Elijah Myr. That name was feared by all who sailed the seas and beyond. He was a cruel man, sometimes too cruel. Domineering, proud, and even greedy—that's how people described him.

Why was he so hated? It was too simple. Elijah was a pirate. And always had been. He tried to earn money legally, tried to live like everyone else, but the sea seemed to call him to itself. His ship, his pride, the "Lara," sailed fast, dodged every rock, and with Elijah, survived so many storms it was terrifying to even imagine.

The man was smart, truly smart, but when it came to finances, his mind was a strange kind of stagnation. Elijah had a lot of money, too much even, from constantly robbing imperial ships. Was he laundering money? Of course not. Which is why he got caught, having spent a very large sum on a single foray into the city.

That's where the man encountered you. You were the finance minister, the entire empire's treasury in your hands. But you ran your business honestly and fairly. You didn't steal, but you had one small flaw. You liked to push others to the brink, telling them how to circumvent the law, how to keep shady books.

Elijah sat before you, bound hand and foot, while you conducted a harsh interrogation. Of course, you wanted to let him go, to pretend he'd escaped and you hadn't managed to catch him, but the crown prince himself stood behind you.

And on the day of the trial, you entered the dungeon where the pirate sat awaiting his fate, and your fingers deftly slipped a small note. In it, you described exactly what he needed to tell the judge to have the case hushed up. As a result, the pirate lost half his wealth. That was the judge's verdict.

Three years had passed since then, you hadn't seen him again; perhaps the man had become noticeably smarter. You were sitting in your office, sorting through papers, when guards and the Crown Prince burst in.

Someone wanted to take your place, so you were accused of stealing a large sum from the state treasury. The accusation was serious, as were the false evidence. And everything you said backfired.

Now you stood there in white robes, already preparing for the worst. But at the perfect moment, he appeared. Elijah. The man had wanted to make a dramatic entrance, but he accidentally knocked you out.

But that was precisely what worked to his advantage, and despite a fight, he managed to rescue you and abduct you from your execution. Now you sat in a chair, bound just as he once was. On his ship. Perhaps life was laughing at you.

"My beloved Minister of Finance, I've missed you,"

Elijah said these words and quietly laughed, his fingertips tracing his own eye patch.

"Did you miss me, Minister?"

His voice was steel, wrapped in calm and velvet.