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"The children must have taken the props for today's lesson and scattered them in the water when they were playing. I'm sorry about your foot." The woman finished wrapping a bandage around Harper's cut, before placing the rest of the first aid items in a small weaved box and setting them aside.

The inside of the hut was bigger than it appeared on the outside. It was decorated with children's paintings or symbols of Paradisian written language on the walls. There were small tables and cushioned floor mats placed around the room, most likely for the children to sit at.

Where the woman was standing was a large open window that showed a beautiful view of the ocean and mainland across the sea.

"Those crystals..." Hyde began. It seemed everywhere they went, this island and the people on it were becoming more and more suspicious.

First with Akamau and her knowledge of understanding how to tamper his condition. Whatever medicine she gave him did the trick, and he didn't understand why.

But this mysterious woman was claiming that the children of this island were playing around with organic Puron. That was something he'd never heard of. Puron was always known as something fatal, and something that he, before he got sick and Yanpu could touch.

"They're Puron, aren't they?"

"Oh, yes, indeed they are."

Harper's curious expression dropped. Hyde sensed her fear and asked more questions. "It's quite dangerous to leave it unattended around kids... don't you think?"

The woman tilted her head, very startled by his statement. "Ah, yes, I do think Puron in its organic form can be quite harmful, but the props used today have been thoroughly cleansed."

"Don't Bullshite me." Hyde drew his weapon and stalked toward her.

"Hyde! Wait!" Harper pulled herself to stand.

"I won't." Hyde felt that something was very off. There were no children when they entered the building. He hadn't heard a peep the moment they stepped through the doors.

Perhaps this was a trap? And what was with the view of the mainland? Was someone watching them?

"I don't know what kind of game you're playing here," Hyde twirled his sword in his hands skillfully. The blade swished up and down, flipped multiple times in Hyde's fingers before the sharp edge finally hovered against the woman's neck. "Did you kill them?"

"H-Huh?" The woman backed into the wall, perplexed by Hyde's assertion and assumption.

"Where are the others?"

"They were outside playing!"

"I didn't see em." Hyde spat. "That makes you a liar. The kind I don't tolerate."

"Hyde! Stop!" Harper placed a hand against his torso and nudged him away from the woman. "I'm so sorry! We aren't from here. He's very skeptical about this place. We aren't familiar with your way of doing things."

"I... could tell." The woman eyed Hyde strangely. "You seem like you haven't seen these before," slowly avoiding Hyde, she stepped over to a shelf and pulled a large red crystal with purple tips off of it. "I find it odd."

Hyde studied the crystal longer. It's never been documented that Puron could be cleansed. He's never seen them with a mixed shade of fuschia, and neither had Harper.

"If what you're saying is true, then those crystals won't do me any harm, right?" Harper felt relieved. Hyde's condition was only somewhat bearable because of Bomb's theory.

She didn't have an ounce of Puron within her. Any contact with it would've killed her.

"You must be foreigners from Krahagh." The girl hummed. "They're always wary of everything that is harmful. I can't blame them. The war has been going on for so long now."

"It doesn't matter where we are from." Hyde sneered. "Even if it doesn't pose that much danger, she had still cut herself on one of them. That could've happened to anyone. And for children, it could cost a whole foot."

"Ah, you're right." The woman responded, finally understanding Hyde's concern. "My apologies, I'll do better at keeping things clean around here. But... if you don't mind me asking, what brings you here?"

Hyde stepped away from her, before shoving Yanpu forward. Yanpu almost lost his balance, but he caught himself and glared at Hyde. "Enrollment."

"Oh. He's really cute." The woman smiled, observing that Yanpu and Hyde looked a lot alike. Both of them had long black hair and features for a good-looking person.

The only difference was that Yanpu had soft brown eyes, while Hyde's red eyes were piercing through her soul.

"What's his name?"

"Yanpu," Harper answered.

"Hi Yanpu!" The woman waved at him. "My name is Nefuti, I am the only teacher of Alkapoltua village. It's nice to meet you."

"She's going to handle the rest of the process," Hyde barked out the order. "I have to go to work."

"Oh, wait," Nefuti raised her head and frowned. "Enrollment takes more than just a simple introduction. We need to test his level of knowledge, and any skills he may have, and set up a way for you to provide the fee for him to attend."

"A fee? There's a fee?"

"Of course?" Nefuti was now appalled by Hyde's shock. Where were these foreigners from? All schools in Paradiso had a fee. Just because they were not part of the mainland, didn't mean that business didn't thrive here.

"How much?" Harper bit her lip nervously.

"150 talents a month. It's a bit expensive, but that is because there aren't many resources to provide for the children's learning needs. We use the trading post to provide supplies, and it's costly."

"You've got to be freaking kidding me," Hyde groaned. "That's more money out of my pocket."

"I'll pay for it."

"With what job, Vixen?"

Harper swallowed hard. She forgot that she hadn't told Hyde she already found work. She just couldn't tell him it was for Akamau.

"We don't have the income to provide right away, but next month for sure we will give you the fee," Harper explained.

Yanpu pouted, not liking the arrangement at all. He didn't appreciate being forced to do this. So he started pulling at Harper's skirt, hoping that she would notice his refusal.

"That's okay. Since you both have just moved, I will waive the first fee. Next month, just pay it in full."

"That'll do."

"You're doing it again," Hyde murmured in Harper's ear. "I don't even know how much I'll make in the next month. You can't just accept a deal we won't know for sure if it'll work."

"You wanted Yanpu to go to school."

"You agreed with me. I only suggested it."

"We will find a way to pay for it."

"I won't. You will. It's going to come out of your wage if you even find a job that gives you one."

"That's fine," Harper sighed, disappointed by his lack of responsibility. "I'll also be using my money to pay for his clothes, and food too, right? So that just means you'll be the one responsible for paying our rent."

"You're using my words against me."

"I'm only helping you realize that you don't want to take any responsibility for Yanpu, so you'll have to start stepping up in other areas." Harper crossed her arms.

"He's not my kid, and don't you give me that shite about brotherly love. It doesn't exist. I don't see why I have to do anything for him."

"Our deal." Harper reminded him. "We made a deal."

"Ah, shite. That's right." Hyde grumbled. "You're gonna have to up your part of the bargain."

"I'm open, it just depends on what it is."

"We'll talk about it later. Or another time." Hyde dismissed.

"Harper!" Yanpu whined and stomped his feet. "I don't wanna go to school!" It finally caught their attention.

"Yani..." Harper pouted, but Hyde cared nothing about Yanpu's wails. Yanpu was only refusing because he thought it was a punishment. Or maybe it was to piss him off.

"I don't wanna go!"

"Aw, Yanpu, I'm sure you'll like it here!" Nefuti smiled apologetically. "My students are very nice, and it's a small group. The workload isn't much, and you'll get to use everything you learn! We have lots of activities."

"No!" Yanpu spat. "I don't wanna!"

"Yanpu, don't be rude."

"Rude?" Yanpu scoffed. The adults weren't listening to him. He thought that Hyde was doing this to send him away. To him, Hyde was an evil man who wanted to destroy Westona and kill Harper.

He brainwashed Harper. Now, he was brainwashing Nefuti too. All Yanpu felt he did was react angrily. Hyde deserved way worse, but he was being forced to go to another environment where he had to interact with children, possibly new bullies.

His eyes began to glow as he felt frustrated well within him.

"This is for your own good. Both of us will be working a lot, and we won't be around much to look after you." Harper crouched down and tried to reason calmly with Yanpu.

"He's a bad man!" Yanpu shouted. "He's sending me away!"

"What?" Nefuti's eyebrows raised in surprise. That sentence was so out of the ordinary for an average young boy.

Harper quickly clarified. "He's just nervous about it. Yanpu had a bad experience with the school he used to attend."

"Oh?" Nefuti blinked, not sure if she wanted to believe that.

"I don't wanna go here! You can't make me!" Yanpu whined.

"Yanpu. Hyde has nothing to do with this, it's my decision—" Harper reached up to calm him, but he evaded her.

"NO!" Yanpu shouted.

"Yanpu! Would you listen to me—?"

"NO!" Yanpu yelled again, with tears running down his face. His fingers twitched, and Hyde quickly caught sight of it. Before Yanpu could use his abilities against Harper, he jumped in and snatched Yanpu away.

"LET ME GO!" Yanpu cried as Hyde swerved away from Nefuti and Harper.

"Hyde—"

"Back away," Hyde commanded sternly before Harper could get any closer. "Let me have a word with him."

"Don't do anything rash."

"I'm going to have a word with him. How about you show my... wife," He cleared his throat, "around the hut. A tour of the place doesn't sound too bad."

"Oh!" Nefuti nodded. "Of course! Watch your step, Miss?"

"Harper." She answered. "This is my husband... Hyde." Harper felt her stomach churn at using that title.

"Come this way. Hold my arm for support, yeah?"

"Thank you." Harper nodded, limping away to the next room. She shot one last glance at Hyde, silently begging for him not to hurt Yanpu. When they left, and the doors closed, Hyde dragged Yanpu closer.

"You can think however you want and feel however you feel," Hyde turned Yanpu's small frame to face him and tightened his hold on his arms. "I don't give a shite about what you think of me. Because in all honesty? You're not wrong."

Hyde's eyes also began to glow red. But the difference in his eyes versus Yanpu's was that Hyde carried out every single death threat he imposed with the glow.

"I am a bad man, I don't give second thoughts to the people I've gotten rid of." Hyde shrugged. "But that woman is doing all of this to protect you from ME plucking your whiny little head off and feeding it to the beasts on this island."

Yanpu swallowed hard and turned his face to the door, but Hyde placed a palm on top of his head, forcing him to turn right back around to look directly at his eyes.

"Don't piss me off. Don't say shite to ruin her day."

"I hate you."

"Surprise, surprise? I hate you too." Hyde smiled. "At least you got your priorities straight."

"Harper shouldn't trust you." Yanpu seethed.

"You're so bold now...Adorable." Hyde felt his eyes darken. He brushed Yanpu's hair. The touch was intimidating. "If anyone shouldn't trust me, it should be you. I let it slide last night, remember that."

Hyde relaxed his hold. "Any other time, I would've slit your throat easily. That is still an option. I'll even make it look like an accident. And yeah, sure, she'll be distraught for a while. But you know? I have a talent for comforting others at their worst. It's so easy."

Yanpu held his breath.

Hyde's grin turned sour. "Fix your face. Wipe those tears, and suck it up. Whether you like it or not, nothing will change."

Yanpu watched as Hyde played with the handle of one of his swords. "There's going to be bloody circumstances if you don't."

Hyde had to use a threat to force Yanpu to comply. Yanpu lowered his head, taking it to heart.

Although Yanpu had the potential to kill Hyde, he was still slower and sloppy when it came to his movements. As Hyde has said, he was untrained.

Hyde was holding back, allowing Yanpu to attack the last few times. Despite his skill, there was still much for him to learn. Hyde had over 10 years of experience fighting. Yanpu barely had 10 practice runs.

The doors opened, and both Harper and Nefuti walked out slowly.

"Thank you for the tour. It was enlightening, although I'm still a bit nervous."

"Oh, I understand. It's normal for any parent to feel that way, especially if their child's prior experience wasn't all that great. But at least you know how the school works, so some of your anxieties won't be as hefty."

"Absolutely." Harper nodded. "When can he start?"

"Class begins in another thirty minutes. My assistant goes around the village to collect everyone to bring them here. So it won't be long before the other children arrive."

Nefuti glanced at Yanpu, who looked much more timid than before. "You'll make some good friends here, Yanpu."

"If he can start today, that will be great." Harper sighed.

"I agree! But both parents have to sign the enrollment scroll. We just need information like your Shed number and signatures."

"Why do you need our Shed number?" Hyde inquired.

"To send you both updates regarding Yanpu's progress. We usually deliver report books every week to let you know what skills he may need to work on, or what you can do to help him succeed. Most of the kids that come here want to continue their studies at the mainland schools."

"We don't need that,"

"We don't?" Harper elbowed him in the arm. "He's kidding. We definitely need reports like that. Where do we sign?"

"Here," Nefuti walked over to the shelf and pulled out a small scroll. When she opened it, Hyde and Harper glossed over the contents.

It didn't seem like many other children went to school here. There were 7 students' names listed as symbols and various parents' scribbles underneath with the numbers of their sheds.

Nefuti handed them a wooden stick dipped in paint, and Harper was the first to sign it. Hyde was hesitant and didn't feel comfortable following.

"I have to sign it too?"

"Both parents," Nefuti repeated.

"He's not my kid..." Hyde mumbled softly but signed the document anyway. He rolled the scroll and handed it back to Nefuti.

"Great. Then... since that's all settled. My assistant will bring Yanpu back to your shed when school is finished for the day."

"Oh! I didn't write it down. But... Chief Aleki will tell you which one is ours." Harper blushed, feeling embarrassed that she didn't know which shed they were in. She didn't even know theirs had a number.

"Oh, that's fine. We will do our best to return him to the right one." Nefuti smiled. "Yanpu, say bye to your Mom and Dad."

"He's not my dad," Yanpu huffed.

"Okayyyy...?"

"He's just really mad right now," Harper laughed nervously. "Yani, we'll see you later, okay?" Harper's smile appeared one way to Nefuti, but Hyde noticed the signal she was sending Yanpu. She was secretly telling him to zip it.

Hyde scooped up Harper in his arms, causing her to yelp. Then he quickly jumped into the water below.

"Hyde!"

"I'm late for work because of you." Hyde fumed. "You're gonna pay me back if they cut my wage."

He darted through the water. When they reached the other side, he placed her down. "Remember to find a job by the end of the day."

That was all Hyde said before he vanished behind the palm trees.

"Jerk." Harper pouted. "I have a job, I just can't tell you what it is."

~~~

Harper sat on a large stone, waiting for Akamau's next instruction. She had finished planting as she was instructed.

After placing all the different herbs and plants with vibrant colored leaves into the dirt patch she dug up the day before, Harper was bored.

She didn't know what to do next, and it wasn't like she could do much because of her injury.

Harper laid on her back, letting the sun tan her skin. It was so hot that Harper felt her waist getting sweaty. The band of the skirt was a bit tight on her.

After a while, she heard happy chatter from men coming her way. When she looked up, she saw 4 men, all tan and with black hair. 3 of them were tall, and 1 of them was a little short.

But she assumed that the shorter one must've been younger than the rest. They all had black markings on their arms. They all carried baskets of fish.

She thought nothing of it until they approached closer and began whistling at her. She sat up and frowned as they laughed and spoke to each other in their language.

Intuition told her that they were talking about her, and they weren't saying anything that was kind or appropriate. She turned around on the stone, choosing to ignore them.

One of the men didn't like her reaction at all. So he strolled over to her and crouched down.

"Nephtu. Yahlua ha nemhua." He smiled at her and plucked a flower from one of Akamau's plants. Harper rolled her eyes at the man, who scowled at her response.

He tossed the flower in her face and poked her. She fell off the stone and yelped. The man laughed, riling up the others behind him.

Harper rolled onto her feet and brushed the dirt off her calves. She felt disgusted that they were harassing her. Were all the men here the same?

Akamau finally came out of her shed and caught their attention. The men gathered by her, handing her a few different colored fish from the baskets. They spoke in their language again before bidding farewells.

Then the men left. Akamau organized the fish in a wide clay bowl that also contained shrimp and crabs. In Westona, these foods were very expensive.

Harper reasoned that she paid a good amount of money for them.

"Are you okay?" Akamau walked over to Harper, who was standing off to the side awkwardly.

"I don't think I am," Harper shook her head. "Those men... they..."

"Ah, the spearfishermen. They deliver on a bi-weekly basis. They look big and tough, but they're harmless. Don't worry, they won't bother you."

"They already did," Harper mumbled to herself before changing the topic. "Are you having dinner with someone later?"

"Oh, no," Akamau laughed. "It's my dinner for the rest of the week. Oh! I also have some for you."

"Oh, you don't have to—"

Akamau began loading some of the crabs and fish in a cloth. She wrapped it around tightly before shoving it in Harper's hands.

"It's a slow day today. And you're injured. So go home."

"I still have a few more hours left to work though,"

"You'll get the same pay, don't worry. Here are 15 talents for your work." Akamau placed 3 gold coins, larger in size than the last ones she gave, in her free hand. "See you next week."

"Next week?"

"Yes, that is when the next segment begins." Akamau smiled and walked back into her shed.

Harper eyed the coins and the sack of fish and crabs in her grasp. Despite those men harassing her, she felt that this job was much easier compared to the one at the facility.

Harper often worked long hours. Overtime was required when she was assigned to work with Yanpu. It felt different to be let off early because of her injury.

Even when she was sick, she still had to fill out reports back in Westona.

Harper gave herself a pat on the back and headed home.

~~