The ship rocked gently on the waves, its wooden hull creaking in protest against the steady push of the tide. Lanterns swung from the masts, casting flickering pools of gold across the deck. The night air was thick with salt, mingling with the scent of damp rope and won leather.
Captain Elias Marcel stood near the bow, one boot propped against the railing as he stared out over the water. The sea was calm tonight, but something about it unsettled him. It was too quiet. Too still. Behind him, his quartermaster, Rook, cleared his throat. "You've been staring at the water for hours, captain. Hoping to find something?"
Elias didn't answer right away. His fingers tapped idly against the railing, eyes scanning the dark surface below. He had seen something earlier- a shadow moving beneath the ship. At first, he had dismissed it as a school of fish, but the shape had been too fluid, too deliberate.
"Throw the net again."Elias ordered. Rook frowned."We already pulled it in twice. Came up empty both times."
"Do it again." The quartermaster did not argue. With a nod, he signaled to the crew. Within moments, a weighted net was cast over the side, disappearing into the depths with a soft splash. The men waited in silence, the usual banter and grumbling absent. Elias kept his gaze locked on the water. He knew the sea better than most-had spent most of his life reading its mood. And right now, it was watching him. A soft sound drifted through the air-so faint that, for a moment, he thought he imagined it. A whisper, like moving though reeds. But there was no wind.
Rook stiffened beside him. 'Did you hear that?" Elias nodded, his grip tightening on the railing. He took a slow breath, steadying himself. Whatever was out there was close. The net tugged.
Not a strong pull-just a shift, a disturbance. Elias's pulse quickened."Pull it up," he ordered. The crew heaved, the rope groaning under the strain. Water cascaded off the rising net, droplets catching the lantern light like tiny stars.
Empty
Elias exhaled, his jaw tightening. And then-just as the net reached the railing- a shimmer of movement below. A flicker of silver, a shadow vanishing into the depths. His heart pounded. He wasn't imagining it.
"Captain?" Rook asked cautiously. Elias turned to him, his expression unreadable. "Wake the men. We're not alone out here."