"It seems he's stabilized," Liam sighed. He had been very worried about James's situation this whole time. To Liam, kids like James were prone to doing reckless things. He looked at James, who was sitting against the cave wall, and spoke.
"What are you planning to do now?"
James glanced at Liam and wiped away the remaining tears.
"I'll go back to Atlas town..."
Liam had already guessed what James wanted to say, so he didn't object. However, he was still afraid that the strange creature from before might still be there. Just recalling the peaceful, smiling face that then morphed into a monster through the window when seen from afar made him tremble
"Let's wait until tomorrow to set out. It's getting dark now..."
James didn't argue. He was fully alert now, and he wouldn't foolishly risk traveling at night. Watching Liam sit on the cold stone floor, James couldn't help but feel frustrated and disappointed in himself for taking out his anger on Liam. After all, everything Liam had done was the right thing to do.
"Thank you..." James said in a steady voice. It was the most sincere expression of gratitude from his heart.
Hearing that, Liam closed his eyes and nodded. He thought to himself, "Babysitting is really exhausting."
At sunrise, the two left the cave and departed from the unnamed island on the sea. During the journey across the water toward Atlas town, their anxiety was evident. Especially for James, who was growing increasingly restless. And what had to happen, happened.
"Holy crap..." Liam's eyes widened, and goosebumps rose as he looked at Atlas town and the surrounding houses. The sight left him frozen for a few seconds on the surface of the water. Meanwhile, James had already rushed toward his house.
"It looks like a war zone..." Liam took a deep breath after witnessing the destruction of the town. Then he quickly followed James.
When they reached James's house, Liam had hoped, just a little, for a different outcome. But the truth was still the truth. He felt a bitter taste in his mouth as he saw James kneeling before a large dried pool of blood on the stone floor. The blood was so vast, it seemed as though someone had been crushed there. Michael's death appeared to have been brutal. Now, Liam feared that James might fall into the same emotional state as before. Gently, he stepped forward and patted James on the shoulder.
"James..."
He spoke softly, trying to avoid upsetting James. But, contrary to his expectations, James was trembling, biting his lip so hard that blood dripped onto the ground, forming small droplets, while his eyes glowed coldly.
After about an hour, James finally calmed down. He turned to Liam and spoke in a low, steady voice:
"Wait for me outside for a while."
Liam, standing amidst the rubble, nodded. He quietly turned away, hoping James wouldn't do anything rash.
As soon as Liam stepped out of the house, flames erupted all over James's body. The intense fire distorted the air and spread violently throughout the ruined house. The sound of burning wood collapsing echoed everywhere. James, with tear-filled eyes reflecting the fire, gazed one last time at the wreckage of his home. Countless memories of his family flashed before him, causing his tears to flow again, evaporating instantly in the heat. Then, with immense determination to escape the past, he gritted his teeth, closed his eyes tightly, and turned away from the house without looking back. His lips whispered, barely audible:
"Goodbye..."
***
On the calm sea, countless small birds soared in the sky. The sun's rays glistened on the water's surface, creating streaks of light. And on that sea, two figures stood aboard a small boat.
"How far do you think it is to the academy?" Liam asked wearily, enduring the blazing sunlight. He pulled out binoculars from his spatial ring and scanned the surroundings. Through the small lens, all he could see was the endless horizon of the sea.
"According to the map, we have to cross this large ocean, then we'll reach another continent..." James replied, his tired eyes fixed on the upside-down map in his hand.
Seeing James's actions, Liam couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose.
"James..."
"Huh?" James snapped out of his daze, looking around before focusing back on the map.
Liam knew well that James's mood hadn't yet stabilized after Michael's death, but he had no choice but to rely on James as the navigator. James was the only one who could read the map.
"Isn't there a land route we could take?"
"There is... But we'd have to pass through Carter family territory... I'm guessing you wouldn't want that, right?" James answered wearily.
"Haizzz..." Hearing that, Liam could only sigh as he leaned against the boat's railing, looking up at the sky. It seemed he had accepted his fate.
After about half a day, they had traveled quite far, and it was certain they couldn't turn back now.
"Hey, James... It looks like there's a storm ahead," Liam said, holding the binoculars and looking into the distance. Through the lens, he saw dense black clouds, with occasional flashes of lightning.
James, hearing that, quickly shook off his gloomy mood. After all, this was a matter of life and death for both of them. He grabbed the binoculars to confirm the situation. With a slightly furrowed brow, he said:
"It seems we'll have to take a detour to avoid that storm..."
James quickly moved to the helm and adjusted the boat's direction. The boat promptly shifted course, following the current in a new direction.
But the area they thought was a storm was, in reality, perfectly calm. Small fish jumped happily on the water's surface, and sunlight streamed down through the white clouds. This was clearly a common mirage phenomenon. If navigators weren't experienced enough, they would easily be deceived.
"Looks like we've avoided the storm... That was close." Liam wiped the sweat from his forehead. Suddenly, he heard the sound of water splashing. He quickly rushed to the railing and scanned the area. What he caught a glimpse of was the tail of a fish rising from the water.
"Was that just fish?" Liam focused on the shadows beneath the surface, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Seems like they're omnivores..."
While Liam was still lost in thought, suddenly soft singing voices began to echo. He jerked his head around, looking in all directions for the source of the sound. A slight smirk appeared on his face as he glanced at James.
"Hey, James... Do you hear anything? I think my ears are playing tricks on me."
"I thought it was just my ears playing tricks too..." James lazily rested his chin on the railing, casually surveying the surroundings. He seemed to believe the singing was merely a product of his weary mind.
As time passed, more and more fog rolled in, engulfing the sea around their boat. The dense white mist obscured everything, and the singing grew louder. This made Liam frown.
"Damn it!.. What the hell is happening?"