The sea never truly slept.
Even in the deepest hours of the night, when the moon drifted behind veils of cloud and the stars hid themselves, the water whispered. It creaked against the hull, sighed beneath the wind, and rose and fell like the slow breathing of something far too vast to understand.
Kael stood alone at the bow of the Ember Tide, his cloak fluttering against his legs. The salt air felt colder than the fire that still lived inside his chest. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Pyrehold burning—roofs collapsing, shadows screaming, his mother's final smile fading into light.
He pressed his palms together, trying to stop their faint glow.
It had been three days since the ship had pulled him from the wreckage. Three days of drifting between waking and sleep, haunted by smoke and flame. He barely ate. He barely spoke.
And yet, the fire inside him refused to die.
"Can't sleep either?"
Kael turned. Rowan leaned against the mast, arms crossed, the wind tugging at his long coat. His hair was pale blond, tied back loosely, and his green eyes sparkled with mischief even in the darkness.
Kael shrugged. "Didn't try."
Rowan smirked. "That's one way to solve the problem."
He stepped closer, glancing at Kael's faintly glowing hands. "You're going to set the sails on fire if you keep that up."
Kael pulled his hands into his sleeves. "I won't."
"Good. Brakka would throw you overboard."
Kael almost smiled.
Almost.
Rowan tilted his head. "You ever sail before?"
"No."
"Figures. You look like you'd faint if a wave sneezed."
Kael stared out at the horizon. "Why did you save me?"
Rowan blinked. "Well, that's dark."
"I mean it."
Rowan hesitated, then shrugged. "The sea takes more than it gives. Sometimes you take one back."
Kael nodded slowly. It wasn't comfort, but it was something.
Before Rowan could say more, the ship lurched violently. The deck tilted, and Kael stumbled, barely catching the railing.
"Storm front!" someone shouted.
The wind howled, snapping the sails. Clouds swallowed the moon as rain began to fall in sharp, cold needles.
Brakka roared commands, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Reef the sails! Lira, to the bow! Rowan, secure the cargo!"
Kael froze, heart pounding.
The waves grew taller, darker, crashing against the ship like fists.
"Kael!" Lira shouted over the storm. "Below deck! Now!"
Another wave slammed into the hull, sending him sprawling. Fear surged, and with it, the heat inside him flared.
The wood beneath his hands began to smoke.
"No," he whispered, pulling away.
The sea didn't care.
A shadow rose from the depths—huge, writhing, lined with glowing blue veins. Tentacles crashed onto the deck, splintering wood.
"What in the Abyss—" Rowan yelled.
"Sea Warden!" Brakka shouted. "A young one—but still deadly!"
The creature's eye opened, glowing like a cold star.
Kael's breath caught. The beast radiated ancient power, its presence pressing against his chest like a weight.
Another tentacle struck, knocking a sailor into the waves.
"Lira!" Brakka called.
She ran forward, water swirling around her hands, forming shimmering shields that blocked the creature's blows. But she was only one person.
Kael felt the fire surge, begging to be released.
If he used it… he might save them.
If he lost control… he would destroy them.
The beast lunged again.
Kael made his choice.
He stepped forward and raised his hands.
"Stop," he whispered.
The flames erupted—not wild, not chaotic, but focused, spiraling into a blazing spear that tore through the rain and struck the Sea Warden's armored hide.
The creature screamed, a sound that shook the air itself.
Steam exploded as fire met water. The beast recoiled, retreating beneath the waves, leaving only ripples and silence behind.
The storm began to fade.
Kael collapsed to his knees, gasping. His arms burned, but the deck was intact.
He hadn't lost control.
Brakka stared at him. Rowan looked stunned. Lira approached slowly.
"You held it," she said softly.
Kael looked at his hands, no longer glowing.
"I didn't burn anything."
Lira smiled. "You chose not to."
For the first time since Pyrehold, Kael felt something other than guilt.
Hope.
But far beneath the sea, the creature's cry echoed through ancient corridors of stone.
And something listened.
They reached the island of Ashfall at dawn.
Black cliffs rose from the mist, crowned by twisted trees and glowing crystals embedded in the rock. Ruins dotted the shoreline—remnants of a civilization long forgotten.
Brakka frowned. "We resupply and leave. This place is cursed."
Kael stared at the land. He felt a pull—warm and distant, like an ember calling to a flame.
Lira noticed his expression. "You feel it too, don't you?"
He nodded.
"The Fire Seal is here," she said quietly.
Kael's heart raced.
His journey was only beginning.