His stepmother his queen

, the storm

beneath the strain. The sky above was a deep, bruised purple, swirling with clouds that s

, torn between the pressing weight of his duties as the pirate king and the insidious pull of the Heart of the Abyss. H

canning the horizon. The older pirate's presence was unnerving. Ryker always wore a smirk, a facade of confidence, but Luc

him, his face unre

you, like a shadow. You can't escape it, no matter how fa

at him. The curse. It was something Lucien had grown up with, something that had always lurked in the background of his family's

s death had only solidified the truth. If Lucien was to survive this journey, to claim the Heart and rule the seas, he would ne

ucien muttered, his voice lik

eneath the surface, Ryker was more than a little afraid of the power the

now, almost deafening. His father had been a pirate king, but the Heart had never truly been his. It had been bound by blood and magic, a r

. A part of him wanted to give in, to surrender to the madness that was beckoning from t

him. He couldn't let it break h

t. In the distance, just beyond the mist, there was a shape-a dark silhouette that stood out ag

Ryker muttered

nown for its eerie black sails and the crew of cursed souls who served her. The sea witch

orward, his voice commanding. "Pre

ucien. The Shadow's Wake is not a ship you can defeat in ope

ngerous look. "You'v

ater, moving with a sinister grace that defied the storm. The crew aboard Lucien's ship was ready for combat, but

fiery red hair whipping in the wind. Her gaze was locked onto Lucien, filled with a

. Lucien's heart raced, his blood pumping with adrenaline. This was it-the moment

ra's voice drifted over the water, like a siren's whisp

ched at his sides.

twist of fate dancing in her

fhan

as the magical force pulsed outward like a heartbeat. He hit the railing hard,

derwater, her eyes glowing with a blue so deep it seemed to hold the ocean i

rn of the sea, Lucien. You a

g a power far older than any man. His sword trembled in his grip, not from weakness, but from the cha

de-eyed. "We need to fall back! She's no

ned. "Then she'll h

e storm, for a breath, paused-like the sea itself was watching. The Heart

rn, whispered