Closer to the ship, it felt strange.
The dark, metallic hull gleamed softly in the setting sun—
like hot coal.
Icarus turned his head towards Seren.
"Do you know how to get on?"
Seren bit his lip, looking closely at the ship.
He pointed towards a distant rope ladder that was hanging from the deck.
"We can climb the ladder, my Lord."
Icarus nodded.
"You do it first."
Seren gulped, animosity shining in his eyes.
"Of course, my Lord."
They wadded into the shallow depths of the water, quietly.
Seren reached the ladder first.
He looked at Icarus as if he expected Icarus to take the lit torch from his hand.
Icarus ignored him.
"Climb."
Seren resentfully wadded closer to the ladder and gripped it tightly with his right hand.
He began to climb.
It was a comical sight, Seren trying to climb the swaying ladder with one hand while holding a flaming torch in the other.
His hair almost caught fire a few times.
He finally reached the top and swung himself onto the deck.
Icarus watched him,
waiting.
Seren finally gave him the signal.
The coast was clear.
Icarus waded close to the ladder himself and gripped it tightly.
He took a deep breath.
I don't have a lot of upper body strength.
He exhaled and began to climb—
slowly,
fearfully.
He made the mistake of looking down a few times and almost threw up.
I hate heights.
He painfully reached the top of the ladder, swaying.
Seren caught his hand and pulled him up to the deck.
"Are you alright, my Lord?"
Icarus nodded.
His face was green.
Seren seemed amused.
He pointed to the center of the deck.
"That's the operating room."
A door stood there.
It was a transparent door.
Through the glass window pane, you could see the steering and the controls.
Icarus thought for a moment.
"Let's destroy the cockpit."
Seren stared at him.
"It's called a bridge, my Lord."
Icarus was unbothered.
"Whatever, let's destroy it."
Seren sighed and nodded.
"As you wish, my Lord."
He went closer to it and pushed the door open.
The room was empty.
Icarus nodded in approval.
Perfect.
Seren closely stood next to him.
"How will we destroy it, my Lord?"
Icarus looked around.
That's a good question.
He walked out and looked around for a minute.
Nothing.
He went back in.
Seren was already rummaging in a nearby cupboard.
He pulled out an object and cried out in joy.
"My Lord, I have found a hammer."
Icarus smiled at him, benignly.
"Good job, Seren."
Seren held the hammer tightly, staring at Icarus.
The look in his eyes was sinister.
Icarus smiled coldly.
"You will die if you harm me, Seren."
Seren turned his eyes away.
"I wasn't trying to harm you, my Lord."
Icarus' smile turned cruel.
"A likely story."
"Now get to destroying the steering."
Seren nodded and turned to start smashing the controls of the ship.
Icarus turned away and walked out of the room.
The sky was darker now.
The sun had almost set fully.
Icarus looked out at the sea.
It was hard to believe that his life had changed so much in a day.
The sea reflected in Icarus' pale eyes.
"Prince."
Icarus turned around sharply.
Skye stood next to him, a soft smile on his face.
"Did you find my letter?"
Icarus coldly inspected him.
"Truly, sin runs deep in your veins."
Skye's smile grew even more empathetic.
"You are a monster, Prince.
You know that right?"
Icarus ignored his words.
He walked closer to Skye.
Skye was still wearing his rags, but he had regained his aura of confidence.
He seemed to think Agatha's death had broken Icarus.
However, Icarus was not broken.
He had simply been reshaped.
Skye continued speaking.
"I heard from your friend Seren.
He said you were very close with her, when I asked."
Icarus swore in his mind.
That damned big mouth.
Skye put a brotherly hand on Icarus' shoulder.
"You have been declared an enemy of the Kingdom of Morvane.
Not once but twice."
Icarus said nothing.
"Come quietly,
and Morvane might just let you live."
Icarus' eyes turned red.
He put his hand into his pocket and it landed on a knife.
He was going to pull it out when…
Skye grabbed Icarus' right hand.
"Not so obviously, Prince."
He had been caught in a deadlock.
He tried to divert Skye's attention.
"Who helped you escape?"
Skye did not fall for his trick.
Instead, his grip on Icarus' wrist tightened.
He could feel a bruise forming.
"You are caught, Prince.
Nothing can save you."
Icarus looked around wildly.
Something.
Anything.
A voice echoed in his head.
You seem compromised.
Caelum.
Icarus immediately felt hope rise in his wildly, beating heart.
Caelum, you have to help me.
Caelum chuckled.
Do I?
Skye's face was closer now.
Icarus could see the hate that was quietly buried away in his gaze.
"Surrender now, Prince."
"You have no choice."
None.
Icarus' heart sank.
Was he fated to die so easily?
Caelum sighed.
"Your Seren is coming to free you."
Icarus sighed in relief.
Thank Goodness.
All I have to do is buy time.
Skye seemed unnerved by Icarus sudden change in attitude.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Icarus shook his head with a smile.
"No, I've never been saner.
Now tell me, how did you escape?"
Skye seemed nervous.
He looked away from Icarus' face.
"The sailor…
he helped me."
Icarus' smile widened.
"This sailor…
Did you thank him well?"
Skye's eyes snapped back to Icarus' face.
"What does that have to do with you?"
Icarus shook his head.
"It had nothing to do with me, friend. It is simply common courtesy."
The anger in Skye's eyes became more pronounced.
He wrapped his other hand around Icarus' throat, choking him.
Icarus gasped as the air was blocked from his lungs.
I need to breathe.
Caelum's laughing voice returned to Icarus' head.
What a respectable young soldier!
It seems I am not the only one who wants to kill you.
Icarus didn't have the air to retort.
There was no way he could fight off Skye.
Skye was taller and stronger and-
CRASH.
Icarus and Skye fell down onto the deck.
Icarus' head was spinning.
He put a hand to his neck and rubbed it softly.
I can breathe.
He sighed, inhaling the salty air of the sea side.
He turned his bleary gaze up to see Seren, frozen.
Seren was holding the hammer in one hand and the torch in the other.
The hammer was poised as if he had just struck someone with it.
Icarus quickly put two and two together.
Seren had finished smashing up the bridge when he saw Skye strangling Icarus.
He had immediately rushed out, quietly to assault Skye with his hammer and save Icarus.
My contract works well.
Caelum's laugh became a cackle in Icarus' mind.
Saved by your slave, I see.
Icarus did not want to hear Caelum's nonsense.
Shut up.
The voice subsided.
Icarus crawled closer to Skye's limp body.
A stream of blood poured out of Skye's skull.
That was where he had been struck.
Icarus put a finger to Skye's temple, the way Altheis had taught him.
No pulse.
Icarus looked at Seren.
"I believe he is dead."
Seren paled.
"What?"
Icarus nodded.
It was clear that Seren had never killed anyone before.
"We have to hide him."
Seren looked ill.
However, he had no choice but to obey Icarus.
He joined Icarus in hauling up Skye's unmoving corpse.
Icarus began to lead them towards the bridge.
Seren looked at him, puzzled and dazed.
"My Lord?"
Icarus gave Seren his most reliable smile.
[You have activated Charisma(LV.3)]
"Don't you trust your master Seren?"
Seren nodded at him.
"I trust you, my Lord."
His eyes however, told a different story.
A story of hate.
Together, they tossed Skye's body into the bridge and walked out.
Icarus stretched his back, groaning.
I'm not cut out for physical activity.
A gasp.
Icarus turned his head.
A small man stood in the corner, trembling.
"You killed Master Skye."
This must be the sailor.
Icarus glanced at Seren.
Seren caught his gaze and immediately knew what to do.
Both of them grabbed the sailor and wrestled him into the bridge.
Icarus put a hand to his mouth and muffled his screams.
The sailor would not stop struggling.
He bit Icarus' hand and scratched Seren's face.
He was stronger than he looked.
Icarus grabbed him by the head and smashed it against the broken steering.
Again.
And again.
Seren stood, watching.
His hand was clamped over his mouth—
in horror.
Blood streamed down the deck.
Like a river.
Icarus felt the man's skull crack in his hands.
Sickening.
He could not separate the man's mangled remains from his own red hands.
But in a sense,
they weren't even different.
The man stopped struggling.
Icarus smiled.
A job well done.
Seren said nothing.
He slid against the wall and fell down.
Icarus shook his head in disappointment and offered Seren a bloody hand.
Seren turned pale when he saw it.
Icarus was exasperated.
"Just get up Seren."
Seren stood up, slowly.
He did not take Icarus' hand.
Icarus took the lit torch from Seren's stiff hand.
It had almost burned out.
"Get off the ship, Seren."
Seren didn't need to be told twice.
He turned around and ran to the deck, quickly finding the rope ladder.
Icarus turned back to the bodies in front of him.
Goodbye, Skye.
He placed the torch on the wooden floor.
It caught fire quite fast.
Icarus smiled and ran out onto the deck.
He reached the railing and jumped into the water—
as smooth as a swallow.
Agatha had taught him to swim quite well.
Icarus watched the Ship go up in flames and slowly break apart.
The light reflected in Icarus' eyes.
He looked at the fire with wonder.
I feel like a Phoenix rising from the flames.
A true rebirth.
Caelum's voice slowly rang out in Icarus' mind.
Not rising, King.
Descending.
Icarus thought about the stories he had read.
The protagonist often had a character that stood against him, to compare and contrast their personalities.
This dynamic would make the story more interesting to read.
Perhaps in another world, Skye would exist to oppose Icarus.
He would contrast the light Icarus would bring to the world with his cold, calculated darkness.
But not in this one.
Icarus would burn all who dared to oppose him—
like an eternally blazing sun.
Caelum's voice came again.
However, it was sad this time.
You do not realise how alike you both are, King.
Icarus blew Caelum's voice out of his mind.
A world where he, himself ruled.
That was the only correct one.
[You have gained Domination(Lv.1)]
Night had fallen fully now.
The moon had risen.