In the morning, Callista glanced at the two people standing a few meters apart and immediately sensed the tension between them. It didn’t take long for her to realize they were in the middle of a fight.

  She smirked to herself, knowing that Caspian had somehow kept her words in mind, which had caused the rift between him and Marin. She’s such a villainess, isn’t she? Her amusement, however, was short-lived when she noticed something unusual surrounding Caspian. It seems it’s time to move, huh?

  Caspian had been sulking in a corner, disheartened after Marin ignored him all morning.

  “Can I have a moment?” A familiar voice broke through his thoughts. He looked up to see Callista smiling down at him.

  “What do you want?” he grumbled, making her chuckle.

  “Oh my, you’re starting to sound like your father,” she teased.

  “Just get to the point,” he muttered, turning away.

  “You never listen, no matter how much I try to make you face the truth, do you?” she asked softly, but he remained silent.

  “Then… what if I show you?” Her tone was laced with quiet confidence.

  His brows furrowed in confusion. “What are you planning to do to Marin?” His voice was tinged with suspicion.

  Callista laughed softly at his reaction. “I won’t do anything,” she said, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous glint. “In fact, your lover will reveal everything to you on her own.”

  “How can I believe you?” he asked hesitantly.

  “You don’t have to,” she shrugged. “Whether you like it or not, you’ll find out soon enough. I’m just giving you a heads-up.”

  “Is that really your intention?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

  “Of course.” She smiled, but her eyes betrayed something more.

  “I just don’t want any drama on this trip,” she added casually, though her tone was anything but. “I’d rather end this before we reach the island… so I can enjoy more time with Ignis.”

  Caspian said nothing.

  “Tonight,” Callista murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, “your lover will come to your room. And then… you’ll see for yourself just how painful the truth can be.”

  ---

  Callista returned to her shared room with Anastasia, staring out the window as her mind carefully pieced things together.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “So? What did you find out?” A voice whispered right beside her ear, startling her.

  “What the hell!?” Callista spun around, only to find Ivan’s face far too close, his mischievous smile making her scowl.

  “Son of a bitch, what’s your problem?!” she clicked her tongue in irritation, but Ivan only laughed.

  “So?” he pressed, eyes twinkling with excitement. “I saw you talking to Caspian earlier. What did you find out?”

  Callista grimaced at his eagerness. “She’s going to make her move soon…”

  “That was abrupt.” Ivan tilted his head, raising a brow. “How much do you know?”

  “Not as much as you seem to think,” she shot back. “I’m not a mind reader, dumbass.”

  Ivan shrugged, unfazed. “I never made a move because it looked like Caspian was already suspicious, and you weren’t acting yet.”

  Callista rolled her eyes, watching as Ivan plopped onto the bed, hands resting behind his head and one leg crossed over the other.

  “Any idea why she’s targeting only Caspian?” he asked, his tone more serious. “The previous cases were just decoys to distract us.”

  “That’s what I don’t get,” Callista admitted, crossing her arms. “I don’t know what she’s trying to achieve. It doesn’t seem like she’s been doing this for long.”

  Ivan suddenly gasped dramatically, covering his mouth with wide eyes.

  “You don’t think she’s doing that… right?”

  Callista frowned at his exaggerated expression. “Doing what?”

  “Murder of passion… oh!” Ivan hugged himself dramatically, wriggling around like a worm.

  He looked ridiculous.

  “Asshole,” she muttered, rolling her eyes.

  Suddenly, the door creaked, and a sharp gasp echoed from behind it. The door swung open to reveal Anastasia, who had obviously been eavesdropping and slipped, only to be caught by Denovan just in time. Ignis stood stoically at her other side, arms crossed.

  “What the heck are you guys doing?” Ivan laughed, watching Anastasia flush with embarrassment.

  “We’re sorry…” Denovan offered an apologetic smile as he helped Anastasia stand.

  “We weren’t eavesdropping!” Anastasia shook her head quickly, glancing at the two men beside her. “It’s just… you’re always the only ones talking about this! We want in too!”

  Callista’s brow twitched. “What? There’s nothing to be in for!”

  “I want in,” Denovan added, raising his hand as if volunteering.

  “Like I said, there’s nothing—!”

  “I’m in,” Ignis added from the side, making Anastasia nod eagerly.

  Ivan suddenly jumped up from the bed, grinning. “Awesome! Now we can play!” He high-fived Anastasia with both hands.

  Callista pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly losing her patience.

  “None of you are going to listen to me, are you?” She sighed, her tone resigned.

  “Fine. Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “I suppose this will do.”

  Anastasia's face brightened as they all entered the room, locking the door shut. Callista thoroughly explained the situation to them and what had been going on aboard the ship since they departed from land.

  After explaining everything, Anastasia carefully processed the information. "I see. So Marin is a siren and has been targeting Caspian all along. She's also the one responsible for the disappearances in the village and the other ships docked at the port," she repeated.

  Callista nodded. "That's right. What do you think?"

  Anastasia's eyebrows furrowed as she thought it through. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised since I suspected it too. The disappearances occurred when our post-exam break started, which means only an academy student could be responsible for it. Of course, I considered the possibility that it might be a decoy and that the real mastermind used the break to their advantage, but it seems that’s not the case," she shrugged.

  "But aren't they dating? Why do this now?" Denovan asked in confusion. He knew more about the Academy's relationships than anyone.

  "Yeah, that’s the part I don’t understand either. Why now? Why not before, when they've been dating for years already?" Anastasia asked.

  Callista crossed her arms. "I'm not sure either. I already sent Wendy to gather more information, but she hasn't returned yet," she said, shaking her head.

  Ignis sat on one of the chairs with his arms and legs crossed, sighing as he listened. "What are your plans, then?" he asked.

  Ivan grinned, tilting his head. "How about we set her up in her own trap?" he laughed.

  Callista's lips tugged into a smirk, her finger tapping her bottom lip. "That's not a bad idea..." she chuckled. "How about we let her walk the plank?"

  Anastasia helplessly looked at both of them, seeing the similar menacing looks on their faces. "No one's killing anyone, okay?" she said, eyeing them sharply.

  Callista rolled her eyes while Ivan flinched and looked away, sweating profusely.

  "Also, no sinking the ship!" Anastasia added, squinting her eyes.

  Anastasia sighed helplessly. "Look, since you're planning to set her up, why don’t we let the rest of the crew know?"

  Ignis raised a brow. "Won't that be difficult? They know Marin better than we do."

  Denovan nodded. "It also includes the Pirate King himself. It might look like we’re offending him."

  Callista looked at their conflicted faces and sighed. "Anastasia and I will convince the Pirate King then. You guys prepare for tonight."

  Anastasia looked at her with wide eyes. "What!? Why me!?"

  Callista's eyebrows furrowed. "It was your idea," she said through gritted teeth.

  Ivan laughed. "Callista already dropped a hint with Caspian, so that's taken care of."

  Callista nodded as she looked at all four of them. "It begins tonight. One wrong move, and we’ll all drown to death."