The Voyage That Could Have Been

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The majestic clear sky stretches endlessly across the horizon. I can only see the vast sea surrounding the ship we are riding on.

The ship itself is intended for luxury fare, and I made no reservations to provide Akane with the most memorable honeymoon I could afford. I am still so ecstatic that Akane agreed to my proposal, to be together for the rest of our lives. And now, we are enjoying the beginning of our first time together as husband and wife.

It is currently lunchtime on the ship, and we are in the dining cabin below deck. At our table next to a window, Akane sits to the seat on my right. We already gave our orders, so we're now gazing out at the view of the beautiful atmosphere.

As I hold Akane's left hand, I notice the wedding ring and squeeze her hand more tenderly. Akane returns the sentiment, and we gaze into each other's eyes. As limitless as her beauty is, the splendor of her eyes has no bounds.

"Haru," Akane says. "Now that we're together forever, I can't even imagine how my life would've been like if you'd never proposed to me. I still think of that day when you bent down and popped the question… Even now, it makes me so happy!"

"I'll always be there for you, Akane," I reply. "There's no other girl I'd want to share all this with, and I'm glad I realized that. You've been by my side all this time, and I wouldn't want any other girl replacing you."

"That's why looking at you now, I'll never let you go."

"The same goes for me."

We continue to gaze at each other and share a few soft kisses. Our food still hasn't come out, so I turn to look at the view outside again.

The sea and the sky are so still, so peaceful, adding to the tranquility in my soul. I could tell Akane is also looking out the window, when she says, "I hope the rest of our days together will continue to be like this, so full of joy, brightness, and hope."

"Yeah," I concur with Akane. "As long as we believe in our future together, we'll always see that bright light guiding us towards happy times together."

After we gaze at the view for some time, our waiter brings out our food, and Akane and I take our time with the meal. The food is exemplary, and Akane and I share bites of each other's dishes.

We decide to also order dessert, and Akane and I both are thrilled the treats taste even better than our entrees. The smooth tiramisu and fluffy velvet cake are most likely the best sweets I've ever had. And from looking in Akane's direction, I could tell she is thinking likewise.

Before we finish dessert, Akane looks over at me with a dreamy glance. "You know? I'm glad we left Kolm and traveled away for our honeymoon. To finally leave our hometown, this feels so surreal and yet so right. Once we return home, I want to start planning more trips with you around the world."

I turn to Akane and grin back. "Nothing would make me happier than to experience all these new things, and with no other girl than you."

We finish up dessert in ecstasy and head out of the dining cabin. Deciding we should enjoy more of the brisk fresh wind, I lead Akane back up to the deck, as we continue to explore the ship.

Throughout my little tour, Akane clings to my right arm, rubbing her face on me every so often. Even though both Akane and I are on vacation from our jobs as dungeon guides, I am currently acting as Akane's guide to the ship. My knowledge of boats is quite minimal, though, and Akane would not let that go through her constant giggles.

I could tell she still enjoys mocking me, but I don't feel bothered by her friskiness anymore. I guess marriage can do that to a person… I could no longer get upset with what Akane says or does to me.

After we get back on the deck, Akane and I head towards the rear of the ship. There, various crew members are enjoying a bit of rest after their lunchtime meals. Other guests on the ship ride are also enjoying themselves, looking out in the opposite direction from the ship's course.

We then walk to the bow at the opposite end of the ship, still taking our time to fully immerse ourselves in the serene atmosphere. Fortunately, no one else is at the tip of the bow, and the crew member watching over the area lets us through, after Akane and I mention about us being recent newlyweds.

We stand at the tip of the bow, looking out towards the sea. Akane's back is against me, as I hold her in my arms in front of me. Her hair blowing into me feels so soothing, and our hands clasped together exudes such serenity.

As I continue to embrace Akane, I tell her, "I said it already, but I'll still say it now. I'll always be here for you."

"I know you will. And I'll be by your side always too."

I swing Akane around, both of us now facing the opposite direction. Akane leans back and offers a long, heartfelt kiss. It feels as if this embrace will last forever.

Eventually, Akane moves her head back a little, ending the kiss. She stares longingly into my eyes and says, "Haru, I love you, and I always will…"

At the next moment, after Akane finishes her declaration, I feel an abrupt shock in my head, as if a lightning bolt is flashing right in front of me. Everything around me turns pitch black, and I can't hear a single sound anywhere, as if everything has entirely vanished.

I am now panicking to no end, as Akane is no longer in my arms. My greatest fears have just taken hold, and I couldn't see where the love of my life is.

I cry out to Akane, calling her name over and over. But no response comes back to me from anywhere or anyone, let alone Akane. As my voice begins to grow hoarse, I am on the verge of dropping to my knees, all hope to bring her safely back into my arms fading.

I then feel periodic flashes in my head, and I can hear screams through the darkness. As the bursts continue, I notice a single person, or a couple of people, flicker farther and farther away.

As my eyes adjust to the flickering, I realize one of the people moving away from me is Akane. And I can finally see her crying out in terror as a pirate is carrying her back towards the rear of the ship. She struggles to free herself from the pirate's grasp, but he maintains his hold on her.

Fury is now erupting inside of me, as I am incensed someone is harming my wife against her will. I try to start running, but the blackness is still surrounding me, so I have no idea where to step, fear of falling into the void from a single wrong move.

As my emotions are about to overwhelm me, my vision clears up, and I can see the ship once again. However, I wish I could wash away all remnants of the scene I now bore witness to…

To the starboard side is a pirate ship, at least twice the size of the vessel being invaded. And all across the deck, pirates are in the middle of butchering the guests and crew. Whether man or woman, young or old, the pirates show no mercy in murdering each and every person they could see moving.

Even our ship captain is not spared of the carnage, as he breathes his last after the pirate captain shrikes him down.

Before taking a single step, I scan the whole ship again, looking more firmly this time for Akane. I locate her at the rear end of the vessel, but I am horrified to see three pirates groping her against her will. Although the screams of the dying ring through my ears, I can still pinpoint the distinct agonizing screams coming from Akane.

Bursting with immense rage, I dash from the bow towards Akane and slam through any pirates blocking my way. I could still see Akane in the distance, and the pirate captain has made his way to her. Now, even he is obscenely groping my wife.

As my fury continues to spill over, I scream towards the pirate captain. "STOP IT!!! Get away from my wife!!! I'll kill you!!!"

Somehow, it seems the pirate captain heard my pleas, as he turns around and snickers at me. As I cross the center of the ship, and before I reach Akane, the pirate captain puts on the most sinister smile I've ever seen and yells at me, "Say goodbye to your woman then!!!"

With two pirates holding Akane by her arms, the pirate captain raises his sword and stabs her in the chest. I could see the blood not only seeping onto the sword but also flowing out of her mouth. It is evident that Akane was just dealt a lethal blow, and nothing I could do would ever resurrect her.

Once the pirate captain pulled his sword out of Akane's chest, the other two pirates released her, and her corpse collapses onto the deck.

No words or thoughts could describe the misery I now felt. Akane is dead, and the love of my life could no longer be by my side.

The girl who has been my foundation and my support is now gone. And just as her body folds down to the ground, my body is losing all its strength, dropping to its knees.

As much as the carnage continues over the ship, everything else around me now feels meaningless. As only one sight consumes my mind, my wife being stabbed in front of my eyes, I shout the same word over and over again, endlessly into the void, "AKANE!!!"

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