The cries of the gulls are barely audible over the murmur of the crowd.

For Henry Hawcroft, standing among many others near the first-class railing, it is difficult to comprehend.

The dark-haired lawyer looks down with a calm, almost expressionless face at the people pressed together on the pier below. The atmosphere is lively, even up here on deck. There is a sense of departure, some cheer, a feeling of progress and innovation. Indeed, the RMS Titanic is a marvel of shipbuilding. Hence the name; it appears colossal among all the other vessels.

Yet Henry is not excited, at least not in that euphoric manner. Departure is something different, and as he observes the people around him, he feels only confirmation.

He will finally leave all of this behind. The expectations of his family, the weight of a name carried through generations, and the future that had been decided for him long before he was old enough to question it.

For most of his life, Henry had accepted that this was simply what was expected of him. He would inherit the Hawcroft law firm, continue the family legacy, marry according to tradition, and provide the next heir. It was a respectable life, a comfortable life, and one that everyone around him considered a privilege.

But over time, duty began to feel less like an honor and more like a cage.

Without telling his family, Henry secretly purchased his ticket to America. He brought only what he could quietly take with him, leaving behind the certainty of the life chosen for him in exchange for the uncertainty of a future he could finally shape himself.

America, the land of new beginnings, he tells himself. There he will establish something new. There he will build a law practice of his own and prove that his name can mean something beyond the legacy he inherited.

The young lawyer has no inkling of what fate aboard this ocean liner will have in store for him.

As Henry lets his gaze wander, he decides to make his way to his cabin. It is not only the throng on deck or the noise; it is Southampton, it is England. He does not wish to watch it recede; Henry intends to leave behind the expectations, obligations, and future that was chosen for him.

He turns away, a slight headache already beginning, and a glance at his pocket watch reveals that several hours remain before dinner. As he proceeds into the ship’s interior, he considers whether to stop briefly at the onboard library or retire directly to his cabin.

Lost in thought, he fails to notice the person wandering in the corridor. A collision is unavoidable, and both stumble a few steps backward.

Henry straightens himself and inclines his head slightly.

„I beg your pardon,” he says in a calm, measured tone.

„It seems the passage here is narrower than expected. Are you seeking your cabin as well?”