Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss-Chapter 264: Where The Water Leads

The moon hung low and wide in the sky, watching over the tide like a mother over her baby's cradle.

Lanterns flickered in the gentle sea breeze as Ren, Elias, Thorn, Lilith, and Zuzu finished gathering the last of their supplies.

Rations were packed into sealed crates, water barrels strapped down with rope, and a bundle of tools and repair kits secured in netting.

Zuzu stood a short distance away from the group, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet. She was buzzing with barely contained energy, her fingers twitching with every heartbeat.

When everyone was ready, she led them through the quieter paths of the island, where the scent of salt grew heavier and the night sounds shifted to the chirping of insects and the lapping of waves.

They stopped at a dock where the only light available was from the moon.

At the edge of the dock bobbed a sturdy fishing boat, longer than expected, with a curved prow and a pair of unlit mounted lanterns hanging from its sides.

"This is it." Zuzu said proudly, placing a hand on the side of the boat. "The Lady Rill. She might look slow, but she's got bite."

"Bite, huh?" Thorn asked, stepping aboard. "She better not have termites."

"You better not give her termites." She shot back.

Lilith hopped on wordlessly. Elias checked the supplies, adjusting the weight balance. Ren followed last, taking it all in with a suspiciously shiny glint of anticipation in his eyes.

As Zuzu moved to the helm, she took a deep breath and pressed her hands to the surface of the water. Slowly, with a ripple that disturbed the reflection of the moon, the sea responded.

The boat jerked gently, then began to glide. The ripples flattened around them, and to Ren, it almost felt like he was in a car. He'd forgotten how that felt.

They weren't using sails. Zuzu was controlling the water.

"I'll steer with the current." She said. "Just tell me where you want to go."

Ren stepped up beside her. "Straight ahead. We keep moving forward."

She nodded, focusing.

She sat, a rope made of water coiled around her wrist and leading down to the sea beneath them.

The water rippled beneath her fingers, responding to her every motion. Small swirling eddies formed at the boat's sides, keeping them balanced even as the wind shifted.

Thorn clapped slowly. "Okay, that was mildly, I repeat, mildly impressive."

"You should see my emergency turn technique." Zuzu replied.

"Emergency turn?"

She kicked one foot into a mounted brace and slammed her hand forward. The entire boat jerked in a half-circle spin and then righted itself as if dancing on the water.

Thorn grabbed a crate to keep from falling. "You could warn someone before doing that!"

Zuzu smirked. "And ruin the surprise?"

Ren laughed, watching the exchange. His mood had lifted since boarding. There was something about the motion of the boat, the sense of movement toward the unknown, that stirred him.

He looked at Zuzu, her back straight. Her face was focused, illuminated by moonlight. And he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of irony.

He knew who her brother was. Tam.

In the game, Tam had been a fan-favorite NPC. A calm Tidecaller who trained new recruits and kept the island's younger generation safe.

But when his sister disappeared on a rogue voyage, a mission she took alone, craving adventure, and her body turned up a month later, definitely killed by someone, he changed.

He became… hardened.

Grief twisted into bitterness. He blamed the outsiders. Blamed the sea. And when the player finally met him, he was a cold and dangerous force, one of the hardest Tidecallers to defeat.

Ren had always liked Tam. Thought he deserved better.

So this time, he'd make sure Zuzu didn't vanish. That Tam didn't lose her. Even if he doesn't rewrite the fate of the world, he wants to change this particular fate.

Just for the heck of it. And because he liked Tam.

And if he could get Tam on his side, maybe he could help against the second Great Calamity. Only a few were strong enough to quench the flames of heaven.

He needed to make sure the Hungering Deep didn't wipe them out before he used them.

Ren turned his gaze back to the deck, where Thorn had now taken up post near the supplies, eyeing Zuzu like he wasn't interested.

And that unfortunately, stirred up a feeling to make trouble within him.

"You know," He said, grinning, "you don't have to pretend you're not impressed."

Thorn scoffed. "I'm not. Just... moderately stunned. That's different."

"Sure it is."

Elias leaned back against a crate. "So. Where are we headed exactly?"

Ren leaned on the railing, a wide grin on his face. "Truth? I have no idea."

Zuzu turned sharply. "You don't know?"

"The Deep doesn't exactly have an address, does it?" Ren said. "It appears when it wants. Disappears when it wants. There's no map. No fixed spot. So we sail. And we wait."

Elias nodded slowly. "Counting on probability."

"And hope." Ren added. "And, maybe, if there's some god or entity out there who loves me, it'll show up."

Thorn looked over. "If they bring the Deep to you, doesn't that mean they hate you?"

"Only if they expect me to fail." Ren smirked.

Zuzu gaped. "Wait, wait. You went through all this, planning, supplies, my boat, and you don't even know where the Deep is?"

Thorn patted her on the shoulder. "Relax. This is just how Ren works."

"That's not comforting."

"You'll get used to it." Thorn said. "Or you'll go mad trying. Either way, it's a bonding experience."

Zuzu looked ready to retort, but then caught the amused expressions on all their faces. Despite the insanity, they believed in Ren. That was… unsettling. And a little inspiring.

The night stretched on. The stars wheeled above them.

The sea shimmered with streaks of moonlight and the beautiful phosphorescent trails left by fish beneath the surface.

They took turns sleeping in shifts. Lilith curled near the prow, a throwing knife still in hand. Elias leaned back with his eyes half closed in sleep.

Zuzu stayed awake.

So did Ren.

They sat near the stern, just far enough from the others to not disturb their sleep. The only sound was the lap of water and the low creak of the boat.

"You ever think about turning back?" She asked, breaking the silence between them.

"Not once."

She nodded. "I do. Not because I want to. But because I know it would be easier."

Ren smiled faintly. "Adventure's never easy. That's the point."

She was quiet for a moment, then looked at him. "You said earlier that you don't know where the Deep is. But you still came. Why?"

Ren looked out at the horizon. "Because some things are worth chasing. Even if you never catch them."

She blinked. "That sounds poetic. I thought you didn't do poetry."

"Only at sea." He said, and winked.

They both chuckled. A comfortable silence settled.

Then Ren turned toward her, voice lower now. "Zuzu."

She looked up.

"I know what you're trying to hide."

Her breath caught. "What?"