Shaska and Ren hurtled toward the ocean, the wind roaring in their ears as the massive city of ships loomed closer. Ren clung to Shaska, her heart racing as the water below drew nearer.


    “Hold on, kid! This is gonna be rough!” Shaska yelled, her voice barely audible over the rush of air.


    Ren’s mind was racing as fast as her heart. "At this rate, we’re dead!" she thought. The impact with the water at this speed would be as hard as slamming into concrete.


    Thinking fast, Shaska thrust her hand out, using her Aqua Bulla ability. She tried to use the water vapor in the air to slow their descent, but it barely made a difference; too thin. Shaska then changed tactics. Gritting her teeth, she extended her power to the sea itself, pulling up a massive pillar of water. The towering column surged upward, catching them mid-fall and breaking their momentum before crashing them back down with a monumental splash.


    Shaska surfaced first and pulled Ren up with her. The human girl coughed violently, spitting out seawater, but was otherwise unharmed.


    “You… okay, kid?” Shaska panted, struggling to catch her breath.


    “I’m… Fine, boss… thanks t’you,” Ren replied, shaken.


    Shaska was out of breath, her chest heaving. “Used… a lot… of Aether… just now.”


    Ren glanced around the endless dark ocean, her eyes locking onto the ships in the distance, their lights popping out against the night. “Ya think ya can swim us over t’those ships? I reckon they could help us.”


    “Just… gimme… a minute…”


    “Where’s th’Robinson…?” Ren wondered.


    The two drifted for a moment, collecting themselves. Suddenly, the Robinson crashed down into the water on the far side of the floating ship city, sending waves rippling outwards.


    “There’s… your answer…” Shaska muttered.


    <hr>


    Moments later, aboard the Robinson, Schwarz and Zinnia made their way to the bridge.


    “What should we do, Mister Schwarz?” Zinnia asked. “We have no idea where Miss Shaska and Miss Ren are.”


    Schwarz stared out into the stormy horizon, still shaken. “My… My gut’s telling me we should check out those ships over there. Something about them feels… important.”


    Zinnia looked at him with confusion. “Your… gut can talk?”


    “It doesn’t. It’s just an expression. I mean I have a feeling it''s the right move.”


    Zinnia nodded. “I understand. How do you plan on getting there? The Robinson cannot sail in the sea like other ships.”


    “We’ll use my potentia,” Schwarz said. “I can warp us there and back without much issue.”


    Zinnia nodded again, and they left the bridge to gather the rest of the crew. As they walked through the ship''s corridors, Schwarz turned to Zinnia, asking “question: you’re from a country that’s entirely women, right?”


    “Yes?”


    “How come you’re so relaxed around me, a man?”


    “It is not like I have not met men before. My former ‘owner’, Greele, had male and female slaves alike,” Zinnia responded. “He would often make us do horrible things for his own amusement and–” She caught herself before she could go on a further tangent about the abuses she suffered, then said “I have a question for you, too, Mister Schwarz.”


    “Shoot.”


    “I do not have a gun,” Zinnia flatly responded.


    “No, I meant what’s your question?” Schwarz asked with an eye roll.


    “You are from a rich family, are you not?”


    “I am. I’m from the wealthy steel magnate Eisenberg family in the province of Sylp–”


    “Did you have slaves?” Zinnia interrupted.


    “Slaves? Oh no, my family wasn’t that rich and above the law. We had no access to slaves. And my father certainly wouldn’t tolerate it.”


    “That is a reli–”


    “Although, we had plenty of servants.”


    “I… understand…” Zinnia replied, wincing.


    <hr>


    Shaska held Ren close as they swam toward the strange fleet of ships and flickering lights. The water, still slightly choppy after the storm, lapped at their legs as they cut through it.


    “Hey, Shaska? Why ain’t we headin’ straight fer th’Robinson?” Ren asked, her voice shaky.


    Shaska grinned through the fatigue still wearing her down. “Part of being an adventure capitalist, kid, is exploring new places. You never know where the treasure is. And I’ve seen a lot of this world. Don’t know anything about a floating ship city out in the middle of the ocean like this. I’m betting there’s something worth checking out.”


    The closer they got, the clearer the details of the ship city became. This wasn’t a single vessel; it was a sprawling network of ships bound together. There were all types: yachts, military frigates, fishing boats, and even the odd pirate ship, their decks connected by makeshift bridges of rope and wood. The whole setup seemed half-abandoned, with some ships rusting, while others sported rotten wood, barnacles clinging to their hulls, and algae draping off the sides like neglected banners.


    <hr>


    Zinnia and Schwarz gathered the rest of the small crew (Roxanne, Lulupo, and Carne) in the promenade.


    “Schwarz, darling, what’s the plan?” Lulupo asked.


    “As acting boss, I say we explore these ships here. I wouldn’t be surprised if Shaska and Ren landed somewhere nearby, hopefully not in a million pieces. Zinnia will stay and guard the Robinson while the rest of us check out why these ships are all just stuck together in the middle of the ocean.”


    “I volunteer to stay behind and train with Lulupo,” Roxanne said as she lit up a cigarette. “We never know when we’ll run into those von Ragnars again.”


    “Oh, I think that’s an excellent idea,” Lulupo replied. “We can practice dancing while Miss Zinnia helps you and Carne find Miss Shaska and Miss Ren.”


    “What, I’m not Mister Carne?” asked a slightly incensed Carne.


    Lulupo thought back to how often Carne would stare at Shaska’s rear with a dopey smile on his face. “You’re lucky you get a ‘darling’, darling,” he said through gritted teeth.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Carne glared at Lulupo and said “I’m the doctor here, and she’s still recovering from a stab wound. She shouldn’t be doing any kind of training.”


    “Alright, guys, let’s not get ugly here,” Schwarz said, raising his hands to defuse the tension. “Zinnia! C’mon, you, me, and Carny here are gonna go exploring!”


    Carne slumped over with a sour expression on his face. “‘Carny’? Really?” he muttered in disdain.


    “Let us be on our way, then,” Zinnia responded with a bow. Meilong bowed her head in tandem with her master, as well.


    <hr>


    Shaska’s large frame loomed over the side of the beat-up military vessel, her fists carving handholds into the hull with raw power as Ren clung to her back. Each punch sent chunks of rusted metal into the water below, but the merwoman was unfazed. As they reached the deck, they were greeted by an unexpected sight: a swarm of fireflies lighting up the night with their mesmerizing glow. The scene was breathtaking, the tiny lights flickering like stars caught between the sea and sky.


    For Shaska, it was like stepping back in time. Her mind flashed to the day she and Korla had watched the Riojan fireworks, a distant memory that stirred something bittersweet within her.


    Ren, meanwhile, was completely entranced. “I''ve never seen nothin’ like it, no never in my life…” she murmured, her wide eyes reflecting the dancing lights.


    “Like going up to Heaven and then coming back alive?” Shaska mused, half to herself.


    “Huh?” Ren asked, confused.


    “Don’t worry about it,” Shaska said, shrugging it off as she pulled a fresh cigar from her waterproof case. With a flick of her lighter, the tip ignited, casting a warm glow across her face. Ren hopped down from her back, eyes still glued to the fireflies.


    “Alright, kid,” Shaska said, her voice dropping to a more serious tone as she scanned the horizon, noting the flickering lights of what appeared to be a settlement spread across the ships. “We don’t know what kind of situation we’re walking into here. Be ready for anything. Keep your guns at the ready.”


    Ren’s shoulders slumped slightly. “Actually… I lost m’guns in th’storm…” she admitted, her voice laced with frustration as she rummaged through the pouches on her tool belt.


    Shaska raised an eyebrow, puffing out a cloud of smoke with a slight flick of her tail. “You’re telling me you’re defenseless right now?”


    Ren’s face brightened as she pulled out a few grenades. “I still got some grenades, though!”


    Shaska didn’t skip a beat. “Great, kid,” she said dryly. “Just don’t go flashing those around until we need them.”


    Ren thought about giving a snarky reply, but held her tongue. After all, Shaska had just saved her life. The two stood there for a moment, framed by the glowing fireflies, as the distant hum of the ship settlement beckoned them forward into the unknown.


    <hr>


    Schwarz, Carne, and Zinnia stood on the dilapidated deck of what must have once been a grand cruise liner, now reduced to a decaying relic from before the Great War. The entire ship was in disrepair: decayed water slides, rotting poolside furniture, and corpses lying eerily still in some of the chairs. The flickering glow of fireflies around them only added to the unsettling atmosphere, casting long, wavering shadows as Schwarz held his lantern aloft.


    “This place is straight out of a horror novel,” Carne muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. “Feels like a ghost ship…”


    “Ghost… ship…?” Zinnia repeated, her mind working to grasp the term.


    “More like a whole fleet of ghost ships,” Schwarz added, glancing through the fog. “I can’t tell how many there are exactly, but we’re looking at dozens of ships. Could be fifty, maybe more.”


    Suddenly, a hand shot out from the darkness, grabbing Carne’s ankle. With a yelp, Carne leaped into Zinnia’s arms, his heart racing. Zinnia held him for a moment, clearly confused by the unexpected contact.


    Carne, on the other hand, couldn’t resist cracking a smile. “I’ve always had a thing for strong women…”


    Zinnia’s expression remained unreadable as she unceremoniously dropped him, leaving Carne to land awkwardly on the deck. He groaned, rubbing his backside.


    From the deck, the emaciated man who had grabbed Carne’s ankle groaned, “Food… water…”


    The man’s skeletal frame was haunting, barely skin stretched over bones. His long, patchy hair and ragged clothes made him look as though he hadn’t seen a meal or civilization in months.


    “Mister Schwarz! We cannot leave this man to suffer! We must help him!” Zinnia exclaimed.


    “Please… sirs… ma’am… food…” the man rasped, his voice weak.


    “Oh, alright,” Schwarz replied.


    The blonde summoned a portal to the Robinson’s kitchen, reaching through and pulling out some fruit and a bottle of cola. The starving man grabbed the food greedily, scarfing it down as if it were the first thing he’d eaten in days.


    “Thank you… thank you…” the man murmured between bites, his bony hands trembling.


    Schwarz wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. “Alright, now that you’re not about to keel over, how about you tell us what’s going on? Why are all these ships stuck together out here, and what’s with the dead bodies and fireflies?”


    The man finished his cola and coughed again, struggling to his feet. His gaunt frame was barely holding him upright, and his sunken eyes darted between the crew members.


    “My name is Bulsara,” he said, his voice steadier. “You folks must’ve come from that airship that crashed nearby.”


    Bulsara coughed a bit, then continued. “Welcome… to the Mercury Collective.”


    A heavy silence followed his words, the ominous name hanging in the air as the fireflies continued their eerie dance in the night.


    <hr>


    Roxanne and Lulupo returned to the gym.


    “So… have you decided what you want to do with Mister Andy’s body?” Lulupo asked.


    Roxanne’s hands trembled as she lowered her head. Tears welled up, but she quickly fought them back. “I’m going to wait until we get back to the Provinces… I’ll give him a proper funeral and burial back in Zenya, where we grew up.”


    Lulupo’s face softened. “I see… I shouldn’t have asked before a workout. That was tactless of me, darling.”


    Lulupo looked around the gym, trying to change the subject and move on to the workout. “Hm… if these people were Aether-using bounty hunters… surely they should have…”


    He opened a closet and found what he was looking for. “Here we are! Weighted clothing!”


    “Weighted clothing?” Roxanne asked.


    “This should help you build muscle even faster!” he replied with a wink.


    He grabbed the first vest he saw and placed it on Roxanne… who promptly fell over due to the weight, hitting the floor with a thud.


    “Hm… yes, we really do have a long way to go…” Lulupo muttered while stroking his chin.


    “Help…” Roxanne gasped, pinned to the floor.


    <hr>


    “The Mercury Collective?” Schwarz, Zinnia, and Carne, all three tilted their heads in confusion. Meilong hissed, seemingly intrigued as well.


    “Yes,” Bulsara began, his voice a rasp. “About fifteen years ago, we were a peaceful community, a collection of ships bound together in this shallow part of the sea. But everything changed when a group clad in red and gold, bearing gear insignias, showed up. They convinced us that our president was exploiting us, stealing our wealth. We… rose up and killed him. President Farrokh.”


    Carne leaned in, his brow furrowed. “Wait, were they led by a big guy in black armor? Talkin’ about ‘utopia’ and all that?”


    Bulsara shook his head. “No… our Dear Leader is a large red woman with horns.”


    “It is not von Ragnar, then?” Zinnia asked. Then her head cocked to the side again. “Dear Leader?”


    Bulsara nodded solemnly. “You must address her as such. Even when she’s not near.” His voice dropped lower. “Because she always is.”


    Schwarz crossed his arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”


    Bulsara’s voice dropped to a whisper, his eyes darting about nervously. “If you speak out against the Collective or Dear Leader, you’ll be ‘disappeared.’”


    “Disappeared how?” Carne pressed.


    “If I told you, I’d be disappeared too,” Bulsara croaked, his voice barely audible.


    Zinnia frowned. “But, sir… you just spoke out against the Collective.”


    Bulsara’s eyes went wide with terror, and before anyone could react, a chain flew out from the shadows, wrapping around his neck. He gasped, eyes bulging, as the chain tightened, dragging him into the darkness.


    “What the—?!” Carne cried, stumbling back in shock.


    More chains shot from the heart of the ship, aimed straight for the group. Schwarz drew his sword, slicing through the iron links with precision.


    The chains fell to the deck of the ship with a clatter, to which Schwarz said “if I had to guess, we’re dealing with an enemy potentia user” as he brandished his sword.


    More and more chains came shooting out toward them, and Schwarz responded in kind by cutting through them. “A little help would be nice, Zinnia!” he shouted.


    Zinnia stood there with a blank stare on her face. As a chain flew at her, she grabbed it and began to pull.


    “I do not know what you expect me to do, Mister Schwarz. Meilong’s jaws are not strong enough to bite through these chains. But I can try to pull on them and see if we can draw our enemy toward us.”


    Zinnia pulled on the chain with all her might, but to no avail. Instead, another chain shot out and wrapped around both her wrists, then began to drag her back. However, due to her monstrous strength, she stayed put, and simply broke through the chains that were binding her with a burst of Aether.


    Chains kept flying, and Schwarz kept cutting. Soon, a pile of broken chains lay on the deck.


    But in a blink, one chain managed to slip by, wrapping tightly around Carne’s neck. He gasped, clawing at it as it yanked him forward.


    “Carny!” Schwarz yelled, slashing at the chain, only for another one to whip around his sword, tearing it from his grasp. “Umbra Lux!”


    Zinnia and Schwarz grabbed onto Carne’s legs, trying to stop the pull, but the force was too strong. Despite their combined strength, they were all dragged into the heart of the darkness.


    The lantern they carried tipped over in the struggle, its light flickering before it mingled with the eerie glow of the fireflies, leaving nothing but shadows behind.