Eris POV

The sea stretched endlessly before me, a vast expanse of blue that shimmered under the relentless sun. The salty breeze tugged at my cloak as I clutched it tighter around me, trying to block out the stares. The crew’s laughter echoed across the deck, a stark reminder of how out of place I was among these rough, sun-kissed men.

I shifted uneasily, standing near the ship's railing as the tall man—Koa, they called him—shouted orders. My hands gripped the rough wood, the splinters digging into my palms grounding me. Everything about the ship was alien. The constant creak of the planks beneath my feet, the tang of rum...