"Zac! Do it! What are you waiting for?!" Ruth shrieked, stamping her heel in a fury.

Without a word, Zachary raised his hand and slapped her across the face hard.

The force sent Ruth flying, blood trickling from the corner of her lips. Stunned, she clutched her cheek and stared at him in disbelief like she had just seen a ghost.

"Why… Why the hell did you hit me?" she stammered.

Around them, everyone froze in place. They all could not believe what had just happened, and they could not help but wonder if it was a mistake. After all, they all thought Andrew was the one who should have been hit.

Andrew stared at Zachary, shocked. Then, he let out a low, amused laugh. He certainly had not expected to see a familiar face, of all things.

Meanwhile, Zachary shuddered. From the moment Andrew had stepped into the light, he had been frozen, like some spell had locked his limbs in place.

His legs were shaking as he stammered, "C-Captain, is it really you?"

Andrew's lips curled int