The sea had fully claimed them.
By the time Luke realised it, the familiar outline of Virencia had faded into little more than a pale smudge on the horizon. The towering walls, the bustling docks, the endless noise of civilisation—everything had been swallowed by distance. In its place stretched an endless expanse of blue, rolling and breathing beneath the morning sun.
Hope moved steadily across the open water.
Her sails were full, her hull cut cleanly through the waves, and her timbers sang softly with every shift of wind and current. No longer confined by harbour walls or sheltered currents, she now answered only to the sea itself. Each rise and fall of the deck was broader than before, slower but more powerful, as though the ocean were testing her balance.
Luke stood near the railing, hands resting on the smooth wood, quietly reminding himself where they were and why.
They were not exploring unknown continents.
They were not charging into danger.
They were testing.
