Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Wedding Cruise

Zack glanced at his partner, Jason, as they stood together on the deck of the luxury cruise ship. The shimmering lights of the city slowly faded into the distance as the ship began its slow, rhythmic journey into the open water. Jason had been Zack's partner for the past five years—through thick and thin, through cases that stretched the limits of the law and sanity alike. And now, he was about to marry the woman he had been with for just as long.

The wedding had been a dream for Jason—his fiancée, Kate, had planned every detail down to the last flower petal. They'd agreed to make it an intimate affair with just close friends, but the setting of the event was anything but simple: a cruise ship off the coast, the ceremony happening under the stars. It was all too perfect, too pristine, too... normal.

For Zack, it was a rare opportunity to experience something that didn't involve chasing criminals or solving mysteries. It was a breath of fresh air, a night of celebration, and he wanted nothing more than for Jason to have the perfect night. He could see how happy Jason was, how excited he was to begin a new chapter of his life. But Zack couldn't shake the nagging feeling at the back of his mind—the same unease that had been growing ever since they had boarded the ship.

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The atmosphere on the ship was light, with guests laughing and toasting as the wedding ceremony commenced. As Jason stood at the altar, his eyes shining with excitement, Zack stood off to the side, surveying the crowd. The ocean breeze ruffled his hair, but his attention wasn't entirely on the ceremony. He couldn't ignore the strange feeling that the night held something more than what it seemed.

As the vows were exchanged, Zack's gaze drifted over the horizon, where dark clouds began to gather in the distance. At first, he thought it was just the storm season coming early, but as the wind began to pick up and the temperature dropped, the air around him felt... wrong. It felt as if something was waiting.

Zack quickly shook off the feeling. Jason deserved to have this day, free of the darkness that had clouded his life for too long. The boat rocked gently as the reception began, and the guests slowly moved to the main hall for the party. Laughter and music echoed throughout the ship, but Zack found it hard to relax. His mind kept drifting back to the strange events that had been happening on land—disappearances, strange noises, the feeling that something was lurking just out of sight.

He couldn't shake the thought that whatever was happening was bigger than just a series of random attacks. There was something... methodical about it. But for tonight, Zack tried to push it aside, knowing his friend needed him.

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As the night went on, the festivities grew louder. The guests danced, drank, and celebrated beneath a sky full of stars. But it didn't take long before the first strange event began to unfold.

Zack was halfway through a conversation with a guest when a sudden, deafening bang shattered the atmosphere. It was a sound so loud, so jarring, that everyone stopped in their tracks, eyes wide with shock. The music stuttered to a halt, and the chatter fell silent. The ship rocked slightly with the force of the noise, and Zack's heart skipped a beat. It wasn't thunder. It wasn't a malfunction. It was something else.

Zack's instincts kicked in, and he scanned the area, trying to locate the source of the disturbance. Another bang echoed from below deck, followed by what sounded like a screeching metal noise, as if something was being dragged across the floor.

Before Zack could react, a chilling scream pierced the night. It came from the upper deck, and it was sharp, almost human—but not quite. The sound had a strange quality to it, almost as if it was a warning.

Without thinking, Zack dashed toward the sound, pushing past the guests who were now murmuring in confusion. He could feel the panic starting to build, the tension in the air thickening with every passing second. Whatever was happening, it wasn't a coincidence.

As he reached the stairs leading to the upper deck, he caught sight of Jason and Kate, who had already begun to head toward the noise. Kate's face was pale, her eyes wide with fear. Jason, normally the one to keep his composure, was visibly shaken, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Zack! What's going on?" Jason called, his voice laced with anxiety.

"I don't know, but stay close," Zack replied, his voice calm but urgent. "Keep everyone in the ballroom. There's something wrong."

Jason nodded, gripping Kate's hand tightly as they hurried into the hallway, leaving Zack to investigate further. Zack's heart raced in his chest as he ascended to the top deck, where the source of the noise seemed to be coming from. His pulse quickened, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. The ship's lights flickered for a moment, casting eerie shadows across the deck.

That's when he saw it.

A strange, pulsating energy surrounded the ship, swirling like a storm. Zack could feel it in the air—a pressure that made his stomach tighten and his limbs feel heavy. Something was lurking in the darkness, something hungry. Something that had followed them here.

The sounds grew louder, more intense. Zack heard the distinct sound of something scraping across metal, followed by the shrill sound of the ship's alarm blaring through the intercom. He turned toward the railing, where he saw movement in the water below—a shadow too large to be natural, too fast to be any ship or sea creature Zack had ever encountered.

Zack's eyes widened as the shadow rose from the depths, its shape impossible to describe. It was like a mass of black, shifting energy, the likes of which Zack had never seen. It towered, a dark silhouette against the moonlit sky, and it seemed to pulse with a life of its own.

Before Zack could react, the shadow surged upward, rising out of the water and onto the ship with an unnatural speed. It wasn't a creature; it was something more. It was pure fear made flesh.

Zack took a step back, instinctively reaching for his gun, but as he did, he realized something horrifying: the creature was everywhere—its presence covered the ship, surrounding them all. It was hunting, feeding on the fear of everyone aboard.

A scream broke through the air as a woman was dragged into the darkness by the creature, her form vanishing into the blackness before anyone could reach her. Another guest tried to flee, but their screams were quickly cut off.

Zack's mind raced as he tried to think of a way to fight back, but the creature was too fast. He aimed his gun at the shadow, firing a quick series of shots, but they had no effect. Each bullet hit the creature, but it was as though it was absorbed, as if the thing was shielded by some invisible force.

The ship's alarms screamed, and panic spread through the guests as more of them were snatched away by the creature. Zack could hear Jason and Kate's voices, but it was impossible to see through the chaos. People were running in every direction, only to vanish into the shadows.

And then, with a final deafening roar, the creature vanished into the night, leaving behind only the terrified screams of the remaining passengers and crew. The ship was in chaos, and Zack realized with a sinking feeling that they were all trapped in the dark.