"You left me. left me to die. So I teamed up with the devil to take my revenge." She screamed, tears running down her flushed face.
"I saw your dead body! Your lifeless body! Do you have any idea what that does to a man?" He screamed back.
***
Set...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Nearly three years had passed since Maria last set foot on that fateful island, the place where she had bid farewell to Mama Amara and the simple, untroubled life she had once known. The memories of that time tugged at her heart with a bittersweet ache, a longing for the days when life's complexities were few, and her path was clearer. She often found herself thinking of her old companions—their laughter, their loyalty, and the camaraderie that had once defined her world.
The weeks spent at sea had given Maria ample time to reflect on all that had changed, but also to forge new bonds. She had grown unexpectedly close to Luis, the cousin she had never known until recently. Their shared blood and shared grief over lost family seemed to bridge the years of separation, creating a connection that felt both comforting and strange.
Together, they turned the deck of their ship into a training ground, the clash of steel against steel echoing in the salty sea air. Their sparring sessions had become a daily ritual, drawing the attention of the crew. The men would gather around, leaning against the railings, their eyes gleaming with admiration as they watched their captain and first mate engage in what was more than just practice—it was a dance of skill and trust.
Maria's movements were fluid, precise, each swing of her sword a testament to years of training and battle-hardened experience. Luis matched her strike for strike, his own style a blend of traditional techniques and improvisation. The crew cheered them on, their voices rising in a chorus of encouragement, the sound mingling with the steady rhythm of the waves crashing against the hull.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting a golden glow across the deck, Maria couldn't help but feel a deep sense of belonging. There was something undeniably satisfying about the simplicity of the moment—the physical exertion, the thrill of the contest, and the unspoken understanding between her and Luis. It reminded her of the old days spent at the shipwreck cove, of the bonds she had forged with her former companions and most of all of when she had been friends with Jack, back when their friendship was less complicated and only a friendship. Before the lies and the admissions of supposed love. Yet it was also something different and new, a fresh chapter in her life, one that she desperately needed, where she was no longer just a pirate, but a leader, a captain with a crew that looked up to her.
Their little fight came to a halt as one of the crewmen called out for the land that they quickly approached. They both stood panting, swords lowered, Maria would catch Luis's eye and see the same mix of determination and resolve that she felt within herself. They were both searching for something—redemption, perhaps, or maybe just a sense of purpose in a world that had taken so much from them.
Maria stepped closer to the ship's railing, her gaze fixed on the island looming ahead as they sailed ever closer. The familiar outline of the land emerged from the horizon, but it was different now—changed in ways that both intrigued and saddened her. The island had grown, with new docks extending out over the churning waters, their wooden beams creaking as the waves crashed against them. Small buildings dotted the shoreline, forming a quaint, bustling town that hadn't been there before.
