The whole day rushed by, and the sun had not yet fully set, but the dock was already crowded with people eagerly awaiting the annual fireworks display, which was to be held at sea. With only a few hours left before the show began, Haru and his crew were frantically arranging the remaining explosives inside the ship.
"Hurry up! Only thirty minutes left!"
Haru was about to stack a few more boxes into the storage area beneath the ship's upper deck. Mid-movement, there's a sudden, frigid air that sweeps over him, making him shiver. A strange feeling of dread immediately clenched his chest.
Maybe I'm just imagining things.
Haru noticed the storage door was ajar. Assuming the cold air was entering from there, he immediately pulled it shut.
Haru resumed his work after closing the door. Unbeknownst to the young man, one of his colleagues, carrying a can of gasoline, passed by the storage area and saw the door unlocked. Without checking if anyone was inside, the man used his foot to kick the door fully open, wedging it.
The man set the gas container next to the door to place his own belongings on a high shelf. Just then, a strong wind hit the vessel, causing the ship to suddenly rock and swing to the right. The movement toppled the container, and its contents quickly spilled across the deck. Fire spread instantly, fueled by the spreading liquid. It was too late for the man to notice; the flames had already engulfed the door to the excess fireworks storage—the very room where Haru was.
"FIRE!"
The man immediately ran out to alert his colleagues, who were unaware of the disaster unfolding below.
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"Where is my brother? He should have been here a while ago," the young girl Yufa worried aloud to her friend Lumier.
They had been waiting at the dock for about half an hour, expecting Haru to arrive. But the designated meeting time had long passed, and he was nowhere in sight.
"Maybe he's still busy. He'll definitely come, don't worry," Lumier reassured Yufa, who was still waiting patiently. Lumier remained positive that Haru would show; he was just delayed by work, she thought.
"I'm so excited to watch the fireworks with my brother! I hope he's here soon!"
Lumier scanned the growing crowds, hoping to catch sight of her best friend, who was still frustratingly late.
What they didn't know was that Haru was now in imminent danger. He still hadn't realized the fire had spread outside the storage room. He only noticed that the air was getting uncomfortably hot, so he approached the door to open it. However, the moment he touched the iron door handle, a searing pain shot up his arm.
"Ah!"
Burned, Haru instantly knew something was terribly wrong. He quickly grabbed a rag, wrapped it around his hand, and tried to force the door open again. To his shock, the door wouldn't budge.
W-what...happened?
Then he noticed thick black smoke seeping in through the cracks around the frame. The temperature was soaring, and some of the unsecured supplies around him were beginning to smolder.
Wait, what is going on?!
-------
"FIRE! FIRE!"
One of the ship's crew members sounded the fire alarm. Their supervisor immediately rushed over and demanded, "W-what's going on?!"
"There's a fire in the basement! In the fireworks storage!"
After hearing the report, the supervisor immediately descended to the lower deck. There, he saw that the fire had rapidly spread to the storage area. He immediately ordered a swift and full evacuation of the ship.
"Get the people out, quickly!"
The crew was instantly informed of the catastrophe. Given that they were several kilometers offshore, everyone frantically sought their own way to escape. The danger was paramount: at any moment, the ship could explode due to the enormous volume of fireworks stored onboard.
------
------
"Hey, haven't they started yet? It's time for the display, huh?" murmured the disappointed crowd. Fifteen minutes had passed, and the sky remained stubbornly dark. Lumier's anxiety mounted, fueled by the absence of her best friend.
Haru is still not here. Where is he?
The girl noticed a commotion near the edge of the dock: police officers were gathering, indicating a problem. Moments later, the people saw a small boat rapidly approaching, loaded with some of the ship's crew. It was clearly a sign of trouble.
"There's a fire!" one of the passengers immediately shouted, even before the boat reached the dock. "There's a fire on the ship! The fireworks will explode at any moment!"
The news ignited immediate panic. Murmurs escalated into shouts, people began questioning one another, and many started backing away from the water's edge. Lumier, after hearing the terrifying news, immediately scanned the faces of the evacuees, desperately searching for Haru.
"I-I'm sorry. Is Haru Farell with you?" she stammered, grabbing the arm of a passing crew member.
"Sorry, young lady, he's not on our boat. Maybe he got on the next one," the man replied, rushing past.
Lumier clung to the hope that the young man was on the next rescue vessel.
Haru...
Seeing her tense face, Yufa started to fret. "Is there…a problem, Lumier?"
Lumier took Yufa's hand, gripping it tightly. "Don't worry, everything will be fine," she managed, though her voice shook.
"What's going on? Why are they causing a commotion?"
Lumier struggled to find the right words, desperate to shield Yufa from the fear. She inhaled sharply.
"Yufa…the ship where your brother is working…It's on fire."
"W-what?!" The girl's eyes widened as the realization crashed down on her. "I-it's on fire?!"
Perhaps it was her overwhelming worry that drove Yufa to try and leave without a word, intent on finding her brother herself. Fortunately, Lumier immediately stopped her and struggled to calm her down.
"Calm down, Yufa! Stay here, please!"
"No!" Yufa fought against Lumier's grasp. "The ship is burning, and my brother is still there!"
"He'll be back! He promised!" That was all Lumier could offer the distraught girl. "Your brother promised he would. We have to trust him."
Yufa couldn't stop her tears and immediately hugged Lumier for comfort. Lumier returned the tight embrace, but her own worry was a deep, churning ache. She prayed desperately for her best friend's safety.
Oh...God, please don't let anything bad happen to Haru!
Suddenly, a voice spoke from beside them.
"It's time…"
Lumier's eyes widened. She turned and saw a man wearing a black business suit while nibbling on a sweet apple candy.
"Oh, I'm so excited to see the fireworks!"
The man turned to the girls and gave them a wide, unsettling smile. Moments later, a loud explosion ripped through the air. It came from the burning ship. Fear instantly swept through the dock, but Lumier was focused only on her desperation. Haru had still not appeared among the few boats that had returned. Driven by fierce emotion and a desperate need to find him, she attempted to clamber over the safety fence to join the people heading toward the ship.
However, before she could swing her leg over, the man with the apple candy swiftly grabbed her arm.
"Ooops! Just a moment, young lady!" the man said, his grip firm. "Don't get too excited. It's not your time yet."
She froze, stunned by his strange statement.
It's not…time yet?
The man stared at her deeply, his gaze unnerving, which immediately stopped her from taking any dangerous steps.
Haru...
-----
Haru was now consumed by smoke.
Flames were licking the walls around Haru. Due to the thickening black smoke, the young man felt his breathing constrict, bringing on a severe wave of dizziness.
I-it's… so hot!
Weakness overwhelmed him, forcing him to sink to the floor until he completely collapsed, unable to get up. The suffocating heat steadily sapped his strength. He could no longer rise. He desperately yearned for fresh air, but there was none to be found. That was when his final thoughts turned to his sister, Yufa, his best friend, Lumier, and the happy memories he shared with the two most important people in his life.
Am I going to die?
It was a question he never thought he would have to ask himself.
I don't want to die yet! Not like this! No!
In the middle of his agony, he suddenly heard a voice—a familiar voice, yet he couldn't place where he had heard it before.
It's your time.
"My...time?"
To pay what you owe me...
"Debt?"
...your life.
And without a final warning, the entire ship detonated in a colossal explosion.
Yufa and Lumier's eyes were fixed on the terrifying sight: a blast of fire and smoke that consumed the entire vessel, claiming the lives of its fallen crew members, including Haru.
"N-no... this can't be, this can't be true..."
Yufa's legs gave out, and she collapsed, tears streaming from her eyes.
"Brother...Brother...My brother, BROTHER!"
Meanwhile, the man in the business suit casually flicked the stick from his finished apple candy into the sea.
"Looks like the show is over," he remarked.
His companion, the nun Miranda, approached him. "Are you done? Can we leave now?"
"Yes, we're done," the man replied with a grin. "Let's go back to the Sanctuary. I'm sure he's already there."
The man picked up his black briefcase and left the scene.