By G.R.I.M. - Great Realities In Myths
Kael Vance is the main character of this story. He was on a ship and was wandering around the ship, passing the time as he sought a new opportunity to make more money. He looked up at the clouds, enjoying the sunny weather. "Ah, it sure is nice today," he said to himself. Suddenly, an old man approached him.
"So, what brings you here?" the old man asked.
Kael replied, "Oh, I'm on this ship to make more money. I struggled in my previous situation, and it's hard to make ends meet in this world."
The old man sighed. "I understand. Since my beloved wife died, I haven't been the same. I wanted to explore the world for her because she loved to travel. I was taking care of her when she fell ill, but she ultimately lost her battle with cancer a year ago."
Kael nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry for your loss. That must be really difficult."
The old man waved his hand dismissively. "It's the way of life; things like this happen. But as time passes, I realize that if she were here, she'd want me to be strong. Her dreams have become my dreams."
"I'm glad you found the strength to keep going," Kael replied.
The old man chuckled softly. "Sorry, I haven't even introduced myself! I got lost in my story. My name is William Markwell."
"Nice to meet you, William. I'm Kael Vance. I'm looking forward to our trip," Kael said with a smile.
"Me too," William responded. "I'll take my leave now. It was nice chatting with you, kiddo."
Kael waved farewell as William walked away. A few hours later, the ship began to shake violently. Kael jumped up, startled. "What the hell is happening?" He rushed to a window and looked outside, seeing dark clouds forming and lightning flashing. "But the sky was clear... this doesn't make sense."
Fear gripped his spine as he dashed outside to see chaos on deck. Flames engulfed parts of the ship, and other passengers were frantically trying to extinguish the fire with buckets of water. Kael joined the struggle, spotting William rushing toward him.
"What's happening?" Kael shouted, panic evident in his voice.
"Out of nowhere, it started thundering, then lightning struck the ship!" William explained. "We need to help the captain; he's trapped inside!"
Kael nodded, determination rising within him. They worked tirelessly, but the flames were too intense, and all hope seemed lost. A civilian shouted, "Hey, let him go! Leave him; we need to escape in the royal rowboat!"
Another civilian chimed in, "We can't help him! We've tried everything!"
"All of you are cowards!" Kael retorted angrily. William looked at him, sensing the rising tension.
"I'll help you, Kael," William said firmly. "We can't just leave him behind." The other civilians looked on in shock.
One of them sneered, "So be it. If you want to die, that's your choice. We need to go now!"
Kael, fueled by frustration, rushed to free the captain, but the flames were too fierce. William joined him, dousing the fire with another bucket of water.
"Why didn't you leave?" Kael asked, exasperated.
William looked him in the eye. "My wife always helped others in need. I can't stand by while this happens. If I die here, at least I die a hero."
"Thank you," Kael said, touched by his resolve.
"No need to thank me; I'm glad to help," William replied.
Minutes passed, and eventually, they managed to extinguish the flames and clear the rubble. Kael spotted the captain lying unconscious on the floor. "Over here! I found him!" he shouted, rushing to the captain's side.
"Hey, sir! Wake up, please!" Kael pleaded, shaking him slightly. William checked for a pulse and nodded.
"He's okay; he's just unconscious. We need to get him to the lifeboat!"
They scrambled to the last remaining boat, but it only had two seats. William glanced at Kael. "You go without me. I'm dead weight, and there are only two seats."
Kael looked at him, tears forming in his eyes. "No! I can't leave you. We can make it work!"
"You can't! It'll be too much weight; it's only designed for two people," William insisted.
Kael cried, heartbreak washing over him as he and William lowered the boat onto the ocean. Suddenly, he had a realization regarding William's dream. In that moment, he pushed William onto the boat with the captain.
"Kael, why? I wanted you to go! I'm too old; I can't let someone like you die here!" William exclaimed, shocked.
Kael shook his head fiercely. "You're a hero, William. You deserve to live."
And with that, the storm raged on as Kael took a deep breath, ready to face whatever came next.