The world dissolved into a cacophony of sirens, screams, and the hungry, roaring sound of fire. Sera's terrified cries were swallowed by the chaos as Kaelen sprinted up the gangplank, the heat of the burning ship a physical blow against her face. She was no longer a CEO, no longer a lover, no longer a pawn in a novel. She was a predator, and her only prey was the child trapped somewhere in this floating hell.
The moment she set foot on the deck of the Argent Moon, the sheer, overwhelming violence of the scene hit her. Panicked guests, their gala finery singed and torn, shoved past her, desperate to escape. Alarms blared a relentless, piercing shriek. The air was a thick, choking soup of smoke and burning chemicals that clawed at her lungs.
[SYSTEM WARNING: You have entered a high threat environmental hazard zone. Structural integrity of vessel is compromised. Life signs critical. Survival probability: 34%.]
Kaelen ignored it. Her first move was pure instinct. She grabbed a champagne bucket from a deserted, overturned table, dumping the ice and soaking her expensive tuxedo coat in the dregs of melted water and champagne. She tore it from her body and used the wet fabric to cover her nose and mouth, the acrid smell of alcohol a sharp, grounding sensation against the choking smoke.
She had one destination: the arcade. Lilith's terrified face was seared into her mind. Kaelen plunged into a smoke filled corridor, her eyes stinging, every breath a battle. The heat was immense, the walls themselves seeming to sweat. A sudden, violent burst of flame erupted from a doorway to her left, the superheated air licking at her exposed arm. She cried out, smothering the flames against the wall, but a angry red patch of burns blossomed on her skin, the pain sharp and immediate.
She pushed on, adrenaline overriding the pain. She was moving faster now, her long legs eating up the distance, when the ceiling above her groaned, a terrible sound of tortured metal. She didn't have time to react. A heavy, burning section of the ceiling panel hit her shoulder, sending her crashing to the floor. A starburst of agony exploded from her shoulder down to her leg, and when she scrambled back to her feet, a sharp, debilitating limp was added to her injuries.
Finally, she burst through a set of double doors and into the arcade. The room was a wreck, the flashing lights of the games now a grotesque, silent disco against the swirling smoke. And then she saw her. Huddled under a racing game console, a small, trembling ball in an blue dress.
Iris.
"Iris!" Kaelen's voice was a ragged, smoke torn croak. "It's me. It's Auntie Kae. I'm here. I've got you."
The little girl looked up, her face streaked with tears and soot, and a wave of pure, desperate relief washed over her. Kaelen limped to her side, her eyes scanning the room. A red emergency locker stood against the far wall. She kicked the door in, the metal groaning in protest, and found a stack of life jackets.
Her hands were clumsy, her burned arm screaming in protest, but she managed to get one of the bulky jackets onto Iris, pulling the straps tight. "You're going to be a brave little sailor now," she said, her voice a forced, calm whisper. She secured a second jacket around herself. She looked down at the terrified child and softened her voice. "I need you to relax and hold on to me as tight as you can. We're going to get out of here. Can you do that?"
Iris gave a single, terrified nod.
Kaelen scooped her up, a fresh wave of agony shooting through her injured shoulder and leg. She ignored it, carrying Iris through the maze of ruined arcade machines. The way she had come was now blocked by a wall of fire. She found a service corridor, plunging deeper into the wounded ship, searching for any way out.
They emerged onto a lower, exterior deck. The cool, salt laced air was a blessing. Below them was the churning, dark water. It was their only escape. As Kaelen limped to the edge of the ship, ready to jump, a deafening, groaning shriek echoed from above. A massive, burning piece of the upper deck's superstructure had broken free and was plummeting directly towards them.
There was no time.
In a single, heart shattering moment of pure instinct, she pushed Iris with all her might. "I'm right behind you!" she screamed, shoving the child over the railing and into the relative safety of the water, hoping Iris will float.
A split second later, the world exploded in pain. The fiery debris crashed down, missing her torso but slamming into her leg, crushing her foot against the deck's railing. She groaned, a raw, animal sound, as the pain, white hot and absolute, threatened to pull her into unconsciousness.
Through a haze of agony, she looked over the edge and saw Iris bob to the surface, her orange life jacket a beacon in the darkness. She was alive.
[USER STATUS: CRITICAL. Multiple traumas detected. Leg injury severe. Smoke inhalation critical. Probability of survival dropping rapidly. Immediate extraction required.]
The fire was closing in, the heat at her back unbearable. With the last dregs of her strength, she tried to crawl, dragging her mangled foot behind her. She reached the edge, the metal hot beneath her burned hands, and with a final, desperate push, threw herself into the water.
The cold shock was a momentary mercy before the darkness rushed in to claim her.