The Dark Ocean

A ship was swaying gently on the vast expanse of seemingly endless ocean, its sails fluttering in the breeze.

Moonlight shimmering over the ship. At the edge of the ship, the silhouette of a young man could be seen.

A boy stood at the edge of the ships deck, shrouded in shadows, his dirty black robes fluttering in the wind.

He had just woken up a while ago, from a dream... a strange dream indeed, but it did not matter for now. What mattered was that he wasn't meant to be here. He wasn't meant to be anywhere.

To the world, he was just a face among many, blending into a hoard of passengers.

He was handsome but not gorgeous, lean, but not strong. Alric's eyes were the colour of emeralds, and they seemed not like a common man's, but no one noticed. Why would they? He was just another among many.

The wind was soft, almost comforting, and yet a feeling ate at him.

Alric grabbed the railing of the ship tightly, his heart skipping a beat.

He wasn't the type to throw himself into danger.

Not unless he had no choice at all.

Breaking the silence of the peaceful night, a scream sounded from the distance. Alric froze.

"Pirates!" someone shouted from the bow of the ship.

The ship's crew rushed into motion. Sailors ran to their positions, shouting orders, while passengers stumbled around in confusion.

Alric's mind raced. 'Pirates?'

This was not supposed to happen.

He was not supposed to be involved in this. Not at all, definitely not.

But to his luck, he did.

He should stay hidden, stay out of the way, or could he even be hidden away? Maybe... he just had to give it all.

But...

A loud creak came from the ship. The ship shook violently.

Alric stumbled, catching himself on the railing of the ship.

His heartbeat became faster, but his mind remained eerily calm. Panic wouldn't help him now.

A man rushed toward him, scared but doing his job. "We need everyone below deck, now!" The man shouted.

Without thinking, Alric nodded, slipping into the shadows. But his feet moved faster than his thoughts, his body reacting without hesitation, almost instinctively.

He ducked into the nearest hallway, and his pulse could be heard by his ears.

Behind him, the chaos on the deck of the ship grew louder. The ship creaked again, by the sound of metal against wood.

'Pirates. What did they want? Why target a simple passenger ship?'

Alric's hand went to the dagger, which was tugged under his black robes.

He wasn't a fighter in any way. He was smart and calculated, a man who took risks only when necessary. But tonight, the necessity was clear.

He glanced over his shoulder. The crewman was gone.

And there...just ahead...another figure emerged from the shadows.

A woman, tall and imposing, her eyes glinting with the kind of dangerous confidence Alric couldn't ignore. She stepped forward, blocking his path.

The pirates were on board now...

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Her voice was low, but it carried a threat.

Alric froze for a second, trying to control the racing thoughts in his head.

Did he make the wrong decision? Were his instincts wrong? Was he supposed to go downstairs like the rest of the passengers?

But wasn't that foolish? If Pirates attack, then they will attack the lower deck first, it was common sense.

Alric was currently afraid, he wanted to use his facile expressions to express his overwhelming emotions.

But that would have been a dumb move, indeed.

But then again... he was quite fast...

Alric's mind told him to flee... to hide... but that wouldn't do anything, now would it? He was a coward. Not entirely, though.

As confident Alric was in his speed, he knew his limits; she was a strong woman by looks. Surely, he could not outrun her.

What was the best thing to do here?... Beg? Yes... but he did not feel like begging, not yet, at least. So he came up with another way, or at least tried to do so.

"Please leave me alone; I'm just an innocent child; I'm not a threat," he said, his voice shaky.

"Just a passenger." What was he even saying? Will it work? Hopefully, or else he would be a goner... like his great-great-grandfather, who was now definitely dead.

The woman studied him for a long moment, then smiled. Almost letting out a laugh, seeing his desperate act. In fact, that desperate act of his was not that desperate.

He was trying to make her think that he was weak and innocent, and indeed he was weak... not innocent though, hopefully wishing that this would be enough for her to let him go or not kill him, and she did not know what he was trying to achieve here.

The woman turned on her perfect poker face and spoke, "We will see about that."

And just like that, Alric's fate shifted.