"Breakfast is ready!" Amy called out, placing plates on the table.
Noah and Emma hurried inside and grabbed their seats.
"This looks great," Noah said, picking up a fork.
"Noah," Amy said, glaring. "Go wash your hands."
Noah groaned.
Before anyone could react, he vanished and reappeared in a blink.
"Done," he said, grinning.
They started eating, the smells making them all hungry. Noah almost tried to eat the plate itself before Emma smacked his hand.
"Seriously? That's a plate, not your dessert!" she scolded him.
"Oops," Noah said, grinning.
After breakfast, they all headed to the deck.
"Where to next?" Noah asked.
Emma spread out the map. "The only other place on this chart is the Sabaody Archipelago… and it's really far from here."
Amy squinted at the map. "How can you tell?"
"Remember Azura?" Emma pointed at the island on the map. "And we passed this tiny island with the giant spiders a week ago."
"Don't remind me of them," Noah muttered, shivering slightly.
"For a man who kills people for fun, it's funny that you're afraid of spiders," Emma replied with a teasing grin.
"I don't kill for fun!" Noah snapped.
"Emma" Amy said, hands shaking.
Emma ignored Amy and pointed to another small island. "And yesterday we passed this one. So… the only place left on this map is Sabaody."
"Set sail for Sabaody!" Noah shouted, pointing forward.
Emma smacked him on the head. "We're already sailing there, moron!"
"Emma" Amy said, again.
Emma turns around."What is it." she asked.
Amy pointed toward a island emerging from the distance, shrouded in dark, swirling mist. "When did that appear?"
Noah's eyes sparkled as he stared at it. "Let's go."
"Do we have to?" Amy asked nervously. "It looks… creepy."
"I'm the captain," Noah said, voice firm. "And I want to go."
As they approached, the sea grew rough. Waves crashed against the hull, tossing the ship from side to side. The mist thickened, curling around the deck and making it almost impossible to see the water ahead.
Emma gripped the railing. "This is getting dangerous. We can barely see!"
"Exactly," Noah replied, excitement in his eyes. "That's why it's interesting!"
Amy shivered. "You really are crazy…"
Finally, they reached the shoreline. Noah dropped the anchor and jumped off the ship.
Emma and Amy followed closely behind. The mist swirled eerily around them.
They walked and walked.
"This place is huge," Amy said, looking around. "I feel like we've been walking for hours."
"Hours?" Noah said, stretching his arms. "I haven't even broken a sweat."
"Sure, Captain," Emma said, rolling her eyes. "Keep walking and you'll get lost, genius."
Noah grinned. "Lost? I never get lost."
"Famous last words," Amy muttered.
Noah stopped suddenly and sniffed the air. "Do you guys smell that?"
"Smell what?" Emma asked.
"The mist, it smells awful," Noah replied, pretending to be serious. "Kind of like… burnt socks mixed with old cheese."
Amy wrinkled her nose. "Ugh! That's disgusting."
"Exactly," Noah said with a grin. "Let's explore some more."
Emma groaned. "Why do I feel like you always say that right before we get into trouble?"
"No idea," Noah said, shrugging.
They kept walking, the mist curling around them, thick and heavy. The sunlight barely reached the ground.
"I don't like this," Amy whispered, hugging herself. "It's too quiet."
"Quiet?" Noah said, spinning around dramatically. "This is the perfect moment for a—"
A sudden shriek cut him off. A ghostly figure appeared, floating just ahead. Its face was pale, eyes hollow, and it let out a high-pitched wail.
"AHHHH!" Amy screamed, yanking Noah's sleeve.
Emma grabbed Amy's hand. "Run!"
Noah laughed. "Run? You're running from a—oh!"
A second ghost rose from the mist. Noah's words caught in his throat as the creature reached toward him with skeletal hands.
"NOW!" Emma yelled, pulling both Noah and Amy forward.
They ran as fast as they could, dodging twisted, shadowy creatures that slithered along the ground. Some had glowing eyes and jagged teeth; others were smoky shapes that passed through trees and walls.
Amy tripped over a root and Noah grabbed her arm. "Careful! These things are weird, but not smart. Mostly."
Emma glanced back. "Mostly?"
Noah pointed at a group of ghostly figures forming a wall. "Definitely mostly!"
They weaved through broken-down houses, the streets empty except for shadows dancing in the corners. The wind whispered strange words that sounded almost like voices.
"This is… terrifying," Amy said, clutching Noah's arm. "I don't like this one bit."
"You're enjoying it," Noah said, smirking. "You just won't admit it."
Amy elbowed him. "No, I'm not!"
A demon-like creature suddenly lunged from the mist, its claws swiping at Noah. He stumbled, barely avoiding it.
"Watch it!" Emma shouted. "There are too many!"
"No kidding," Noah said, spinning around to swing at another ghost, which vanished before his hand touched it.
As they ran, the fog thickened, and the creatures seemed to multiply. Their laughter echoed from all directions, and the ground beneath them shifted like it was alive.
Amy gasped. "I can't… keep track of them all!"
"Just stick together!" Noah yelled.
But the mist was playing tricks. Shadows stretched, paths twisted, and the ground split unexpectedly.
"Noah!" Emma screamed as a smoky figure lunged at her, shoving her sideways. She rolled but got separated from the others.
"Noah!" Amy cried, holding onto a tree. "Emma!"
Noah spins, looking around. "Amy! Stay close!"
A ghost with long black hair floated between them, shrieking. Noah charged, trying to slash through it—but his sword passed straight through.
"Ugh! I hate this!" Noah shouted. "Why won't anything work?"
Amy and Emma were yelling from opposite directions, trying to call him. The mist twisted around them, pulling them apart.
Noah tried to teleport, hoping to regroup.
"Vector Manipulation- Flying Thunder God!"
Nothing happened.
"What the…?" Noah muttered. He tried again. "Flying Thunder God!"
Still nothing.
"This mist…" he whispered. "It seems like it's affecting my powers. But how?"
A shadow flickered behind him, moving faster than he could see. He turned, and his eyes went wide.
A clone of himself stood there, grinning wickedly, holding a sword exactly like his.
"Who… who are you?" Noah said, backing up.
The clone laughed, a deep, hollow sound. "I am you," it said, voice echoing. "I'm everything you hide… everything you fear."
Noah gripped his sword.
"You think you can fight me?" the clone asked. "I know all your moves… your tricks… your Vector Manipulation won't work here."
Noah swallowed. "Then… I'll just have to think differently."
Behind them, the mist whispered, curling like tentacles, hiding more ghostly figures and creatures. They could hear Emma screaming somewhere in the distance, and Amy shouting back.
The clone smirked. "Your friends are mine now… and soon, this world."
Noah clenched his teeth. "Not if I stop you first."
Lightning-like tension crackled in the air. The mist swirled violently, and the ground trembled.
Noah took a deep breath, readying himself. "This… is going to be a long fight."
The clone lunged.
Noah swung his sword—but even before contact, he could feel the clone predicting his every move.
"Impossible," Noah whispered, dodging a strike. "Who can i defeat me."
The clone laughed again. "Let's see what you're made of… Noah.".