The Four Kings

The small seaplane rattled and groaned as it boldly pierced the sun-soaked tropical sky. Beyond the cabin's windows, the world seemed inviting and carefree, seemingly unaware of what was unfolding within the aircraft. The air hung heavy with humidity, and the feeble air conditioner did little to alleviate the discomfort. The pungent odor of the aged leather seats lingered in the air, steadily intensifying Ann's queasiness. She rested her head against the headrest, her neck awkwardly stretched in an uncomfortable position, and frantically fanned herself with an old magazine. The back of her T-shirt was already drenched in sweat.

Ann glanced up at the moldy ceiling and the exposed, rusted beam, pondering how she had ended up entangled in this madness. It was a wonder to her how this contraption managed to stay airborne instead of rusting away in some long-forgotten junkyard. No surprise they were the sole passengers, as others wouldn't be crazy enough to embark on an ocean-crossing journey in this old junk. Her attention shifted briefly to their teacher, who sat hunched in his seat, engrossed in playing games on his phone.

Dave was the epitome of charm, a man whose handsomeness would make heads turn as he passed by on the street. Ann had never encountered silver hair so distinctive; it subtly gleamed with a magenta hue in the sunlight. The first time she met him, she couldn't help but gawk, convinced he was wearing a wig. Whenever he cast his piercing blue-eyed stare upon her, it felt as though his gaze could penetrate the depths of her soul. It's no wonder he had a line of young girls eagerly seeking his attention.

She was ashamed to admit she had a slight crush on him when they first met. Over time, the shimmering facade of his character faded and eroded. The flicker of flame burning in her heart was mercilessly squashed. She and her classmates had unanimous agreement on one matter: Dave was a reckless daredevil trapped in a man's body. It should have been the teacher guiding his students, much like Oogway in Kung Fu Panda mentoring Po. However, they found themselves more often scrambling to mitigate the fallout when Dave did something unexpected, and they invariably got pulled into the chaos.

Sensing her gaze, Dave looked up from his phone and grinned, "I've got everything under control." Her lips pressed into a tight line, and she wanted to get up from her seat and smack him like an irritating fly.

Unconvinced, her classmate Jack mumbled with a mouthful of melon bun, "You're the one who got us into trouble in the first place." He gestured toward Dave's phone, 'You're not supposed to use your phone while the plane is in the air. It could interfere with the electronics. Don't get us into another mess."

"Come on, Jack. Look at this ancient junk. I doubt there's anything electronic for the phone signal to interfere with."

While they argued, the seaplane seemed to struggle to stay aloft, descending to a much lower altitude. It wasn't just rattling; it was shaking more violently. Ann fought the urge to vomit as she clutched a paper bag close to her chest, cold sweat dripping from her forehead. Her eyes widened when she saw the captain guzzling from a massive liquor bottle, the kind you'd expect to see in the midst of a wild, raucous celebration. He even nonchalantly passed it to the co-pilot, as if they were sharing a drink at a bar.

Below them, the Four Kings archipelago came into view—an awe-inspiring sight of islands comprised of towering karst formations rising dramatically from the sea. They appeared like colossal shards of green glass with hidden lagoons nestled between them.

"There it is! The Four Kings Archipelago," Toji pointed out with excitement, his eyes fixed on the view beyond the plane window. Even if she wanted to see it, she couldn't, as his entire frame was blocking her view. Spreading across two seats, his head nearly reaching the ceiling, Ann couldn't help but secretly wonder if there was some Caucasian blood in his ancestry. How else could such a skinny boy evolve into such a muscular beast?

He glanced at her over his shoulder, smirking as he sipped from a can of coffee. "Yo, Ann, why do you look so pale? Relax a little, look outside, it's beautiful." She brushed away his black hair, tied into a ponytail, as it kept swatting her face. A part of her couldn't help but feel jealous of his composure, calmly enjoying a drink in this situation.

"The pilot is drunk! We're going to die. I don't know what possessed us to agree with Dave's crazy idea in the first place."

"Nonsense, ye scallywags! I be sober enough to fly this baby. This tiny amount o' grog ain't gonna make me drunk. It's just me fourth bottle this mornin'!" the captain hollered from the cockpit.

"Don't hurt his feelings. He's sober enough to understand you talking bad about him," Dave chimed in, unhelpful as always.

The captain spoke too soon, "Ain't no way… we be goin' down. I've flown this baby all me life; she's never let me down. Just sit tight and have a little faith. She be old but sturdy… can fly right through a hurricane."

A sudden jolt, and they were losing altitude rapidly, sending Jack, who had neglected to fasten his seatbelt, hurtling forward to collide headfirst with a seat in front of him. The cabin was in chaos, with items scattered everywhere as the seaplane continued its turbulent descent. Toji ended up drenched in coffee. Dave was a lost cause, crackling with mad delight as he thoroughly enjoyed the situation. Ann gripped the armrest as if her life depended on it, desperately praying to whatever higher power might be listening. The plane hit the water with a bone-rattling jolt and swerved violently, finally coming to a halt as it scraped against the sandy beach.

"We made it, herherherher," the captain exclaimed, grinning widely as he took another swig from his bottle.

"See, everything is fine."Dave, their ever-confident teacher, got up from his seat, smiling brightly. As per usual, he was the only one who escaped unscathed, not even a wrinkle on his shirt.