Heavy rain pounded against the ship's deck. Tio rushed below deck with the rest of the crew.
"Are the supplies intact?" he shouted over the howling wind and crashing waves.
"All good!" a crew member yelled back, gripping the built-in railings as he emerged from the supply room.
A flash of lightning split the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. The rain intensified, and the ship lurched violently as massive waves slammed against its hull.
Tio's stomach dropped. "I think this is a Spiral of Tides!" he shouted, just as the ship tilted sharply. Losing his footing, he crashed onto the slick wooden floor as the storm threatened to tear the ship apart.
"W-what the hell is a Spiral of Tides?!" Celestia shouted, her voice barely cutting through the deafening storm. Wind howled, thunder cracked, and waves slammed against the ship with relentless fury.
Tio slammed into a wooden wall with a grunt, gripping onto a beam to steady himself before forcing himself back up.
"A Spiral of Tides is an ability from a Noctux!" he shouted, his breath ragged as the ship trembled beneath them. "It's a creature of legend—only three known to exist! It lurks in the waters of Cresbel, bending the ocean, the weather, even the skies to its will!"
Tio breathed heavily, gripping a beam as a wave crashed into the ship, tilting it sideways for a moment. "H-HOLD ON!" he shouted as loudly as he could while everyone scrambled to grab onto something. The ship rocked violently before finally steadying itself again.
"The Noctux aren't aggressive, but this is why you never want to be near one!" Tio shouted, his breath ragged. "Wherever a Noctux appears, a Spiral of Tides follows—it's just part of their existence! Like... I don't know, an ability that never turns off! There's no 'casting' it, or stopping it—this just happens whenever they're around!"
Another wave slammed into the ship, and suddenly, the doors to the lower deck burst open. A surge of seawater rushed in, flooding the floor.
"GET THAT WATER OUT!" Tio roared.
Without hesitation, he sparked lightning around his ankles, using the ship's angle to propel himself forward. He barely skimmed above the water before slamming the doors shut—only for another violent jolt to send him flying backward.
Celestia reached out and grabbed him by his collar, barely catching him.
Tio quickly found his footing, grabbing onto a beam next to her.
Celestia shot him an unimpressed look. "This Noctux sounds annoying as hell if this is what happens every time they show up!"
Tio let out a breathless laugh. "Oh, it's definitely annoying. But hey—it's not every day you get to see something this rare! Kinda cool, right?"
One of the Lox members, struggling to stay upright, lifted a hand. The water swirling inside the cabin responded, forming a controlled stream. With a final grunt, he forced it under the door and back into the ocean before collapsing against a beam.
"Okay, that was way too close," Tio muttered, catching his breath.
Outside, the storm only seemed to get worse. And beneath them, something massive stirred in the abyss.
"How long is this going to last?" Celestia asked, glancing over at Tio.
Tio exhaled sharply. "Well, that depends on whether the Noctux is heading in the same direction as us. If it is… we're stuck dealing with this until we reach Myor." He paused, grimacing. "And that's still a month away."
Celestia groaned, rubbing her temple. With a deep breath, she activated [Tempest Arts], the surge of energy reinforcing her grip on the beam, making it easier to withstand the ship's violent thrashing.
"Where's Rosaline?" she asked, scanning the dimly lit lower deck, her eyes flicking between the scattered crew members.
"I heard she's still in her room!" The medic replied, standing firm in the middle of the lower deck, completely unfazed by the chaos around him. His cape whipped wildly in the wind, yet he remained steady, arms pressed together in a composed stance.
Celestia glanced at the medic before sighing, shaking her head slightly, unsure how to even react to the sight of him standing unfazed in the storm's chaos.
One Week of constant storms, heavy rain, hail, thunder, and lightning has passed.
The crew had barely eaten, only grabbing food when they could make it to the supply room. The relentless storm had kept them trapped below deck for days. But now, at last, the raging winds had calmed, the monstrous waves had settled, and the ship was no longer being tossed like a leaf in a hurricane. Though the rain still poured, the worst had finally passed.
Tio was the first to step out, making his way to the door and climbing the stairs up to the deck. As he emerged, he took a deep breath of the fresh, salty air and let out a relieved sigh.
"Finally… that nightmare is over!" he shouted, stretching as he headed toward the helm.
One by one, the Lox members followed, stepping onto the deck and taking in the vast expanse of the open sea, now eerily calm compared to the chaos before. Rain still fell steadily, but without the violent winds and waves, it felt almost peaceful.
Celestia inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly, grounding herself.
Then, Tio's voice broke through the quiet.
"So… we have a problem."
Everyone turned to him as he stood at the helm, scanning the horizon. His gaze locked onto something in the distance—a small island barely visible through the misty rain.
His voice wavered slightly. "Uh… someone get Rosaline. She needs to see this."
Celestia frowned but didn't question him. Without hesitation, she turned and headed back below deck, making her way to Rosaline's quarters. Knocking firmly on the door, she stepped back as it swung open.
Rosaline stood there, her hair a tangled mess, her clothes damp and wrinkled. She looked exhausted.
"I hated that," she muttered, rubbing her temple before glancing up at Celestia.
"Tio needs to show you something important," Celestia said simply before turning and heading back toward the deck.
Rosaline tilted her head but followed without question.
As they climbed the stairs and reached the helm, Tio leaned in, whispering something to Rosaline.
Her eyes widened. "What the hell?!" she blurted out before quickly covering her mouth. Clearing her throat, she addressed the crew.
"Ahem… it appears at our current speed, we're now only two months away from Sylvaria."
The entire crew froze, their eyes widening.
"Wait… aren't we supposed to be like seven months away?" Celestia asked, baffled.
Tio nodded, crossing her arms. "W-Well, yes… but the Noctux's storm, the wind, and the speed of its swimming pattern propelled us forward five months' worth of distance in a single week."
A heavy silence settled over the crew, the weight of their sudden change in course pressing down on them. Then, breaking the stillness, the medic's voice rang out from above.
Perched atop the ship's crow's nest, he stood tall, his long cape billowing dramatically in the lingering wind. A thin wisp of smoke curled from the wooden pipe in his mouth as his gaze swept over the endless ocean.
"The winds may ease, yet they never rest. The ocean gaze, mighty as we are, even we must bow before the hand of fate."
He brought the pipe to his lips, taking a slow, measured drag. The ember flared, casting a dim glow against his sharp features before he exhaled, the smoke twisting into the cold night air. His voice, low and steady, carried across the deck like a final prayer, weighty and absolute.
"May the crew find solace, or may we meet the horrors that lurk beyond our sight. The path ahead is uncertain, veiled in lies and paths unseen. The eyes of fate, however… they see all. We are but wanderers in the unknown, our minds clouded as the foggiest of nights. But hear me now, and hear me well. We fight as though we have no one left. We live as though the world itself depends on our survival. And we love—love as though we are bound by blood, not just by voyage. That is how we endure. That is how we prevail."
He let the silence stretch, the weight of his words pressing down on all who listened. Then, with a final exhale of smoke, he lowered the pipe, his gaze locked onto the ocean beyond.
"If fate has set its sights upon us, then let it watch. Let it judge. We will carve our path through the storm, or we will drown with our heads held high."
The crew had mixed reactions.
Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Is he always this dramatic?" she muttered under her breath.
One of the Lox members crossed his arms, nodding. "Gotta admit… that was kind of a badass speech."
Tio, however, stood with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable—until he suddenly smirked. In his mind, the medic's stance, the smoke, the flowing cape—it all looked undeniably cool.
"Damn… I need a cape," Tio mumbled to himself.
Meanwhile, the medic, as composed as ever, closed his eyes. With a single fluid motion, he leapt from the crow's nest, his cape trailing behind him like the wing of a raven. He landed effortlessly on the deck, barely making a sound. Without missing a beat, he pulled the pipe from his lips, tucked it into his sleeve, and strode calmly toward the lower deck, not sparing anyone even a glance.
Celestia remained motionless, her gaze fixed on the medic as he disappeared below deck. She exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. "…What the hell?" It was the only thing that came to mind, with a shake of her head, she let it go.
Rosaline, on the other hand, barely spared him a glance. Without a word, she turned on her heel and made her way back to the lower deck. As she reached her room, she shut the door behind her, pressing her back against it. "... He always does this.... I don't understand it." She said slowly before walking to her closet and going through it.