26. Small ship, big ship

"We're going too fast!" Victor's voice tore through the roaring winds, his words nearly lost in the chaos. His knuckles were white as he gripped the railing, his eyes darting between the trembling sails and the man at the helm. Ethan stood firm, his gaze locked on the horizon. The ship groaned under the strain, its wooden frame creaking as it surged forward, defying gravity itself.

"Ethan, we're dangerously close to the boundaries!" Victor's partner shouted, her voice tinged with both fear and awe. Around them, passengers clung desperately to ropes, railings, and anything bolted down, their faces pale but their eyes wide with a mix of terror and exhilaration. The air was thin and biting, each breath a struggle as the ship climbed higher and higher into the unknown.

Suddenly, they broke free of the dense, icy clouds, and an eerie silence fell over the deck. The world around them was stark and alien—a chilling expanse of endless white and shimmering frost. The sun hung low, casting long, golden rays that danced across the frozen atmosphere. The temperature plummeted, and frost began to creep along the edges of the ship's hull.

"Where is he taking us?!" someone demanded, their voice trembling with uncertainty. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, doubt creeping into their hearts. All eyes turned to Victor, who stood motionless, staring at Ethan's back.

Victor exhaled slowly, his breath visible in the frigid air. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice steady despite the storm of emotions swirling within him. "But until now, he has not disappointed us. Trust him." His words carried weight and one by one; the others nodded, their faith rekindled. They tightened their grips and braced themselves for whatever lay ahead.

"Brace yourselves!" Ethan's voice thundered across the deck, snapping everyone to attention. His tone was commanding, filled with both urgency and excitement. The passengers turned their gazes forward, and what they saw stole the breath from their lungs.

Before them stretched a vast, endless expanse of blue—a sky so deep and vibrant it seemed to pulse with life. But it wasn't just the sky. It moved. It churned. It shimmered like liquid sapphire under the sunlight.

"What the hell is that?!" someone gasped, their voice barely audible over the collective intake of breath.

"Is that… the ocean?" another whispered, their words laced with disbelief.

The ship hurtled toward the edge of the known world, where the heavens met the sea in a breathtaking collision of color and light. Waves of azure rolled and crashed against invisible barriers, sending sprays of mist cascading into the air. The boundary between sky and water blurred, creating a surreal, dreamlike vista that defied all logic.

Ethan's grin was wild, his eyes alight with a fire that matched the brilliance of the scene before them. "Hold on tight!" he bellowed, his voice carrying a thrill that sent shivers down their spines. "We're crossing over!"

The ship plunged forward, slicing through the barrier with a deafening roar. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. The world around them exploded into a kaleidoscope of colors—blues, golds, silvers—all swirling together in a dazzling display of raw, untamed beauty. The air crackled with energy, and the ship trembled as if alive, its sails glowing with an otherworldly light.

The world was revealing its secrets, peeling back layers of reality to show them something extraordinary. The ship began to rotate, caught in the gravitational dance of this new realm. They passed through the shimmering blue sphere, emerging high in the sky, suspended for a breathless moment before gravity reclaimed them, sending them plummeting toward a dark, mysterious ocean below.

Screams erupted from the passengers, a chorus of shock and awe as they realized what was happening. This was the transition—the moment they crossed realms. The blue surface had been a gateway, a portal to a pocket dimension that granted them passage to a new world.

"Welcome to the new world!" Ethan shouted, his voice filled with exhilaration. Since his return, he had never felt so alive, so electrified by the crossing to a new realm.

"There you are," Ethan murmured to himself, eyes fixed on the horizon. And then they all saw it—a colossal ship, majestic and imposing, sailing steadily across the vast ocean. Understanding dawned on the passengers, and they realized Ethan's true purpose for their reckless speed.

"It was to create momentum!" someone shouted, the realization sparking a wave of excitement among them.

"Go!" screamed the passengers, their voices merging into a single, urgent command. The ship surged forward, propelled by the momentum Ethan had so carefully orchestrated. It shot toward the giant vessel like a cannonball, slicing through the air with breathtaking speed.

"Why are we falling this fast?!" Screamed Ethan's younger self; their speed was abnormally fast; if they hit the surface of the ocean with such speed, they would be obliterated instantly.

"The Fairy's dust must have run out," said Ethan, "that fast?!" His younger soul shouted, Ethan nodded.

The normal journey was to go smoothly, their ship, if properly prepared, was to sail towards the sky, and pass the blue gate leading them to the next realm, from there, they should have descended towards the ocean before sailing forward towards their destination, but due to unforeseen factors, they had to rush things off, this ship was just a floating coffin, Ethan's objective was to catch up with those who stoled the giant ship, he hoped to meet them why exiting the gate.

"We are lucky, they aren't that far!" Shouted Ethan; he grinned as he looked at Victor, who felt a chilling fear in his spine, "Get ready to jump out at my command!" He shouted.

On the giant ship, someone saw the abnormal dot coming towards them, "heh, what's that?" He pointed, people started gathering, all observing it; that's when someone with good eyesight paled out.

"Fuck! They made it out!" He screamed, "Turn the ship, turn the ship!" He shouted towards the captain, who was the skinny man with the ugly face, the chaos bringer.

Looking up, the skinny man frowned, "Even if they succeed in hitting us, their ship won't damage my own ship," He said, turning the ship starboard to avoid a collision.

"That bastard," Said Ethan; he saw the ship turn right. However, this distance was perfect, so he immediately left everything and shot up toward the sky.

"Move! Move !" Shouted Victor, everybody leaving the ship in midair; this was a crazy action, as they all had to believe in their luck at this particular moment.

BOOM!

The impact caused a huge splash of water, affecting the giant ship; despite that, the giant ship had little to no damage, and the people ran towards the port side, only to see a hungry ocean swallowing what was left of the ship.

"Where are they?" Asked someone.

"Are you stupid? Can't you see they are dead..." Said another. Besides, nobody could survive such an impact.

Thud!

Someone at the back heard a sharp noise of shoes on wood, and soon, the sound multiplied...

Thud! Thud! Dam! Thud!

This attracted the attention of everybody on board, they saw figures shooting down from the sky towards their ship, and landing graciously, they understood what happened.

"They left the ship before it collided with the ocean!" Shouted someone with a pale expression, it was normal to be afraid, just from the expression of the people who landed, they knew they were in trouble, especially the old man, who kept on looking at the shirtless boy with numerous scars and a black right hand, Ethan looked up at the skinny man who did not stop trembling.

"Is good that you know fear, you would need it" Said Ethan as he walked towards him.