Feena asked, "So, what do we do now?"
Jack stood up and scanned the surroundings. "We drifted dozens of miles last night, but we still have enough diesel in the engine to get us back."
Thankfully, he'd had the foresight to siphon the fuel from those two idiots' boats into his own yesterday. It was an act of precaution that had saved them.
"That's great! Then take us back," Feena said gleefully, her eyes brimming with trust as she looked at him.
Feena and Phoebe had now trusted Jack wholeheartedly. As long as he was with them, they believed they could return, no matter how far they'd drifted.
The boat chugged along for a full hour before the distant outline of land finally appeared. Soon after, the welcoming beam of a lighthouse and rows of unique buildings appeared on the horizon.
At the sight of land, Feena and Phoebe erupted into excited cheers. A wave of relief washed over them—a feeling of having narrowly escaped disaster.
As the boat approached the shore, tears welled up in their eyes. Feena and Phoebe had lived sheltered lives untouched by hardship; the life-and-death experience last night would stay with them forever.
Looking back, the experience was also filled with a strange, inexplicable warmth. They had endured countless trials, witnessed wonders they might never see again, and trusted and leaned on each other through it all. Finally, they were out of danger.
In the years to come, when Feena and Phoebe sit by their windows, watching the flowers bloom and fade, they might occasionally think back to this extraordinary journey and feel emotional.
The boat finally reached the dock, but there was still a small gap between the vessel and the shore.
"In Euphoria, there's a legend. If a man and woman on the same boat witness jellyfish and the Milky Way together, it means the gods have blessed them. They'll become the most important people in each other's lives. It's a very reliable legend."
Jack didn't react and brushed off the comment. However, Phoebe and Feena lowered their heads, their expressions lost in thought.
After returning the boat, the three of them began their journey back. By the time they reached Brightland, it was already past six in the evening.
Feena bid Jack and Phoebe goodbye before heading off to handle some matters with her film crew. That left Jack to escort Phoebe back to her school before returning to his hotel.
As they walked, neither of them said a word, each lost in their reflections. Jack's mind kept drifting back to the moment he'd kissed Feena and how Phoebe had caught him in the act.
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