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The Elysian sat quiet at anchor, rocking gently in the shifting tide.
That distant silhouette from the night before hadn't vanished. If anything, it was closer now. The morning haze clung stubbornly to the water, but Rael could see the faint flash of metal on the stranger's deck whenever the sunlight broke through.
He stood at the shoreline, arms loose at his sides, letting the sea breeze tangle his hair.
Vivi came up beside him, adjusting her shawl against the cool wind. "You were watching that ship all night, weren't you?"
"Didn't see the point in sleeping."
Her gaze followed his to the horizon. "Bounty hunters?"
"Maybe. Maybe something worse."
Behind them, Robin and Kaya were breaking camp. Kaya kept glancing toward the water between folding blankets, her brows pulling together. "That ship hasn't moved much since yesterday."
Robin's voice was calm as she packed away her notes. "It's moved enough to keep us in sight. They want us to know they're there."
Vivi shifted her weight, frowning. "Then they're not just passing by."
"No," Rael said simply.
He let the word hang in the air for a moment before turning back toward the camp. "We head to the Elysian. Now."
By the time they reached the ship, the tide had dropped further, and the stretched landscape of Long Ring Island was already beginning to shift. They hauled the anchor and let the current take them out of the bay, the odd animals of the island grazing lazily in the distance as if nothing beyond their little patch of grass mattered.
The open water was quiet — unnervingly so. The wind filled the sails, and the deck creaked underfoot.
Robin leaned casually against the railing, though her eyes were scanning the haze. "Still there."
Rael gave a low hum. "And still following."
Kaya set the last coil of rope against the mast, then joined Vivi at the helm. "If they're smart, they'll keep their distance."
Rael stepped to the bow, hands in his pockets. "They're not smart. They're curious."
"Curious gets people killed," Robin said lightly, though there was steel under her voice.
He didn't answer — just watched as the haze shifted again, revealing more of the other ship. Sleek, dark hull. No colors flying. A predator without a name.
It closed the distance with the slow patience of something that thought it had all the time in the world.
On the other ship
The crew was a ragged collection of armed men and women, their laughter carrying across the water in short bursts. A scarred man at the bow leaned on the railing, a brass spyglass in hand.
"That's him," he said to no one in particular.
A woman with a long braid joined him. "One billion berries for someone barely anyone's seen? Feels like a bluff."
The man grinned. "Then let's see if it is."
Back on the Elysian
Vivi kept her eyes forward, voice low. "One billion berries… they'll keep coming, won't they?"
Rael didn't look away from the approaching ship. "They'll come until they realize it's not worth it."
Kaya crossed her arms. "Or until you make an example out of them."
Robin's lips curved faintly. "I suspect that's the plan."
The wind shifted again, bringing the other crew's shouts clearer across the water. Rael finally stepped forward, planting himself at the very tip of the bow.
He raised his voice — not shouting, but loud enough to carry. "Turn around. Last chance."
For a heartbeat, there was silence from the other side. Then came the mocking laughter, sharp and ugly.
Robin sighed softly. "Well… that settles it."
Rael's smirk was almost imperceptible. "It always does."
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