn't have other clues.
Sebastian then asked her what she dreamt of. She recounted the episodes with her grandmother and he advised her to ask the woman to call her by her real name. Canary didn't think she would receive any answers and even doubted she would remember to ask.
To her surprise, she remembered. Her grandmother took her out of the house instead of answering. Looking around, she saw a silent community compound within walking distance, and New Kakin's lights illuminated the night far below.
They were standing on the cliff. The elderly woman shivered in the cool and strong wind. Sensing she was on a clock, Canary asked how she arrived there. The woman took her inside the forest behind the compound.
After a long walk, they arrived at a lake. Her grandmother gestured for her to dive into the waters. After she did, Canary sank and the current pushed her deeper. She surfaced again on the beach, at the bottom of the cliff.
She then woke up from her dream, sweaty and shivering. It was still deep into the night and her companion held her in his slumber. Shaken and unable to fall asleep again, she kept her eyes on the tiny window until the morning.
Canary recounted her lucid dream to Sebastian. He asked her if she remembered where the current let her. She didn't remember the location and he suggested contouring the cliff until they found it.
That meant they had to leave their camping. She knew they couldn't have remained there forever, but she was wary of leaving the camp after a week spent thinking of that place as her home. She reasoned it was for the best while they sailed further with the lifeboat.
They routinely sailed further alongside the cliff from sunrise to sunset. During their quest, she didn't have another dream with her grandmother. After a few days, they arrived at a place similar to the one she dreamed of.
She half-heartedly hoped to find her grandmother but she was alone with Sebastian. Looking ahead, they noticed an area where the cliff directly met the sea. If she followed her dream's logic, the lake was on the other side.
Canary was unwilling to bet on her nightly vision but her companion wanted to try. He dived into the sea and she saw him swimming towards the cliff. He remained underwater for a minute before surfacing again. He confirmed he could swim under the cliff's outer rocks.
They didn't know how far they could go under the rock or how far the lake was. And that was only if there was a lake on the other side. The odds of drowning were high and she was unwilling to proceed despite his encouragements.
Wishing to cut the apple in half, she agreed to look underwater before deciding. There was light at the end of a tunnel and she guessed they could swim towards its source. But according to her dream, they would have to swim up to the cliff's top.
The distance looked impossibly long and the risks of drowning on the way were significant. Since the sun was setting, they returned to the lifeboat for the night. During her slumber, she was where the cliff met the sea and something urged her to swim through the canal.
The feat sounded easy in her dream but she couldn't wrap her mind around that reality. She woke up mentally exhausted and wary of the next step. But instead of asking her to swim under the cliff, Sebastian suggested testing the waters.
Floating underwater was unexpectedly soothing despite the surrounding pressure. Canary never took the time to enjoy a bath or the pool. She knew how to swim because it was useful. But she had never experienced being fully underwater.
After a few days, she was used to be deep in the sea. Her ability to hold her breath and the length she could cover surprised her. She might have underestimated herself or overestimated the difficulty. She was finally ready to swim on the other side that called for her.
With Sebastian, she left the lifeboat for the last time early in the morning. They shared a chaste kiss before going under the cliff's rocks and ascending towards the light. Contrary to her dream, the current pushed her upward and eased her swim.
Small fishes ushered out of the way while the bigger ones slowly passed around. Near the surface, the wildlife was more colourful and big fishes became rare occurrences. The water also was getting warmer and there was more and more light.
Her heartbeat increased with the expectation. She willed herself to calm down until she breathed again at the surface. Looking around, she searched for her companion. She couldn't see him but he had to be around.
She saw his figure in her peripheral vision during the swim. She couldn't have mistaken fishes or shadows for Sebastian even if her sight was limited. She was worried and manoeuvred to dive again but the current suddenly pushed her towards the shore.
On the edge of the lake, she coughed through her anguish. Canary kept her eyes on the surface, hoping to see her companion surface. She couldn't believe Sebastian didn't make it at the last second.
The rain started pouring and she had to shelter inside the forest. Unable to process her loss, her mind was numb and her thoughts spiralled as she walked towards the unknown.