The Harvest of Souls

CHAPTER 58

The Royal Yacht of Asturias was one of the biggest Yachts ever built. It contains 82 apartments divided into eight floors and several living rooms that on that night were occupied by apprehensive faces. The vessel was already leaving the island behind when a loud crash caught visitors' attention. Some pressed against the Yacht's wide windows but couldn't make out anything in the dark of night. Unlike when the Yacht had made the route between the Continent and the Asturian Island, they were all scared and worried on the way back.

The Yacht had already moved far enough away that the island was swallowed up by darkness. While crossing the black waters of the New Sea, the feeling of loneliness had intensified in everyone. More than forty minutes had passed, and Eric was alone in the cockpit, on the vessel's fourth floor. He was checking some instruments on a screen in front of him and staring into the dark immensity.

For a moment, Eric Arcanjo closed his eyes, thinking about what had happened. He had gone to the Island that morning against his will, he had just lost a dear uncle and was not in the mood for celebrations, but his family forced him to go. His family had always followed the motto to the letter: 'Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer' and, therefore, it was necessary to get even closer to the government, and try to find any possible loophole to hold it responsible for what had happened to Felício. Eric could never have imagined that a murder would happen again. After Fernand's arrest, he firmly believed that the murders would not happen again.

Eric had always been against the trial by the Anjeamons. In his view, they overlooked too much detail; it was clear that Fernand was responsible. The murder that night had created a new possibility. The man opened his eyes to face the loneliness outside the yacht again, and then he noticed something move behind him.

Eric turned to face what it was, imagining it was just an impression, but when he did, he came face to face with someone. Eric was confused, trying to understand what was going on in the being's face, constantly changing shape. Eric wasn't prepared for that moment and didn't even defend himself when the killer struck a thin needle in the left side of his neck. Eric tried to pull away, but it was too late. He felt something burning invading the back of his neck, making him lose all control over his movements, falling instantly on the floor.

Although the Royal Asturias Yacht has a beautiful outdoor area, a deck open to the night (or day) with several armchairs and a fireplace, a swimming pool with forty meters in length, and a swim platform, at that moment, none of the open areas were used. All the guests were divided between the inner parts of the first two floors of the Yacht, and they comforted each other. As no guests occupied the fourth floor, none of them noticed while the killer dragged Eric's body down the aisle towards the stern of the yacht. Eric had woken up from his swoon, but he couldn't move any muscle in his body. Only his eyes blinked involuntarily; he watched desperately as someone across the hall dragged his limp body.

At the end of the hallway on the fourth floor, a small open balcony opened unto the Yacht stern, filled with chairs, a swimming pool, and a swim platform opening out to the sea. Without hesitating, the being passed Eric's body over the balcony railing, Eric tried to scream, tried to move, but without success. The only thing he did was let out a tear of despair when his body was thrown over the balcony. The body fell with a screeching sound to the main deck, and everyone on the first floor screamed at the sight of Eric's body lying outside.

Before they could understand what had happened, the screams intensified as the killer jumped off the balcony on the fourth floor, landing on their feet beside Eric's body. Everyone started running towards the vessel's bow, and few noticed that the killer had grabbed Eric's body and was dragging him around the pool and heading towards the swim platform, delimited only with a silver chain removed magically by the killer.