Pirates of the Caribbean: Shadows of Destiny

9. 'Siren's Jewel.'

Elizabeth awakes, her eyes fluttering open. She feels a slight ache in her head.

"Where am I?" she mutters, glancing around, her confusion vanishes as she recognizes the familiar surroundings of the cabin. 

Jack, with a mischievous grin, leans closer. "You're still in me cabin, love. Seems you've had a bit too much of the ol' pirate's cure," he teases.

She rubs the sides her head, "Did I fall asleep?"

Jack nods, "Like a babe in the arms of the sea. Slept through the entire symphony of the night."

"Oh," she chuckles, "well, thanks for not letting me drown in my own slumber."

Jack's eyes twinkle, "Not a problem, love. Wouldn't want the sea to claim such a fine treasure."

As Elizabeth attempts to stand up, her legs feel unsteady, and she ends up tripping over an unseen obstacle. The side of the table catches her shirt, pulling it off as she laughs at her own clumsiness.

Jack, with a smirk, helps her find her balance "Careful there, wouldn't want you joining the crew in your undergarments."

Just as they manage to fix her top, Gibbs enters the cabin. He eyes Jack and Elizabeth, and Jack raises an eyebrow, "Did I come at a bad timing?" Gibbs exclaims.

Jack, not missing a beat, utters, "It's not what you think, mate."

Gibbs shrugs, "Whatever. I just came to tell you that you're needed on deck. We found somethin'."

"What?" Jack questions.

"A treasure," Gibbs replies, and the prospective thrill instantly lights up Jack's eyes. Together, they head to the deck, leaving the cozy cabin behind.

Barbossa hands Jack the Whispering Skull key with a nod, "It's your honor."

Jack, always suspicious, raises an eyebrow, "Where exactly did you find this?"

Killian steps forward, "It was in the sea waters," "On a broken piece of another ship," Barbossa adds.

Jack, confused, opens the chest, only to find another chest inside. He looks around with suspicion, "Is this some kind of joke?"

As he opens chest after chest, the crew starts to share amused glances. Ragetti jokes to Pintel, "Imagine it's another chest."

Pintel chuckles, "Wouldn't surprise me."

Jack, hesitantly, opens the tiniest chest, revealing yet another. The repetitive nature of the chests has everyone on edge. However, when Jack finally opens the last one, it reveals a golden necklace. The hanger is shaped like a shell.

Killian's voice breaks the tension, "That's the Siren's Jewel," he voices.

Barbossa, Killian, and Jack exchanged concerned glances as Jack tightly held the mysterious necklace. Without uttering a word, they hurriedly made their way into a nearby cabin, shutting the door behind them. Inside, an air of tension enveloped the room as they began discussing the meanings of the Siren's Jewel.

Killian, determined, announces, "We have to return it, back to the merpeople." His words hang in the air as Jack and Barbossa exchange skeptical glances. Barbossa, pointing at the necklace laid on the table, responds, "Do ye know what power this necklace possesses?" 

Killian clenches his teeth, clearly frustrated, as Jack states, "Why return it? Finders keepers." Killian, looking thoughtful, gazes at the ground before responding, "If we keep it, the merfolk will find us and take our ship down with us. No mercy." 

Killian points at a spot on the map, precisely at Whitecap Bay, and declares, "Before midnight, we must return it to its rightful place, deep in the waters where the merfolk live."

Barbossa and Jack exchange a skeptical glance, and Jack, always excited about potential gains questions, "Can we really not keep it? I mean, a bit of risk never hurt anyone, savvy?"

Killian sternly responds, "This isn't just 'a bit of risk,' Jack. This necklace is tied to the merfolk's magic. Keep it, and we'll have every sea creature chasing us to the ends of the sea waters."

Barbossa, always cautious about supernatural matters, adds, "Ye heard him, Jack. The sea be unforgiving when it comes to matters like these."

Jack, realizing the potential consequences, hesitantly agrees, "Alright, I wouldn't want to be chased by some beastie again, we'll return the cursed thing. But mark my words, if the merfolk aren't pleased with our visit, we'll be needing more than luck to get out of this mess."

With a sense of foreboding, the crew makes arrangements to set sail for Whitecap Bay, wondering what challenges the sea has in store for them this time.