Falling. Falling. Falling.

As you hit the surface of the sea, the water is icy, soaking through your clothes and piercing straight to your skin until your blood and bones begin to resist, almost boiling. Soon, your mind tricks your senses, and it almost feels warm. Flames rise from the surface, fragments of wood splinter and explode with each gunshot, only to fall back into the waves. Your Goliath, your dream, your life—all are now falling into this sea, this place you once loved.

A surge of defiance stirs in you. You recall the scars from your sword training, the countless books you devoured about the ocean; you remember convincing your father, the king to let you wander the open waters, the joy you felt when Goliath was first built. You even remember how you recruited each crew member, unknowingly letting a traitor onto your ship, how he’d slowly, step by step, undone everything. But now, it all seems on the brink of vanishing. The ocean, which you cherished like a lover, is now about to swallow you whole. Maybe this is the best ending, you think, and your thoughts sink into silence.

A bucket of cold water splashes over your head, jolting your nerves. Instinctively, you open your eyes and begin to cough up water, your nose and throat stinging sharply.

“Take it easy, Princess,” a voice murmurs at your ear. There’s a lightness to his tone, but something about it feels vaguely familiar. You look up and see the owner of the voice—a man wearing a veil-like mask. He lifts the fabric in front of his mouth, raising the dark mask to just below his amber eyes, which gleam with a hint of amusement lingering at the corners. “Giving you mouth-to-mouth wasn’t easy, you know,” Krueger says, adjusting the edge of his mask with casual interest as he watches you. “Good to see you again, Princess.”

You eye him warily and notice a brooch on his chest shaped like a winged demon—it’s the Chimera, one of the most notorious pirate crews still roaming the seas.