The sunlight shimmered against the waves, throwing silver reflections across the surface like scattered glass. The breeze smelled faintly of salt and grilled squid from the nearby stalls, brushing past my face as I balanced myself on the rented surfboard.
Shayne was beside me, trying, but mostly failing to stand upright for more than three seconds.
"Don't look so smug," he shouted as I managed to glide past him. "You've just got better luck with waves!"
"Maybe you aren't a man of the sea," I called back, earning a splash of seawater for the comment.
From where I was, I could see the rest of the group scattered across the beach like small dots of color.
Clara and Nayuta were already at the food stalls, probably halfway through their third round of snacks. I could hear Clara laughing faintly every now and then, her voice mixing with the gulls overhead.
Further down, Sera floated lazily on her inflatable donut float, eyes closed, drifting near Mari and Lyna, who were actually swimming. The two of them looked more competitive than relaxed.
Alejandro was asleep under the parasol, his arm covering his face.
Beside him sat Shimotsuki, flipping through a magazine that the beach house had provided.
She was wearing her straw hat, equipped with a calm expression and detached from the noise of the beach.
Even so, she'd occasionally glance at the waves, maybe checking if any of us were about to drown.
The beach stretched endlessly ahead of us, golden and warm under the afternoon sun. Between the waves and Shayne's constant shouting, I don't know which is louder.
After a while, the sun climbed higher, and the waves lost a bit of their strength.
Shayne and I dragged our boards back to shore, both of us dripping wet from falling off our skateboards multiple times
By the time we regrouped near the parasols, everyone had gathered there.
Clara and Nayuta were showing off a plastic bag full of snacks they'd "accidentally" overbought, while Mari scolded them for eating right before dinner.
Lyna just shook her head, and Shimotsuki closed her magazine.
"Alright," Shayne said, cracking his knuckles and looking at the net someone had set up nearby. "Since we've got everyone here… volleyball, anyone?"
"Sure," Sera said, stretching her arms lazily. "But I'm not diving for the ball."
"Count me in," Lyna added, already stepping closer.
They quickly divided into teams: Shayne, Nayuta, Clara, and Sera on one side; Lyna, Mari, Alejandro, and Shimotsuki on the other. I could already tell this was going to get competitive.
"Hey, Faulk," Nayuta called out as he was stretching. "You're not joining?"
I shook my head. "If I play, it'll be one-sided."
That earned a few chuckles. Shayne grinned. "Fair point, superstar."
"Exactly why I'll pass," I said, slinging a towel over my shoulder.
"I'll take a walk instead. Don't let the ball hit Al in the face while he's pretending to be useful."
"I heard that," Alejandro muttered, though he didn't deny it.
I smiled faintly and turned away, the sand soft under my feet as I walked toward the quieter side of the beach.
I kept walking along the sand, the sound of the sea blending into the wind's low hum.
Eventually, my feet brought me to the edge of the beach, where an old lighthouse stood.
The paint seems chipping, and the stairs seemed to be worn smooth by time. Of course, I wandered here with purposes.
As I stood face-to-face with the lighthouse, I saw them.
A group of eight guys hanging around near the lighthouse entrance. They looked about my age, maybe a year or two older.
They noticed me too. The tallest among them squinted, muttering something to the others. Then I heard my name being mentioned.
"Faulker, huh?" one of them said. "So you're the guy our leader keeps talking about."
That caught me off guard for a second. Obviously, the 1st Seat had made his move.
Before I could ask what they wanted, another stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.
"Nothing personal, kid. It's our job to do as told."
I sighed, brushing my hair back as the wind picked up.
"All of you sure about this?"
None of them answered. They lunged all at once.
"Perfect time to test out my techniques." I muttered.
It didn't take long.
A few minutes later, they were all on the ground, groaning or knocked out cold. It wasn't even a challenge.
I looked up at the lighthouse. Whoever this "leader" was, he'd probably been watching everything.
I started climbing the stairs, the air getting colder with every step until I reached the top. There he was, leaning against the rail, holding a pair of binoculars, still stalking my group of friends.
"You're still stalking us, even when I caught you red-handed?" I said.
The stalker lowered his binoculars, exhaling through his nose as I stepped into the lighthouse's shadowed entryway. "I've actually been wondering where you were off to..." the boy said quietly.
"You found me, huh?"
My eyes flicked toward the railing where the binoculars rested.
"You've been watching us since morning," I cracked my fist.
The man smirked.
"Observation is a form of respect. Let's see if I got this right—"
He pointed toward the horizon lazily.
"The one who talks too much — Shayne, right? An idiot, but loyal. Nayuta, looks like a girl, but is a boy. Mischievous, but sincere. Alejandro... smart and quiet, the one who reads the room before anyone else. Clara, an impulsive glutton, but ridiculously sharp at anything to do with food. Mari... she's not afraid to express herself. Sera, however, calm. She flows with the river. Lyna, though…"
He smirked.
"She's a dirty rat. One moment, she's grumpy. Suddenly, she's having fun. And before you realized it, she's the most pitiful being in the world."
I stayed silent, but I felt my jaw tighten.
"Lastly..." he said softly, eyes glinting as they shifted toward the ocean. "The Memokeeper. Fourth Seat of the High Council. A girl of records and rules, sitting among a group of misfits. So tell me, Faulk." his gaze snapped back to me, "What exactly ties all of you together?"
I didn't answer.
Actually, I don't think I need to...
The man gave a small nod.
"I've seen enough." He turned toward the lighthouse stairs.
I asked him, tone low. "What makes you think you can just walk away?"
The guy paused. "This."
Without warning, he spun a perfect roundhouse kick slicing through the air, aiming at my shoulder.
I raised my guard up to block his leg, but the kick's trajectory shifted mid-swing, striking me across the neck.
The impact sent me stumbling back a step.
I could feel the vibration on my neck, even though the impact had long gone.
The guy lowered his leg and sighed.
"That should've told you enough. You won't be able to beat the 1st Seat."
"...Who are you supposed to be?"
"Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm just someone trained by the same man who trained him," the stalker said, his tone suddenly cold.
"Apocalypse. There are four of us in total. I'm called Death."
My eyes narrowed. "Apocalypse? Four of us? Death? What are you talking about?"
A faint grin tugged at Death's lips.
"What, you wanted to take us down without even knowing who we are? What a waste of time."
He turned toward the stairway, the setting sun painting his figure in crimson.
"Though, if by some miracle, you managed to beat the First Seat, the other three of us won't take it kindly. You see, your academy isn't the only one walking the thin line between legal and illegal..."
With that, he began ascending the stairs, his voice fading with each step.
"Pray to God that you don't meet the rest of us, Faulk. I might just be the kindest one out of them."