The Legacy of the Uncharted

~ Chapter 64~ The Sea Without a King

The Crown Capital had never been this silent.

After the Code Purple announcement, soldiers marched through the streets like iron shadows, building barricades at every dock and checkpoint. Civilians stood behind shuttered windows, watching the world narrow into a cage.

But inside the Navy's inner sanctum the Tide Chamber silence meant fear.

A long table carved from ancient driftwood formed the center of the room. Around it, the most powerful naval officers gathered: Admiral Seraphine, Commander Lira, Commander Kira, and the Elite Division captains known as The Seven Tides.

Each one carried the scars of the war two days earlier.

Seraphine stayed standing. "Report."

Captain Draven Tideborn stepped forward first. His black coat dripped rainwater, his eyes sharp.

"Three hundred confirmed active pirate captains," he said. "Probably more hiding in the fog. Smugglers are already running weapons through the eastern cliffs."

Commander Lira added, "We've arrested seventeen civilians trying to flee city walls. Two attempted to break the docks blockade one noble, one merchant. Both are awaiting trial for Code Purple violation."

Seraphine's jaw tightened. "Good. No exceptions."

But then Captain Isla Rowan the youngest of the Seven Tides cleared her throat.

"Admiral... one detail doesn't make sense."

Seraphine lifted an eyebrow. "Speak."

"We've tracked Galen. We've tracked Elara. We've tracked Eli's damaged ship. We've recorded pirate movements across the Northern and Southern lines." Isla hesitated. "But... we've found nothing from Mordeclai."

A long silence filled the chamber.

Kira leaned forward slowly. "Impossible. His ship the Maelstrom Crown was the center of the entire battle. It should be all over the charts."

"And yet," Isla whispered, "it vanished."

A ripple passed through the room.

"No wreck?" Lira asked.

"No smoke. No trail. No sightings. Not even rumors."

Seraphine exhaled sharply. "The Crown doesn't disappear. It leaves scars wherever it travels."

"Admiral..." Kira spoke cautiously. "Could he have been injured? Or forced to retreat somewhere remote?"

Seraphine shook her head. "The sea has currents. Even a wounded predator stirs the water. This..."
Her voice dropped.
"...this feels like something else."

No one dared say it out loud, but every officer felt it:

A king of the ocean had simply vanished.

And the ocean was too quiet because of it.

Across the Sea —Fog Drift Haven

Elara slammed her fist onto the wooden table. Maps scattered. Ink splattered.

"This is madness look at these numbers! Code Purple means they're preparing for something bigger."

Galen leaned over the map, his expression colder than frost.
"They're forcing the world into a chokehold. When people panic, they turn to the Navy for protection. Seraphine wants control control over every coastline, every resource, every kingdom."

Belle crossed her arms. "So they're using Code Purple to build an army."

"Exactly," Galen said. "And once the ports stabilize, they'll hunt every pirate with everything they've got."