By the time Sabrina reached the deck, Miura had already cleared most of the crew. Only one man remained, a trembling officer pressed against the mast, his sword useless in his frozen grip.

“Please,” the officer begged, his breath fogging in the frigid air. “I was just following orders.”

Miura’s ice blade hovered inches from his throat, her expression cold and unyielding. “And those orders were to subjugate and kill. Tell me, sailor, how many lives have you ended with that excuse?”

“Stop!” Sabrina’s voice cut through the silence as she climbed onto the deck. Her cutlass gleamed in the moonlight, though it hung loosely in her hand. “Miura, don’t do this.”

Miura didn’t look at her. “He’s one of Robert’s men.”

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“And killing him will only make things worse,” Sabrina argued, stepping closer. “You think Robert won’t retaliate when his men start disappearing? You think the British won’t use this as an excuse to crack down on everyone, not just you?”

Miura’s blade wavered, but her expression didn’t soften. “He deserves to pay for what he’s done.”

“And he will,” Sabrina said, her voice steady. “But not like this. Let him go. Send a message without spilling more blood.”

The officer’s eyes darted between them, his fear palpable. Miura’s gaze lingered on Sabrina, a battle waging behind her dark eyes. Finally, with a sharp exhale, she lowered her blade. The frost around the officer dissipated, and he slumped to the deck, gasping in relief.

“Run,” Miura said coldly. “And tell your lieutenant that his reckoning is coming.”

The officer scrambled to his feet, nearly slipping on the icy deck as he fled toward the lifeboats. Sabrina watched him go, her shoulders sagging with relief.

“You should have let me finish it,” Miura said quietly, her voice heavy with frustration.

“And you should have listened to me sooner,” Sabrina retorted, though there was no malice in her tone. “We’ll find another way, Miura. One that doesn’t burn the world around us.”

Miura’s gaze softened, but her expression remained resolute. “He won’t stop, Sabrina. You know that.”

“I do,” Sabrina replied, sheathing her cutlass. “But neither will we.”