"What's going on?" Mr. Gultom exclaimed in panic.
But the Commodore seemed unaffected, walking back and forth calmly. "Stay calm, gentlemen! Because after this, you will face much bigger things."
Mr. Gultom was terrified by this statement. "What do you mean, sir?" he asked.
"You will know it later," the Commodore said cryptically.
After an earthquake that lasted for two minutes, it finally stopped. Percy and the other five crew members pulled back to the anchor, and Mr. Gultom pulled the lever connected to the bottom of the ship where the fire was, signaling them to start burning again, so they could leave William alone.
The Marquese Caribbean ship started sailing away, leaving William at a distance of 50 meters. All that was left to do now was wait and see if the mermaids would make their appearance and take Will away.
Unfortunately, even after waiting for some time, nothing appeared. The dark ocean looked eerily calm, and the Commodore glanced several times at William's lifeboat with desperation. There was no movement whatsoever, let alone the presence of the mermaids. It seemed like the Commodore's plan had failed.
The Commodore gave Mr. Gultom the binoculars, a look of frustration on his face, before walking towards his room. Mr. Gultom was left confused and unsure of what to do next. He looked out at the sea through the binoculars, hoping for some sign that the mermaids were coming to save William.
"Okay, maybe I should stay in here and watch over that stupid kid," Mr. Gultom muttered to himself, using the binoculars in his hands to look out at William.
He stood vigil for a few moments, hoping that the mermaids would show up soon - but nothing stirred on the dark horizon.
Clark came and stood beside Mr. Gultom, asking, "Did you see anything?"
"No.”
"Then what are we waiting for?" Clark asked.
"We are waiting for the treasure to come out of the ocean.”
Clark frowned, confused. "I thought we would be hunting in the sea like pirates hunt a chest of gold from the sea."
"You think?" Mr. Gultom asked in surprise, looking at Clark. "Oh, sorry. I mean... no one talked to me about where we were going and what we were looking for," Clark stammered. Mr. Gultom nodded, a wry smile on his face. "Now you know, boy. Get off out ma face!"
Clark left Mr. Gultom alone with his binoculars, a little offended but not angry. After all, he had worked for four years as part of the crew of a Royal Caribbean ship - and yet this situation was still foreign to him.
As dawn approached, William shivered in the cold, his teeth chattering and body trembling. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep in the canoe, exhausted from the cold. A canoe was coming closer to William. It was Clark and Wesley, both in the same vessel.
"Hey, dude! Are you good?" Clark asked, concerned.
"He is not!" Wesley replied as he tied a rope to one end of their canoe and one end to William's.
He then proceeded to pull their canoe, towing William along with it.
Clark and Wesley took William aboard the ship, supporting him as they placed him back in the prison. However, this time they provided him with blankets and food. William, with his body still shaking from the cold, grabbed the bread that was on the plate lying on the floor and began to eat it. The bread felt hard and cold against his tongue.
On the other hand, Commodore Morgan was feeling restless in her room. He repeatedly glanced at an ancient book that was on the table - a book full of stories and legends of the mermaids and their kingdom.
But he remained confident and resolved to try again that night. He scanned the waters on the window with a determined expression, hoping that this time his plan would be successful.
***.
On the other hand, Samantha woke up with her whole body aching to the bone. She coughed and vomited her entire stomach contents onto the side of the bed. Albertha, who had heard the voices from Samantha's room, rushed over to check on her.
"Oh, my God! Thank you, My Lord. You're awake," Albertha said with relief.
Samantha felt weak all over her body and tried to focus her vision.
"Where am I?" she asked.
"You are home," Albertha replied, "John took you home."
"Who?" Samantha asked, confused.
"Ah, never mind. How are you feeling?" Albertha asked.
"I'm so dizzy," Samantha replied. "Alright, wait a second. Let me get you some water. Don't go anywhere, okay?”
Samantha nodded weakly, vaguely remembering the last time she had argued with a man before she had fainted and lost consciousness.
Not long after, Albertha returned with a glass of water in his hand.
"Here you go," she said, handing the glass to Samantha.
Samantha took it and finished half a glass of water.
"So, what happened?" Albertha asked, her voice gentle yet firm.
Samantha fell silent. A moment later, she broke down into sobs. The pain in her groin reminded her of Lord Courtney rapped her, and the tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She wept loudly and unbearably.
"Hey,... hey, it's okay. I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry," Albertha hugging Samantha and crying with her.
She could feel the pain Samantha was feeling and wished she could take it all away.
"You need to get some rest. If you need help or something else, I am here for you. I will not go anywhere," Albertha said, her voice gentle but strong.
Samantha wiped her tears and nodded. Suddenly her thoughts drifted to someone else.
"How about Sam? Where is he?" Samantha asked.
"Don't worry about him. He's scavenging fish with my son," Albertha replied with a reassuring smile.
Samantha lay back down, and Albertha threw the blanket over her and smiled before leaving her alone. Albertha felt a strong connection to Samantha as if she were like a sister to her.
Samantha stared up at the ceiling, her mind drifting to William, her younger brother. But, on the other hand, she was also curious about the man who had helped her.