“Cancel the wind indicator.”
“Turn off the lights.”
“Lower all functions to the minimum.”
A series of reports echoed through the cabin, and Michael’s face darkened even more. He looked out at the vast, endless sea.
The sky had dimmed to an eerie dusk-like shade, with gray clouds and rain starting to fall, pelting against the ship. The swirling vortex had begun to pull in the seawater and everything close by. They were getting dangerously near.
The sea had turned pitch black. What had once been deep blue was now a dark, inky shade, swirling into a massive whirlpool that surged forward in relentless waves. Each wave crashed and roared like a stampede of wild horses, a raging river rushing into the unknown.
The roar was deafening, the wind howling like thunder, and the sound of heavy rain beating against the ship added to the chaos. The whole scene felt like the world was spinning out of control, like they were plunging into the heart of a storm-wild, furious, and barreling straight toward oblivion.
“We’re about thirty miles away from the vortex,” Bill said, eyes glued to the screen as he calculated the speed of the current. Nearly every auxiliary function had been dialed down to the bare minimum, allowing only for rough calculations and preparations.
With the ship turned around and its speed reduced, the warship that once held steady was now hurtling forward, drawn by the vortex’s power. The view outside was terrifying, enough to make anyone’s heart pound.
“Mr. Ryan, you…” Michael’s expression had gone beyond serious-what was this suicidal move supposed to accomplish? And why did Ryan’s crew follow without a hint of doubt or hesitation? What was he doing?
“Mr. Michael, stop interrupting. Sit down and secure yourself,” came a cold voice from behind him, cutting him off.
Michael turned to see that Ryan’s crew had already fastened themselves around the cabin in an orderly manner. The person speaking to him wore an expression of pure steel-no panic, no doubt-just unshakeable trust and loyalty.
Seeing this, Michael noticed he was the only one still standing. Everyone else had secured themselves. He glanced down at Echo, who was huddled on the floor, but before he could speak, the man warned him in a low voice, “Hurry up. Don’t interfere. Boss’s word is final.”
Michael took a deep breath, recognizing the man as the ship’s former first officer who’d stepped aside when Bill arrived. Although Michael didn’t know when Ryan had ordered everyone to strap in, he trusted that following orders was the best course. He moved over and secured himself next to the officer.
“I want to know why Mr. Ryan is doing this,” he said, his voice tight with tension. He couldn’t understand why they seemed to be racing toward certain doom.
“You don’t need to know why. Just follow orders,” replied the officer coolly, his voice steady and emotionless.
Michael frowned.
Even if someone explained, Michael wouldn’t have grasped the full extent of the risk here. At this speed, the warship could go three hundred miles an hour, while the vortex’s current was pulling at four hundred. The current’s force would only grow stronger. It was a battle they’d eventually lose; once the fuel ran out, no amount of struggle would make a difference.
Sticking to old methods and waiting for death wasn’t Ryan’s style. As long as there was even the slightest chance, he’d grab it and lead everyone to safety. His subordinates, who had been with him for years, knew this well-taking the initiative was the only way. Ryan was the soul of the Dark family, and they trusted him completely.
“Get up here.” Ryan’s cold voice suddenly cut through the silence of the captain’s cabin.
Michael frowned, unsure who Ryan was speaking to. Before he could relax his brow, he saw Echo, who had been lying on his lap, struggling to lift herself.
Ryan was talking to Echo. Michael raised an eyebrow-he’d thought Ryan had completely forgotten about her.
Echo had started feeling better, no longer as dizzy as before. Without hesitating, she pushed herself up from Ryan’s legs, turned, and sat down directly on his lap.
“Hold on tight,” Ryan said, still not looking at her.
His eyes were fixed on the screen in front of him, watching the data flicker. One hand pressed buttons, and the other gripped the control lever. He didn’t give Echo even a glance, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t noticed her presence.
Hearing the seriousness in Ryan’s voice, Echo didn’t even think twice. She crawled over, facing Ryan, burying her head against his neck without blocking his view. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and didn’t say a word the entire time.
Ryan quickly reached out with one hand, pulling her even closer, then immediately returned to adjusting the controls. His movements were fast, like he hadn’t even stopped to hold her.
Ahead of them, huge waves crashed violently, and the dark, swirling sea had begun to spin in a vortex. The water no longer flowed in one direction but instead swirled toward the center of the whirlpool. The pressure was immense, the sea black and turbulent, and the powerful force was spilling out from the invisible center of the vortex, scattering in all directions.
“Hawk, Cobra, power up. Keep up with me,” Ryan commanded, his cold voice carrying an air of absolute authority and calm as he stared at the strange sight before him.
At his signal, Bill and the others in the captain’s cabin all pressed their buttons in unison, and the warship roared to life.
“Yes, we know,” Hawk and Cobra responded in unison from the other ships.
The ships, which had been running on minimal power, suddenly surged ahead, picking up speed as they followed the current. It had already been moving too fast, but now, with the speed ramped up, it was almost too much to comprehend.
The immense pressure, far beyond what the warship itself could handle, was almost unbearable. Even though they were moving in the direction of the vortex, the pressure still caused everyone to blanch in fear. Even the well-trained Dark family crew looked pale.
For Echo, who already struggled with motion sickness, it felt like her body was being torn apart by an invisible force. Her chest and lungs felt like they were being crushed, and the intense pressure made her limbs ache. Breathing became difficult, and she instinctively clung to Ryan, gritting her teeth to endure it.
“Don’t be afraid,” Ryan’s voice was calm and steady, still not looking down at her, not even sparing her a glance from the corner of his eye.
His gaze remained locked on the sea ahead, unblinking. But the overwhelming confidence in his tone-like no force in the world could challenge him-was enough to soothe Echo’s nerves.
Echo buried her head against Ryan’s neck, nodding firmly without saying a word.
She wasn’t scared. She wasn’t sure why, but she wasn’t afraid. She only felt discomfort, the dizziness overwhelming her.
Yet, sitting in Ryan’s lap, holding him tightly, her mind felt oddly at peace. The storm raged outside, and the world darkened, but none of it seemed to affect her. In the middle of the chaos, her heart felt calm and warm.
“Increase speed.” Ryan’s voice was low and cold as he gazed ahead at the faint outline of blackness.
The signal started to fluctuate. Such immense natural forces couldn’t be controlled, studied, or even penetrated by human technology. Hawk and Cobra’s icons flickered on the screen, but it didn’t interfere with their communication… yet.
“Boss, the center of the vortex is just ten miles ahead,” Bill said, his voice eerily calm. There was a hint of madness in it-madness not from fear, but from excitement, a bloodthirsty, exhilarated kind of madness, like they were challenging the very forces of nature.
Ryan stared at the pitch-black sea ahead.
Outside the ship, nothing was visible anymore. The wind screamed through the hull, cutting through the air like a sharp blade, shaking everyone to their core.
The seawater, whipped into the sky by the wind, came crashing down like hail, pounding the ship with deafening thuds, as if trying to tear it apart.
The immense, swirling power rising from the ocean floor thrust the ship forward, the heavy, spiraling force slamming in from all sides. If this hadn’t been one of the most advanced warships ever built, it likely would’ve been torn apart before even reaching the vortex’s center.
Right now, only the radar could still detect any traces of the sea floor. The vortex was nearly upon them, and all forces were going wild.
“Go with the flow, never give up,” Ryan’s cold voice echoed through the cabin.
His commanding presence vibrated in everyone’s ears, a clear statement that made everyone feel the weight of his words.
“Yes, we understand,” Cobra and Hawk answered simultaneously.
The transmission cut off immediately afterward, as they neared the vortex’s center. All signals were lost.