He was breathing.

There was nothing but red behind his eyelids.

No light, no sound—not even voices.

Panic surged through him. What about the others?

He looked around in a hurry. Something wrapped his arms around the trunk—both Lira and B-Day were clinging tightly to it, fast asleep. Their arms were interwoven with his, utterly exhausted from the fight for survival.

Relief washed over him—followed by pride.

They'd actually managed to save not only themselves, but him too.

He checked his head—thanks to the cyberkinetic side of his face, the wound wasn't too bad.

Still, it seemed he'd been unconscious for a few hours.

Before forgetting, he switched his armor to diving mode—to avoid further exposure to the water, and to keep his skin from softening even more.

The sun was setting to the west, directly in front of them—they must have slept for several more hours after the storm.

He looked at his watch.

The hour hand pointed at 1, and the second hand aligned with minute 5.

The ocean felt less like an endless sea now—more like a massive, still lake.

But suddenly, thirst hit him hard. Hunger, he could suppress.

"We never stay in one place longer than an hour... now we also need to start worrying about food," he muttered, gazing at the red water surrounding them.

Cautiously, he tried a sip. "Ugh!"

He immediately spat it out. The salty taste wasn't the only problem—it had a bloody, icy flavor that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Is this even water...?" he asked himself aloud.

Now that his mind had cleared, he realized it wasn't normal seawater at all. It was thicker—almost like a mix of water and blood.

Disgusted, he scanned the horizon.

No land in sight. No cliffs. No trace of where they'd fallen from.

The threat of the demigods still loomed.

If they began actively searching, they'd find and shred them apart in seconds.

A chill ran down his spine at the thought of the Greed twins—or Orvak—emerging from the deep.

He refocused.

"Right now, the chance of them attacking is low. They're busy fighting each other... but sooner or later, they'll notice us. We have to get out of here."

He began paddling, steering the trunk westward.

Eventually, the second hand returned to 60—indicating he was going the right way.

The sun had now fully set, and behind them, the second sun had risen.

"…Sir?" B-Day's voice, groggy and confused.

Ashfall paused and climbed slightly higher onto the trunk.

Lira stretched and nearly slipped into the water, snapping awake in an instant.

Without a word, Ashfall grabbed both of them by the shoulders.

The two didn't react—partially from exhaustion, partially from surprise.

"…Thank you," Ashfall whispered, voice trembling slightly.

"Thank you for still being alive. For being unhurt.

Thank you for staying by my side.

Thank you… for saving my life too."

He pulled them both into a tight embrace.

They allowed it—smiles creeping onto their faces despite everything.

"I-I think... you can let go now," B-Day said, nearly choking from the hug.

"Oh, right—sorry."

Ashfall let them go, smiling up at them.

B-Day turned his head to hide the embarrassment.

Lira pretended like it was the obvious thing to do.

Ashfall chuckled, then returned to paddling—westward, without hesitation.

The others joined in silently, without needing to be asked.

Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed—not far away.

Another storm was brewing, stirring the once-still sea back into chaos.

They tried to maintain their course, but this storm was worse than the last.

"Don't let go of the trunk! Keep heading west!" Ashfall yelled.

But the storm nearly drowned out his voice.

They clung to the trunk like it was the most precious thing in the world.

The sky darkened, swallowing what little sunlight remained.

Rain poured down, soaking the Timer Agents anew.

B-Day screamed as something large and slimy brushed against his foot.

"What happened?!" Ashfall shouted, struggling to be heard.

"Something's in the water!" B-Day cried back.

Lira peered into the depths—but saw nothing.

A giant wave tore through them, separating all three from the trunk.

Another wave hit, pushing them deep underwater.

Two glowing dots appeared in the distance—approaching fast, growing larger.

Ashfall turned, now equipped with his diving mask.

Lira and B-Day hadn't noticed.

He waved frantically.

They saw him—knew something was wrong.

Confused, they looked around.

Behind them, the glowing dots reappeared.

A massive maw opened wide.

Ashfall screamed, pointing behind them—but they didn't understand.

The creature pulled them in like a drain, swallowing them whole.

Ashfall stared in horror.

It had devoured them.

And he had been powerless—again.

The monster turned toward him.

Ashfall pulled a knife.

The glowing eyes matched the color of the forest trees—a pale, unnatural glow.

Its body resembled a massive, toothless fish.

The scales barely stood out in the red water—only their faint shimmer gave the creature away.

Twelve fins spun around its body like clock hands, propelling it forward.

It opened its mouth again—ready to devour him next.

But fate had other plans.

Something even larger pierced the water—a pelican-like beak, swallowing both the monster and Ashfall in one brutal snap.

"Ironic..." Ashfall thought, as the enormous beak closed around him.

A horrible scream echoed—a sound like the one back in the settlement.

Even from afar, the cry of the Majestic One cut through the storm.

Its shadow loomed over the ocean like a mountain.

It flew off, leaving behind only chaos—and a single, massive feather floating on the water like an island.