The alarm blared at 5:30 AM, jolting Jake awake.

For a moment, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling, his mind caught between sleep and reality. The room was still dark, but outside, the city was slowly coming to life—cars rumbling in the distance, muffled voices from early risers heading to work.

Across the room, Alex was already up, rummaging through his bag.

“Come on, man, up and at ’em,” he called, tossing a shirt at Jake’s face.

Jake groaned. “Remind me why we booked such an early ride?”

“Because adventure waits for no man,” Alex grinned. “Also, I get cranky when I don’t have breakfast, and the sooner we get to Menorca, the sooner I get food.”

Jake sighed but swung his legs over the bed. This was Alex’s logic, and there was no point arguing.

Within thirty minutes, they were packed and heading downstairs, stepping out into the crisp morning air of Barcelona. The streets were quieter than the evening before, but even now, vendors were setting up stalls, and cafés were beginning to fill with the smell of fresh espresso.

They flagged down a taxi, their bags thrown into the trunk as they set off toward the marina, where their speedboat was set to depart.

The marina was bustling, even at this hour. Tourists and locals alike were gathered—some prepping for day trips, others loading cargo onto small ferries heading toward different islands.

Jake was focused on finding their departure point, checking the ticket confirmation on his phone, when he heard a sharp gasp from Alex.

“Dude. No way.”

Jake barely looked up. “What?”

Alex grabbed his shoulders, turning him toward a large wooden sign near a dockside shop. The words on it made Jake sigh instantly.

“Tourist Boat Rentals—Be the Captain of Your Own Adventure!”

Alex practically vibrated with excitement.

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“Jake. Do you know what this means?”

Jake pinched the bridge of his nose. “Please don’t say—”

“We can be pirates, man! Just like in Pirates of the Caribbean!”

Jake sighed. “Alex, we already have a ride booked. A professional driver. You know, someone who actually knows how to steer a boat.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” Alex shot back. “Think about it! The wind in our hair, the sea stretching endlessly ahead of us, absolute freedom on the open water!”

Jake gave him a look. “You do know you’re not actually Jack Sparrow, right?”

“Not with that attitude.”

Jake exhaled, staring at the rental sign. This was classic Alex—diving headfirst into an idea without thinking it through.

And yet, Jake always found himself getting dragged into these ridiculous plans.

Maybe it was because Alex’s excitement was contagious. Maybe it was because, deep down, he liked the chaos.

Or maybe, just maybe, some part of him wanted to see what would happen if they actually did this.

He glanced at the rental desk.

“How much?” he asked.

Alex grinned like a kid on Christmas morning.

“Now you’re talking.”

The small motorboat rocked gently as it cut through the shimmering blue waters of the Balearic Sea. Sunlight bounced off the surface, turning the water into a dazzling stretch of silver and sapphire. The air smelled of salt and adventure.

Jake sat at the front, gripping a folded map, eyes scanning the coordinates. The island of Menorca wasn’t far, but navigating open waters wasn’t exactly second nature to them.

“Alright,” he said, running a finger along the marked route. “We keep heading east for about twenty kilometers. Should take us… maybe an hour?”

Alex, hands firmly on the steering wheel, flashed a confident grin. “Piece of cake.”

“You do remember we have a compass, right?”

“Of course I do,” Alex scoffed, tapping the dashboard where a small compass was embedded. “See? We’re heading east. Straight as an arrow.”

Jake glanced at the needle. It was pointing slightly southeast.

“More like a slightly crooked arrow,” he muttered.

Alex waved him off. “Details, details.”

Despite Alex’s questionable sense of direction, the journey was surprisingly smooth. The calm morning waters worked in their favor, and as they drifted farther from the mainland, the noise of civilization faded into nothing but the occasional cry of seabirds.

It was peaceful. Almost too peaceful.

Jake was about to check the map again when Alex suddenly let out an excited yell.

“Look at that!”

Jake turned his head, expecting another unnecessary detour, but what he saw took his breath away.

Just ahead, near the shallow waters of Menorca’s coastline, a fleet of sea turtles was swimming effortlessly through the waves. Some were barely visible beneath the surface, their shadows dark against the golden sand below. Others glided along the top, their shells reflecting the sunlight like polished stone.

“That’s incredible,” Jake murmured.

Alex slowed the boat, letting them drift closer. “I told you renting this thing was a good idea.”

Jake smirked. “Fine, I’ll give you this one.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. They just watched the turtles, lost in the simple beauty of it all.