01. Stormy Night

The storm that night was terrifying for everyone out at sea, including Theodor and his dad, Carl.

 

"Pull up the nets! Don't let the waves cut them loose and take the fish we've caught tonight! Secure the anchor and use all your strength!" Carl yelled amid the rain and flashes of lightning, accompanied by the roar of waves that seemed like they would crush their boat in one sweep.

 

Some crew were busy pulling the sails, balancing the wind direction and the boat's tilt. At the same time, Carl—the captain and owner of the ship—kept giving orders, shouting like a madman to keep the crew safe and bring home the fish they'd caught that night amid a storm that seemed eager to swallow them to the depths of the ocean.

 

But when Theo tried to haul in the net full of fish, he ran into trouble. The chain binding the net got snagged on something, making their boat even more unstable. Despite his attempts, Theo couldn't fix the chain's position.

 

Theo had no choice but to report it to his dad. "Dad, the net chain is stuck! I can't pull it!"

 

Theodor yelled because he ended up with a jam when he dropped the anchor. The anchor chain got tangled, and the net remained beside the boat. He and two other crew members struggled, especially since his dad didn't want to let go of the fish.

 

"Fuck!" Carl cursed.

 

Amid the chaos, Carl determined not to lose the fish they'd caught, moved toward Theo, helping him untangle the net from the anchor chain. He clung to the side of the boat, battered by rain and flashes of lightning, with waves that seemed relentless in their attempt to smash their boat.

 

Theo shouted, trying to stop his dad's reckless actions, but Carl's grip weakened, and he slipped, falling into the sea amid the panicked screams of the crew.

 

"No! Dad!"

 

"Carl!"

 

Shouts and screams echoed amid the storm's roar. Everyone was hysterical; those working immediately abandoned their tasks to rush to Theo, who was about to jump in to save his dad.

 

"No! Don't be reckless!" a crew member restrained Theo from doing something foolish.

 

"But my dad fell in! Are you crazy, stopping me from saving him?"

 

Theo kept yelling, struggling to break free to save his dad from drowning. Yet the crew held him back, preventing him from jumping into the raging sea.

 

In the middle of the chaos above, below, among the rolling waves, Carl surfaced several times, waving for help. Seeing this, the crew quickly lowered ropes and buoys for him to grab, but the fierce wind and high waves pushed Carl under again.

 

The old man resigned himself. He wasn't sure he'd survive. His chest tightened as water filled his lungs. His body became uncontrollable. The violent sea made it impossible for Carl to balance himself and take a breath. He was convinced he would die that night.

 

His feet got tangled in his net. The strong waves made it impossible for Carl to free himself, and he drifted, battered by the waves, losing control.

 

In his resignation, Carl saw something glowing swimming toward him. It weaved gracefully under the water, with a blueish glow, looking beautiful. When it got closer, the creature's hand reached for Carl, but it wasn't like a human hand. Between its fingers were delicate webs, and its nails were long, like claws that seemed capable of tearing through anything. It cut the net, rope entangled around his leg.

 

Carl feared those sharp claws would rip him apart, too, but he was wrong. After cutting the net, the hand gently held Carl's body, its soft touch and embrace firm.

 

Carl could see the handsome face of the creature. Its long, silver hair flowed beautifully in the underwater currents. But its eyes were golden, glowing, gazing intently at Carl, who was almost unconscious from lack of air.

 

"Don't die. You can still get those fish as long as you stay alive." the creature said, carrying Carl away from the storm.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

"Can we keep going with Texas Hold 'em?" The guy asked, chin resting on his hand, confidence radiating as he shot a smile at Sieghal.

 

Sieghal's hands froze mid-motion as he arranged the cards on the table. As a dealer, he knew Texas Hold 'em was the most popular poker game, where players get two cards and must combine them with five community cards to make the best hand.

 

The man before him was a businessman and influential government figure—impressive that he had the cash to burn in this round.

 

"Do you want to increase the bet, Sir?" Sieghal responded thoughtfully, shuffling the cards before laying them out again.

 

"I've still got two million dollars in front of me, I think it's enough." the man grinned, pointing at his stack of chips, reminding everyone he could go another two or three hours.

 

"Alright, just a reminder: if a player folds, the winner takes the house cards. Players get two cards each, then three community cards are revealed in the center," Sieghal explained the rules before continuing the game.

 

Three cards were laid out on the table, visible to all players. These community cards were crucial for building winning hands with their pocket cards. For Sieghal, no matter how good the cards seemed, the players wouldn't know who'd play until the river or last card.

 

After dealing to the man, Sieghal peeked at his cards—two of spades and four of clubs—not exactly a lucky hand. He moved to reveal the flop, one of the community cards.

 

But just as he was about to, a fellow dealer tapped his shoulder, saying he'd take over.

 

"What's up?" he asked in a half-whisper.

 

"Important call for you seems the boss didn't want to wait," the sub-dealer said.

 

Sieghal frowned. The casino boss usually wouldn't be this considerate for a call. Was it urgent?

 

"Let me continue this, Sir," the sub-dealer told the player.

 

The player initially protested, wanting Sieghal to continue. He even slammed the table in frustration, refusing to switch dealers. But as security tensed up, he reluctantly gave in, letting the sub-dealer take over.

 

Apologizing, Sieghal quickly exited through the back, taking the long employee hallway to the locker room door at the end. He bypassed it, heading for the adjacent door to the main lobby where Vasco, the casino boss, waited. With a soft knock, he called out.

 

A voice inside asked who it was.

 

"It's me, Sieghal."

 

"Oh, come in!" Vasco commanded.

 

Sieghal entered to find Vasco smoking, and a misaligned phone beside him suggested someone was on the line.

 

"You called me?"

 

"Yeah, sure. There's a call for you."

 

"A call?" Sieghal frowned.

 

If it was for him, why hadn't they called his phone? Ah, it was in his locker while he worked. But why call Vasco's office?

 

Despite his doubts, Sieghal picked up the receiver. The voice on the other end was familiar.

 

"Yohan?" he guessed.

 

"Hey, are you busy?" asked the man Sieghal recognized as Yohan.

 

"I'm at work. Why are you calling here?"

 

"Sorry about that, but I hope you can come home."

 

Sieghal didn't respond immediately, just listening to Yohan's breathing. After a long silence, Yohan finally broke down and revealed why he called.

 

"Alright, okay! I called because your dad's in the hospital, and he's in pretty bad shape. I hope you can come home already."

 

Shocked, Sieghal hung up without a word. Cold sweat drenched his suddenly pale face. His body trembled, and before he knew it, his legs gave out, causing him to fall and panic Vasco.

 

"Hey! What's wrong with you? Sieghal, are you listening me?" Vasco tried to snap him out of his panic.

 

Despite his state, Sieghal tried to calm down, shaking his head as Vasco grew more concerned.

 

"I—I'm fine," he croaked, voice shaky.

 

"You sure? You look terrified."

 

"N—no! I'm okay, I just—no." Sieghal, still trying to steady his breathing, said, "Sorry, but I have to go—"

 

Sieghal left Vasco's office. As he exited, he stumbled, nearly bumping into VIP patrons. Someone helped him up, and after regaining his balance, Sieghal locked eyes with a familiar face—a pair of clear golden eyes and slicked-back hair.

 

The man looked sharp and very charming, dressed in an expensive suit. However, as their gazes met briefly, Sieghal appeared increasingly shocked. Then, that man turned around and disappeared into the crowd of casino visitors.

 

"No way...." He muttered in disbelief.

 

"What?"

 

Sieghal realized his words had just been heard, so he quickly stood up and apologized. "No—I'am sorry,"

 

After apologizing, Sieghal ran to the locker room but stopped when he saw the window overlooking the beach—a window he usually avoided but felt compelled to gaze through that night.

 

Through it, Sieghal watched lightning and thunder clash in the night sky. His fear worsened as he realized everything he saw came from the sea.