Evan startled awake, a ring in his ears.

He shot up in bed, his head banging against something hard.

“OW!” Elameere’s voice cried out in pain, hissing through his teeth.

“What. The. Fucking. Hell,” Evan growled, his brain still buzzing from the strange dream. “Why were you watching me sleep?!”

Elameere paused, wincing and nursing his head wound. “Because you’ve been sleeping for three days.”

Evan’s eyes widened. “How?”

The man adjusted his ever-present sunglasses. “You don’t understand. There was a shadow—”

Evan sighed deeply, wrapping his arms around his legs. “Doesn’t matter. Now, that means we’re almost to Luminaria.”

“Evan, you don’t understand—”

Evan shushed him. “I’m not talking about that. We’re arriving in Luminaria tomorrow, right?”

Elameere nodded begrudgingly.

“Good.” He swung his legs off of the bed and stretched. He definitely felt like he had been asleep for three days. His arms, legs, and eyes were incredibly weary and tired from underuse. He felt like he could go another week sleeping.

His stomach growled. “I’m hungry. I’m going to go eat. Hopefully Archi’s cooking has improved while I was out.”

Elameere scowled. “It hasn’t. That man has as much talent as I have in my elbow.”

Evan laughed. “That’s what I thought.”

There was a certain chill in the air that morning, so Evan threw on an oversized flannel and yawned. He walked the familiar path to the kitchen, reliving the strange dream in his head. Melany the Soul Eater. Certainly it was just a strange fever dream.

But that shadow Elameere mentioned certainly freaked him out more than anything. The shadow in the dream, the one that had eaten that weird looking soul…

He shook his head, ridding himself of the thought. It was too much for his exhausted mind to think about. He opened the door to the kitchen with a creak and entered.

There was something different. A strange silence that smothered the room.

All the lights were extinguished besides one flickering bulb in the very back of the room, casting strange shadows from the furniture across the kitchen.

The room was void of the usual sound of boiling water, clattering silverware, and booming laughter.

“Archi? Where are you?” Evan called into the dark room.

He listened for a response but found none. He must be somewhere else on the boat, the Bonavis is huge after all, he thought to himself.

An eerie noise filled Evan’s ears: the sickening sound of bones crunching. A chill raced up his spine. He did not want to turn around.

“Hey there, pretty boy,” a hoarse, raspy voice growled. He felt hot breath against his shoulder.

Evan closed his eyes, willing himself to stay calm. Losing his cool would do nothing for him. “Who are you?” He asked, tentative.

“Telling you won’t change your fate. I am none of your concern.”

Evan laughed mirthlessly. “Says the one breathing down my neck.”

The person behind him giggled. “Oh, you’re going to be fun to kill.”

Evan felt the sharp point of a blade against his upper back. “You should be pleading for your life right now.”

Evan’s eyes widened as he took deep breaths. “W-what?”

“I said,” they growled, “that you should be begging for me to let you live.”

Evan wrinkled his nose. “You’re pathetic.”

The person behind him giggled again. “I believe it is you who is pathetic, human.”

“Human? Are you implying that you’re not human?” Evan fought the urge to turn around and examine his attacker.

They giggled again. “Oh, you have no idea.”

The knife left his back and a surge of relief swept through him. He was left with nothing but a small cut. For now.

“I am Zianu Ori, but you can call me Z,” the voice, Z, said. “And you are invading my city for the last time.”

The name Zianu Ori sent flames of fury through Evan’s body. He was being attacked by the very person he was sent to kill.

Evan slowly turned around, gritting his teeth. The flickering light revealed a figure of someone not quite human, but looked to be about his age. He remembered being taught about vampires in school and this person seemed to be a more modern take on one; fangs, pale skin, and sunken eyes and all. Their wild, bleached blonde hair was gelled up in a mohawk and they wore tattered clothes. Their mouth was curled up into a cruel smirk, revealing long fangs.

“Funny,” Evan leered. “I was sent to kill you by the Guild of assassins.”

Z doubled over in laughter. Evan snarled. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh my gods,” Z giggled, wiping their eyes. “The Guild? That’s fucking hillarious. The Guild will do anything these days, won’t they? Hiring emo teenagers is a little too much, even for a group so desperate.”

Evan seethed. “Well I’m glad that the fact I was sent to kill you is so amusing.”

“It is. It really is,” Z said absent-mindedly, picking dirt out of their long, sharp fingernails. They looked at him with striking yellow eyes. “I’m almost not so worried about you after that,” Z sighed. “What a shame.”

Evan rubbed his temples. “I’m confused,” he mumbled. “Do you want to kill me or not? And why?”

“Oh, I don’t kill without incentive, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Z smiled. “And I have great incentive to kill you and everyone on this shitty boat.”

“Why is that?” Evan asked, keeping his composure. He was trying to be diplomatic, mostly because he didn’t have a proper weapon with him.

“Because this ship has killed enough of my people. We did nothing wrong. I’m getting my rightful revenge.”

Evan shuddered. “I see the mistake,” he said, still composed. “I just boarded this ship less than a week ago. I know nothing of the attacks on your city.”

Z’s eyes burned into Evan’s. “You’re not lying.”

“Yeah, I’m not,” he said. “You’d have to ask the captain—”

Evan realized what he’d just said. Ashi. He had just put the man that had done so much for him in danger. “Shit,” he cursed, running his hands through his hair.

“The captain, eh?” Z mused. “Great idea.” Z sheathed their dagger, walking away. “There’s no point in killing anyone who didn’t have a hand in the slaughter of my family,” they shrugged.

Evan caught Z by the wrist in panic. “No! Wait!”

Z stared distastefully at Evan’s hand. “Why? Want me to kill you after all?”

Evan searched for an excuse but found none. So he told the truth. “The captain has nothing to do with the attacks, I assure you,” Evan said firmly. He had no defense. The one he was sent to kill was more dangerous than he thought.

Z snickered. “Seems as though you have a connection with the captain. Bet he’s a member of the Guild as well, eh?”

Evan cursed under his breath. “What’s it to you?”

“That bitch Zonya put him up to this, right? Scoundrel of a woman,” Z murmured thoughtfully. “More and more reasons to kill him!”

This was not the situation he expected to be in when he killed Z, but it was all the same. He looked around the room for a weapon.

He found none.

Z sighed, turning back towards him. “You know, I should kill you. You could very well destroy me, knowing you’re in the Guild. You’re probably not a master of killing, by the looks of you, but I bet you could kill me with a real weapon.”

Evan’s words caught in his throat. He didn’t want to talk to this vampire any longer, but he had to convince them to spare Ashi’s life.

“But I like your spirit,” Z said quietly. “You mean nothing to me and never will, but you seem like someone I would actually enjoy talking to under different circumstances. Too bad I’ll never see you again. Oh, well.”

Z blinked. “Oh, and I almost forgot, I’ll have to restrain you.”

Z rummaged in their pockets and found a roll of duct tape. “It would help if you don’t struggle,” they said. “It’ll all be for naught in the end. Remember, I have a knife and many more weapons with me, not to mention my fangs.” They gave Evan a threatening smile, their long fangs gleaming in the low light.

Evan acquiesced[e][f], holding his hands out in front of him. He couldn’t do anything. He was already backed into a corner. He let Z bind his wrists, ankles, and mouth and leave him locked in the dark room all alone.

Later, he would feel utter regret and shame at not fighting against Z, but he felt pity for the vampire. After all, Z was no older than himself. Not to mention the fact that he was armed with nothing but his own fists.

Evan sighed in frustration against the tape binding his mouth closed. He closed his eyes. He should have killed Z when he had the chance.

But there was no turning back now. Anything, absolutely anything, to get out of this shitty situation.

He eyed the room once more, desperate for escape, then spotted a glass bottle on the other side of the room.

He had an idea.

Fucking finally.

He crawled his way over to the bottle, then kicked it over with his bound feet. He then stomped violently on it, sending the shattered glass flying as he shielded his eyes with both of his duct taped hands. He snatched the largest piece of the bottle, cutting the tape on his hands and then his ankles with the shard of glass. It was time to stop Z.

He brushed himself off and then sprinted as fast as he could, trying to find Ashi and save him from his dire fate. I’m coming, Ashi.

He tripped over something on his way out the door. A body.

Evan was too afraid and caught up in the moment to look down. He paused then, swiveling around and taking a deep breath. Whoever they were, they were probably dead already.

A man groaned in agony below him.

Shit.

“Evan, is that you, boy?” Archimagirus said softly. “What happened?”

Evan felt a tear slip down his cheek. He clenched his fists and leaned down, looking into Archi’s almost dead eyes. He’d lost Archi. It was over. “It’s me, Archi,” he sobbed, more tears streaming in rivulets down his face.

Archimagirus clasped Evan’s hand. “You did good, boy,” he murmured. He coughed a bit of blood onto his arm and took a shaky breath. “Take care of yourself for me,” he whispered. A shadow passed in his eyes as he started his next warning. “Tell Elameere…”

Evan shook his head. “No,” he murmured. “I’m going to save you, just give me a second—”

“Evan, m’boy, my time ‘as come. I’m an’ ol’ man, I’ve been alive far too long. Just tell Elameere…”

Evan sobbed louder than he wanted to, grasping Archimagirus’s hand as hard as he could. He was like a grandpa or father to him. He’d known him so long, been through so much with him. “Archi, I’m going to save you.”

Archi’s voice was firm. “No. Just tell… Tell Elameere… they’re coming. For all of us.”

Evan’s eyes widened. “Who? Who, Archi?”

Archimagirus coughed again into his arm. “Go,” he murmured. “Elameere will know.”

Evan watched as the life escaped Archimagirus’ eyes. He sobbed once again, his eyes puffy and his face red from crying.

But he didn’t waste any time when he closed Archi’s eyes for the last time and stood up with shaky legs. One had died.[g][h][i] He had to save the other. Avenge Archimagirus. Save himself from whatever Archimagirus had warned him about.

Evan finally arrived at the captain’s quarters of the ship and flung open the door, heaving panicked breaths of the cold morning air.

He was met with the sound of Z’s maniacal giggling and Ashi with a knife to his throat.

He was too late.