The coast lay deathly still late at night, with only the wash of waves against the tidal flats echoing through the empty darkness.
After Kohaku, Nikki, and Ginro confirmed that no one was anywhere nearby, they got to work.
Cold stone statues stood silently on the deck.
Moving gently and keeping noise to a minimum, the three carefully moved the statues one by one, loading them all into the car.
The car had enough room to fit the statues inside.
Just as they set down the last statue and prepared to wrap up and leave, faint footsteps approached along the coastal path.
"Someone's coming!"
Kohaku's ears twitched. She picked up the sound at once, her heart tightening as she whispered a warning.
Without time to think, the three darted into a shadowed blind spot against the inside of the cabin and held their breath.
The night was pitch-black, and deeper inside the cabin, they could barely see their own hands. The darkness just about concealed them.
Soon, a patrol guard carrying a spear strolled onto the deck.
He had clearly been sent back for an unscheduled second inspection. Reluctance covered his face, and he yawned as he walked.
"What a pain... We took care of everything during the day, but they still make us patrol the coast in the middle of the night. What a hassle."
Spear in hand, he shuffled back and forth across the deck, sweeping his gaze around as he checked every corner.
His footsteps drew closer and closer, almost stopping right outside the blind spot where the three hid.
The tension in the cramped space became unbearable. Even the air seemed to freeze.
Nikki pressed her lips tightly together, her body rigid. Kohaku kept her eyes fixed on the guard.
Ginro was the most nervous of