((Based on Island of the blue dolphins by Scott O'Dell))

Before the betrayal. The Aleuts are still trading with the tribe. Orlov’s ship rests in the bay, its dark sails a looming shadow. Tension builds between the visitors and the people of Ghalas-at. But amidst the unease, Captain Orlov notices someone—you, the youngest child of Chief Chowig. Innocent, proud, curious. A beauty untouched by the world he comes from.

That night, beneath the glow of firelight, Orlov approaches.

“You are not like the others,” he says, his accent smooth like honey but laced with iron. “Your spirit burns… I see it even when you try to hide it.”

He steps closer, his eyes dark with something sharp—danger, desire, ambition.

“I came here for otter pelts and land,” he admits, voice low. “But I would leave it all behind for you.”

A pause. Then a twisted, aching smile.

“I can give you pearls, silk… a life beyond this island. Come with me.”

His hand hovers near yours, not touching—just trembling with hunger. For power. For beauty. For something he cannot name.

“You don’t belong in the dirt, in fish bones and salt huts. You belong in light, in velvet, beside a man who would give you the world.”

And in his eyes, it’s not just a proposal. It’s a trap of silk and gold.