Darkness. It had been my only companion for what felt like an eternity. Then, a flicker.
I forced my eyelids open. My vision was blurry, but I saw it—a tiny, dancing blue flame hovering just above my right bicep. It felt warm, almost like it was stitching my skin back together.
"What's... that?" I croaked.
The flame vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.
SLAM!
The massive doors of the chamber swung open. A green blur streaked across the room at blinding speed.
POW!
It wasn't a punch, but the impact felt like one as a tiny figure collided with my face, sobbing hysterically.
"CAPTAIN! YOU'RE AWAKE! YOU'RE FINALLY AWAKE-resu!"
Spruce wailed, his tiny Tontatta hands clutching my cheeks.
"Spruce... move... can't breathe," I wheezed, gently prying him off. My right arm felt like a dead weight, but my head was clear.
"What are you doing? You're making it feel like I was out for a week or something... wait, why am I saying 'resu'? And what was that flame near my arm?"
Spruce looked at me, his eyes red and puffy.
"You've been sleeping for ten days, Captain. Ten whole days-resu. And the flame... no, that must be your imagination. Just a fever dream-resu."
"Ten days?!" I sat up, my voice sharpening as the memory of the Admiral's heat flashed in my mind.
"I was that tired? Bruh..."
I tried to laugh it off, but Spruce's face remained pale.
"Where's Gray? Is that wolf-mink making a mess again? Did he try to eat you while I was out?"
Spruce's expression crumbled.
"Captain... actually, Gray-resu..."
"Did he get into a fight?" I laughed, though it felt forced.
"Don't tell me he tried to eat the giants' cattle."
"He's missing-resu," Spruce whispered.
My smile dropped.
The air in the room turned cold.
"What do you mean, Spruce? Tell me what happened."
Spruce looked down, silent.
That's when I saw them—the bandages wrapped around his tiny torso and arms.
"Why are you injured, Spruce? There were no wounds before I collapsed. What happened? And Ripple? Where is my Sea Cat?"
I threw the covers off, my legs shaking.
"Spruce, talk to me!"
"Captain, stop! Don't stand up-resu!"
The floor vibrated.
Three shadows loomed in the doorway.
Hajrudin, the giant captain, stepped in with his crew: Stansen, the massive shipwright, and Gerd, the golden-haired medic.
"Finally, you are awake, Ash," Hajrudin rumbled, his voice like grinding tectonic plates.
"Hajrudin! What's going on?" I demanded.
"Why is Spruce saying Gray is missing? Where is Ripple?"
The giants didn't answer.
They looked at the floor, their massive shoulders slumped in shame.
My chest tightened until it hurt to breathe, grief and fury twisting together into something ugly. A faint orange glow flickered on my back.
Hajrudin finally spoke, his voice heavy.
"Gray... he is gone, Ash. He fell into the Underworld during the struggle. And Ripple... the Sea Cat is missing too. We fear... we fear they are both dead."
I fell back onto my knees.
The world spun.
"How? How did this happen?!"
Hajrudin closed his eyes.
"It started the night you arrived. You were unconscious... and they were waiting in the shadows."
I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms.
"Waiting in the shadows…?" I repeated slowly. "Who?"
Hajrudin's jaw tightened. His massive hand curled into a fist.
"The World Government's executioners," he said grimly.
"Their hounds."
A beat.
"CP0."
The name hit harder than any punch.
---
[Flashback: Spruce's POV]
"Ripple, move faster! We have to reach Gray and Hajrudin-resu!"
I screamed, clinging to the Sea Cat's fur as we tore through the waves.
I looked down at the Captain's right hand—the one holding the Logpose.
"Captain said follow the middle one, we're going right-resu! But he's so hurt... there's so much blood on his back... and it smells like something is rotting-resu!"
Mrowr!
Ripple let out a pained, determined cry, his muscles bulging as he swam through the dark water.
"I don't understand you, Ripple! Only the Captain knows what you're saying-resu!"
Suddenly, massive silhouettes appeared against the moonlight.
The Great Trees of Elbaf.
"We made it! Look, Ripple! There is Hajrudin's ship-resu!"
Ripple put every ounce of his remaining strength into a final charge.
We slammed into the side of the giant vessel.
Gray was already there, standing with Hajrudin and his crew, their faces tense.
Gerd, the giant medic, immediately reached down.
"A doctor! Quickly!"
I shouted as they grabbed me and began wrapping my bruised body in bandages.
Gray looked at the unconscious Ash and scoffed.
"What an idiot captain, huh? Look at the state of him."
My blood boiled.
I manifested my Mercury Hammer and slammed it right onto Gray's head.
"CAPTAIN GAVE HIS ALL TO PROTECT US! WHY DON'T YOU JUST ACCEPT HIM, YOU DEMON?! HE IS DYING AND YOU'RE SAYING THESE THINGS-resu!"
I broke down, sobbing into my bandaged hands.
Gray rubbed his head, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Ash's shattered body.
But before he could speak, a cold, elegant voice drifted from the darkness of the docks.
"Well, well... how very touching for you all to treat our target.
But now, it would be most grateful if you would hand over that thief to us."
Five figures stepped out of the shadows.
They wore white suits and haunting masks that glared in the moonlight.
CP0.
Gray didn't hesitate.
Sparks of Electro crackled across his claws, his fur standing on end.
"Whoever you are," the wolf-mink growled, his voice dropping into a predatory snarl,
"you aren't getting close to my Captain while I'm still standing."