CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINTY EIGHT

The Siren's Kiss sliced through the waves like a blade, its sails billowing as dawn's first golden light spilled across the ocean. The water shimmered, catching fire beneath the rising sun, and gulls wheeled overhead, their cries carried by the salty breeze. The rhythmic creak of the ship's wood and the occasional snap of rope filled the air as the crew adjusted to the new day.

Yara stood at the railing, fingers gripping the worn wood as she gazed out at the endless horizon. The expanse of the sea stretched before her and she found herself breathless with wonder. In all her years of travel, this was her first time aboard a ship, truly understanding the enormity of the world beyond the land she'd always known. Despite the unease coiling in her gut about the journey ahead, there was a thrill to it—an intoxicating sense of adventure that she couldn't ignore.