Voyage Of The Villainess

Another hour passed and finally, everything became calm now from the waves to the rain. Rhyme sat down on the ground, and if one could imagine it was like his soul was already leaving his body. He never felt this tired before, both in body and mind.

While he was lying on the ground. The two girls were still continuing their game. 

"How can you win continuously?!" Iris screamed. "I can't accept this!"

Malaya simply grinned at her. "You already have many punishment points with me. I wonder how I will use that?" 

"Arghh," Iris said. "I'm still not giving up! Another round! Let's play another round!"

"You have been telling me that, and you still not win," Malaya said with a grin on her face. 

"This is the last one!" Iris urged more.

"You already said that as well, and still not win," Malaya said trying to stop herself from laughing.

But before Iris could retort more, Lila called out to them. "Malaya, Iris!" 

"Lila," Malaya walked past Iris. "How's the third deck?" 

"There is some kind of metal that pierced through it. Now that the storm has calmed down, Rein with the help of Kayden is trying to remove now the object."

"I see, I will check it out later.  For now, I'm gonna rest here." That was when Malaya sat on a stool. Her clothes were all wet, but she didn't want to move right now. "Tell the others to rest as well after the problem in the third deck was solved." 

"Yes!" Lila said as she ran back inside the cabin.

"Hah," Malaya released a deep breath as she gazed at her numb hands due to holding out to the rope too much. 

"Let's play one more round," Iris said tiredly as she lay beside Rhyme. "I can't accept to be defeated like this easily."

"Let's just postpone it for now," Malaya said. "We should rest for now. We are still not completely crossed the Eternal Storm yet." 

"Hah," Iris sighed tiredly. "So we are currently in the Eye of that Storm. Just thinking that we need to cross the other side of that storm, I don't know if I can still survive another one yet."

"So you still cared about your life?" Iris was surprised when Rhyme suddenly spoke out of the blue. Then he suddenly stood up. "You two!" Both Iris and Malaya suddenly straightened their backs when Rhyme suddenly spoke like someone in the military.

"Are you both insane! How can you play a game when we are crossing that strong waves?!" Rhyme finally let out all his pent-up agony. "You should think more of the severity of the situation. Do you think this all a joke to you?!"

"No," Iris answered.

"No! That's right it's a no! So when we cross the other side of the storm, take this more seriously! I don't want both of you to play or think of any crazy things!"

'How scary.' Iris thought.

'How can he still have so much energy to reprimand us?' Malaya thought.

And when Rhyme's reprimanding already ended up now for almost twenty minutes now. Both Malaya and Iris had one thing in their mind right now. 'Rhyme is much scarier when he is angry.'

'What kind of punishment is this? Even though I'm the one who wins the game.' Malaya thought as they continued to listen to Rhyme's sermon. 'Even Rein would not sermon me like this for too long.' She wanted to release a deep sigh, but if she do that, Rhyme might even get angrier at them.

After another ten more minutes...

"Do you both understand?" Rhyme said.

"Yes," Malaya and Iris nodded their heads. 

'It's finally done.' Malaya and Iris sighed in relief in their minds.

At the exact time, Dorris and Hyun Jae went out carrying a tray of foods with them.

"Everyone, you must eat now. To have more energy later." Hyun Jae said with a smile on her face. 

"Hyun Jae!" Both Malaya and Iris ran towards her. Then picked the sandwiches in the tray and started devouring them. Rhyme just shook his head and tirelessly walked towards them. He also picked another sandwich and slowly ate it.

While eating, Malaya noticed that Hyun Jae and Lila were not eating. 

"Both of you must eat as well," Malaya said as she reached two sandwiches to them.

"It's alright," Lila said refusing the sandwich that Malaya handed to her. 

"We have already eaten inside, all of that is for you three to eat." Hyun Jae said.

"Oh...k." Malaya retracted the sandwich back to the tray. "How are the repairs in the third deck?" 

"It is almost done." Hyun Jae said. "Kayden and Rein are almost done with it."

"I see." After eating the third sandwich and drinking water Malaya stood up. "Thank you for the food." She stretched out her numb body then look at the horizon behind her.

"Once we cross that, we will be able to reach the last stage of the Red Current now." She said which made everyone look at the place she was looking out.

"I wonder," Malaya continued to speak. "Whether will it be really the end of the world? Or a new path that will lead us to the new world we are seeking?"

"If it's the end of the world, then it will be the end of our journey," Iris said. Making everyone look at her with surprise.

"End of our journey?" Lila asked.

"Yes, she's right." Malaya was the one who answered. "If it's really the end of the world, then it will really be the end of our journey. Since our main goal is to see if there is a world that lies beyond the red current. But if there is none, then we have no choice but to go back."

"Go back?" Hyun Jae looked dejected, the same with Lila.

"That is why let's hope that there is really a world out there.." Malaya smiled faintly as she glanced ahead to the last hurdle they needed to cross for the second stage.