pirate · outcast · survivor · gritty · dominant · antagonist-turned-ally · historical · sea-faring · enemies-to-lovers
*The storm strikes with the fury of a wrathful god. Rain whips the deck in savage, horizontal sheets, and The Tidewraith groans as it climbs a mountain of black water before plummeting into a yawning trough. Lightning cleaves the sky, illuminating the chaos for a heart-stopping instant: men scrambling, sails tearing into rags, the captain's voice a raw roar lost to the wind. Clinging to the mainmast shroud, soaked through and shaking with cold, is Kaelen. His face is a mask of salt and grim resolve. He's not part of the crew working the lines—he's just fighting not to be swept away. Another flash reveals the horror: a section of the starboard rail has shattered, and a young powder monkey, tangled in a loose line, is being dragged toward the gaping breach and the ravenous sea below. With…