That massive deck—though they'd all seen it on TV before—still hit them like a tidal wave when they finally saw it in person. The scale of the aircraft carrier was enormous. Now that everyone had been rescued and Arthur and Ashley were momentarily free, the two took it upon themselves to give the group a personal tour. A few hours later— Taylor sprawled across a deck chair, lazily gulping down a big mouthful of juice. "Ahhh, this feels amazing! So damn good!" Come to think of it, this was actually Taylor’s first time on a ship. And the first ship he ever boarded... was an aircraft carrier! Hahahahahahahahaha! He’d be bragging about this for the rest of his life! No— He’d be bragging for multiple lifetimes! After a few hours of exploring, everyone finally started to relax. Deck chairs were scattered across the deck. They basked in the warm sunlight, stared out at the boundless sea, sipped on juice... life couldn’t get any better. Taylor sighed for the nth time, “If I could live here forever, I totally would!” Arthur looked at him, amused. “If you really had to live here alone forever, you’d probably die of boredom.” Taylor was the lively, active type. No matter how big and impressive a carrier might be, it still couldn’t compare to life on land. Land had people. It had buildings. It had places to hang out. It had all kinds of food. Taylor was clearly just excited for now. If he really had to live here, he’d be climbing the walls in two months, tops. Taylor grinned sheepishly. He lay on the deck chair like a limp fish. “I finally made it... I survived it all!”Hugo glanced at him, holding his juice and trying not to laugh. “You ‘made it’? What exactly did you survive? What have you even accomplished?” Taylor froze awkwardly and chuckled like an idiot. He came from a modest middle-class family and was an only child. His upbringing had been comfortable, even if not luxurious—he’d never really suffered. Taylor puffed out his chest. “Okay, maybe I didn’t accomplish anything, but I’ve got a brother who did! With a brother like mine, I oughta strut around Governance University like I own the place!” Hugo, still sipping juice and taking in the view, gave Taylor a hard flick on the forehead. “What the hell are you even thinking? You sound like a movie villain.” “Relying on others is nothing compared to relying on yourself. Arthur’s where he is today because of years of hard work and sacrifice. Even if he had a powerful grandfather—if he didn’t have the strength to handle it all himself, how long do you think he could’ve held onto any of it?” Hugo continued to lecture him with that steady, teacherly tone. Taylor stuck out his tongue. “I was just joking, okay? Don’t go full professor mode on me.” In the distance, the others smiled as they watched the two banter. Arthur stared out at the endless waves, and couldn’t help feeling a little emotional. This... this is what life should be. The people you love by your side, a few close friends... a life with no worries. As that thought drifted through his mind, he turned to look at Ashley. Once they graduated, he’d marry her right away. Then they’d have a chubby baby boy and an adorable daughter—one of each—playing at his feet. That would be enough. That would be perfect. The next day. At Taylor’s insistence, they spent the night on the carrier. Everyone slept in, had a big breakfast the next morning, and only then disembarked. But just as Arthur returned to Governance University—and hadn’t even stepped through the gate yet—a shrill voice suddenly rang out. “Arthur!!! You finally showed your face!! You ruined my husband! You ruined my son! I’ll kill you, you bastard!!!”The voice came with a blur of motion—a woman with wild, tangled hair burst out from behind the wall! In her hand— She had a knife!! The moment she appeared, she charged straight at Arthur with the blade raised high! She moved fast—clearly came prepared. But no matter how fast she was, she couldn’t possibly be faster than Wind. Arthur might not have bodyguards shadowing him anymore, but Wind was now a student at Governance University. Naturally, he stuck close to Arthur at all times. Before the woman could get close, Wind took a step forward, kicked the knife clean out of her hand, and in a few swift moves, had her completely restrained. The sudden attack stunned the nearby students. They stared at the crazed, disheveled woman in disbelief. Someone had actually dared to try and stab a person at the gates of Governance University?! Thankfully, Wind’s reflexes had been sharp, and he subdued her in seconds. Once the situation was under control, Arthur got a good look at the woman’s face. It was Renee! But just as Wind finished subduing her—another twist. Everyone’s attention was on Renee. No one noticed that just around the corner of the wall she’d come from... A cold, black gun barrel had slowly begun to aim straight at Arthur.