Chapter 306: Aftermath & Returning

The island slowly went back to normal, but not the fun kind of normal. Knights in shiny armor moved through every hotel, every villa, and every hidden corner like ants. They kicked open doors, flipped mattresses, and dug through drawers. Bags of white powder and colorful pills were pulled out in clear plastic bags and stacked in big piles on the sand.

"Make sure to stay away while we search the entire room," one knight said sternly to a group of guests standing in the hallway. He waved them back with his gloved hand. "No touching anything until we’re done."

People stood outside their rooms looking nervous, arms crossed, whispering to each other. Some looked scared, eyes darting around like they expected to be dragged away any second.

But as these things usually go, the rich got saved again.

No real arrests were made. The knights questioned everyone, took names, wrote reports... but in the end, they let almost everyone go. After all, most people on the island had serious money, powerful parents, or important connections back home. A few small-time dealers got handcuffed and taken away on the boats, but the big crowd? They just got a warning and a ticket back to the mainland.

By late afternoon, the cruise ships that had brought everyone here started loading up again. Long lines of people with suitcases and beach bags waited to board. The island looked quieter now—no loud music, no wild parties, just the sound of waves and the low hum of ship engines.

On the deck of one of the bigger cruise ships, four friends stood near the pool, leaning on the railing and looking back at the island that was slowly getting smaller in the distance.

"Ahmm... where is Austin? We can’t see him anymore." Mia said, holding a bright yellow beach ball under one arm. She sighed and looked around the deck.

Lisa leaned against the railing, resting her chin on her hand. Her face looked sad.

"Yeah, he went and never came back," she said with a little pout.

Tasha nodded, playing with the string of her bikini top.

"Yeah, I’m missing him a lot now," she said softly. "He was so much fun at the club and the pool that night." ℯℯ𝘭.

"Nothing can be done. We don’t have his contacts. Sigh..." John ran his fingers through his messy hair and let out a heavy breath.

The four of them stayed quiet for a moment, watching the island disappear behind them. The sun was warm on their skin, and the ship’s pool sparkled bright blue just a few steps away. Music played softly from the speakers, but it felt a little empty without the wild energy from before.

Mia suddenly bounced the beach ball once on the deck, then tossed it up high above her head. As she jumped to catch it, her chest bounced noticeably under her tight bikini top.

"Such a shame," she said, catching the ball and hugging it to her body. "But probably he might have run away... who knows?"

"Maybe he got scared when the Queen showed up with all those knights." Lisa shrugged and gave a small smile.

Tasha giggled a little. "Or maybe he’s secretly some big-shot criminal and had to disappear."

John laughed and shook his head. "Nah, he seemed too nice for that. Probably just went back to his normal life."

Mia bounced the ball again and grinned.

"Come on, guys. No point standing here being sad. Let’s enjoy the rest of the trip!"

She tossed the ball toward the pool. It splashed into the water with a big *plop*. The others laughed and followed her, jumping in one by one—clothes and all.

Water sprayed everywhere as they started playing again, splashing each other and shouting. Mia’s ball bounced between them while they swam and laughed, trying to push the strange feeling away.

The big cruise ship cut smoothly through the blue water, engines humming low as it carried everyone away from the island. The sun was bright, the sky clear, and a light breeze played with people’s hair. Most passengers were trying to relax again—some swimming in the deck pools, others sipping drinks at the bar, a few just staring at the disappearing island behind them.

But on the upper deck, near the railing, Lyra stood alone.

She leaned forward, elbows resting on the smooth metal bar, looking out at the endless ocean and the bright sky. A few white birds flew past, circling lazily. She wore tight denim shorts that showed off her long legs and a simple bra underneath a loose white net top. The thin fabric moved gently with the wind, showing the soft curves of her body and the deep line of her cleavage in a sexy but casual way.

Lyra let out a long, quiet sigh.

"Where are you, Austin... Zero..." she thought to herself, eyes fixed on the horizon. Her mind kept replaying the crazy night at the club, the pool, the fight... and the way I had looked at her before everything went wrong.

She didn’t notice her husband walking up until he was right beside her.

The half-bald man in a neat business suit placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"You okay, Lyra?" he asked softly, voice full of concern.

She turned her head and gave him a small smile, trying to look normal. "Yeah, I’m fine."

He studied her face for a second, then nodded toward the direction of the island they had just left.

"Was that Afa girl your friend?" he asked.

"Yeah... sort of," Lyra replied, forcing the smile to stay on her lips even though it felt tight.

Her husband stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. Lyra hugged him back, resting her head against his chest for a moment.

"I can understand," he said gently. "Now that she has been taken into custody and she’s in a coma... you must be feeling down."

"Yeah..." Lyra whispered, hugging him a little tighter.

In her heart, though, it wasn’t really Afa she was thinking about. It was me. She missed the wild, fun energy I brought, the way I made everything feel exciting and safe at the same time. But she couldn’t say any of that out loud.

Her husband pulled back slightly and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"I’m heading down to a meeting," he said. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Alright, I will," Lyra said, nodding with another polite smile.

He gave her one last gentle squeeze on the shoulder and walked away, his suit jacket flapping lightly in the sea breeze.

Lyra turned back to the railing. She stared at the bright sky and the birds flying freely above the waves. The wind tugged at her net top and played with her hair.

She let out another quiet sigh, this one even softer.

"Where are you really, Austin?" she muttered again.