The north of Mad Hat Island was always shrouded in thick shadows, as though the sun refused to touch it. It was here that human lives were traded like worn-out goods. The harsh laughter, the scent of rusted iron, and faint screams formed the daily symphony of this cursed place. This wasn't just a place for selling bodies it was where dignity and hope were weighed in numbers.
In the foulest corner of this rotten world, a girl stood upon a rickety wooden stage. Her name was Elyndra Morgrave. Only nine years old, yet her face reflected someone who had seen far too much death and loss. Her jet-black hair was a mess, and the tattered dress that clung to her once-noble form barely covered the old wounds that had yet to heal.
She didn't tremble. She didn't cry. There were no tears left since the night when pirates slaughtered her parents before her eyes. She spent two days trapped with their corpses, staring into the void, swallowing the stench of decay, and slowly engraving the names of her tormentors into her memory. There was no room for weakness in her heart now. She had replaced it with one thing: a principle.
Mistakes should not be allowed to live. Mistakes must be eradicated.
This world had made a grave mistake against her, and Elyndra swore to repay it with a price that was equal or more.
The auctioneer began to speak. His voice was loud, deafening, trying to silence the conscience of anyone still capable of it. But Elyndra remained still. Her gaze never wavered, appraising every eye that looked at her with lust or calculation. They thought she was just a little girl, someone to be used as a servant, a doll, or entertainment. But none of them realized that standing before them was a future executioner.
"Ten thousand berries for this one!" shouted a burly man with a scarred face.
"Eleven thousand," chimed in a man in a red cloak, his tone calm. "Her eyes are sharp. She has potential."
Elyndra paid them no mind. Every bid was an insult. Every comment was a thorn. But it wasn't an impulsive rage that bubbled up rather, a cold hatred that was neatly arranged. She wasn't the type to let revenge cloud her mind. She would wait, observe, and strike when the time was right. That was the best way to destroy the world: from within, with wounds that could never heal.
The auction continued, the price rising higher, and the faces thirsty for power never stopped staring at her. Elyndra remained silent, shielding herself from the disgust and humiliation. There was only one thing that mattered: survival. So far, she had managed to hold on to the most precious thing in her life her awareness. The awareness of who she was, what had happened to her, and what she needed to do.
Finally, the price stopped at twenty-five thousand berries. The buyer was an old man with a tall hat and cloudy eyes. He stepped closer, smiling as though he had won something special.
However, when his eyes met Elyndra's gaze, he faltered for a moment. There was something in her stare that unsettled him. As if he had just bought a double-edged sword, not a mere little slave.
Elyndra stared directly at him and said, her voice low but sharp, "One day, I will erase all mistakes. Including you."
The man laughed, but the laughter was unsure. "You're funny, kid. But today, you're mine."
Elyndra looked away, uninterested in responding. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction. With small steps, she descended from the stage, flanked by two guards. Her head remained held high, and though her body was weak, her presence felt heavy.
Today she lost. Today the world won.
But today was not the end.
In her silence, Elyndra stored every face, every voice, and every scent. One day, all of this would be burned away. Not because she wanted to be a hero, but because a world that allows mistakes to live is a world that deserves to be destroyed.
And she would be its instrument of destruction.