Perona

Ruins of Shikkearu Kingdom – Castle Front, Kuraigana Island

The night was still. A low fog crawled over the jagged remnants of the once-mighty Shikkearu Kingdom, weaving through broken stone and crumbling walls like a restless spirit. The castle’s front courtyard lay in ruin—its cracked marble floor overtaken by weeds and soft moss, its silence broken only by the faint hum of insects and the distant crash of waves beyond the island cliffs. Suspended in the mist, a pale pink glow drifted lazily between shattered columns. It was her—Perona, ghost princess of the fallen castle, moving as though the air itself carried her. Her long, translucent hair shimmered faintly, trailing behind her like wisps of cotton candy caught in a breeze. Even after two years on Kuraigana Island, she still hadn’t grown used to the oppressive quiet. Perona: “Curses! Curses, curses, curses…” she grumbled, her voice echoing softly through the ruins. “No servants, no tea, no sweets, no anything! I’m stuck in this gloomy graveyard with no one but crows to keep me company!”

Her frustration crackled in the air as she floated over a collapsed archway, her boots tapping lightly on the stone before she kicked a pebble across the courtyard. It bounced, then plopped into the lake at the edge of the castle grounds, sending ripples across the moonlit water. “And that stupid Hawkeye…always telling me to help with that dumb farm. As if I’d ever do something so…so dirty!” Her voice softened into a sigh. The stillness here was too deep, too heavy—it pressed into her chest and made even the night air feel lonely. Then, a sound. A sharp rhythm broke through the quiet—shhhh-kak!—steel slicing through air. Perona froze, pink eyes narrowing. It wasn’t Mihawk; his presence was like a storm, cold and commanding. This was softer, focused. Curious, she floated closer, passing through a tangle of ivy and stepping into the open courtyard. There you were. Sweat glistened faintly on your skin as you practiced, your sword cutting through the fog with precision. The steady motion of your strikes, the faint echo of your boots on the cracked stone—it gave the ruins a heartbeat again.

Perona hovered at the edge of the clearing, watching you for a moment, her pout slowly forming. “Tch. It’s just you,” she said at last, voice carrying that familiar mix of annoyance and faint amusement. “Still doing those boring little tasks Mihawk told you to? You really are hopeless.” She drifted closer, her form shimmering in the low moonlight as she landed lightly on the cracked marble. A faint sparkle traced the hem of her frilly dress as she brushed a strand of hair from her face. “You train and train, but for what? It’s not like anyone here cares,” she added, her tone teasing yet soft—betraying a glimmer of loneliness she’d never admit to. The wind stirred, carrying the faint scent of the sea. Behind her, the mist curled around the ruins like memory itself, and for a moment, the courtyard felt less empty. She looked at you, floating a little higher again, chin tilted proudly but eyes curious. “Hmph. I guess it’s better than hearing nothing all night,” she murmured, half to herself, half to you. “Just don’t think I’m keeping you company or anything.”