Not what I expected.
I had stared at the pirates—those damned outlaws—roaming freely around a castle in the middle of the sea. A castle. On the sea. That alone was absurd, but the absurdity didn't stop there. I had pieced it together. The vanishing nobles, the mysterious disappearances across continents—it wasn't coincidence. Something, likely an artifact, was pulling every ship near these waters toward this cursed place.
No wonder the nobles from entirely different continents had disappeared without a trace.
"What do we do?" Shalap had asked me, her voice shaking.
I didn't answer. I shoved her into a nearby cabinet before the men arrived. "Stay hidden. Don't come out, no matter what." She nodded, fear etched across her face, and disappeared into the shadows.
Then the door burst open.
"GET DOWN AND SURRENDER OR WE WILL KILL YOU!" one of the pirates bellowed, swords gleaming under the dim torchlight.
Sinus and I exchanged a look before both of us dropped to the floor. Calmly, he spoke. "Look, we are no nobles. We're here to negotiate."
"Negotiations?" The man paused, one eyebrow raised, thinking about it for a long second. Then he nodded. "Sure. Follow me."
...That was it?
"Wow, I mean, we got in easily," I muttered as we walked. "I kinda thought you screwed up, Sinus."
He gave me that usual blank look as we were led through endless hallways, ones that reeked of old blood and something worse—wealth twisted by madness.
Eventually, we stopped before the largest door I'd seen in this place.
And the moment it creaked open, everything shifted.
The man guiding us collapsed, blood spilling across the stone floor. Just like that. Dead.
Sinus and I instinctively stepped back, weapons ready. Ahead of us sat a man on a distant throne. His presence was heavy, suffocating.
"Who told you to bring them here, you nutcase?" he said, not even glancing at the corpse. His gaze then fell upon us. "Why are you here?"
"Negotiations," Sinus replied without missing a beat.
"I don't do negotiations." The man laughed as he leaned forward. "I take what I want."
"Is that so?" Sinus said, pulling out his gun. "How about a large sum of money?"
"I have a lot of money," he replied with a sigh, waving a hand lazily.
"Then why kidnap them?" I asked, unable to hold back.
He looked at me like I was a fly buzzing too close. "It doesn't concern you, boy."
That was it.
Sinus raised his gun, aiming it square at the man. "Last chance."
The man burst into laughter. Real, hearty laughter. "You boys really don't know who I am, do you?" He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. Old, yes—but there was strength in that body. Too much strength.
"Well then, let me tell you." He rose from his throne like a storm gaining form. "I am Carrisius. Ever heard of that name?"
"Hell no," I said. "Lame name, by the way." I turned to Sinus. "Just shoot the guy."
But Sinus wasn't listening.
He was frozen.
Eyes wide.
"...Heide," he whispered, voice trembling. "Run."
That was the first time I had ever seen Sinus look like that.
"SEE THAT? THE BOY KNOWS WHO I AM!" Carrisius roared with laughter as the ground beneath us seemed to pulse.
In an instant, he was in front of us. There was no time to react.
Sinus dashed in front of me, and the next moment, both of us were flung across the room like rag dolls. My body slammed against the ground—I spat blood, coughing hard as my vision blurred.
Carrisius stood tall, unharmed, powerful, inhuman.
Too fast.
Was that an artifact? Speed-based? That was beyond reflexes.
I saw Sinus's hands—shaking, red, bleeding. He couldn't even block it.
I forced myself to my feet, gritting my teeth. I summoned a pillar from the floor to intercept him—he vanished again.
And then—bam.
His kick slammed into the side of my head.
I crashed through the window. The air was ripped from my lungs as I spiraled out, glass shattering like stars around me.
"HEIDE!" I heard Sinus scream behind me.
Why...?
Why was Sinus that scared?
He wasn't scared of anyone—not even Gars, who could crush bricks with his fists. Sinus always stood tall, always ready to throw hands, no matter what.
But now... he was terrified.
How could a pirate be this strong?
This isn't normal—it's too powerful...
---
"Heide, there are people considered the strongest in the world," Gramps had once told me—Honurad Decimus, a man who had seen everything.
I'd asked him once, casually, "Have you reached the peak of Clarion?"
He had smiled. "I did. But I wasn't good in combat. The strongest in the world... they must be both wise and strong."
"Then there are people stronger than you?"
"Of course," he chuckled. "Many, actually."
"Like who?" I had asked, wide-eyed.
He'd listed them off like bedtime stories. "The Emperor. The Headmaster of Dyslan Academy. Members of the Emperor's Guard. But they're good people."
"So that means there are no bad ones?"
He had looked away, face shadowed. "Of course there are, Heide. If there were only good people in the world, then no one is good. Even the Emperor, with his good intentions, is ruthless. The Headmaster? Deceptive. Still, they're good, because there are people so evil, so powerful... they make the rest look like saints."
"C'mon, Gramps. Tell me already."
He had placed a heavy hand on my head. "The Tempests of the Sea. The strongest of the evil pirates. One of them can level a country alone. The strongest among them could probably defeat even the Emperor."
"Have you met one?"
His smile had faded.
"Yes," he said quietly. "That's the reason I couldn't reach the strength I needed. But Heide... you, Sinus, Gars, Wanora—you all can surpass them. I believe that."
Sinus had been listening from the corner back then, silent.
"Then... should I avenge you?" he had asked.
Gramps had only smiled. "No need, Sinus. Just live your life."
---
I had crashed into the ground.
My body ached, my mind spinning.
As my vision cleared, I saw the damage—the castle.
Half of it was gone.
Shattered.
Destroyed.
"What...?" I whispered.
What the hell had just happened?