"I can't run from the role I was born to play…"
Amid the chaos, I heard Xavier mutter beside me.
I turned to look at him, and his face had once again gone blank — hollow, like a puppet resigned to fate.
Furious at how things were spiraling out of control once more, I grabbed his shoulder and forced him to face me. Then, without hesitation, I slapped him across the cheek. Hard.
"Shut up!"
Xavier flinched, as if awakening from a daze. His head snapped to the side, and for a moment, I saw the light return to his eyes.
"Your Highness…?"
"Snap out of it."
I gritted the words, trying not to sound too harsh. Taking hold of his wrist, I pulled him away from the ship's railing just as cannonballs exploded against the sea, threatening to drag him into the deep.
The situation was dire. But there was something critical, I couldn't feel the system interfering anymore.
That meant we still had a chance.
"Cease fire!" I shouted, running toward Xander at the helm.
