Chapter 8

The storm raged, waves crashing violently against The Sea Hawk as it fled across the darkened sea. Lightning split the sky, illuminating the spectral shape of The Abyssal Wraith in eerie flashes. The cursed ship gave relentless chase, its tattered sails billowing in a wind that obeyed only the dead.

Talyra gripped the ship's railing, her storm-gray eyes locked on the pendant pulsing against her chest. The Starfire's glow flared in warning, sensing the unnatural force pursuing them.

"We're not outrunning them!" Lira shouted, wrenching the wheel as the ship pitched dangerously to one side. "We need a different plan!"

Kael stumbled across the deck, barely catching himself before he was thrown overboard by the force of the storm. "Like what? Do you know any magic that can sink a ghost ship?!"

Talyra's mind raced. The pendant's power was immense, but it was still a mystery to her. If the Wraith was bound to dark magic, then—

"The light," she murmured, realization striking like a bolt of lightning.

"What?" Kael shouted over the wind.

"The Starfire!" She turned to Lira. "Can we get closer to them?"

Lira gawked at her. "You want to go to them?"

"It's our only chance!" Talyra clenched the pendant in her fist, drawing on its energy. A sharp warmth spread through her fingers, the Starfire's power awakening in response to her intent.

Lira swore under her breath but obeyed, shifting the ship's course. The Sea Hawk veered sharply, cutting through the turbulent waves toward The Abyssal Wraith.

Kael's eyes widened in horror. "You're insane!"

"Trust me!" Talyra shouted.

The cursed ship loomed closer, its deck swarming with skeletal pirates. At the helm stood Mordain Blackwater, his hollow gaze locked on Talyra with dark amusement. He raised a hand, summoning shadowy tendrils from the depths of the sea.

Talyra didn't wait. She threw her hands forward, unleashing a blinding surge of Starfire light. It exploded outward, crashing over The Abyssal Wraith like a tidal wave of brilliance.

The effect was immediate. The shadows recoiled, shrieking as the light seared through them. The ship itself groaned, its ghostly form flickering as if struggling to remain solid.

Mordain roared in defiance, lifting his sword—a weapon wreathed in black flame. He swung it in a wide arc, sending a wave of dark energy racing toward The Sea Hawk.

Talyra barely had time to react. She raised the pendant, channeling every ounce of magic she had into a protective barrier. The two forces collided in a burst of energy, shaking both ships with their power.

For a moment, everything was chaos.

Then—

The Wraith shuddered. Its spectral hull cracked, light spilling through like fractures in glass. The undead pirates writhed in agony as the Starfire's energy consumed them, their forms dissolving into nothingness.

Mordain's hollow eyes blazed with fury. He pointed a skeletal finger at Talyra. "You think this is over?" His voice echoed unnaturally. "The darkness is endless. It will find you again. It will claim you."

With one last, ear-splitting screech, The Abyssal Wraith shattered like mist in the wind, dissipating into the storm.

The sea fell eerily silent.

Talyra gasped for breath, her legs giving out as she collapsed onto the deck. The pendant dimmed, its energy spent—for now.

Kael dropped beside her, his expression torn between awe and disbelief. "Did we… did we just win?"

Lira let out a shaky breath. "For now," she muttered, steering the ship back on course. "But I don't know whether to thank you or throw you overboard for that stunt."

Talyra managed a tired smile. "I'll take the thanks."

As The Sea Hawk pressed forward into the unknown, the mist on the horizon began to part, revealing the shadowed outline of the Lost Isles.