The Depths

Dalta has always been an outsider. Shunned by his kind and suffocated by the crushing loneliness of the deep, he refuses to accept a life of isolation. Stubborn and defiant, he breaks from the currents of his past and ventures to the surface, desperate to carve out a place for himself. But the world above is just as unwelcoming-until he crosses paths with Captain Sawyer, an aloof and unconventional pirate.

Sawyer doesn't rescue Dalta, he claims him. The captain sees opportunity where others see superstition, and despite Dalta's resistance, he finds himself tangled in the unpredictable life of The Black Hydra's crew. They clash from the start, Sawyer is infuriatingly detached, while Dalta refuses to be treated as a mere curiosity. Yet, through battles at sea, daring heists, and drunken brawls in lawless ports, an uneasy alliance forms.

But trouble brews beneath the waves. Word of a rogue merfolk traveling with a pirate spreads, drawing the attention of those who once cast Dalta out. When vengeful merfolk hunters and ruthless naval forces set their sights on The Black Hydra, Dalta is faced with an impossible choice: sever the only bond he's ever known to save himself or fight for a place among the outcasts who might just be his true family.

As storms rage and old ghosts resurface, one thing becomes clear, Dalta is done running. If he's to claim a place in this world, he'll do it on his own terms.