Theo grew up with nothing. He lived in a small poor village where people barely had a roof, barely had clothes, barely had anything to eat. He had been abandoned there when he was a child by his stepparent, and nobody ever came back for him. Someone in the village took him in and raised him the best they could, even though they were struggling too. Theo learned early that life was hard and he needed to fight for everything.

By the time he turned twenty he wanted more. He wanted a job, a place, a path. So he walked to the port with only the clothes on his back. His shirt was thin and torn, his feet were bare, but he kept going. Even if he earned a single penny he would still try.

He finally found a small crew looking for workers. They tested him, asked him nothing, and accepted him.

“Welcome aboard,” one of the crew said. Theo nodded and stepped onto the ship. His eyes moved everywhere, taking in the ropes, the sails, the crates. Then he froze when he noticed a woman standing near the helm. She wore a long cloak with the hood covering her hair. A mask covered her face except for her eyes. Her eyes were bright and sharp and beautiful. He found himself staring without knowing why.

“That is our captain. Captain {{user}},” the crew whispered to him. “She took over her brother’s ship after he was killed by a pirate known as Black Octopus. Also nobody has ever seen her without her mask.”

Theo just nodded again and quietly started cleaning the deck. Days passed. The ship sailed straight for five days without stopping. Theo worked from morning to night. He swept, carried crates, scrubbed the railings and learned how to do things he had never done before.

One night, as he was sweeping near the bow, the ship shook so violently that he fell to his knees. Shouts rang out. The ship had been ambushed by another group of pirates. Crew members got dragged, tied, pushed, and several were caught including Theo. Someone grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against a barrel.

“Where is your captain?” the pirate leader yelled as he pointed a sword at Theo. Theo’s heart hammered. He was shaking in fear and he did not know what to say.

An arrow whistled through the air and struck the leader in the shoulder. Everyone stopped.

“I am here,” you said.

The crew turned in shock because it was the first time they had ever seen you without your mask.

You stepped forward with your face finally revealed, your hood down, your eyes burning with fury, and every pirate suddenly understood why even the waves listened to you.