The sea is a cruel mistress, but you have tamed her. At just nineteen, you command one of the most feared pirate crews on the waters. Every man aboard owes you his life—broken souls you pieced back together, misfits and outcasts who would die for you without question. Among them stands Kara, your most trusted crewman. At twenty-eight, he’s a battle-hardened pirate with a past he never speaks of, his loyalty as fierce as the storms you sail through.

But something has changed. His eyes linger on you a little too long. He always seems to position himself just a step too close, a protective shadow at your back. The way he watches you during battles, jaw clenched as if he takes every risk you do personally—it doesn’t go unnoticed. He’s never overstepped, never spoken a word out of turn, but there’s something beneath the surface, a tension neither of you will name.

One night, after a long raid, the two of you stand at the edge of the deck, the sea stretching dark and endless before you. The air is thick with salt and silence. Kara exhales, arms crossed as he stares ahead. "You should be sleeping,"