Jun's POV

The air reeked of rot and salt as chaos unfolded across the deck. My men fought with the kind of desperation only pirates understood, steel clashing against the twisted remnants of what had once been men. These weren't opponents that could be reasoned with or cowed into submission; they were mindless, driven by hunger or madness. And there were too many of them.

Through the fray, my eyes found her—the girl. My little rat. She stood near the mast, clutching the dagger I'd given her like it was a lifeline. Her face was pale, but her stance was steady.

Good. She hadn't frozen.

"Stay there!" I barked, slicing through one of the sick as it lunged toward me. The blade met flesh, but there was no scream, no human reaction. Just the dull thud of a body collapsing.

Another came at me, and I stepped to the side, thrusting my sword through its chest. Even with the odds against us, I didn't allow my focus to waver. There was no room for mistakes here.

A shout pulled my attention, and I turned to see one of my crew fall under a swarm of the sick. His screams were brief, drowned out by the gurgling moans of his attackers. My jaw tightened, but I forced myself to focus.

I didn't have time to mourn.

"Push them back!" I ordered, my voice cutting through the din. "Keep them off the ship!"

The men rallied, forming a rough line to defend the edges of the deck. Despite the fear in their eyes, they fought with everything they had.

But the sick kept coming.

I spotted the girl again, and this time, she wasn't standing still. She was moving toward me, her dagger clutched tightly in one hand.

"Idiot," I muttered under my breath, cutting down another attacker as I made my way toward her. "I told you to stay put!"

"I'm not just going to stand here!" she shouted back, her voice high but steady.

Her defiance would have been impressive if it wasn't so damned reckless.

A sick man lunged at her, and she stumbled back, raising the dagger awkwardly. I was there before it could reach her, my sword slicing through its neck in one clean motion.

"Do you want to die?" I snapped, grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to me.

She glared at me, her eyes flashing with something I didn't have time to decipher. "I'm trying to help!"

I tightened my grip on her arm. "If you want to help, stay alive."

She didn't argue, but I could feel her bristling as I pushed her behind me. I couldn't afford to let her get herself killed. Not here, not like this.

The fight raged on, and the sick kept coming. The crew was holding their own for now, but it was clear we couldn't keep this up forever. The ship was becoming a trap, and every passing moment made escape more impossible.

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A low groan drew my attention, and I turned just in time to see one of the sick climb over the railing, its hollow eyes fixed on the girl.

"Behind you!" I shouted.

She turned too slowly, her movements hesitant, untrained.

I moved without thinking, my sword cutting through the air as I stepped between her and the attacker. The blade struck true, but the force of the lunge sent me stumbling back.

The girl caught my arm, steadying me, and for a brief moment, our eyes met.

"Thanks," she said, her voice breathless.

"Don't thank me yet," I muttered, turning back to face the oncoming horde.

The battle continued, each swing of my sword feeling heavier than the last. My arms ached, my breaths coming in sharp bursts, but I refused to falter.

The girl stayed close, her movements clumsy but determined. She struck out when she could, her dagger finding purchase more often than I would have expected.

She was learning.

But it wasn't enough.

The sick were relentless, their numbers seemingly endless. And for every one we cut down, another took its place.

"We're out of time!" one of the crew shouted, his voice strained.

He was right. If we didn't act now, we'd all be dead—or worse.

"Fall back to the ship's hold!" I ordered, gesturing for the crew to retreat. "Now!"

The men moved quickly, abandoning the deck as they fought their way toward the safety of the lower levels. I stayed behind, holding the line as best I could, the girl stubbornly refusing to leave my side.

"Go!" I snapped at her.

"I'm not leaving you!" she shot back.

I didn't have time to argue. Another wave of the sick was upon us, and I focused on keeping them at bay.

By the time we reached the hold, the crew had already barricaded the entrance. The sick pounded against the walls, their groans echoing through the cramped space.

The girl leaned against the wall, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Her dagger was still in her hand, the blade smeared with blood.

"You're lucky you didn't get yourself killed," I said, my tone sharper than I intended.

She glared at me, her eyes blazing. "And you're lucky I didn't let you get overrun."

Despite myself, I felt a flicker of amusement. "Fair enough."

The pounding on the barricade grew louder, and I turned my attention back to the crew.

"We need to get off this ship," I said. "Now."

One of the men shook his head. "The lifeboats are gone. They destroyed them."

Damn it.

I glanced at the girl, then back at the crew. We didn't have many options left.

"There's a way," I said, though the words felt like a gamble even as I spoke them. "But it's risky."

The crew looked at me expectantly, and I could feel the weight of their trust, their desperation.

"We'll fight our way to the waterline," I continued. "Use the currents to carry us clear."

The men exchanged uneasy glances, but no one objected.

"Prepare yourselves," I said. "We move on my signal."

I turned to the girl, my eyes locking onto hers. "Stay close. Do exactly as I say."

She nodded, her grip on the dagger tightening.

When the time came, we moved as one, forcing our way past the barricade and onto the deck. The sick were waiting, their numbers even greater than before.

But we didn't hesitate.

I fought with everything I had, my sword cutting through the throng as we pushed toward the edge of the ship. The girl stayed by my side, her movements growing more confident with each strike.

By the time we reached the waterline, my muscles were screaming in protest, but we had made it.

One by one, the crew leapt into the water, their voices calling out to one another as they swam for safety.

I turned to the girl, my hand outstretched.

"Jump," I said.

She hesitated, her eyes flicking toward the writhing mass of the sick behind us.

"Now!" I shouted.

She took my hand, and together, we leapt into the water, the cold shock of the ocean stealing the breath from my lungs.

The current carried us away from the ship, away from the chaos.

By the time we reached the safety of the waiting lifeboat, the girl was shivering, her teeth chattering as she clung to the side.

I hauled myself aboard, then reached down to pull her up. She collapsed onto the wooden planks, her breathing ragged.

"You did good," I said, my voice low.

She looked up at me, her eyes wide and searching.

"Thanks," she whispered.

I nodded, my gaze drifting back to the ship in the distance.

It was still burning.