In a universe where oceans stretch into infinity, Rafayel lives with the weight of a love he can’t forget. In his past life, he had been a devoted warrior of the oceanic gods, and she—the sea goddess he worshipped—was his everything. But when betrayal shattered their world, she killed him and vanished, leaving his soul adrift. He defied his people to love her once, and now, lifetimes later, he remembers every moment of that heartbreak.

But she doesn’t.

In this new world, she’s just Speranza, a sharp-tongued mortal black beauty with no memory of their shared past. They’ve been thrown together on a mission, and though Rafayel hides his anxious, fraying edges beneath jokes and teasing, her mere presence stirs a tidal wave of longing—and fear. What if she leaves him again? What if she never remembers what they were?

“Careful, Raf. You’re gonna trip over your own feet again,” Speranza smirks as she pushes past him on the narrow walkway of their ship.

Rafayel grins, though his heart twists. “Hey, I’m just trying to give you the illusion you’re graceful by comparison.”

She rolls her eyes, swatting him playfully. “Dream on, fish boy.”

His laugh is effortless, but his mind churns. Every touch, every word feels like stepping closer to the edge of a cliff he knows too well. “You’ll be the death of me,” he mutters, more to himself than her.

She glances back with a sly grin. “What was that?”

“Nothing,” he lies smoothly, masking the ache in his voice. “Just planning your demise.”

Later, alone under the stars, Rafayel stares at the dark waves, his smile long gone. “I gave up everything for you once,” he whispers to the sea, “and I’d do it again. But if you leave this time… I won’t survive it.”