The Voyage Begins

Aren opened his eyes with the first rays of the sun. Keiran, lying next to him, was in a deep sleep; his breathing was steady, without even a hint of snoring. As Aren tried to sit up, blinking his eyes, he felt a slight movement on his shoulder. Victoria, as she did every morning, was watching him. The little spider sat quietly at the head of his bed, almost like she was standing guard. Aren turned his head and spoke to her in a soft voice.

"Good morning, little lady," he said, gently brushing his hand over Victoria's fur. "You're up early again this morning."

Victoria moved slightly in response to Aren's touch and, as always, rubbed her head against his hand. Smiling, Aren picked her up and placed her on his shoulder. "You know, you're getting bigger every day," he added, with genuine admiration in his voice.

Victoria squirmed a bit on Aren's shoulder and snuggled closer to him. Feeling the spider's affection, Aren smiled with sincere happiness.

Keiran mumbled in his sleep and turned over before sitting up. "Are you having a romantic moment with a spider this early in the morning? This is starting to get serious."

Instead of responding, Aren gently lifted Victoria from his shoulder and set her on the floor. With a light stretch, he rose from the bed and began to dress. Keiran rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"We have an hour before the ship departs," he said, yawning. "When are we getting ready?"

Aren glanced at him briefly as he silently continued getting dressed. Keiran, now out of bed and searching for his clothes, went on: "Alright, I'll get ready right away. Shall we have breakfast?"

Once dressed, the two of them headed down to the dining hall, their steps heavy. They intended to have a light breakfast and gather some energy. Aren reached for a piece of bread while Keiran headed to the coffee machine.

"I'm not stepping foot on that ship without coffee," he said with a slight smile.

After Aren got his coffee, he took a deep breath and turned to Keiran. "The day begins."

After finishing their breakfast, Aren and Keiran began walking toward the harbor. The cool morning air had yet to be replaced by the warmth of the sun. When they arrived at the port, the massive hull of the ship loomed in the distance, but something else caught their eye: the crowd waiting at the dock was chaotic and tense. Mostly made up of people in worn-out clothes with furrowed brows… Some were sitting, cleaning their nails; others were casting dark glances around. They had the unmistakable look of criminals.

Seeing the crowd, Keiran pursed his lips and turned to Aren with a mocking smile. "Look at that, what a lovely welcoming committee! I'm starting to think we've boarded a prison ship by mistake."

Aren, unfazed, walked past the crowd and made his way toward the ship. They handed their tickets to the crew member. The attendant inspected the tickets, gave the two of them a quick once-over, and then smiled briefly.

"Your cabin is on the second floor, Block B. Don't forget to join us for the party tonight, please."

Keiran laughed mockingly. "Parties are never in short supply." He looked at Aren and added, "At least we've got an evening of fun to look forward to, what do you think?"

Aren simply nodded without responding. When they reached their cabin door, Aren paused thoughtfully.

"I haven't sensed anyone from the Genetic Control Office. Are they not on board?"

As Keiran opened the door, he shrugged. "Be patient. The ship is huge, we'll find them eventually. Besides, you're not planning on attacking right away, are you? We can't rush this."

Aren's expression grew serious. Keiran, trying to reassure him, added: "From what I've found out, there are 13 more ships like this, each headed to a different location. Where we're going is being kept completely secret. There's no information on how these people found out. But it's clear something big is going on. We'll need to gather more intel to figure it out."

---

Elsewhere...

"Seina, get up already! We're going to be late!" The servant called from outside the door, his voice anxious.

Seina pulled the blanket over her face and let out a deep yawn. "Alright, alright, I'm up," she said, but her voice was still sleepy. Half-asleep, she sat up in bed and hastily pulled her red, wavy hair into a messy bun. She glanced at the mirror; ignoring her sleepy expression, she gave herself a faint smile and started getting dressed quickly. Worries about the upcoming meeting began circling in her mind, but she was determined to maintain her usual cool demeanor.

She hurried down the stairs, barely finishing the breakfast prepared for her, and began putting on her shoes. The spacious mansion's grand hall was as quiet as ever, but Seina's mind was on the people she was about to meet at the harbor. Grabbing her coat, she headed for the door, jumped into her red car, and sped off.

Traffic was heavier than she had expected. "Of course, just my luck," she muttered, slapping the steering wheel in frustration. She weaved in and out of narrow streets, driving as fast as she could, but the traffic kept slowing her down. Her mind raced as she repeatedly went over the plan. Being late never made a good impression. She checked the time a few times and sighed deeply.

When she finally arrived at the port, she saw three people waiting by the dock. Nathaniel, his shoulders slightly tensed, walked toward her, arms crossed, eyeing her.

"Late again, Seina," he said, with a slight smirk. "Am I surprised? No."

Seina rolled her eyes. "Traffic was terrible. What was I supposed to do, learn to fly?" she said, keeping her cool. Trying to hide her exhaustion, she relaxed her shoulders to shake off the stress.

Nathaniel chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You always have an excuse, don't you? But whatever, at least you're here now. Let's get started. This isn't going to be easy."