Fate (2)
After a hearty dinner, I returned to the cabin, gave myself a quick rinse, and flopped onto the bed.
Glancing at the watch I'd splurged on following Ricus's advice, the hands were already pointing at 10 p.m. Holy crap, already? No wonder my knees had been aching suspiciously for a while. Total emergency!
But why were these guys so damn chill? I shot the kids a curious look.
"Hey, kids, time to kill the lights?"
Jayden, who'd been buried in his book the whole time, shot back without looking up. "Can't you see I'm reading? It's barely 10."
"Hmph..."
Something about that shiny black pearl of a bald head made me want to smack it with my palm. It looked so smooth, like it'd feel nice and sticky against my skin.
"Jayden, Jayden. Your body's already maxed out as far as I can tell, but look at me and Rupert. We've got a ton of growing left to do. We should be in bed by 9 at the latest—oh! It's already 10?"
Rupert, sitting on the bed next to mine, flashed an awkward grin, scratching the back of his head and rolling his eyes. Tiny tears glistened in them.
"Ahaha, I'm fine. Jayden, you busy?"
With Rupert chiming in cautiously too, Jayden finally let out a deep sigh at the relentless nagging and closed his book with a thud that hung heavy in the room.
"...Height's all genetics. Sleeping more won't make you grow."
"But if you don't sleep, you won't grow even what you could!"
Jayden's eyebrow twitched at my firm retort. His glare was the kind that'd make most kids piss themselves, but he stood up without a fuss and headed for the mana lamp on the ceiling.
"Fine, sleep early then. Hope you wake up a bit taller tomorrow."
This jerk—mocking me?
With a low whirr, the light from the mana lamp dimmed, plunging the room into darkness. Only faint moonlight seeping from the paintings softly outlined the furniture.
"Night, kids."
"Good night."
"Sleep well."
My body sank into the bed like a lead weight. As my vision blurred, consciousness crumbled away like a sandcastle washed out by the waves.
Soon, only soft breathing echoed in the cabin, and the unusually long day faded into night.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!!!!
'Ugh, noisy.'
In the dead of night when everyone was asleep, before dawn's light touched the world—the darkest hour. Amid the quiet space bathed only in moonlight, a racket erupted.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!!!!!
"Emergency!!!! Emergency!!!!!!"
"Wh-what?!!"
Rupert's mind snapped awake from dreamland amid the sheep, jolted by the shouting.
"...Haa."
Jayden was the first to stir, as expected. A low, thick sigh rumbled from the darkness at the rude intruder interrupting his sleep. He sat up, roughly raking a hand over his glossy bald scalp. Irritation from the disturbance sharpened his fierce features, his icy glare—brimming with killing intent—fixed on the door.
Meanwhile, I was spinning in a daze. Where am I? Who am I? Barely cracking my heavy eyelids, I dragged my leaden, fatigue-crushed body upright and rubbed my eyes. As a certified heavy sleeper, my brain was still foggy even in this urgent mess.
It felt like only minutes ago my mind had dissolved like that sandcastle, so what the hell was this commotion?
"What's going on?"
"No idea." Rupert's voice dripped with confusion too.
Then, with a bang, the cabin door flew open.
"Everyone, up!!! Up!!!!!! You all, the newbies..."
The upperclassman burst in with urgent steps and flicked on the magic lamp. His face flashed with panic upon locking eyes with Jayden.
'Huh? This ain't right?'
"Uh, um, you guys are all... newbies, right?"
'Wrong room...?'
The upperclassman who'd come to the freshmen cabin, Mathieu Portils, glanced back and checked the nameplate. Luckily, my voice cleared up his doubt right away.
"Yeah! That's us."
Mathieu sighed in relief at Rupert's reply.
"Good, thought I'd gotten the wrong room."
He slipped inside, sneaking peeks at Jayden's face, arms loaded with all sorts of gear visible to everyone.
"Here, one each. Underwater breathing masks, life vests, and safety straps to secure your bodies."
"Whaaat?!"
Rupert's eyes went wide as he took the items after Mathieu's explanation. The upperclassman met all three of our gazes seriously.
"Something major happened to the ship overnight. It's about to flip soon. We gotta brace so we don't get swept away before rescue arrives."
Lightning from a clear sky—Rupert panicked, and even Jayden's perpetual poker face cracked slightly.
What the hell? The vibe screamed serious trouble, but with no details, I hustled to change clothes as ordered.
"Leave your stuff, everyone out!!"
Outside, a crowd of freshmen like us had gathered. Bigger kids—two or three heads taller—dotted among them, probably upperclassmen leading the newbies.
"Freshmen! Attention! We're heading to the deck now! Stick close, don't lose the person ahead. Sixth-years, look after your groups. Move out!"
The kids followed their seniors without a peep. A sight you'd never see in a regular elementary school where they ignore teachers. Same exteriors, but these weren't ordinary kids—they had different souls.
Me and Rupert stuck tight behind Jayden.
"Dude, what the hell's happening?"
Felt like getting doused from a sound sleep.
"Dunno... Maybe we got attacked?"
"Attacked?"
By someone else? A raid? But the kids seemed too quiet for that. Sure, my senses are dull and powers bottom-tier, unavoidable. But how many could slip past the gazes of the kids still dozing in the shadows? They were like auto-turrets—spot any shady vibes instantly.
'Whatever, we'll see when we get there.'
Out on deck, a fierce wind unlike yesterday slapped our faces. Damp, chilly sea air wormed into our collars.
"Ugh... cold."
"The magic wrapping the ship must've stopped working."
The kids struggled to adjust to the sudden shift. Only dim mana lamps lit the deck. Pitch-black predawn—staring at the distant sea, sky and water blurred together.
"We go that way."
Mathieu pointed to one of the massive masts. Upperclassmen split the kids up, freshmen clustering under each mast.
"Vests first, then lean back against the mast."
Something magical on the life vests? Once on, my whole body warmed despite the biting sea wind. Damn, what a different world they live in. Already feeling the genre shift—every survival tool packed with magic.
"Masks on faces, then safety straps linking you to the guys next to you so we don't get separated."
I hooked my strap to Rupert and Jayden's vests on either side and waited. Mathieu came by to double-check.
"Good, looks solid. Might get rough, so don't resist—just stay still like this. Alright..."
"Constrictio!!!"
⟨ Binding Spell ⟩
Chants echoed everywhere as thick ropes floated up, deftly wrapping around the kids and binding them to the masts.
"Ooooh!"
"Whoa... my body's floating?"
Some screamed in shock, others cheered excitedly as bodies secured midway up the masts.
"This gonna be okay, right?"
Rupert looked a bit scared.
"Dunno, but if it's safe, they'd do it this way."
"R-right?"
The deck held only some seniors and freshmen, but the whole ship was already chaos.
"View's killer, though."
Far off, faint light leaked—dawn stirring.
Thud!!!
Rumble-rumble-rumble!!!!
"Whoa? It's shaking!!"
The massive ship began swaying ominously side to side. Left, then right. The long mast arced hugely through the air; as the ship tilted sharply back and forth, every drop of blood in my body surged with centrifugal force to one side.
The deck turned pandemonium in seconds. With each steeper angle, nauseating floatiness blanched Rupert's face white.
"Uwaaaah! What is this?!!"
Finally, the mast tips hit the sea, screams erupting everywhere. Suddenly my forehead felt cool—hair already flowing upward.
Ah... diving... That's why the snorkels.
"Uwaaaah!! It's flipping!!!!!"