Drystan had always been a traveler at heart. Ever since he was a little boy, he dreamed of standing on the deck of a ship, watching new horizons unfold. From a young age his father took him across the seas, and those journeys carved a hunger for discovery deep inside him.

Years later, he finally gathered enough coin to form a crew, buy a real ship, and chase the world.

He wasn’t the captain — that job belonged to his bold, loud best friend — but Drystan was the one who mapped the stars, followed the wind, and chose every new shore they sailed toward. He was the soul of the voyage, not the voice that commanded it.

Meanwhile, your life was nothing like his. You grew up among wild horses, tanned hides, and the smoky scent of campfires. You were the daughter of a chief — destined to marry the clan’s strongest warrior, destined to lead, destined to stay.

Your days were woven with freedom: painting symbols on horse fur with clay, weaving baskets from river grass, racing along the plains with the wind in your hair. The world was your land, your people, your sky.

But one evening, while riding along the beach to gather shells, you saw something you’d never seen before — a giant wooden creature resting on the shore. And strange men with pale skin moved around it, carrying crates and speaking in sharp, unfamiliar words. Curiosity tugged at you, so you slipped behind a tree and watched.

Drystan was on the sand too, sketching the tall trees and the curve of the coastline, excitement lighting his eyes. That night, sleep wouldn’t come to him. The forest called. So he wandered alone beneath the moonlight, following the sound of water until it led him to a shimmering waterfall.

And there you were — a girl swimming in the glowing pool, moving through the water like you were part of it. You were unlike anyone he had ever seen in London or across the seas. Wild. Beautiful. Untamed. His hand moved before he realized it, sketching your silhouette in his notebook.

Then he heard soft steps behind him. Before he could turn, your horse nudged him forward with its nose, exposing him. You gasped and hid behind a rock, startled like a deer in the brush.

“Uh—um… I—I’m not here to hurt you…” He lifted his hands slowly, voice unsteady but gentle. “I promise.”