As I lay on the ground, the pain from the speargun wound in my leg was unbearable. Blood was gushing out of my wound, my vision was blurry, and my mind was hazy. I knew I had to act fast if I was going to get out of there alive. My eyes scanned the room, looking for anything that could help me. And then I saw it. A fishing net, perched on top of some boxes in the corner. I crawled towards it, dragging my wounded leg behind me. My fingers fumbled as I reached for the net, but I managed to grasp it tightly in my hands.

With a short burst of energy, I launched the net over the two remaining enemies, who were still stunned from the harpoon attack. They stumbled and fell to the ground, struggling to free themselves from the tangled mesh. I knew I didn't have much time left. My eyes darted to the lifeless body of Ayato, lying on the ground just a few feet away from me. Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about what he had gone through. He was just a child.

I dragged myself towards him, the pain in my leg almost unbearable. I held him in my arms, trying to keep him warm and safe. The chaos of the situation swirled around me, but in that moment, all I could think about was Ayato, Rei and Miya.

As I sat there, cradling his motionless body, I felt a strange sense of peace wash over me. I had failed to find Rei and Miya, but I had at least managed to plunge a spear into Ravenclaw.

As the darkness closed in around me, I couldn't help but think that this would have never happened if only I was stronger.

As I sat there beside Ayato's lifeless body, blood gushing out of my leg, I could feel the end creeping up on me. The adrenaline was wearing off, and the pain was searing through my leg. The two men in the net were struggling to break free, cursing at me in a foreign language.

"You're dead! You hear me?" one of them growled.

I ignored them, focusing on Ayato. The poor kid was just a child, and he had suffered so much. I couldn't help but think that it was my fault. If only I had been stronger, if only I had thought more clearly, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching. I braced myself for another attack, but instead, I saw Rei and Miya rushing towards me.

"Are you okay?" Rei asked, worry etched on her face.

"I'm fine, but Ayato..." I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Rei looked at Ayato, her eyes widening in horror. "What did they do to him?"

I shook my head, my throat too dry to answer. I could feel myself slipping away, the pain too much to bear.

Miya knelt beside me, tears streaming down her face. "Please don't die, we need you."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my eyes closing. "I wish I was stronger."

As my eyes closed, darkness enveloped me. The pain was unbearable, a searing agony coursing through every inch of my body. I could hear Rei and Miya's screams, their bruised and battered bodies blurring before me. They were pleading with me to wake up, but my body refused to obey.

And then, as suddenly as it had come, the darkness receded, and I was awake. The sound of waves crashing against the boat filled my ears, a strangely calming melody that clashed with the pain that wracked my body. I tried to move, but every movement felt like knives stabbing into my flesh. My leg, especially, felt like it was on fire.

Slowly, agonizingly, I managed to open my eyes and take in my surroundings. I was back on our boat, my sanctuary. But it was clear that everything had changed. The room was in disarray, as if a fierce battle had been fought within its walls. Blood stained the floor and the walls, and the air was heavy with the metallic scent of it.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

My mind was still in shambles, my thoughts jumbled and confused. But slowly, painfully, I began to move my damaged and wrecked body, struggling to sit up. Outside, I could hear voices, low and urgent. My heart raced as I wondered what had happened while I was out cold.

As I looked around the boat, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was an absolute wreck, covered in graffiti and the furniture torn apart. The events of the previous night flashed through my mind, sending shivers down my spine. I felt like I was about to break down, my emotions barely under control. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps broke through the silence. I turned my head to see Miya walking in, carrying a bowl of water and a cloth. She was completely unaware that I had awoken, and I didn't have the heart to interrupt her. However, as soon as she saw me, she was so startled that she dropped the bowl, causing water to splash everywhere.

"Are you okay? How are you feeling?" she asked, trying to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes.

Before I could answer, she ran out of the boat, shouting that I had woken up. Rei came in shortly after, looking just as shocked as Miya. I had no idea how long I had been out for but judging by the pain still pulsating through my body, it hadn't been long. I was still trying to recover from the trauma I had experienced.

As I winced in pain, Rei and Miya ran towards me, their faces a mixture of relief and worry. They hugged me tightly, causing me to groan in pain. "Ow, ow, ow. That hurts," I exclaimed. Rei smiled, tears streaming down her face, "Sorry."

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding, and asked, "What happened...? What happened to Ayato, is he okay? Please tell me he's okay."

Rei's expression changed to one of sadness and pain as she recounted the events that had transpired. Miya began to sob uncontrollably, and Rei decided it was best not to let her relive the trauma.

"Ayato is alive, but..." Rei hesitated, her voice trembling. "That bastard Galleyho...he raped him." My heart sank as I heard those words, and I felt a lump form in my throat. "He's still asleep, even now, four days after it happened," Rei added, her voice filled with anguish.

Rei continued to recount the events leading up to their discovery of the corpses in the net. She explained how they had been locked up in the bottom of the boat with two guards posted outside their cell. At first, they thought they were doomed, with no way out of their predicament. But as they huddled together, Rei noticed that one of the guards seemed to be preoccupied with something else. She took advantage of the distraction and managed to grab the guard's machete from his belt without him noticing. Then, in a split second, she plunged the blade into his neck, silencing him forever.

The other guard had been momentarily stunned by the sudden attack and was unable to react quickly enough as Rei hurled the bloody machete at him. The blade lodged itself in his forehead, and he crumpled to the ground. Rei quickly retrieved the spear gun from the dead guards and gave it to Miya for protection. Together, they made their way through the dark, winding corridors of the boat, taking care to avoid any other guards who might be patrolling the area.

As they moved through the boat, Rei and Miya heard screams and moans emanating from various parts of the vessel. They knew that the zombies had already started to overrun the ship, and that it was only a matter of time before they encountered more of the undead. After several minutes of creeping through the shadows, they finally emerged onto the deck, where they saw that chaos reigned. Zombies were everywhere, their numbers seemingly endless. It was then that Rei noticed Galleyho and a pink-haired woman giving orders to the remaining crew members.

Rei knew that they had to take out Galleyho before he had a chance to do any more damage, but the sheer number of zombies made it almost impossible to get close to him without being detected. She decided to wait, hoping for an opportunity to present itself. Meanwhile, she and Miya fought off the zombies as best they could, using the spear gun and any other weapons they could find.

After what seemed like an eternity, Galleyho and the pink-haired woman disappeared into one of the rooms, leaving the remaining crew members to fend for themselves. Rei saw her chance and crept up to the door, listening carefully for any sounds from within. She heard a muffled conversation between Galleyho and the woman but couldn't make out what they were saying. She knew that she had to act quickly before they noticed her.

As the chaos on the boat escalated, more and more zombies began to appear, forcing Rei to fight her way through the ship with Miya at her side. Rei had attempted to sneak up on Galleyho, but the sheer number of zombies made it impossible to reach him without putting herself and Miya in danger. For what felt like an eternity, Rei waited, watching as Galleyho and the woman moved around the ship, trying to restore order. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the two disappeared from sight, leaving Rei and Miya alone to deal with the zombies. Rei knew that time was running out for her friends, and she fought with everything she had to clear a path to where I was lying with Ayato.

When Rei finally arrived at the room, she was met with a harrowing sight. I was lying next to Ayato, who was naked and covered in a blanket. Rei could see that I was bleeding out fast, but her attention was drawn to the dirty white substance mixed with blood that was coming from Ayato's rear end. She knew right away what had happened, and her heart sank with the weight of the realization.

I sat there in horror, listening intently to Rei's story. She was so strong, so capable in handling the situation, and I couldn't help but feel guilty for not being able to do anything to help. As the details of Ayato's brutal fate emerged, my heart sank, and a deep sense of sadness overcame me. The thought of Galleyho and Ravenclaw still out there, possibly alive and on the run, made me feel uneasy.

I realized then that I needed to become stronger. I couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone else, and I knew that I had to do whatever it takes to keep the rest of us safe. I felt like a disillusioned 20-year-old, powerless to protect the people I cared about.

My mind raced with questions. If Ravenclaw's body wasn't there when Rei and Miya arrived, did that mean he was still alive? And where did Galleyho and the pink-haired woman go? Why did they kill the two crewmembers stuck in the net instead of saving them? They were all on the same side, weren't they?