uly 16, 2026 – Main Deck of 'The Leviathan' 06:02 AM
The moment I pressed that tiny button inside the notebook, a high-pitched, ear-splitting frequency filled the air. Every screen on the ship flickered to static, and static hissed from the headsets of Thomas's men. The light on the silver trigger in Thomas's hand went out. That unshakable, arrogant smile froze on his face for the first time.
"Now!" I tried to roar, but the command caught in my throat.
At that exact second, it felt as if a red-hot iron had been driven into the center of my chest. The electromagnetic waves from the jammer were interacting with that piece of metal next to my heart—Thomas's gift from fifteen years ago. The bullet began to vibrate, to shift within my tissue as if it were a living thing.
I collapsed to my knees. A metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
"Michael!" Ivy's scream sounded like it was coming from miles away.
Thomas recovered from his shock quickly. Realizing the trigger was dead, he tossed it aside and drew his silver-engraved pistol from his waist. "A clever move, Michael. But you've worked too hard to die from this bullet. If that piece in your heart burns you this much, let's let it finish the job."
As Thomas leveled the barrel at me, Elara was still at his feet, oblivious to the world, muttering in her stupor. But Natalia... clinging to the deck despite her wounds, she sent her last bullet into Thomas's shoulder.
BANG!
Thomas was thrown back, his shot firing into the air. In that chaos, Ivy shielded me. "Michael, get up! The ship's engines have stalled, we could blow at any moment!"
I fixed my eyes on Elara. Thomas was wounded but still there. The notebook had fallen between us. The bullet in my heart hurt more with every breath, but I wasn't going to run like the boy on the highway.
"Take the notebook..." I whispered to Ivy. "Take Elara and go."