Kael's lungs burned, his arms ached, and the sea around him roared like a living beast. He had survived the first attack, but barely. Every instinct screamed at him to run, but run where? There was nothing but water stretching endlessly in every direction.
He swallowed hard and tried to calm himself, forcing his mind to think. "Okay… survive first. Don't panic. Look for anything—anything I can grab."
His eyes scanned the waves. A flash of dark brown caught his attention—something floating just ahead. A piece of driftwood, big enough to hold him up. Desperation gave him strength, and he kicked toward it, arms churning, heart hammering.
Finally, he clutched it, hugging it like a lifeline. He collapsed onto it, gasping. Saltwater ran down his face, stinging his eyes, but he didn't care. He was alive.
For a few moments, the world felt silent. Only the wind and the waves surrounded him. Then came a small sound—a splash, distant but deliberate. Kael froze. His mind raced.
Another shape emerged from the water. Smaller than the beast from before, but unmistakably alive. It moved quickly, almost as if it were studying him. His heart jumped. Was it a predator, or… something else?
Before he could decide, a voice shouted across the waves, faint but urgent:
"Hey! Over here!"
Kael turned toward the sound. A small sail, barely visible over the horizon, bobbed in the waves. A boat! Not big, but a chance to survive. His arms pumped harder, and he pushed the driftwood toward it.
The closer he got, the more he realized he wasn't alone. On the deck stood a figure—a girl, waving frantically. She had a straw hat, a grin, and eyes that seemed sharp and fearless.
"Hold on! I've got you!" she called.
Kael didn't hesitate. Summoning every ounce of his exhausted strength, he grabbed the edge of the boat. The girl helped pull him aboard. Once on deck, he collapsed completely, coughing up seawater.
"Are you insane? The storm out here isn't safe!" she exclaimed.
"I… I didn't have a choice," Kael rasped. "I… I didn't know where else to go."
The girl shook her head but didn't scold him further. Instead, she introduced herself.
"I'm Lyra. And you're lucky I was sailing by. Name's?"
"Kael," he managed, weakly.
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Well, Kael… you just got a free ticket to the great sea. Welcome aboard."
Kael tried to smile, but it felt strange—foreign. Alive. He was still shaky, still unsure about this new world, but for the first time, a tiny spark of hope flickered inside him.
He looked out at the endless ocean, feeling the waves beneath the boat. The sea was huge, wild, and unpredictable. And for the first time, he felt… like maybe, just maybe, he could find his way.
Lyra climbed down from the mast, carrying a small bucket of water. "You'll need to stay hydrated," she said. "And eat something if you can. Storms like this can be brutal."
Kael nodded, taking the bucket. His hand brushed the water, and a strange feeling pulsed through him. The same sensation from before—the Tide Binding—tingled faintly, almost as if the sea itself was welcoming him.
He didn't understand it yet, but he knew one thing: this was only the beginning. The world was vast, dangerous, and filled with mysteries he could barely imagine.
And he was going to survive it.
No matter what.