A Birthday in Blood

Only when the men saw the village women and children were slaughtered by raiders did they believe my warnings.

Staring at the mutilated bodies, they erupted in rage.

Captain! one shouted hoarsely.

You said Amelia was lyingthat we should guard you and Chloe for her birthday! Now my son is dead! Where's my wife?!

Logan turned deathly pale.

I watched the bloodshed, tears falling.

In my past life, when raiders attacked, my husbandthe Island Guard Captaintook all the men to celebrate Chloe's birthday.

Pregnant, I crawled through storm drains to bring them back.

But Chloe was killed by a stray raider. After hunting them down, Logan said nothinguntil my childbirth.

Then he brutalized me and threw me into the sea.

"You," he hissed, "lured the raiders out of jealousy. Since you wanted her fate, I'll make sure you die like her."

When I woke again, I was back at the raid's beginning. This time, if he wanted to protect her let him.

Reborn, I watched the speedboats approach the shore, filled with marauders.

A cold shiver ran through me, but I didn't hesitate. I pulled the alarm.

The blaring alarm sirens swiftly echoed across the entire island.

But the island's sole transport vessel, large enough to evacuate all the women and children, was gone.

My closest friend stumbled towards me, her voice choked with tears.

"Amelia, the raiders are attacking! Where are all the men? The ferry's gone too. What are we going to do?!"

Before I could answer, other women and children swarmed around me, their eyes, wide with helplessness and terror, fixed on me.

As the only one who truly knew, I had to tell them.

Logan had taken every man and every weapon, sailing the transport vessel out to international waters to celebrate Chloe's birthday.

My mother-in-law cursed wildly, enraged.

"Has he gone mad?! He knows raiders could attack Havenport at any moment, and he dared to take every man?!"

She spat Chloe's name like venom.

"That manipulative vixen! I always said she was no good! Always feigning weakness, luring men. And now look! Is she trying to get us all killed?!"

Her breakdown triggered a switch, and the other women instantly erupted, screaming insults at Chloe for her shamelessness, for luring away their men.

As they spoke, the marauders' speedboats neared the shore, and panic intensified.

I struggled to maintain control, telling everyone not to panic, to head for the shelter tunnels.

Our island, isolated from the mainland, was frequently targeted by raiders.

To protect ourselves, we had built a network of underground bunkers to withstand their assaults.

The cramped shelter tunnels were packed with women and children, listening to the marauders' cruel laughter echoing from above as they searched the island for women.

A chilling wave of terror spread through everyone.

To save everyone, the only option was to risk crawling through the storm drains that connected to the tunnels, then take a jet ski to get reinforcements.

My mother-in-law grabbed my hand, her calloused hand slick with cold sweat.

"Amelia, the safety of all the women and children rests on you. You must bring back help!"

I managed a bitter smile, my face etched with reluctance.

I told her I feared even if I went, Logan wouldn't come back with me.

At my words, a heavy silence fell over everyone.

Ever since Logan rescued Chloe and brought her to the island three months ago, he had clung to her like a shadow.

Under the guise of 'caring for her,' Logan was inseparable from her daily: fishing together, training together.

Even the islanders whispered amongst themselves that he and Chloe seemed more like a couple.

Yet, far from avoiding suspicion, Logan only grew more overtly intimate with her when faced with their teasing.

I had argued with him countless times over this, demanding to know who his wife truly was.

But he remained indifferent, instead accusing me of being petty and jealous.

Our love had long since evaporated with Chloe's arrival.

Just when everyone was at a loss, Rose, my sister-in-law, stepped forward.

"Let me go. I know everyone in the Island Guard, and besides, Amelia's pregnant. If anything happened to her, I wouldn't know how to explain it to my brother."

With that, she eagerly plunged into the storm drain, crawling through the damp, filthy pipes to the outside.

We huddled in the shelter tunnels, praying in our hearts not to be discovered.

But then, a sharp-eyed raider spotted the entrance to the tunnels.

"There's an iron door here! I bet the women are all hiding inside!"

"I knew it! How could an island this big not have a single woman?!"

"I've been adrift at sea for half a year, dreaming of women! This time, I'm going to have my fill!"

The thought of the women hidden inside spurred the raiders to frantically smash against the iron door.

Listening to the frantic, booming crashes against the door, the women's faces went ashen.

Their hearts pounded with terror, and they could only pray for the men to return quickly and save them.

About half an hour later, Rose, my sister-in-law, crawled back up from the storm drain, covered in grime.

Seeing her, everyone immediately cheered, believing she had brought the men back.

But to their dismay, Rose only began to wipe away her tears, her face etched with distress.

"I'm sorry they wouldn't come back with me."

My mother-in-law frantically pressed her, "Why wouldn't they come back? Their wives and children are in here!"

At this, Rose's tears flowed even faster.

She bit her lip.

"My brother said I was lying. He said there's no way raiders would suddenly attack our fishing village He even said Amelia and I conspired to trick him, and he slapped me."

Seeing the red mark on Rose's face, everyone began to condemn Chloe as a manipulative vixen.

They also cursed Logan for dereliction of duty, for abandoning everyone's safety for the sake of one woman!

Just then, a thunderous boom echoed!

The raiders had begun using explosives!

The iron door to the shelter tunnel could hold for another hour at most.

I comforted the women, telling them that the nearest island, Stonewater Isle, was only twenty minutes away, and I could go there for reinforcements.

My mother-in-law clutched my arm, her calloused hand slick with cold sweat.

"Amelia, the safety of all the women and children rests on you. You must bring back help!"

I nodded, then, pushing past the nauseating stench, I crawled through the storm drain, my pregnant belly cumbersome, until I reached the surface.

I mounted a spare jet ski and sped towards the nearest island, Stonewater Isle.

When my jet ski hit the beach of Stonewater Isle, I found several armed men already waiting.

Recognizing them, my eyes widened.

It was Deputy Commander Brandon Hayes of our Island Guard.

Hadn't he gone out to sea with Logan?

Why was he here? I couldn't dwell on it.

I stumbled towards him, just as I was about to inform him about the raiders' attack.

He suddenly grabbed my arm, yanking me from the jet ski, his gaze filled with utter disgust.

"Amelia Vance, how can there be a woman as repulsive as you in this world?!"

I stared at him, bewildered, unable to comprehend his meaning.

"The Captain specifically ordered me to wait for you here. He said that to stir up jealousy, you'd conspire with Rose to spread rumors on other islands about a raider attack on our village, all to sabotage Chloe's birthday celebration."

Listening to Brandon, I began to tremble with rage.

Logan's heart was utterly ruthless! To prevent me from reaching him, he had sent men to block the very path I would take to get reinforcements!

I urgently told Brandon that the marauders had already begun their assault on Havenport.

I wasn't here to spread rumors; I was here for help!

If reinforcements weren't found within the hour to repel the raiders, everyone would be lost!

Perhaps seeing my unyielding expression, a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes.

After all, his wife, child, and mother were all still on the island.

Just as Brandon was about to contact Logan on his comms, a team member leaned in and whispered, "If there really was a raider attack, how could the Captain not know?"

His face held a nearly devout trust in Logan.

Logan had served in the military, possessing an exceptional tactical instinct and organizational skills.

He had led the islanders in repelling dozens of raider assaults.

After less than a second of silence, Brandon burst into loud laughter.

"Amelia, you truly are an actress. You almost had me believing you."

"I know the Captain better than anyone. He's so responsible, the leader of the Island Guard. How could he possibly lack this level of vigilance?"

His mockery twisted my heart into a bitter knot, tears stinging my eyes.

Every wasted moment meant more danger for the women.

Ignoring everything, I tried to rush back towards the island.

But in the next second, Brandon moved faster, pressing me down. He then produced rope and bound me tightly.

"As long as I'm here, you're not going anywhere today."

Brandon's face was grim. After ensuring I was securely tied, he tossed me directly into a speedboat.

As the boat sliced through the waves, I watched Stonewater Isle, so close yet growing smaller with every passing moment, and I closed my eyes in despair.