Empress of the Sea|✔️

EPILOGUE

***

By the time Sehyun Han returned to the White Crow, it had already become shattered pieces of wood, floating on the ocean on fire.

It was hard to believe anyone was alive.

Cronas and Kronos had left with all of their ships. They must've gotten their hands on what they came for. They must've captured Poseidon's daughter.

"Captain," said Suzy, slowly approaching Sehyun who watched the fire from the main deck. "Shall we search for survivors?"

"Sure."

The Black Egret released boats to scout the waters.

"Are you okay, Captain?" Suzy asked as she returned to her spot behind him. She'd promptly dispatched the boats, and had also noticed Sehyun's stiff figure.

"Of course, I am."

"Don't you feel guilty?"

He laughed. "For such a passive person, I didn't realize you were capable of spotting feelings."

She ignored his statement, reigning silence so he would answer her question.

"I don't," he said, leaning on the railing. "I tried to help them, offered them my protection, but just because things didn't go as planned... I had no control over the situation, so why would I waste my time on guilt?"

Suzy nodded. "But, Captain, do you not feel even a little uneasy?" she asked like a reporter. She wasn't concerned about his feelings, just puzzled about them. Curious as to how someone might react when something like this happened.

"I do, but I don't. I'm sure Poseidon's daughter is alive, so at least her death isn't on my conscience."

"Note-worthy," Suzy muttered. "What else?"

"I wish Marty was here."

"And?"

"I hope Aeryn is alive."

"Why?"

"I could make her..." He shifted his position to face his quartermaster. "I want to make her my friend."

Puzzled once again, she tilted her head. "If you weren't friends with her up till now, what were you?"

"Enemies? Rivals? Acquaintances? Colleagues?"

A bell rang through the air, singing loud enough to cause Sehyun to flinch. "WE FOUND ONE!"

"BRING THEM ON BOARD," Sehyun hollered back, proud that he hadn't cracked his voice.

Another bell. "CAPTAIN, WE CAN'T TOUCH HER."

"Does that mean I have to go?" he asked his quartermaster. When Suzy nodded, Sehyun said, "Ready a boat."

Rowing towards where he heard the bell, he wished he asked Suzy to row instead. He couldn't risk overworking Suzy--he'd done it once before by accident and Marty hadn't spoken to him for days, so he offered to row this once.

He always remembered to be righteous at the wrong time.

It no longer rained, the water was calm, and the sky was dark. Perfect for stargazing, not that Sehyun wasted hours watching the sky when he could look at the same constellations drawn in his books.

As he approached the boat and the survivor, he couldn't help but hope it was Aeryn. He didn't care for the rest of her crew--he didn't know anyone else well enough to be concerned.

"Captain, over here," said a crew member, moving his boat back to provide Sehyun with space.

Floating anent the survivor, Sehyun took his lamp and found auburn hair spiralling around Aeryn's face. Her chest rose and fell and she was balanced on a wooden plank, untouched by the fire.

He reached to poke her cheek, scared as to what would happen if he touched her. Nothing happened as his long and slim finger sunk into her cheek other than his realization that it was chubbier than it looked.

"What did you mean when you said you couldn't touch her?" the captain asked, scowling at his crew.

"Before we couldn't. There was an invisible bubble around her--"

"There isn't anymore, so collect her."

A crew member reached to touch her, but the "bubble" returned the second his hand hovered a few centimetres from her face. "See?"

"Fine, I'll do it myself," Sehyun said before he dived into the water. He flinched at the cold water, but he shook it off. He grabbed Aeryn from underneath her armpits and swam towards his boat.

He handed her to Suzy, allowing the quartermaster to bring her onto the boat.

They then returned to the Black Egret and placed Aeryn on Sehyun's top bunk.

"Give her some of your clothes," Sehyun said, leaving Suzy alone with Aeryn.

At the sound of the door closing, Aeryn stirred awake.

And there was a fire burning in her mismatched eyes.

***
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I can't believe we've reached the end of EOTS. gwvbslaebvlaievunlaerhgiuveuivwsbfsvlnvliub EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Word Count: 800

Full Novel Word Count: 62,500