The first rays of dawn had just touched the turquoise sky when the *Starling Gale* came alive. A low, humming sound began to emanate from the Aether-crystal engine in the center of the ship. Brass pipes vibrated with warmth, and the wooden propellers on either side of the ship began to slowly spin.
Aarav held onto the rail tightly. There was a strange fluttering in his stomach—half fear, half excitement. He looked down as Lumen Shore, the place that had become his home in just a few weeks, slowly grew smaller.
With one final jolt, the ship lifted off the ground. It didn't feel like falling, but rather like floating in the air. A strong gust of wind hit his face, carrying with it the salty scent of the sea and a unique feeling of freedom. He saw Liora standing near the main mast, her golden hair flowing in the wind. She was smiling, and seeing her smile made all of Aarav's fear vanish.
This was his first voyage. A real journey.
---
**Ship's Log, Day 1:**
*In the voice of Captain Mara Vance*
*"We're heading northwest. The wind is with us, but luck isn't. The compass is still bleeding Shadow Aether like a wound. The boy has courage; I saw it in his first fight. But courage doesn't stop a pirate's cutlass. There's a heaviness in the air. I don't like this feeling."*
---
The first day of the voyage was not as peaceful as one might have hoped. As soon as the ship picked up speed, Kael summoned Aarav to the center of the deck.
"Your last victory was luck, not skill," Kael said in his direct, flat voice. "Now, your real training begins."
He told Aarav to assume the same stance. But this time, the ground wasn't steady. The gentle sway of the ship, the pressure of the wind—everything was working to throw Aarav off balance.
"The deck of a ship is never still," Kael explained as Aarav stumbled. "At sea, your greatest enemy isn't the one in front of you, but the ground beneath your feet. Start again."
For hours, Kael taught him just one thing—how to maintain balance on a moving deck. Beads of sweat dripped from Aarav's forehead onto the deck. His leg muscles were burning like fire, but he didn't give up. Every time he fell, he would see Liora's worried eyes, and he would get back up again.
---
In the evening, as the two moons floated in the sky, their enemy made its first move. But this was not an attack with a sword; it was an assault on the mind.
Aarav was sitting on the deck, looking at the red, throbbing compass. Suddenly, he heard a whisper in his ears.
*"...look at him... so weak..."*
Aarav looked around, startled. No one was there.
*"...just a pretty face... he'll get them all killed..."*
This voice... it was the voice of his old world. It was a mixture of Rohan's voice and his cronies'. The same whispers that had followed him for years.
He covered his ears. "Shut up."
*"...Liora pities you... Kael despises you... you're alone here too..."*
"Aarav?"
Liora's voice broke the illusion. She sat down next to him, her face etched with concern. "Are you okay? You're trembling."
"I... I heard voices," Aarav said, his voice shaky.
Liora looked at the red compass. "It's that," she said. "Shadow Aether doesn't just corrupt things; it uses your own fears as a weapon. It's getting inside your head."
She placed her hand on Aarav's. "Look at me. Take a deep breath. With me."
Aarav did as she said. Liora's presence, her calm voice, slowly began to quiet the noise in his mind.
"Those voices are not yours, Aarav," Liora said softly. "They are just shadows. And you shouldn't be afraid of shadows."
Aarav nodded, his breathing now steady. He held onto Liora's hand tightly, as if she were his anchor in this storm. That night, they sat in silence for a long time, finding strength in each other's quiet company.
---
**Ship's Log, Day 2:**
*"The psychological attack from the compass has intensified. Liora is managing the boy, but for how long? Kael is pushing him harder, perhaps to distract him. We've entered the waters of Iron Reef. The sea here isn't turquoise, but the color of copper. The air smells of rust and smoke. Below, I see not sky-rays, but the wreckage of rusted ships."*
---
On the morning of the third day, the atmosphere had changed. The turquoise sky had been replaced by a hazy, brown one. The air was heavy. In the distance, on the horizon, black, jagged peaks began to appear, like the teeth of a monster rising from the sea.
"There it is. Iron Reef," Mara said, standing at the helm. Her voice was grave.
Aarav, Liora, and Kael joined her.
As they got closer, the place looked even more menacing. They weren't mountains; they were jagged, rusted man-made structures—old fortresses, broken watchtowers, and a graveyard of ships. The place looked like a wound that had never healed.
"So, what's the plan, Captain?" Kael asked, his hands resting on his swords.
"The plan is simple," Mara said. "We can't go to the main port; we'll be spotted and captured immediately. To the south, there's a small bay called 'Smuggler's Cove.' A blacksmith there, Grak, owes me a favor. We'll land there and ask for his help."
"And if he refuses?" Liora asked.
Mara smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "Then we'll use 'Plan B'."
"What's Plan B?" Aarav asked.
"The same as Plan A," Mara replied, "just with a lot more noise and screaming."
**(Final Hook)**
Just then, something moved atop a broken watchtower not far from them.
"What was that?" Liora said softly.
Everyone looked in that direction.
A plume of black smoke rose from the top of the tower. A long, dark signal of smoke, clearly visible against the silent sky.
It was no coincidence.
Kael drew one of his swords slightly from its sheath. "That's a warning."
Mara gritted her teeth. She gripped the helm tightly.
"Not a warning," she said, her eyes fixed on the smoke in the distance. "It's a welcome."
The wolves knew that their prey had just entered the den.