The Final Desperation

*Splash*

Hugo threw the last of the ink sacs into the ocean and wiped his brow with the back of his arm. Then he peeled off the gloves that clung to his hands, revealing a thick layer of glistening sweat.

The long day of nonstop work had exhausted him and left him sore, but his spirits remained high, for he had found treasure. Now, all he had to do was endure this grueling job, and he could enjoy his retirement early. How could he not be happy at the prospect of that?

Humming a little tune, he followed the crowd to the cafeteria and helped himself to a generous serving. It was the first meal anyone ate all day, and it also served as their dinner. Although it was as bland as ever, Hugo tasted hope in the grains. At this point, he felt he could endure anything the ship threw at him if it meant getting off in one piece.

Under this newly formed resolve, Hugo cheerfully made his way back to his quarters, basking in the setting sun and admiring the scenery along the way.

'So this is how it feels to be rich,' he thought, 'I can get used to this.'

He waited until everyone else had settled for the night before sneaking out to visit his treasure chest. Yet as he crept closer, he heard the scraping of rusty metal, followed by soft, nearly imperceptible clicks of the padlock. Hugo's stomach lurched with unease as he approached. Who could this be? And why were they fiddling with his chest?

Hugo got his answer as he turned the corner, right as a deep click sounded and the truck's lock fell off. A deafening thud resounded in Hugo's heart as his mind went blank. For a split second, he didn't know what to think until a surge of anger overtook him. That was his chest! How dare this person try to steal it! His! HIS!

In a fit of rage, he grabbed the nearest item, crept up on the atrocious thief, and swung with all his might. A heavy thunk sounded as a puddle of blood formed beneath his feet. Hugo took several ragged breaths before calming down enough to realize what he had just done.

He panicked for a few moments before ruthlessness took hold. Since the act was already done, there was no point in dwelling on it any longer. His top priority now was figuring out how to hide the fact and get away with it. With that thought, his eyes hardened, and he got to work.

Wade had another nightmare that night. He dreamed he was mopping the deck when large tentacles suddenly burst out of the water, grabbed him, and dragged him under. Briny seawater rushed into his nostrils as the tentacles coiled around his neck, suffocating him.

In the next moment, his eyes widened with horror as he gazed upon the monstrosity assailing him: a giant squid with a mean glare. The kraken-like creature snarled at him, revealing rows of curved teeth, before its slimy appendages tightened around him. A gasp of air escaped his lips, making him choke even harder.

The next moment, agonizing pain erupted from the point of contact as the squid crushed him alive. An immense force clamped down on his neck, snapping bones and tearing muscles. Before he knew it, his head had been torn from his body along with half of his spine, sending trails of blood spiraling through the water.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed silhouettes of sharks hovering nearby - hungry, yet unwilling to approach for fear of incurring the wrath of this ocean overlord. Yet despite his wounds, his consciousness remained intact, forcing him to witness the ghastly way the squid processed his body.

First, it gouged out the remaining bones of his spine, pulverizing his organs along the way. Then it peeled off his skin, taking with it every strand of hair. It worked with deliberate care, as though preparing the finest delicacy. Finally, the squid grabbed a nearby shark, crushed it, and garnished his body with its organ fluids.

As the sharks scattered in panic, the squid popped his body into its monstrous mouth and chewed slowly, its eyes curving upward in contentment. After swallowing, it looked toward Wade with a seemingly amused smile before launching away. As Wade's head sank deeper into the ocean, his vision gradually faded, eventually dissolving into pitch-black.

The next moment, he shot up from his bed, his heart pounding like an overclocked engine. After a few seconds of heavy breathing, he covered his face and muttered, "Another nightmare. When will this end?"

He was about to go back to sleep when suddenly, several splashes sounded from outside the ship. From the volume of the water, Wade guessed it must have been something heavy. Curious, he got out of bed to investigate. It was not like he had anything to lose. At worst, he'd treat it as another nightly stroll.

Along the way, he encountered Hugo, who was returning from his own endeavors. Neither of them said a word, each keeping to himself as their strides brought them closer. As they passed, their shoulders collided, causing Wade to stumble slightly. Hugo shot him a vicious glare but otherwise remained silent.

Wade, however, noticed an acrid odor emanating from Hugo, as if he had doused himself in harsh cleaning chemicals. 'Something's definitely up with him,' he thought, wrinkling his nose.

Hugo noticed the reaction, realized his cover-up might not be flawless, and let out a throaty growl. "Mind your own business if you know what's good for you!"

This remark confirmed Wade's suspicions, but unwilling to start a conflict, he simply nodded. They parted ways, and Wade headed to the deck for a breath of fresh air.

Meanwhile, Genji's sharp senses also picked up the harsh smell wafting from the lower deck's hallway. "There's something foul in the air," he commented as he made his way toward the source. "And not just faulty cleaning products."

As he descended from the guest area, he noticed Wade off to the side, leaning against the guardrails in deep thought. Genji didn't bother to conceal his presence and walked boldly toward the stairs. As such, Wade noticed him and decided to follow from a distance.

'The energy around his locket has gotten stronger,' Genji observed. 'And it feels similar to the strands in these walls. Could they be connected?'

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Genji noticed a thin strand of energy seeping from the walls and merging into the locket. It wasn't a seamless fusion like rivers flowing into the ocean, but more like food being devoured by a carnivore. If he had to describe it, the locket's energy felt almost sentient, as if it were nurturing a new consciousness.

Wade remained oblivious to the change and continued inward. They soon arrived at the scene of the crime. Black, tar-like blood stained the floorboards, and off to the side was a thick outline where the chest had once sat.

This discoloration was the result of unknown energy mixing with the remnants of lifeforce and was nearly imperceptible to the human eye. It was only through Genji's energy perception that this scene was revealed.

A layer of crystallized energy formed over his hands as he crouched down to the floor. He broke off a small chunk of wood and crushed it between his fingers. A thick drop of purplish fluid dripped from his hand. A faint pop sounded as the droplet hit the floor and dispersed into vapor, permeating the floorboards once more.

Genji stood and began assessing the surroundings to gauge the extent of the contamination. From what he could tell, the energy had already spread through the walls and might have reached other parts of the ship. He didn't know the exact effects the energy carried, but he was certain it wasn't benign. The numbness on the skin near the area of contact was enough to tell him that much.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

'For now, I'll just keep an eye on this. I won't get involved if it doesn't affect me,' he thought, pulling up the travel map. The ship was close to his destination; it shouldn't take more than a few days before he departed. By then, whatever happened would no longer be his problem.

Genji brushed off his makeshift gloves and began heading back. Wade quickly ducked behind a corner to avoid another potential confrontation. After all, it wouldn't look good on him to be caught spying on someone in the middle of the night for no reason. Once Genji's footsteps faded, Wade stepped out to examine the scene.

'Strange. What was he looking for at this time?' Wade wondered as he fumbled around in the dark. After a few minutes, he gave up and prepared to return. What he failed to notice, however, was that with each touch of the walls, the energy around his locket grew stronger, eventually coalescing into a humanoid figure behind his back.

The following morning, large gray clouds loomed overhead, blotting out the sun. The air grew damp, and the temperature dropped. Despite these conditions, the workers resumed their squid-fishing activities, clad in rubber boots and yellow raincoats. The tang of seawater and ink permeated the deck, overwhelming their sense of smell.

Wade numbly transported trays of squid meat to the walk-in freezer, his mind too preoccupied with the previous night's events and the questions they raised to focus clearly on his work. He also recalled the scenes of his nightmare and how morbidly close they resembled his current situation. If only the roles between hunter and prey were reversed… would reality match his dreams?

'No, that's crazy. There's no way!' He shook his head and dismissed his grim musings.

But with that thought gone, other burning questions took its place—questions like: why had he never seen Genji at work? Isn't he a colleague? What gives? Wade was certain he had seen everyone but him around. It had been more than ten days. How had he eluded him like this? And what was he doing up so late at night?

On that topic, Wade realized another person was missing from the scene: an older man who had often kept to himself. Among the workers, he was one of the few who behaved similarly to Wade, leaving a lasting impression on the teen.

Yet now, he had also vanished—gone, as if he had never existed. Wade pondered the issue for a few moments before recoiling with alarm as he connected the dots.

'D-did he get thrown overboard?!?'

As much as he didn't want to believe it, all the clues pointed to one conclusion: there had been a murder onboard—the harsh chemicals, Hugo's murderous demeanor, and Genji's investigation. Wade felt a chill run down his back.

It had only been eleven days since they departed, yet they had already resorted to such extreme measures! How could this happen? Would he be able to make it off the ship? A flicker of unease formed in his heart as he grappled with his situation. After some thought, he decided to inform the crew of his suspicions.

So he put down his tray and snuck toward the front of the ship. A supervisor caught him slacking and yelled at him for several seconds before Wade urgently interjected, "Please, I need to see the captain. I have something to report!"

The supervisor paused, evaluated him, and snorted disdainfully. "As if! What could be so important that you have to skip work? Stop lying and get back to it."

"I'm serious! I swear!" Wade insisted.

The supervisor gave him a second look before saying, "Fine, I'll play along. But if I find out you're lying..."

"Then you can dock my entire week's pay!"

Convinced by his persistence, the supervisor brought him to the captain's cabin and knocked on the door. Once inside, Wade explained his doubts, but the captain dismissed them with an indifferent wave of his hand. "Don't worry about it. He won't dare act up openly. And if he does, we have ways of handling it."

"But-"

"No buts. Now off you go." The captain gave a final wave, and the supervisor grabbed Wade's shoulder. Left with no choice, Wade could only leave the room and resume his work.

Minutes later, the captain leaned back in his seat and called for the chief officer. When the man arrived, he poured himself a glass of clear bourbon, swirled it lazily, and said, "Ask the company to send another crate of Bourbon 86. Tell them the clients are going through it faster than expected."

The officer smirked and picked up a glass for himself. "Under hospitality expenses, I assume?"

"Of course," the captain replied with a grin. "We wouldn't want the guests feeling neglected."

Then they both burst out laughing, clinked their glasses, and downed the drink with relish.

"Ah, that hit the spot," the captain said with a contented sigh. "Nothing like a good ol' glass of 86 after a long day of work."

"Especially when the 'clients' are as appreciative as we are," the officer added.

They exchanged another knowing smile before the officer left to attend to his "duties."

However, when the officer tried to relay the request, he realized the radio had gone static. No matter what frequency he tuned it to, the device refused to function.

"Ah, it's probably just the storm," the officer said with a shrug. "It'll work again when it wants to. No worries."

Meanwhile, Genji prowled the ship, noting that the unknown energy had rapidly proliferated throughout the lower deck. From a brief survey, he estimated that about half of the ship's material had fallen under its influence.

These regions appeared normal, but Genji felt an unsettling sensation as he walked the hallways, as if something unusual were swimming between the walls. Something had definitely taken hold of this ship, though its presence remained thin.

Alongside these peculiarities, Genji also noticed several workers whispering to one another during their lunch break. Although they kept their voices low, Genji could still sense their discontent from a mile away. They were planning something unpleasant, and their targets were none the wiser.

Genji approached the group and pieced together the source of their frustration. Apparently, they were upset about the low pay for their work. Squid fishing was a laborious task, yet because of the previous commotion they had caused, their pay was docked.

The suspension was only supposed to last one day, yet the supervisors conveniently ignored this, leaving the workers' efforts unrewarded. To address the issue, some workers considered a protest, lest it set a precedent for future wage withholdings. They were now gathering people for this purpose.

It didn't take much to convince the others—no one wanted this to become a recurring problem, after all. Even those who hesitated were quickly swayed when they learned how many would be participating.

A brief poll showed an overwhelming majority would support the movement. With these numbers, even those who stayed on the sidelines would face punishment if the crew chose to enforce it. So they might as well join the cause and bolster their leverage.

Thus, for one reason or another, a large interest group formed right under the noses of the middle and upper classes.

However, when the workers confronted the crew, the supervisors scolded them for their impatience and easily dismantled their arguments by giving a ticket to everyone who didn't participate in the movement.

"If you have time to think about these irrelevant issues, you clearly don't have enough work. The quota for tomorrow will increase by 30%!" One supervisor smugly yelled at them. They were clearly used to these operations, and there was nothing the workers could do about it.

The workers sulkingly returned to their quarters and dispersed, while the core members of the movement gathered that night for a team meeting.

"Darnit! They have no intentions of paying us properly. Is there nothing we can do?!?" One person let out a frustrated cry, slamming his fist on the frame of his bed.

The others exchanged somber glances but remained silent; they were at a deadlock. This continued until the leader of the movement spoke up, a thoughtful look on his face. "No — there is one thing we can do."

The group's eyes lit with hope, and one person asked. "Which is?"

"If they refuse to pay us what we deserve, we simply take it for ourselves," the leader replied, his eyes flickering with resolve.

Hearing this, the group grew hesitant. "But... Isn't that just robbery? Won't we become criminals?"

"And it's not stealing when they do it?" the leader snarled. "Wake up! We're in the middle of the ocean, isolated from the rest of the world. They can do whatever the hell they want to us, and no one would give a damn!

If we don't stand up for ourselves, we'll become their slaves. Do you want to spend the next few months like that, working your asses off just to barely eke out a living? I didn't sign up for this.

Since the diplomatic approach clearly doesn't work, it's time to take matters into our own hands. Otherwise, it'll be too late by the time we summon the courage to resist."

This blunt answer ripped open the reality of their situation, exposing all its ugliness for them to see. After a quick reflection, they understood the leader's perspective and resolved themselves to take action.

"In that case, let us be the ones to correct their wrongs, so others don't have to."

With that, everyone nodded in agreement and began their preparations. What they failed to notice, however, was that when they made that decision, their shadows warped into bestial shapes, each with glowing eyes and twisted grins.

The only one who noticed this phenomenon was Genji, who had been observing them from a distance and possessed a power system that made him especially sensitive to shadows.

'Is the energy influencing them?' he speculated, a contemplative look on his face. 'The transition is a little too fast otherwise.'