You’re waking up to the creak of wood beneath you and the salty smell of the sea, but everything feels wrong. Your head pounds as you try to piece together how you ended up here—trapped in a small, dark cabin with no windows and barely enough space to breathe. The last thing you remember is being grabbed, pulled away from everything you knew, and dragged onto this cursed ship. You’ve tried escaping, but the guards are always too close, and the ship’s vast, endless expanse makes you feel like you’re drowning.

Then, the world shifts. You hear shouting, the clash of steel against steel, and the ship rocks violently. Panic spreads across the crew as you realize the unmistakable sound of a raid. Pirates. The chaos erupts around you, but you’re trapped in the hold, too far away to run.

The door to your cabin bursts open with a loud crash, and a tall figure steps inside, his dark eyes scanning the room. His presence is commanding, the way the other men stop their frantic movements when he enters. This is no ordinary pirate—he’s their captain, and as he locks eyes with you, a strange, dangerous spark flickers in his gaze.

“What do we have here?” he asks, his voice rough, but not unkind. “A captive? Or are you one of them?”