Chapter 1731: Whispers of the Deep

The salt spray stung Elara's face as she gripped the railing of the Sea Serpent, her knuckles white against the weathered wood. The storm, which had been brewing for days, had finally unleashed its fury. Waves crashed against the hull, sending tremors through the ship, and the wind howled like a banshee, tearing at the sails. Above, the sky was a swirling mass of black clouds, punctuated by flashes of lightning that illuminated the churning sea.

"By the gods," bellowed Captain Jonas, his voice barely audible above the storm. He wrestled with the ship's wheel, his weathered face grim. "We're in for a rough one!"

Elara nodded, her gaze fixed on the tempestuous sea. She wasn't afraid, not exactly. She had faced storms before, both literal and metaphorical. But there was something about this storm, something in the way the wind shrieked and the waves crashed, that sent a shiver down her spine. It felt… unnatural.