CHAPTER 52: Impending Confrontation

Alex sighed in relief as the difficult memory passed.

"Maybe I should get some sleep." He rubbed his eyes and then propped up his chin with his arm on the railing. "I don't remember the last time I had the opportunity to rest my eyes."

Alex stared out to sea with a contemplative look on his face. "I think the last time was..."

Alex could now clearly see the stringy, translucent saliva of the creature dripping from its open jaw, forming glistening strands that hung in the air.

He knew from bitter experience that one bite from its razor-sharp teeth was enough to tear through flesh and shatter bones.

Suddenly, another memory came, causing Alex to flinch and back away from the railing.

The smell of decay and death that wafted from the beast overshadowed the salty sea air, and created a sickening mixture which made Alex's empty stomach turn.

Alex plopped down onto the deck and slid backwards until he felt the wood pressing against his back, then he covered his face with his hands.

The beast's fur began disappearing as it was burnt off, and soon there were patches on its skin where only red sizzling meat could be seen.

A similar thing happened to Alex as dark red blisters formed on his skin which seeped out boiling blood after they burst.

The excruciating pain caused tears to roll down Alex's cheeks, and it so that he had to bite down hard on his lower lip to keep from screaming.

Alex began breathing hard as minute after minute the dark memories of the past month came back to him, all feeling as painful and vivid as when it had originally happened. All Alex could do was bear it and try not to let the tears out. The situation was almost like his brain suddenly developed a serious vendetta against him and did everything it possibly could to bury Alex in the depths of despair.

Several minutes later, Alex slowly brought his hands down before immediately realizing something wet was running down face, causing him to quickly raise his hand and wipe away the rogue tear.

It was at this moment that Alex fully realized and understood why all the Lowers were quiet and seemed to be lost in thought. The experiences they had all passed through was not something that could be brushed aside and dismissed. No matter what anybody says, if a person went through a traumatic experience, they would definitely change, no exceptions.

'I guess this isn't a magical fantasy world where I miraculously have the mental strength of a god.' Alex smiled shakily as he blinked really fast. 'No matter how much I want and wish it to be one.'

Alex once again wiped his eyes before looking around the deck. His current understanding allowed him to see everything with new and fresh eyes.

The downturned heads, shivering and shaking bodies, distant, unseeing gazes—every expression and physical reaction made sense to Alex now. Even the way Alistair, like every other Lower, was keeping to himself, was suddenly extremely relatable.

As he observed the Lowers Alex began sympathizing and started experiencing a sense of shared camaraderie with them.

'But..' Alex closed his eyes and when he reopened them, deep within steel and cold determination could be seen. 'I don't need these feelings, all they will ever do is hold me back and distract me.'

He turned those cold eyes of his over the students on the deck. 'If I'm going to rule the underworld one day then I don't have the leeway to consider other people's feelings, especially when I'll probably be doing terrible things in the future. If I do then I definitely won't last long in that cruel and brutally cutthroat world.'

Alex calmly gazed at Alistair out of the corner of his eye. 'And anyway, if their time in The Senseless Coast was anything like mine, any and every person among these ambitious and power hungry students would have gladly and joyfully had me take their place there—forcefully if need be.'

"Hey, someone's coming up."

The sound of a slightly raised voice echoed across the deck, drawing Alex's attention. He turned to see one of the individuals who had been hanging around Leon pointing casually at the gangplank.

All sounds of conversation and chatter instantly ceased, and heads turned to face the location the student spoke of.

*CREAK, CREAK*

Now that it was quiet on the ship the sound of the wood creaking from a person walking on the gangplank could be easily and clearly heard.

'Could that possibly be Agustin?'

Alex's head swiveled toward the gangplank, and, after a few moments of tense silence from everyone on the deck, the beginnings of someone's hair peeked over the side of the ship.

Moments later, the person stepped aboard the ship, making their face known to all the observing eyes.

'Male, brown shoulder length hair, pale skin.' He immediately turned away as soon as those features registered. 'Not Agustin.'

Alex instantly lost interest and was about to sink back into his thoughts when suddenly, the sound of an alarmed voice rang out across the deck.

"HAN! I was so worried, what took you so long?"

Alex turned once again and observed as one of the Uppers ran up to him with a relieved yet angry expression on her face.

Alex discretely watched from the corner of his eye as the young woman reached the new passenger.

"Now that I think about it,"

He turned his head slightly and saw Alistair talking under his breath. "I'm pretty sure that those two are dating."

Alex eyebrow arced, moderately more interested. "Oh, really?"

Alistair slightly nodded his head. "If I'm remembering correctly he's ranked number eighty-two, while she's seventy-four."

"HAN, what's wrong with you?"

Suddenly, the girl's voice increased and when Alex looked back he saw that she had started shaking Han's shoulders.

"You're acting strange." Han's face hung down and she raised it up. "Why won't you say anything?"

Alex's interest piqued as he fully turned his head to closely observe Han.

'Is that...?' Alex leaned slightly forward and gazed into Han's eyes. 'His eyes are hollow and empty. That comatose and dead feeling oozing off him. It almost makes him seem like...one of the Lowers.'

"Han," The female student abruptly exclaimed, smiling shakily. "Don't tell me you were serious about not getting out immediately?"

Alex's eyes narrowed, and he felt Alistair's body stiffen beside him.

'Wait, are her words implying they knew something was going to happen?'

"Hey."

Alex was pulled out of his thoughts by a sudden voice. He turned to see Leon crouching on the ground, frowning at the female student. "Watch what you say."

Her head swiveled, and she turned fiery eyes at Leon. "Shut up. I'm not one of your lackeys, and neither am I part of your faction."

She then turned back to Han and worriedly looked at him. "Han, please talk to me."

From the corner of his eye Alex saw Alistair shake his head, and sigh heavily.

"That's not going to go over well with him." Alistair sighed once again then used his hand to prop up his chin. "No way is Leon's huge ego going to let that statement pass without comment."

And Alistair was proven to be right bare moments later.

"Is that so?"

Suddenly, Leon's voice rang out from behind the girl, eerily frightening as it was both mellow and emotionless. The sound raised the hackles of all the observers, causing her to warily turn around and observe the downturned head of Leon.

Leon slowly stood up after a few drawn-out seconds and with heavy, purposeful steps, he moved towards her.

When he was a few steps away from her, Leon paused and critiqued her with his eyes. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Azura." The female student answered cautiously.

"Ok." Leon looked down, and moments later his head shot back up, with a raging inferno burning within. "Where does someone lower ranked than me get off talking back at me?"

With Leon's words as the catalyst, the atmosphere of tension and aggression increased exponentially, weighing down heavily on everyone present.

Azura swallowed heavily as the pressure on her gradually heightened. However, despite the increasing weight on her shoulders she didn't back down and instead raised her chin up and jeered at Leon.

"Why can't I say what I want to?" She then ran her gaze around the deck before raising her lips into a mocking smile. "Is there something you don't want the lower ranked to know?"

Leon did not reply for a few seconds, and when he did, it lacked the bite of earlier.

"What would I not want them to know?" Turning around, Leon slowly walked back toward the base of the main mast. "It's not like they're any threat, right?"

Azura nodded her head. "Right. So there's no problem, correct?"

Leon reached the mast and turned his head upward, staring at the very top. "Even though they're no real problem or threat, I'd prefer it if you'd not talk so loosely."

Azura pushed Han back, and she slowly repositioned herself in front of him. "But why would I have to make you happy? Like I said before, I'm not your lackey."

The deck got very quiet after her last words, with everyone—both Upper and Lower—tensely waiting for Leon's reaction. Seconds later it came.

*CRACK*

Leon turned around and, with a sneer, he cracked his knuckles.

"Then we're going to have a problem."