Chapter 68 – So close yet so far

The harbor lights were right there. Tauntingly close. Bastian's eyes stayed fixed on them as the yacht hurtled toward the gate, engines straining. Wyatt had done his part—gates were open, the path clear. But the demons were closing in fast. Too fast.

"Keep pushing!" Bastian growled through clenched teeth, his hands white-knuckling the wheel. The engines screamed, overworked, but they weren't stopping now.

Anastasia and Matt stood at the edge of the deck, their weapons raised, bodies tense, sweat dripping down their faces as they fired at the demons. Another speedboat swerved in from the right, a demon with fiery red eyes grinning from behind the wheel. He was close—too close.

"I've got him!" Anastasia shouted, her breath shallow, pulling the trigger. The demon jerked as the bullet struck him, but he didn't fall. His boat rocked but didn't slow down. He was persistent, snarling as if that shot had only pissed him off.

"Anastasia!" Matt's voice was sharp, and in the next moment, he fired his weapon. The second bullet hit true, slamming into the demon's chest. The creature let out a scream, toppling into the water as his speedboat spiraled out of control, smashing into another one of its kind. A violent explosion lit up the night sky as both boats erupted into flames, sending debris raining down.

But there was no time to celebrate. Another demon-filled speedboat roared toward them, even closer than the last. The waves seemed to part for the demons, their eerie red eyes glowing brighter as they surged forward, intent on tearing them apart.

"Get ready!" Bastian shouted, his voice carrying over the chaos. They were seconds away from reaching the harbor, but those seconds felt like an eternity.

Anastasia's heart pounded in her chest, her fingers trembling as she took aim again. The harbor lights flickered in the distance, promising safety, but the demons wouldn't let them reach it so easily. Another speedboat came in hard from the left, spraying water over the deck.

Matt fired again, hitting the driver in the shoulder. The demon howled in rage, but his grip on the wheel faltered. The boat veered off course, slamming into the rocks near the harbor entrance. The impact was brutal, sending the demon flying into the jagged stones below, his screams quickly swallowed by the roar of the ocean.

"Almost there!" Bastian's voice rang out, his eyes focused, determined. But Anastasia could see it—the strain in his jaw, the slight tremble in his hands. Even Bastian, with all his training, wasn't sure if they'd make it.

Suddenly, a massive wave slammed into the yacht, tilting it violently to the side. Anastasia lost her footing, her body crashing against the railing as she fought to stay upright. Her weapon clattered to the deck, just out of reach. She gasped, pain shooting through her ribs as she scrambled to grab it, her fingers brushing the cold metal just as another wave hit.

"Anastasia!" Bastian's voice was sharp, filled with alarm, but she couldn't respond. Her vision blurred for a second as she struggled to pull herself up, her body screaming in protest.

"Hold on!" Matt shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her up just as another wave threatened to knock her overboard.

She barely had time to thank him before the next attack came. This time, it wasn't a speedboat. It was worse.

From the water, something massive began to rise. The sea bubbled and churned as a hulking figure, much larger than any demon they had faced before, emerged from the depths. Its eyes were molten red, its skin dark and scaly, dripping with seawater as it towered over them.

"Oh, hell no," Matt muttered, his voice shaky as he stared at the creature in disbelief.

Anastasia's breath caught in her throat. This wasn't like the other demons. It was something else, something ancient and terrifying, something they weren't prepared for.

"What the hell is that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the roar of the waves.

Bastian didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the creature, his face pale, his knuckles white on the wheel. This wasn't part of the plan. This was something far worse.

The creature let out a deafening roar, the sound reverberating through the air like thunder. It reached out a massive, clawed hand toward the yacht, its fingers curling around the side of the boat with terrifying strength. The metal groaned in protest, the entire yacht shuddering under its grip.

"Bastian!" Anastasia screamed, her heart pounding in her ears. "Do something!"

He was already moving, his body a blur as he reached for a hidden panel near the controls. His hand slammed down on a switch, and suddenly the yacht lurched forward, the engines roaring to life with renewed power. But the creature wasn't letting go.

"Get ready!" Bastian shouted again, his voice hoarse. "This is going to get rough!"

The yacht surged forward, but the creature held on, dragging them back with terrifying ease. Anastasia felt the boat tilt dangerously, water rushing over the sides as the demon beast tried to pull them under. The crew below deck screamed as the water poured in, their panic palpable.

"We're not going to make it!" Matt yelled, firing his weapon uselessly at the creature's hand. The bullets bounced off its thick, scaly skin, doing nothing but angering it further.

The creature roared again, its other hand reaching for them now. Anastasia's heart hammered in her chest as she raised her weapon, aiming for its eyes. She fired, the shot ringing out over the chaos.

The bullet hit its mark.

The creature let out a screech of pain, its grip on the yacht loosening just enough for them to lurch forward. But it wasn't enough. They were still caught in its grasp, the harbor lights so close, yet impossibly far away.

"We're not going to make it," Matt repeated, his voice hollow.

But Bastian wasn't giving up. His eyes blazed with determination as he pushed the throttle even harder, the yacht's engine screaming in protest. "Hold on!" he shouted, his voice raw with desperation.

And then—without warning—the creature let go.

The yacht shot forward, free from the beast's grasp. For a moment, everything seemed to slow down. Anastasia's breath caught in her throat as they hurtled toward the harbor gates, the creature's roars fading into the distance.

But just as they thought they were safe, something slammed into the side of the yacht, sending them spinning out of control.

Anastasia gasped as this time, she was thrown overboard, her head slamming against the railing as she fell into the water. The world spun around her, the sound of water rushing in filling her ears.

And then—darkness.