Third person's POV
Captain had no time to explain in detail and hurriedly left.
Ayla looked at Helios with a face full of worry, but Helios ignored her, staring intently at the chess piece Captain had last placed on the board.
Knowing the threat of the double "Bishops" ahead, he still moved forward.
This game of chess was a dead end, no matter how it was played.
"Helios..."
Helios had heard about pirates from Lucian. In his perception, pirates were inhumane and treacherous individuals who committed all sorts of evil for the sake of seizing resources.
They were the bullies of the sea.
The cargo ship transporting mineral materials became their target.
It seemed that this time, Captain was in big trouble.
He was aware of the danger but lacked the ability to prevent it.
What he could do now was to find Lucian quickly and have Lucian take them away before things got worse.
At just over two years old, Helios already understood the meaning of life and death.
He didn't understand the significance of his survival, living like tiny ants, continuing to move forward despite the hardships of life.
At least they hadn't yet laid a bouquet of flowers or lit a candle at their mother's grave.
"Let's go," Helios said.
He took Ayla's hand. Before leaving, he also grabbed a tablecloth, wrapped up the unfinished cake and snacks, tied two knots, and hung it around his neck.
Though young, they had considerable experience in escaping.
Ayla, in tune with his thoughts, had already guessed his intentions.
"But Captain..."
Helios looked calm. "We need to find Lucian now."
On this ship, only Lucian could lead them out of the predicament.
The two little ones opened the door and saw the crew members gathering.
In the distance, they could see a large ship with lights on in the night, its flag fluttering in the wind.
Without a telescope and in the dim light, they couldn't make out what the symbol was.
They had no interest in these details. They just wanted to take advantage of the chaos to find Lucian.
However, before they could get far, the pirates, without any rules, fired directly at the ship without warning.
A loud "boom" echoed, almost deafening.
The ship violently rocked. The two children, unprepared, were thrown off balance.
Already at the edge of the ship, small in stature, Helios was instantly flung through the railing gap.
"Ayla!" Helios was quick-witted and grabbed Ayla.
Ayla's entire body hung in mid-air.
The night wind howled. The sea seemed like a huge monster ready to devour a tasty prey at any moment.
Ayla was so scared that tears streamed down her face. She had never experienced such a situation.
She held onto the railing with one hand and Helios' hand with the other.
But Helios was also just over two years old. How long could he hold on?
"Save Ayla!"
Helios shouted for help. But the scene was chaotic. No one could hear him.
'Lucian, where are you?'
'I really can't hold on much longer.'
He was just a child himself, already at the limit of his physical endurance.
But he knew that if he let go, he would never see Ayla again in this life.
Since he could remember, Lucian had told him that the only family he had in this world was his sister, and he must take good care of her.
He tried desperately to save her, but his strength was like an egg hitting a rock, useless.
He could only watch helplessly as Ayla's fingers gradually loosened from his grip.
'Mom, if you have any spirit in heaven, please save Ayla, okay?'
'I've already lost you. I don't want to lose her too.'
He gritted his teeth, clutching Ayla's hand tightly with both hands. His legs were firmly wedged at the edge of the railing. He was exerting all his strength to protect his sister.