As Herald settled into his chair, the quiet lapping of waves against the hull provided a steady rhythm that threatened to lull him to sleep. He let his eyes drift shut, his body finally relaxing after a long day at sea. The cool, salty air crept through the cracks of his cabin, and he pulled a blanket over his legs, preparing for a restful night.
But then, something shifted.
At first, it was just a faint sound in the distance, barely distinguishable from the usual sounds of the ocean. A low rumble, like the growl of some distant beast, echoed through the ship's bones. Herald's eyes snapped open, his body instantly alert. He sat up straight, the tension in the air unmistakable.
Then it hit.
The ship shuddered violently, and the once-gentle breeze became a furious howl. Thunder cracked like a whip, splitting the silence of the night. Rain began to fall in heavy sheets, pounding the deck like a drum. Herald shot to his feet, his heart racing. The storm had come out of nowhere, tearing through the peaceful night with a vengeance.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, grabbing his coat from a hook near the door. His boots slammed against the wooden floor as he hurried out of his quarters and sprinted up the stairs.
By the time he reached the deck, the rain was coming down in torrents, soaking everything in its path. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the towering waves that now crashed violently against the ship's sides. The once-calm sea had turned into a raging tempest, and the ship groaned as it was tossed like a toy.
Clover and Vivi were still on deck, their hair and clothes plastered to their bodies by the rain. Clover had been leaning on the railing moments ago, her eyes lost in the horizon, but now she was bracing herself against the sudden onslaught of wind. Vivi stood beside her, eyes narrowed as she assessed the storm with a calm that seemed out of place amidst the chaos.
"Get below deck!" Herald shouted, his voice barely audible over the howling wind and crashing waves.
Clover turned toward him, her eyes wide with alarm but her posture steady. "What the hell happened? This storm came out of nowhere!"
Herald grabbed the railing to steady himself as the ship lurched violently to one side. "Doesn't matter where it came from—we've got to get this under control, or we're all going to end up in the drink!"
As if on cue, the rest of the crew stumbled out from below deck, eyes wide with panic as the storm ripped through the night. Shouts echoed across the ship as men scrambled to secure ropes and tie down loose cargo that threatened to spill overboard. The ship tilted dangerously as the waves battered it from all sides.
"Batten down the hatches! Secure everything, now!" Herald barked orders, his voice carrying over the storm. His eyes scanned the deck, calculating their odds of survival. They were in the middle of open water, with no land in sight, and the storm showed no sign of letting up.
Vivi, unbothered by the ferocity of the weather, gripped the edge of the railing, her sword leg sparking faintly as it scraped against the soaked wood. She seemed more intrigued than frightened, her blue eye gleaming with curiosity as lightning lit up the sky.
"This is nothing," she called over the storm, her voice somehow calm in the madness. "You should've seen the storms we got back home! Felt like the gods were having a bar fight above us!"
Clover, however, was not amused. She shot Vivi an incredulous look. "You think this is a joke? We could die out here!"
Vivi chuckled, though her eye remained fixed on the horizon, watching the dark waves churn with lethal intent. "Die? Not yet. We're just getting started."
Herald gave Vivi a sharp look, but there was no time to argue. Another massive wave slammed into the ship, causing it to tilt at a sickening angle. Several of the crew members were thrown to the ground, their hands scrambling for anything to hold onto. One of the ropes securing a sail snapped with a loud crack, sending the canvas whipping dangerously in the wind.
