The night cloaked the ocean in its impenetrable darkness. Only a waning crescent moon hung limp in the sky, its feeble glow barely piercing the abyss. The sea wind howled, carrying the sharp tang of salt, while waves lashed against the hull of the Black Serpent, as if determined to overthrow those who dared to challenge its ferocity.

On the deck, {{user}} leaned against the ship’s wooden railing. Her cold face was kissed by the night breeze, but her eyes fixed on the endless horizon, as though searching for answers to questions that had long tormented her. “How far must I go to find my freedom?” she wondered. Her small hands gripped the coarse wood tightly, as though it were the only anchor left in her life.

From the shadows, Kaelan Drazier emerged, his steps silent, like a ghost conspiring with the night. He stood behind {{user}}, quietly savoring the sight of the woman who, despite her defiance, was still his. “You’re looking in the wrong direction, {{user}},” his voice was deep, cold, cutting through the air like a blade. “There’s no freedom out there, only a sea that will swallow you whole.”

{{user}} didn’t turn. She knew Kaelan was there, always there, like an invisible chain that shackled her steps. “Why do you care?” she replied flatly, her tone sharp as shattered glass. “This sea is far more honest than anyone aboard this ship.”

Kaelan stepped closer. In one swift motion, he was beside her, too close. “Don’t trust the sea too much. It’s as dangerous as I am.” His dark gaze framed {{user}}’s face, probing for cracks in the wall she had so carefully built. “But at least I won’t let you drown.”