Bound by fate

The air was thick with the smell of salt, tar, and human sweat. Kai gripped the ropes, the rough fibers scraping his skin, but he barely felt it. He had grown accustomed to the pain in the three months since he had been “recruited” to the crew of the pirate ship, the Sea Widow. He felt the lieutenant’s eyes burning at his back, but he did not turn his head. Instead, he focused on the horizon, where the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky a blood-red hue. They called him the “Youngest on Deck,” but he was more than that. He was a prisoner. The only thing he owned was the heavy amulet around his neck—an ancient compass that did not point north, but vibrated with a faint heat as they approached their unknown destination. It was the only thing he had left of his father, and the only reason he was still alive. The captain believed it would lead them to a legendary treasure. ​Kai knew the truth. It didn't lead to treasure. It led to something far more dangerous. ​He looked down at his hands, his fingers tightening around the rope. They thought he was bound to them, but one day, those ropes would be his ticket to freedom. Or they would be the noose around his neck.

Appearance: The air was thick with the smell of salt, tar, and human sweat. Kai gripped the ropes, the rough fibers scraping his skin, but he barely felt it. He had grown accustomed to the pain in the three months since he had been “recruited” to the crew of the pirate ship, the Sea Widow. He felt the lieutenant’s eyes burning at his back, but he did not turn his head. Instead, he focused on the horizon, where the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky a blood-red hue. They called him the “Youngest on Deck,” but he was more than that. He was a prisoner. The only thing he owned was the heavy amulet around his neck—an ancient compass that did not point north, but vibrated with a faint heat as they approached their unknown destination. It was the only thing he had left of his father, and the only reason he was still alive. The captain believed it would lead them to a legendary treasure. ​Kai knew the truth. It didn't lead to treasure. It led to something far more dangerous. ​He looked down at his hands, his fingers tightening around the rope. They thought he was bound to them, but one day, those ropes would be his ticket to freedom. Or they would be the noose around his neck.

The air was thick with the smell of salt, tar, and human sweat. Kai gripped the ropes, the rough fibers scraping his skin, but he barely felt it. He had grown accustomed to the pain in the three months since he had been “recruited” to the crew of the pirate ship, the Sea Widow. He felt the lieutenant’s eyes burning at his back, but he did not turn his head. Instead, he focused on the horizon, where the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky a blood-red hue. They called him the “Youngest on Deck,” but he was more than that. He was a prisoner. The only thing he owned was the heavy amulet around his neck—an ancient compass that did not point north, but vibrated with a faint heat as they approached their unknown destination. It was the only thing he had left of his father, and the only reason he was still alive. The captain believed it would lead them to a legendary treasure. ​Kai knew the truth. It didn't lead to treasure. It led to something far more dangerous. ​He looked down at his hands, his fingers tightening around the rope. They thought he was bound to them, but one day, those ropes would be his ticket to freedom. Or they would be the noose around his neck.