Huang Yanyan's POV:
The yacht screamed through the waves, its engine a guttural roar beneath my feet as Island B loomed ahead—smoke curling from its shores, fire licking the citadel like a wound in the night. My hands gripped the railing, knuckles white, the cold spray stinging my face as Yang Wei pushed us harder, his face a mask of fury and pain. Li Mei was inside—inside—her boots on his throne, my birthright, and now ships cut from the east, unmarked and bristling with guns, closing the noose. We were too late, but I'd be damned if I let her win without a fight.
"Brace!" Haoyu shouted beside me, his voice tight as he grabbed my arm, steadying me against the lurching deck. The yacht rocked, water sloshing from the breached hull, but I didn't flinch, my eyes locked on those enemy ships—three now, their lights flaring as gunfire erupted, stitching the sea around us.
