Devin's POV
The ocean outside is a black mirror, swallowing the moonlight whole. Inside, the ballroom hall of the Odyssey Cruise, the air hums with quiet greed. Crystal chandeliers swing ever so slightly with the waves, scattering light over pearls, tuxedos, and lies. The guests, dressed in arrogance and silk, raise their glasses as if the bubbles in their champagne are worth more than souls.
I stand in the stairway near the ornate grand staircase, a place where I choose to watch everyone, where I hold my glass of whiskey. Power doesn't always require sitting at the front—but being here screams I am the captain. I am in command of everything. My men are stationed in corners, invisible to untrained eyes. Some stand near the bar, pretending to be servers, another lingers by the entrance, checking for everyone's invitation. This cruise also boards some of ordinary people to ease suspicions from authority and the grand hall was only closed during the auction event.
Then the auctioneer's voice cuts through the music—smooth, confident, almost theatrical. "Lot number twenty-four. An exclusive sapphire pendant once owned by the Duchess of Ferranti. Starting bid: one point two million."
The crowd murmurs. The sound of shuffling paddles and whispered numbers fills the room. They think this is about jewelry. It's not. Tonight's auction is a front. Beneath those glass displays lie coded exchanges—diamonds traded for data, paintings masking routes for smuggled arms, rare wines that come with a price list of names better left buried.
My gaze drifts to the front row, where a rival—Niccolo Agnello—raises his paddle. His smile is too wide, his confidence too loud. He doesn't know the sapphire piece he's bidding for, carries a flash drive embedded in its clasp. The kind that could erase his empire in minutes.
I'll let him have it. For now.
The room erupts in polite applause when the gavel falls. My glass tilts, and I take a slow sip, tasting the bitterness of aged whiskey and victory in patience. The music plays again—violins, soft and hollow.
Soon, someone will notice the quiet shift in the air. A deal has been made, a kingdom will fall, and no one on this glittering ship will realize that beneath their laughter and champagne, someone just signed their death warrant. The sea continues its slow, indifferent rhythm.
And I—it's quite good tonight—watch, wait, and smile.
Hours passed, I sat at a VIP table as the event continues. The auction was done a few minutes ago, and as what we have planned, my men are now assisting those VIPs who bought their items from the auction when...
BOOM!
What the? What's—
Another explosion was heard. The hell?
I barely recover from the second explosion when a gunshot was fired near me. Fuck it! How did it go wrong?
"Boss..." someone called me through my earpiece—his voice is shaky.
"Talk." I commanded.
"It's a raid! You need to leave—" then static. The communication got cut off.
Raid? How? My security is airtight. My plan — flawless.
Another gunshot whistles, grazing the chair beside me. Not a warning shot.
A taunt.
The lights flicker. Glass shatters. My men take defensive positions, shouting orders drowned by terrified screams. Civilians trample over each other to flee — riches and dignity forgotten.
If someone thinks they can corner me in my own ship? How fucking bold.
As I recovered from that shot, I noticed a smirk from that man who's firing that taunt shot. And I know that smirk. Very well. A fucking traitor. For a second, something hot coils in my chest—not anger, not yet—just the quiet insult of being outplayed.
I grabbed the gun that's stuck behind my back and pointed at him too, with a wry smile.
I glanced at one of my men who's about to shoot the traitor. I looked at them, commanding a—No one's allowed to kill him unless it's me—look.
And there, we traded bullets the way traitors trade confessions—fast, loud, unforgiving.
I sprinted between pillars to cover myself from those shots.
"Come on, boss. It's not like we can play all day long like this." he said from the earpiece I wear.
"You worked behind me for years. You think I play like this?" I told him. I was about to fire again when there's no bullet fire out of my gun. I ran out of my extra ammunition too. Fuck it! Suddenly, the ship wiggled, tilting on the side. I saw him stumble too. And that's it. My cue to run out from his sight. I run out the hall and went to the other side of the dock.
That's when I saw a lady who's running also towards where I am. Shit! We bumped into each other that had me stopped for a minute. And— Argh.
Fuck it! The ship lurched—like the ocean itself wanted me dead. I caught the lady in my arms to help her. And a deafening line I heard. My vision blurs—her terrified eyes the only thing in focus.
She's telling something but I can't hear her. And a blood spilled from my mouth. I lost my balance and she tried to catch me. My body felt so numbed, trying not to lose my consciousness but I failed.
I felt a cold water on my body and that's where I realized we fell. The cold drags me under—killing kings faster than any bullet ever could.
Third Person's POV
A water splash was heard as Zachary dived in to follow Devin under. Seeing him slowly sinking and slowly losing his consciousness. His eyes fluttering. Their eyes met.
"Who... are you?" Devin asked.
"I heard you." Zach told him. They were talking through the means of telepathy.
"You want to save someone but how? When you also need to be saved too." Zach said, as he saw him coughed bubble, rose from his lips like needing an air.
Devin didn't answer him but his eyes were looking at Zachary in desperation.
"Do you believe in second chances?" Zach asked as he offered his hand. Devin didn't even asked. Didn't even hesitated to reach out that hand. It's like a painting where the two are almost touching their fingers. Then, suddenly a blinding light surrounded them.
Heize's POV
Coughing. I woke up at the shore. Waters touching my feet. I looked around and saw like I was on a secluded island. Ugh! I hate this. A lot happened the first time I stepped out of a damn cell. A sharp gust of wind cut through my soaked clothes, making me shiver and taste the salt on my lips. I tried to stand up to see if I might be familiar with this place. But to disappoint myself, I don't know where I am right now. I walked the shore, scanning for anything—nothing. Not even a trace of my things. And then, not far from where I stood, a familiar figure: the man from the ship.
FLASHBACK
I was in a middle of my relaxation and enjoying my trip when an explosion happened. Twice. Panic and screaming all over the cruise, and heading towards the other side where the emergency boats were set up. I ran toward the emergency boats and collided with a man, strong and solid. I froze for a heartbeat, unsure what to do next. The ship tilted, I stumbled; he caught me in his arms.
But I jolted and even closed my eyes when I heard a gunshot. I felt his grip on me and saw blood in his mouth. And a force from the ship that made us get thrown in the water. And it all went black.
END OF FLASHBACK
It's him. I ran towards him even though my body felt so heavy.
"Hey... hey!" I said while shaking him. "Wake up!" even slapped his face just to wake him up. I checked his pulse, even leaned closer to him just to hear him breathing. When I felt a small air coming from his nose, I tried resuscitating him.
A few minutes later, he coughed up water and woke. His eyes fluttered open, confused. I exhaled shakily, letting myself sink onto the wet sand beside him. But I was shocked when he gasped.
"WHAT?!! H-HOW... is this possible?!"