Through wave to wave, the librarian's persistence remains unwavering. Watching as the last piece of her town is consumed by calamity and left to darkness, she pushes afar into the unknown horizon with the cleric and the Tin Man, hoping to find a new home in a pristine land.

Fishes swept through their boat, seagulls flew above her head, and the sun made a perfect yellow view within the clouds. She was nowhere near home anymore. The boat is hers only, while the sun basked at her face without a shade. The taste of salt on her lips drew an adventure sensation, and it was not as savoury as she thought.

Eve left the steer open and raised the sail to let the wind in charge. Cyrus and Charger went off their bench to feel the wind and the atmosphere.

"Alright, our first stop on this long voyage. Anyone wants a snack?"

"I don't see a stop here. Although, I see a free snack." Cyrus glares at the ocean, where fishes swim freely.

"Hmm...I'm not a fish expert, but I don't think we could eat any of them here. Not without a proper equipment for sure!"

Charger heads into the raft in search for a set of fishing rods. With a body made of spare tins and a few copper wires as the reel, it is least to say his hand-made is functional.

The librarian stands with a rumbling stomach, hungry for a taste of fish on the ocean. So she, the cleric, and the Tin Man readied for a fish to hunt on the broad water. With a pool rich with life and fins waving at the edge of their boat, it was time to pull out a fishing rod from the back and start casting.

The three adjusted the bait on their fishing hooks, with Charger finishing early, Cyrus at halfway, and Eve at a not-so-good attempt.

"Alright. So, did anyone know if the fish are safe to eat? Or do we just pretend our stomaches are built for it?"

"Eh, don't worry about it! I've been fishin' around this sea before I came to this town and I can assure you all of these fishes had no toxin or whatsoever to kill us. Not that I ate it."

"Ugh, Cyrus! Can you help me out here? I'm trying to make a bait here."

"Wow, Eve. Hang on, I'll see what I can do."

It was the first time for the librarian to use a fishing rod, and how difficult it was for her to swing such a majestic tool. But she was determined to catch one and prepare for a cast. She cast her first hook into the water and watched for the fish to follow.

So the librarian reeled in and cast to the sea for the second time with confidence for luck, with a faint drip that changed merely for the wave. But the second was no better than the first one. Her bait was gone, but no fish was latched onto her hook. Her stomach rumbled, and her face was far from happy.

The three sat on the edge of the raft. Three casts are set in the ocean, with fishes taking notice and swirling around it.

"Wee!" Charger reels out six sea lampreys without fail.

"That was easy! Do we have more bait?"

"More than enough! If we count the ration as a bait." Cyrus reels only three lampreys.

"At least I got a few. How's the cast going, Eve?"

"Ugh..." Eve sat without a fish. Her cast wanders on the surface while the fishes ignore it.

"Is my bait broken or something? There's like ten fishes waiting for me."

"Oh, looks like someone wasn't too lucky for fishing today. It's okay, Eve! At least two of us got something on the shore." Cyrus comforts her.

"No! It isn't okay! How can I be an adventurer without getting one fish??"

"This is my adventure! I have to fish for it!"

Eve continued fishing while the two brought their catch into the fire.

"Don't you have a person to help, Cyrus?"

"Dunno, maybe I'm just new here but I think it has something to do with you." Cyrus squints.

Her face frowns even more when she sees the cleric and the Tin Man capturing ten fish before her. No grunts, no struggle and nothing more than a joyous face—once hooked to their jaws, and they were already on the bucket for a treat.

"Aww! Come on! Is there any bait left?" Eve reels in without a fish.

"Sorry, Eve. We'd to keep a ration steady if we want to make it out to the Isle of Man." Cyrus closes the storage.

"Maybe you should learn how to fish better like I do! Been a survivor since a long time in the water and I'll tell you..."

Charger prepares a campfire and a clean stew pot. The fuels are made of twigs and hays, and the pot seems newly bought.

"Ugh! Curse these fishes!" She threw her fishing rod away before joining the three.

She prepares a haystack and a pot, with fresh water boiling inside while the cleric splits the fish. Their soft, boneless meat is mixed with spices and is made into a fish soup. The exuding aroma from the pot had already drawn the librarian's confidence that it would be a perfect meal.

Charger stirred the pot and mixed the two ingredients while Eve chopped the fish to bits.

"Eve? Is this 'fish soup' really should look like this? I don't remember one being this yellow. Is it going to be sour? Or is it going to be spicy?" Cyrus peeked nervously at the scent.

"If you don't want to eat it, you can stay on the edge."

"Oh, okay! I'm just saying." He sat back with a blank face.

The fish were tasty, satiating the librarian and the cleric. The Tin Man, however, was not hungry and will never be without a stomach. So, as the pot was empty and fishbones were littered, they felt more determined to row into the horizon once again. The librarian raises the sail and continues their voyage into the west.

The three ate their soup and fished down to the bone satiated. Their plates are set on the floor as Charger cleans up the dishes.

"Hmm. not bad. I've had a spicier one from Eric—I mean, I want more!"

"Then you can make your own, Fireboy. I'm pushing this ship forward."

"Fireboy?" Charger pauses.

"Yeah, that's what they called me on party. I mean, who could've ignored that fire-hula trick?"

Cyrus shows his first-degree burnt mark on his shoulders, seemingly coming from temporary exposure to fire.

"I burnt out an entire floor of someone's house trying to light up a firework indoor and let me tell you that wasn't ordinary fire that hits me. It was a miracle that I haven't died yet with all those smokes."

"Now, they called me Fireboy."

The librarian shimmers as bright as the sun while it sets above her head, and the blue, charming hue in the atmosphere unveils a vivid figure from up. She saw a meteorite falling far in the sky with the spark of a firework heading to where she was going.

"Pfft! That ain't nothing than what I got."

Charger shows a dent mark behind his head and a chunk of stone.

"Got this little dent when I went on this planet with a meteorite. You might think it's the meteorite that causes it, but it was the only reason I haven't been crushed to death."

"H-how?" Cyrus

"I got attacked by a rocket. A bunch of them! They were shooting from the ground and targeting me and my friend meteorite. But I survived the ambush with the help of my pal. Too bad he's in no piece to be said the same."

"Hence why I kept one of him with me."

"Woah. I should've called you a meteorite boy, then. Or Starboy? Gosh, being on the star must've been so fun." Cyrus ponders at the cold piece of the meteorite.

Where was it heading? She wondered as she sat at the top of the deck with her arms holding the steer of her boat that was moving like a ship. But this boat had left the town longer than any boat would be, and the wave hadn't yet torn its sail out. But it was only a moment of serenity before the sea's first attack.

Eve eavesdropped from behind with envy for their conversation. Her eyes grow weary with the two.

"Yeah, right. Fun..." Eve stares away to the horizon, ignoring their conversation.

"Listen, you two! I have something to tell you!"

"Huh?" The two paused and glared at Eve.

"This boat will survive into the land. No matter what. This is a promise!"

"From the day I set this thing sailed into the ocean, and the day I left Gold Creek, I've made myself clear that I will return an adventurer as a destiny of my life."

"No longer will I fear a reflection of my future, I hereby tell you that I'm here to have you two as the hand of my greatness."

Eve approached Cyrus and gripped his shoulder tightly with a confident look.

"Cyrus, you are my cleric and my bard. You will tell the tale of my greatness on this planet upon my departure, and let the world know of my name when I'm done slaying a dragon."

"Aww, what? I thought I could be your fight buddy! I mean, I brought these bows so we can fight together..." Cyrus lifted a bow from the deck.

"Where did you get a bow?"

"My mom's an archer in an Olympics tournament. Although, I didn't bring a single arrow."

"Pfft! Dragon..." Charger ridiculed.

"And you, Charger. You would be my...uh...entertainer?"

"Really? Not even your medic or some little helper?" Charger raises his wrench, teetering it as a reminder for Eve.

"You're funny, okay? That's the best feature you have for me right now. And I really need somebody to keep me smiling on this trip."

"Augh...fine. As long as I'm a part of the image, too."

"Now, enjoy yourself! This unsinkable ship will not last forever."

[5 minutes into the voyage]

The wave turns against her. The star had left her eyes as she saw a tidal twice her size heading with thick clouds in the sky. The cleric and the Tin Man shambles, but not the captain.

Just a moment ago, it was all bright and peaceful in her eyes, but then it became dark and cruel. Drizzles fell from a mere drop into a needle-like attack on her boat, trying to tear her down into pieces. Fishes washed into the deck, flipping their fins and fearing for the thunder. The wind whispers dread at their sail, with gusts blowing them nearly afloat from the water.

Eve lowers the sail as Cyrus and Charger work on the paddle. The raft slightly rows before the heavy waves.

"It really didn't last forever!"

"Charger, can the raft handle that storm? Can it?"

"M-maybe? Or maybe we just need to put this raft in the least dangerous wave!"

"I don't like how that works!" Eve joins in.

The first wave struck into their raft, spilling nothing but dust and a few unburnt hay. The three were holding by the edge.

"Aah!!"

The librarian held onto the boat tightly while she kept the paddle straight through the hordes of waves. Soaked by the rain from head to toe, her face remains unchanged by the wave, while her grip stands firm at the steer and continues pushing the boat away from the storm. Even the slippery stain could not break her out of the steer.

The second wave struck, knocking the stew pot and the dishes into the ocean to float away. But the three hold tightly to their position.

"Aah! Ouch! Ouch! I can't..." Cyrus falls with an ache in his chest.

"I can't do this anymore! I can't pushes out with all of these...pressure!"

"Eve, I don't know if we could handle all of this water! Why didn't I think of making it waterproof?"

"Because it's all your fault and we don't have enough time to make a ship? I mean, does this Isles of Man is really that far?"

"From the map it was!"

The crews had gone mad and hopeless as if calamity had a place for the three. Each tries to survive on their own, with the Tin Man throwing anything of a burden into the ocean, believing it would keep the boat floating. The cleric sits and cowers in the heat of his only shelter, holding for nothing but despair, while the librarian's spirit remains unbreakable.

Eve checked the map, only to find the destination was far from what she had expected. Cyrus is reciting Saint Mary at the back of the ship.

"What the...Charger! The Isles of Man is on Britain?!"

"That was like a million of miles from here!"

"Actually, it's one thousand and two hundred thirty-eight kilometers if you use the Goeningen as your departure!" Cyrus pokes in with his phone out.

"Shut up, Cyrus! I can't believe you didn't told me about this! I don't even think we could go there in one day!"

"Well, I never said it was one day. I said I can bring you there!" Charger debated.

"But you should've know that rowing out in a boat like this is dangerous!"

"Oh, so now you're afraid of drowning? I thought the 'adventurer' wants challenge!" Charger berates her, further infuriating Eve.

The two argued for long while Cyrus was busy holding the sturdy raft.

When the third wave appeared, their chances of survival had gone null. The last wave cannot be escaped, and the boat is as tall as the hill. The librarian, the cleric, and the Tin Man met the end of their voyage with a splash, shattering their boat into pieces. The edge of the tidal reached into her face and swept her sight into the abyss below her foot, alongside the cleric and the Tin Man.

The third wave appears four times their size. Yet the three were debating on the argument.

"Uhm, Eve...?" Cyrus stops the two.

"What? What??"

The three look at the wave coming to them. They were high up, and they were nowhere to go down.

"Oh..."

"This is all your fault, Charger." She squints at him.

*SPLASH*

Everything went dark, and the last thing she heard from the surface was the shattered woods and metals, followed by a suppressing splash from jumping into the ocean. Her eyes went dark, and there was nothing to do but to close what had been done.

She fell into the water, watching Cyrus and Charger sink with her, and her boat shattered.

"Aaugh! Ugh..."

"Cyrus, Charger, no..." She utters faintly.

Water flooded all over her body, and she felt it even in her sleep—a deep, dark sleep. Her body stiffened and paralysed into nothing like it never existed. The storm engulfs her and her friends in a drowning black. And so as the numbness grew into death—cold and ready to feed on Eve's lifeless body.

Yet somehow, her mind remains in that oblivion, conscious among the darkness. She roams freely without a limb and filled with nothing but a drown. There was no death or a last breath for her. It was just nothing and more nothing.

"W-what? Where...where am I?" She asks herself. But could she really question without a mouth?

"What is...what is this place?" She looks around. But how can she stare without an eye?

"I feel...off. Off but...painless?" She rubs her hand. But whose hand was she rubbed?

But something feels more lively with each second she feels around her. Something fierce yet small slowly expands before the librarian from nothingness into a shape. A shape of light. The light grabs her from the sea of darkness, but a grip so sharp that the librarian could feel it even by her conscience. Something calls her name from the other side, yelling for her to follow.

A light appears at a distance—a pure white entry with nothing behind but a blinding light.

"What is that? What is that thing?" She asks herself.

"Is this a dream? Have I died? Where am I?"

*BOOM* A thunder shriek out of the light.

"Aah!" She was shocked. But none to echoes.

"Who's there?"

The second thunder rumbles again without an answer from the other side.

"Is that you, Charger?"

"Y-you better be here with some help because I can't feel my body at all."

A shadow appears from the third flash, resembling a man standing from the door.

"C-Cyrus? Is that you? This isn't funny!"

"Get me out of here now!"

The fourth thunder brings the man closer to the door. He stands clear yet unrecognisable from the shadow. The shadow glares at her without an eye or form.

"Uh oh..."

"You're not Cyrus. Who are you?" She asks calmly.

"What are you? And what are you doing here?"

The fifth thunder brings the man to cease, with a flash that expands through and blinds Eve from every corner of her eyes.

It was a strange dream—a dream like no other. All that nothingness ceased instantly through light from the ceiling, and everything became warm and lively as it should. A torch broke through the darkness and resuscitated the librarian into an awakening, saving her yet again from death's grip with its warm, cosy light. But it was not the sun as she had hoped.

Eve lies on the sandy terrain with little sand on her hair and face.

"Wait, who are—you?"

A few sand tipped over her lips, with the singing of leaves brushing on the trees and the sound of people around her. It was the moment when she had found herself stranded on a coast without her friends. She had made it alive from the storm into a new land with people. But she wasn't too relieved.

Around her, there are lots of people passing by with the sound of cars and heavy winds. She wakes up with a mild headache, watching her body sway wet into a coast.

"Oh, I'm on the beach? Amazing..."

"Almost as if—"

"Eve!!" Cyrus yelled.

Cyrus and Charger ran at her from a distance with a sand-covered body from an unloading ship.

The cleric and the Tin Man were standing beside her, waiting for her to wake up, as if they had survived the same nightmare. The librarian stands up in disbelief, as the odds are too improbable to count. And yet, she was alive and well from everything.

Eve stands up and brushes the sand off as she reaches for him with relief.

"Cyrus? Charger? You're alive?"

"Yeah! And looks like the three of us survived unscathed! Woo!" Cyrus raises his arms.

"Well, hope you enjoy waiting on the boat! Is there any recommendations on how I can improve your service, young lady?" Charger comes with a bucket full of scraps and coppers.

"Waiting? What are you talking about? And it's already night??"

"What is this mess?? Are we really this bad for an adventurer??"

Cyrus and Charger carried Eve by the shoulders away from the sand as they sought shelter.

"You don't get picked up by a boat?"

"No? I was lying unconscious throughout the ocean until I got swept here with you three—"

"Isn't that like a thousand kilometers away? Are you really like—swayed all over here?" Charger stops her, which gives her a stare of realisation.

"I guess? But maybe just a little wound on my face. So thanks for caring, at least."

"I thought you were drowning! You don't know how much we're worried about you?" Cyrus holds Eve's shoulders with concern.

"You're like thousands of kilometres on the water with no one to look after! How dangerous is that??"

Eve was silenced. She has nothing to say. Her face lowered as if she was seeing a monster in Cyrus's eyes. But she slaps his offer with a blush.

"I'm fine! Hey, I'm not even wounded! Cyrus, don't embarrass yourself!"

-

"Now, please. Flatter me with some good news about this place! Charger, are we in the right place?"

"Well, I have bad and good news. The good news is we're on the right track, and we may have a shortcut with land transportation before we'll have to head on with boat. The bad news is—it'll take another thousands of kilometres. And another bad news is—we may have lost so many from the disaster. And by many, I mean almost nothing salvageable..."

"I think we've almost crossed UK naval." Cyrus scratches his head.

"That one good news is enough for me."

Eve stretches her arms and grabs her book beside the sand—watching the night city with her sand-covered friends by the coast. Her arms pointed out at the distant, aiming at the lights.

"Now set course for the west!" Eve walked off to the broad street before the two.

"Yeah, we're doomed." Cyrus mumbled.

From where she stood, it was a land waiting for an exploration—A place free of storm and terrible darkness, yet not the promised land they were looking for. It was outlying somewhere where the sun would have been before it was swallowed into a night. A new world awaits, and the librarian weeps her face with a new resolution.