At some point, they had left the harbour and the ship was sailing the seas.
Kyle looked around in his room. He hadn't been explicitly told not to leave but there had also been no real reason to.
Now that they were sailing, however, it felt like a good opportunity to go sight-seeing.
He inhaled deeply and walked out of the room and into the corridor that led to wooden stairs.
Kyle followed them, climbing until he came upon the deck of the ship.
He climbed out fully and his jaw dropped.
Clear azure skies and pristine clouds met the crystalline blue ocean in a straight line over the horizon.
Cool, salty winds hit the sails and pushed the ship forward.
The occasional creak met the waves crashing on the hull of the ship.
And as for the ship itself, it was far larger than Kyle had expected.
He could make out Hoodie steering the ship from a distance but just barely.
'This confirms it. He definitely exports and imports goods.' Though how anyone could trust someone who looked that dodgy was something Kyle couldn't understand.
A gust of wind gently passed by Kyle making him close his eyes to enjoy the feeling.
He opened them and walked to the edge of the ship.
His eyes settled on the ocean below and his reflection.
'This ship is too slow. Who knows how long it will take us to arrive? Why didn't he use a metal ship or an enchanted one?'
A hand grabbed him and pulled him back.
Kyle jumped around, swinging his fist but once more, it froze just short of Hoodie's face.
The latter's hood was down and he was visibly scowling, "I suppose I will ignore that because I scared you."
Kyle pulled down his fist and turned back to the ocean letting Hoodie speak from behind him, "I wouldn't look at the ocean too much if I were you."
His voice was turning distant with each syllable.
On the other hand, the blue of the ocean slowly gained different shades.
The shades exploded into a kaleidoscope of colors, swirling with the distant promise of joy.
A feeling of peace washed over Kyle and he couldn't resist. He wanted more.
With each step he took towards the ocean, the feeling multiplied.
"BOY!!!" Hoodie's hand gripped Kyle and threw him back.
Kyle's back hit the floor roughly but he hardly noticed. He blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the nausea that was affecting him.
His eyes flashed to Hoodie who was staring at the ocean with his back visible tensing.
"Filthy cretins." Hoodie spat out and turned to Kyle, a line of sweat visible on his face.
"This is the last time I'll say it. Don't gaze at the ocean else something might gaze back."
He put his hood back on and walked back to the steering.
Kyle's eyes darted from the ocean to the steering.
He ran a hand through his face and rested his back against the cool wooden floor.
'I could have died…' The gravity of the situation was not lost on him.
His eyes fixed on the sun and the nursery rhyme all students were taught crept into his head.
***
The world, cold, dark and empty
Needed warmth, light and care
How would it fair?
It needed a caretaker
To bring about the light
And make things right
One of the four
Created the sun for all
***
A poem they were all taught. A praise to one of the gods for creating the sun.
His eyes drifted to the ocean and veins bulged on his head, 'If the sun was made by a god then wasn't the ocean the same?'
A humorless laugh escaped Kyle. He had been foolish to believe anything coming from the gods could be completely pure.
'I bet the sun is no different from the ocean. We just don't know of its dangers.'
With nothing to do, Kyle just remained staring at the clouds and ignoring the occasional itch to stare at the ocean.
The occasional hum resounded from the waters but by now, Kyle was all the wiser and knew not to look for anything that might also be looking for him.
A cool breeze ran through the deck, sending a shiver down Kyle's spine.
Goosebumps flared across his skin and the sun became obstructed by clouds as dark as ink.
Lightning flashed across the clouds followed by thunderous booms.
Kyle stood and stared at the horizon. The sky into the distance was no longer visible, completely covered in rain clouds.
The sky at the edge of the storm clouds rippled and new clouds formed.
'There is no way this is natural.' Kyle looked at Hoodie and saw the aghast expression on his face.
A sudden surge of dread fell on Kyle, freezing him in place.
It felt like a giant predator was staring him down.
Kyle looked to where he sensed the presence coming from and his eyes landed on the ocean underneath the center of the storm.
As their ship came under the fringes of the storm, pelts of raindrops smacked against the deck, announcing the large storm that was to come.
"Boy!! Get under the ship. Now!"
Kyle didn't need to be told twice. He ran forward and slid, using the wet wood as lubrication.
He stopped in front of the hatch and jumped in, locking it behind him.
His heart hammered in his chest and despite the cold, sweat clung to his skin.
Without a pause, he ran into the room and shut the door behind him.
He reached for the window and closed it.
Rain pelted against the window unendingly and it seemed that they had found themselves in the middle of a storm.
The thud of the rain suddenly ceased and the crackling thunder froze.
Kyle stared at the falling rain dripping down the window.
He clicked his fingers and heard the sound, "I can still hear."
"What is ha-" Ozone filled the room and the world flashed white.