Happy Chapter Day everyone!
"Another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise."
This month I've been celebrating/coordinating a handful of birthdays, and it had me reflecting on the way time has been passing. As I grow older, certain loves never waver. Including my writing. Especially for Sakura.
Rather than being my anchor for stagnation, she has become my inspiration for change.
Her strength and growth that showed you can become the best of yourself without losing yourself and the things that makes you-you. Flaws and all.
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CHAPTER 56:
To the dear members of the Sindria Company, I'm certain that by the time you read this letter, we will already be gone.
I am grateful to all of you. Back when we had nowhere to go, you were concerned for us and welcomed us. Despite knowing all you have done for me, I was still quite arrogant and rude at work. Still, I think you from the bottom of my heart for everything you taught me. You pushed me to my limit and showed me that it's not easy to work in a company like this. Truly, thank you. Saying goodbye to the people who took care of me on this journey breaks my heart, but…I hope you can forgive.
It's just that there is something I have to do, and I'd like for you to understand that. I just hope that thanks to our bonds, we'll somehow see each other again.
Goodbye
This was the contents of the letter read out to everyone in the company the following morning after Sinbad found it lying on his desk. Ja'far and Sinbad held out the parchment, surrounded by employees. Many who went into hysterics, knowing that the princess was in exile and hiding, especially Pipirika, who had gotten very close to Serendine. Now that she, Tamira, and Sahel were no longer under the Company's protection, she was worried that they would be discovered and hunted once again. Anyone who had heard the hardships of their story would feel the same, but Ja'far stated that this action was inevitable.
The entire room, filled with people, went silent for what felt painfully long, until Sinbad clapped his hands together twice, the timing of them spaced to know that this was not an applause but rather a call for attention.
"Raise your heads, everyone," Sinbad said calmly. "We won't achieve anything if we continue being sad. I'm certain there are bound to be different opinions here in the company. Just like Serendine, others will leave us. But now that we've started making progress, we can't stop. Even while we mourn the loss of a member of our team, we can't do anything but move forward."
As with many other moments when Sinbad had given his moving speeches that grasped people's minds and touched their hearts, there was no exception to this one, and many heads started to rise. "For the country we're aiming to create…for our dream to become a reality…"
Sinbad held up his arm in the air, clenching his fist tightly as if he had a grasp on the most valuable treasure, his eyes strong as ever and his voice clear with determination. "Everyone lend me your strength…In order to create our country!!
The devastation that had fallen over the company employees after the tsunami wave of losing their comrades soon began to run back into the sea of their minds as Sinbad created a wave of hope to wash over them.
When everyone else settled down, Sinbad went to approach Drakon, who was standing the entire time silently. He had not left with Serendine and the others, which was surprising to Sinbad.
"Drakon! I'm glad to see that you're still here." Sinbad said, his brave face faltering at the sight of his comrade. "I thought you'd gone with Serendine and the others."
Drakon hadn't left with Serendine because, although the two had come to Sindria Trading under the same circumstances, they had chosen to walk on different paths. Serendine, following her own and Drakon, to follow Sinbad. When Sinbad apologized sincerely to Drakon, all he did was shake his head and say that opinions were bound to differ when situations change, referring to Sindria's recent alliance with Parthevia.
"Everyone chooses their own path, and I've chosen mine. With certainty in my heart, I chose to stay by my lord's side, and that Lord is you, Sinbad, not Serendine. The path that I choose is the path that I will take right by your side."
The declaration didn't help the guilt building inside of Sinbad, knowing that he had driven the girl to this point. He told her to take revenge on her own, and it seemed that she had heeded his advice to heart, but he couldn't tell Drakon that.
With his fist held tightly, Sinbad knocked softly against Drakon's hard, scaly torso; his head lowered towards the ground. "Thank you….Drakon. These feelings you've entrusted to me, I swear I won't let them go to waste." Sinbad murmured. "I'll make sure we succeed in making our kingdom a reality!"
Ja'far turned from his leader to Mystras and Pipirika, addressing a matter that had been dwelling on him since this morning.
"Has anyone seen Sakura?" asked Ja'far.
"No," Mystras shook his head.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen her all day," Pipirika said, holding her chin. "Didn't she get the meeting call?"
"I don't think that's it," Ja'far said, leaning closer towards the two, glancing back at Sinbad before turning to the others to whisper. "When I went to the lab, she wasn't there, and she wasn't in the room with Sinbad this morning when I came to wake him."
Pipirika and Mystras exchanged worried expressions. "Serendine, Sahel, Tamira, and Judar are gone, and Sakura hasn't been seen….?"
Ja'far nodded, stealing another look at Sinbad before resuming. "I don't want anyone jumping to conclusions. Just keep a lookout for her and don't tell Sinbad either."
The worry of keeping Sinbad's mind off of the currently missing Sakura resolved itself when, in an instant, a new participant entered into the conversation as they had entered into the company, casual and with little care.
"So, this is Sindria Trading Company. It's quite cozy, isn't it, Sinbad?"
Sinbad gaped at the sight of the surprise visitor, who had arrived under the worst circumstances.
"Barbarossa!"
..
..
..
The warm sand brushed against her exposed skin, emerald green eyes stared up at a clear sky, the sun burnt her skin after lying there for hours, but Sakura did not move. Remaining with her arms and legs spread out across the sand on the beach, with no worry of being spotted, as she was on the island Sinbad had taken her to for their date. She had flown there easily last night after her conversation with Serendine.
"Sakura, please; come with me."
The quiet for Serendine was like a cold blade being held lightly against her throat, threatening but still holding her on the edge of hope that it would be removed, and it was Sakura's voice.
The beams of moonlight that shone through the glass windows made Serendine see Sakura's emerald eyes begin to glisten like real gems, and before the other pinkette responded, she already knew the answer to her request.
"I'm sorry, Serendine. I won't leave Sinbad, I won't." Sakura stated. "I already decided to do whatever I must to stand by his side."
"You decided or he-
"I decided!" Sakura exclaimed, not wanting Serendine to finish that question. She did not want it in her thoughts.
Serendine could feel her throat tightening, making it difficult to draw in breath. "Why, Sakura?"
"Because I love him, Serendine."
Stomping her foot on the wooden floors, causing a light tremor, Serendine cried out. "That can't always be your excuse, Sakura!"
"It's not an excuse, it's the truth!" Sakura exclaimed, her voice equally powerful. "And if you just stay here, I'm sure you'll see it is! Sinbad is going to change the world! Who wouldn't want to be a part of that!?"
Serendine shook her head in disbelief, giving a blank smile. "Sakura…listen to yourself. You don't see your own worth because of him! You're not working towards standing beside him because he is going to hide you in his shadow! Change is one thing, but it's another to forget who you are. And one day you're going to look at yourself and see a stranger. So, for once, do yourself a favor and leave!"
Sakura looked away, "I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave him."
Serendine scoffed, wiping her face. "Sinbad chose to ally himself with Parthevia because it was a benefit to him; an asset, if he can let go of personal feelings to achieve his goals like this, do you honestly believe he wouldn't be willing to use those who placed their trust in him, too?"
Sakura shut her eyes, those words acting like a chain reaction. From the moment she met Sinbad, conquering Valefor's dungeons, meeting King Rashid in Reim, their meeting in Sasan and Artemyra, her running off to save him from Madaura, her ignoring those falsely incriminated people that were turned into monsters….
"It doesn't matter." Sakura's expression was stoic; she held her hands at her sides limply. Her tone was dull, but it cut through Serendine like the finest blade. "Without Sinbad, I have nothing, no purpose, nowhere to go. I have already done things; it's too late for me to go back. My family, friends, and home are no longer within my reach. If he uses my love to move towards his goal, I will let him."
Serendine looked away with her eyes shut tightly, her mouth curled in a grimace, and her shoulders shook as if in pain. Then she stilled. Sakura waited as Serendine turned to her once again, her eyes hardened with her expression like stone.
"Then remain here and let him ruin you, because as the two of you are right now, that is what will happen."
Serendine stepped forward, making her way past Sakura as if she was briefly crossing paths with a stranger on the street, stopping at the door's entrance way. "I hope you find your pride again and realize you are more than capable of standing on your own. Goodbye, Sakura."
"Goodbye….Serendine."
Sakura raised her hand towards the sky, her hand spread as if it was waiting for something to fall into it, and then made a fist like she had caught something and held it there.
'Whatever it takes, right?'
..
..
"Where have you been?"
This was the alarmed greeting Sakura received as she entered into her room she shared with Sinbad; who was waiting impatiently for her, sitting on the end of the bed. He stood immediately when he saw Sakura coming in through the window.
"Sinbad." Sakura sighed, relieved although her partner's sour demeanor did not waver when she embraced him. "I thought you were already sleeping."
Sinbad frowned, leaning away from her. "Serendine leaves a letter saying she is leaving the company with her ladies, and Judar, and my girlfriend is nowhere to be found after that. Where in that statement do you read 'went to bed peacefully? Where did you go?" Sinbad asked, his voice turning hard.
"I went to that deserted island you took me to."
"Why?"
Sakura moved back completely, walking over to the dresser and removing her djinns, whose voices were echoing in comments and opinions in her mind.
"I just had to go out for a little bit, Sinbad."
"Did you know?"
Sakura's hands stopped midway from removing Gaap's dagger from her waist before she resumed her actions. "Know what?"
Sinbad's footsteps were in heavy haste as he reached Sakura, gripping her forearm to turn her around. "Did you know that Serendine was planning on leaving?"
Blinking thrice, Sakura curled the right corner of her lip downward and shrugged her shoulder. Although she was remaining aloof, Sinbad caught on immediately to the truth just by her gesture.
Sinbad scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "You knew…."
Starring for only a few seconds, she spoke. "I'm tired."
Side-stepping, Sakura began undoing the button that held the strap of her top together with little care or effort before removing it. Then, slipping off her spandex shorts and heading towards the closet for her sleepwear, a curtsy of Rurumu, who had had enough of seeing Sakura run around in her sports bra and shorts. The dress was similar to a short nightgown, with soft, light fabric that was nearly impossible to feel.
"Sakura."
After repeating her name another five times without response, Sinbad felt like the last threads of his patience were being carelessly pulled by Sakura's silence. While her back continued to be the only thing facing Sinbad, he clenched his jaw tightly.
"When did you know that she was going to leave?"
Sakura kept up her front of silence, but Sinbad was determined to break through the glass wall Sakura believed to be made of stone.
"Sakura, I'm not asking twice."
"Well, I'm not answering once!" Sakura snapped back. Her shoulders reached for her neck, and her fists were tightly clenched at her side. "What does it matter? She's already left, and no one knows where, right?"
Gasping when she felt Sinbad's hot breath against her neck, he wrapped his arms around her waist before she could distance herself, tightening his grip when she attempted to move, and although he knew well that she could escape at any moment she chose to, Sinbad also knew how feeble he could make her.
"I thought you left with her," he confessed, rubbing his nose against the back of her neck. "After we read the letter, Barbarossa came in and-
Sakura frowned, worried at the prospect of the former Parthevian general arriving at the company unannounced, especially with their employees. Ja'far, Vittel, and Mahad, whom he had hired to assassinate Sinbad, then there was Drakon, who had come seeking refuge with Serendine and her attendants. If Barbarossa discovered them, it would put the company at risk of losing its alliance with Parthevia. "Barbarossa was here?"
Sinbad immediately noticed her concern for the situation and circumstances of his arrival. "Don't worry. When he arrived, he saw Drakon, but he apparently knew all along that we were harboring him and Serendine."
Sinbad was personally surprised by Barbarossa's response to seeing his younger brother at the company. Although it looked like the situation was going to damage their relationship with Barbarossa when he bluntly pointed out Sinbad hiding a wanted man in Parthevia. When Sinbad pointed out that the event occurred while Barbarossa was a general, in military service, and gave his current status in the country, Sinbad didn't think it was necessary to report his household vessel, as Barbarossa no longer had any business concerning himself with these sorts of issues. Sinbad also claimed that Drakon was an official employee of the company. Surprisingly, Barbarossa had the same opinion on the matter, but he had been waiting for Sinbad to tell him the truth for a while. He knew that Sinbad had taken in the deserters of the Shamlash clan, as well as Drakon and Princess Serendine.
"He even asked why he hadn't seen her around."
"What happened after that?" Sakura asked, craning her neck to the side for Sinbad to rest his head against.
"I told him that Serendine left on her own, that she wanted to revert Parthevia to what it was, and that I agreed to help her, but then stopped after meeting him, and that the way Parthevia was now was the way to change the world. I also said that I have no intentions of lying or betraying him, and the rest was settled after."
Sakura was relieved, at least Barbarossa didn't demand any favors from Sinbad like helping him track down the princess or anything else of the sort. However, the brief detailing of the past meeting had made Sakura more lax and more willing to reveal.
"I caught Serendine last night before she left. I tried getting her to change her mind, but she wouldn't, and she asked me to come with her."
Sinbad paused, "What?"
It was a short debate as to whether or not she should tell Sinbad the details of last night's interaction, as they would probably create a spark that would light the flames of Sinbad's anger, but she was also aware of Sinbad's sharp perception. So she decided to give him a portion of what she had stashed away in the vault of her mind.
"Serendine wanted me to come with her, and when I asked her why…." Sakura closed her eyes, "She told me she loved me and...kissed me."
There was an expected silence created after Sakura gave her explanation. Sinbad wouldn't ask for the details as his mind assumed the only reason Serendine wanted Sakura to go with her was that she had feelings for the kunoichi and that she couldn't stand to leave without attempting to bring her with him.
"What did you say to her after?"
"I'm still here, so you have your answer," Sakura whispered, reaching up to clutch the arm around her. She wanted the conversation to end now as she felt a painful tightening in her throat as she replayed her and Serendine's confrontation last night.
She felt Sinbad's body shake, but that was because he was chuckling in a dull tone that showed there was no humor behind the laugh. "Unbelievable, every time I turn away, someone is trying to steal you from me."
Sakura could predict the jealous tension arising within Sinbad once again and attempted to snuff out the flames before they grew. "Sin-
His grip tightened, nearing the point of vice, "Don't ever disappear like that again. From now on, tell me wherever you plan on going. Do you understand?"
"Sinbad."
Sinbad's voice became firmer in an instant, and his grip, tighter. "Do you understand, Sakura?"
"Yes, Sinbad."
That was the last time that Sakura and Sinbad ever spoke of Serendine. They, along with the rest of the Sindria Trading Company, continued to work towards their goal of creating a country. They continued to expand their branches and reach out to the rest of the world. Parthevia, being allied with the Sindria Company, had pulled the country out of its recession and had gained the power it once had before the war. There were no major incidents since then concerning the company, and aside from the increased amount of work and the leader's infection with a workaholic syndrome. Everything appeared to be in place, as it should.
And so a year passed…..
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