The Legacy of the Uncharted

~ Chapter 62 ~ The Storm After Victory

The storm had passed, but the ocean still smelled of fire and death.
What remained of three fleets drifted under the pale light of dawn wreckage scattered across blood-black water, seagulls circling like ghosts of the fallen.

The war had ended without victory.
And yet, something worse had begun.

Crown Capital The Emergency Council

The Royal Spire loomed above the rain-drenched city, its glass walls reflecting a bruised sky.
Inside, the throne room had transformed into a war chamber. Maps stretched across tables, marked in red wax and ash.

Admiral Seraphine Voss entered without ceremony, boots leaving prints of sea-salt on marble.
Her uniform was torn, her white gloves stained. But her eyes sharp and silver still carried the authority of command.

Every noble and officer in attendance fell silent as she approached the dais.

King Alden Voss, weary yet resolute, gestured for her to speak.

"The seas are bleeding," Seraphine began, her voice steady.
"Three powers clashed and not one claimed victory.
The pirates have multiplied, the fleets are shattered, and the civilians whisper of new gods beneath the waves."

The High Chancellor, pale with disbelief, adjusted his spectacles.

"And what do you suggest, Admiral? Another war? There are barely enough ships left to bury the dead."

Seraphine's gaze cut through him.

"Not war, Chancellor. Order."

The Birth of the Code

She unrolled a scroll marked in violet wax and placed it before the throne.

"The Purple Code," she declared.
"A full maritime lockdown of every known coastline. No vessel sails without Navy sanction. No civilian approaches the shore without clearance. Any ship that disobeys destroyed on sight."

The room erupted.

"You'd starve the ports!" one noble cried.
"You'd imprison your own people!" shouted another.
"And what of trade, Admiral?"

Seraphine raised her hand, silencing them all.
Her tone was colder than the steel at her hip.

"Trade means nothing if the sea itself betrays us.
I've seen what waits beneath the surface.
Mordeclai commands the ocean like a living weapon.
Alexandria Vale breathes beneath his protection and that alone should terrify every one of you."

The King's brow furrowed.

"You're certain she lives?"

"Yes," Seraphine said. "And if she wakes, the tides will answer her not us."

Royal Debate

Lord Arven, a proud naval sponsor, slammed his hand on the table.

"You're asking us to hand you absolute control of the coasts, Admiral. You could declare anyone a pirate!"

Seraphine didn't blink.

"Then pray you never give me reason."

A dangerous silence fell.
Only the soft hiss of rain against glass filled the chamber.

Finally, King Alden rose.
His voice was calm, but his words struck like cannonfire.

"Our empire stands because the ocean permits it.
If the sea has turned against us then we must command it through fear, not faith."

He turned to Seraphine.

"You'll have your Code."

The Chancellor gasped.