Chapter 8

Syn moved silently through the labyrinth of pipes and vents, his breath shallow, his movements deliberate.

He knew from the conversation he had with Vera that all the Kingdom's soldiers were locked somewhere down. He had to release them.

But first, he had to find them and then set them free. It was the only way to turn the tide against the pirates and reclaim control of the ship.

The journey through the ship's underbelly was grueling. He slid down narrow pipes, his hands gripping the cold metal as he descended into the darkness. He crawled through cramped ducts, the sharp edges scraping against his skin, leaving faint red marks. Every now and then, he paused to peek through vents, mapping out his path and avoiding the patrols that scoured the ship in search of him. The sound of boots pounding against the floorboards and the occasional bang on the ceiling above told him they were close—too close.

Finally, after what felt like hours, he reached the prison. He peered down through a vent, his heart sinking as he took in the scene below. The prison was heavily guarded, with armed pirates stationed at every corner. The Kingdom's soldiers were locked in multiple cells, their faces grim and their spirits broken. Syn's jaw tightened. Freeing them wouldn't be easy. He couldn't manually open each cell, there were too many; it would take too much time, and the guards would be on him before he could finish. No, he needed to find the control room.

Syn continued navigating through the vents, his movements slow and calculated to avoid making noise. The prison control room wasn't far, and when he finally found it, he peered through the vent to assess the situation. Three pirates were inside, their eyes glued to a wall of monitors displaying footage from the prison corridors. They were clearly part of the search team, scanning the cameras for any sign of him.

Syn took a deep breath, his fingers gripping the edges of the vent. He counted to three in his head, then kicked the vent open, dropping down into the room with a loud crash. The pirates spun around, their eyes wide with shock, but Syn was already moving. He lunged at the first one, driving his elbow into the man's stomach before grabbing his taser and jamming it into his side. The pirate crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

The second pirate reached for his weapon, but Syn was faster. He ducked under the man's arm and swept his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. A quick jab to the temple with the taser, and he was out cold. The third pirate managed to draw his gun, but Syn disarmed him with a swift kick, sending the weapon skidding across the floor. A final blow to the head, and the third pirate joined his comrades on the ground.

Syn stood in the center of the room, breathing heavily, his eyes scanning the control panel. There had to be a button here that could open all the cell doors at once. He stepped closer, his fingers hovering over the array of buttons labeled with cell numbers. He was about to press one when a sharp crack echoed through the room.

Pain exploded in his calf, and his leg gave out beneath him. Syn crumpled to the floor, clutching his leg as a warm, numb sensation spread through the wound. He looked down and saw the dart embedded in his flesh. A tranquilizer. His vision blurred, and his body felt heavy, but he fought to stay conscious. He couldn't afford to black out now.

The sound of footsteps approached, slow and deliberate. Syn forced himself to look up, his gaze traveling from a pair of toned, bare legs to the figure standing over him. The girl was dressed in revealing clothes—a tight, cropped top that left little to the imagination and shorts so short they barely covered her thighs. Her black hair was cut into a sharp bob, framing her face in a way that accentuated her sharp features. She held a gun in one hand, while the other rested casually on her hip.

"Hello, Syn. Long time no see," she said, her voice dripping with amusement. Her lips curled into a smirk as she looked down at him, her eyes glinting with a mix of mischief and something darker.

Syn's vision swam, but he recognized her instantly. "Pako?" he asked weakly. She had changed a lot too, just like the others.

"I'm glad you still remember me, Syn," Pako said, her voice dripping with a mix of amusement and something darker. She squatted in front of him, her revealing shorts riding up even further, exposing more of her toned thighs. Her smirk widened as she leaned in closer, her eyes locking onto his. "Will it be a sin to pin you here and let our passions mingle?" she asked, her tone lewd and teasing.

Syn groaned, his head still spinning from the tranquilizer. "Still the pervert you were," he mumbled, his words slurred but laced with disdain.

Pako's smirk faltered for a moment, "What?" she asked, tilting her head as if she hadn't heard him clearly.

"Shh… s.s.," Syn muttered incoherently, his voice barely audible.

"What?" Pako leaned in even closer, her face inches from his. The movement gave him an unavoidable view of her deep cleavage, but Syn's focus was elsewhere. His hand, trembling but determined, reached for one of the tasers lying on the floor beside him.

Before Pako could react, Syn jammed the taser into her shoulder. The crackle of electricity filled the room, and Pako's eyes widened in shock before she crumpled to the floor, unconscious. She landed beside Syn with a soft thud, her body limp.

Syn gritted his teeth, forcing himself to move despite the numbness in his leg. He pushed himself up, balancing on one leg as he leaned heavily against the wall for support. His vision swam, but he fought through the dizziness, hopping awkwardly toward the control panel. His finger hovered over the buttons, ready to release the Kingdom's soldiers from their cells.

But before he could press anything, a familiar voice cut through the tension like a knife.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Syn froze, his finger and inch away from the button. He turned his head slowly to see Vera leaning casually against the open doorway, her arms folded across her chest. Her expression was calm, almost amused, but there was a sharpness in her eyes that made Syn's stomach twist.

"That button will space the cells," Vera explained, her tone light, as if she were discussing the weather rather than condemning dozens of people to a horrific death.

Syn's blood ran cold. Space the cells. He knew what that meant. The cells would be ejected into the void of space, killing everyone inside instantly. He had almost done it—almost killed the very people he was trying to save.

"Sometimes it gets too crowded in here," Vera continued, stepping into the room with a casual grace. "And we have to make some free space."

Syn stepped away from the control panel, his heart pounding. He glanced down at Pako's unconscious form, then back at Vera, who was now crouching beside her. Vera poked Pako's leg experimentally, but there was no response. She sighed, shaking her head.

"Young and dumb," Vera muttered, more to herself than to Syn. "She has a lot of potential, but it's wasted on her… perversion for you."

Syn frowned, his brow furrowing. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice hoarse. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and a chill ran down his spine despite the warmth of the room.

Vera straightened, her lips curling into a sly smile. "You'll know when you see her room," she said cryptically. Before Syn could respond, soldiers began filing into the control room from behind Vera, their weapons drawn and aimed squarely at him. Syn's heart sank as he realized there was no way out.

One of the soldiers stepped forward, grabbing Syn's arms and locking them behind his back with a pair of heavy cuffs. Syn didn't resist. He was too exhausted, too overwhelmed to fight back. The soldiers escorted him out of the control room, their grip firm and unyielding.

Vera led the way, her steps unhurried, as if she were taking a leisurely stroll rather than marching a prisoner to his cell. They reached her bedroom—or rather, Syn's prison—and the soldiers shoved him inside. The force field reactivated with a low hum, this time covering him from all directions: top, bottom, and everywhere in between. There was no escape now.

Syn stood in the center of the room, his shoulders slumped, his mind racing. He had come so close—so close to freeing the Kingdom's soldiers, to turning the tide. But now, he was back where he started, trapped and powerless.

Vera stood outside the force field, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. "Welcome back," she said, her voice soft but laced with a hint of mockery. "I hope you enjoyed your little adventure."

Syn didn't respond. He couldn't. His thoughts were a whirlwind of frustration, guilt, and fear. He had failed. Again.

Vera turned to leave, but paused at the doorway, glancing over her shoulder. "Oh, and Syn?" she said, her tone light but carrying an edge of warning. "Don't try anything like that again. Next time, I might not be so forgiving."

With that, she was gone, leaving Syn alone in the suffocating silence of his prison. The force field hummed ominously, a constant reminder of his captivity. Syn sank to the floor, his head in his hands, and let out a long, shuddering breath.

He was trapped. Again. And this time, there was no way out.