The waves kissed the edge of the rocky shoreline, leaving behind flecks of foam that shimmered under the afternoon sun. Seagulls wheeled above the bustling harbor, their sharp cries echoing over the clamor of the dockworkers unloading crates of salted fish. Boats rocked gently in the water, their faded sails fluttering like tired flags.
Luna sat cross-legged on the old wooden pier, her leather-bound notebook resting in her lap. Her fingers stained with ink, the edges of her palms smudged with charcoal lines. She chewed absentmindedly on the end of her pencil, staring at the half finished map before her. “Where could you be” Luna wondered, staring at the horizon beyond the map.
The sketch Luna had been drawing was a map of a island she had only heard whispers about or in the pub when drunk sailors would talk about a old island untouched by chart-maker’s, still marked only by legends and faded memories. Luna had dreamed of finding this land and being first to step foot on this island, but every attempt to join a crew was shown a failure:“ You’re not cut out for the sea, Luna. It’s dangerous out there.”
Her eyes wandered to the harbor, where the horizon stretched beyond reach, the sea glittering like a dream waiting to be chased. She felt a familiar ache in her chest-an ache for adventure, for something more than this small costal town. But all she had were maps of places she’d never seen and stories she wasn’t allowed to live.
Just as she was packing up something odd had caught her eye-a scrap of parchment tucked between the pages of on old journal she had found at the market earlier. She pulled it out carefully, her heart racing at the thought of what it might be, she unfolded it to see ancient, weathered inch.
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A fragment of a map, but unlike any she’d seen before. The lines were jagged and cryptic, leading to an island surrounded by swirling waves and strange glyphs. In the corner, faded but still legible, were the words: “the Heart of the Sea awaits.”
Luna felt her heart in her throat, “Tha-that can’t be”. The Heart of the Sea, a mythical artifact that could control the winds and tides, powerful enough to reshape the entire seas. She stared at the fragment if this was real this wasn’t only a map but also the answer to everything she’d dreamed of.
A shadow fell over her notebook, blocking the sun. Luna looked up startled to see a man casually leaning against the pier railing. He had tousled black hair, a cocky grin, and a sailor’s swagger that hinted trouble. His shirt was half unbuttoned exposing a sun-bronzed chest covered in old scars. A cutlass hung at his hip swaying with the breeze.
“Nice map you got there,” the man said, his voice smooth and playful his dark eyes sparkled with mischief. “Mind if I borrow it?”
Luna narrowed her eyes, tucking the paper away and clutching the notebook to her chest. “Who the hell are you?”
The man grinned wider. “Name’s Keal. And you sweetheart, just found yourself a problem.”
Before Luna could react Keal snatched the notebook from her hands with a speed that made her head spin. He gave her a wink and ran.
“Hey, that’s mine!” Luna shot to her feet, her heart pounding with anger.
Keal glanced over his shoulder, His grin never faltering. “Not anymore, it isn’t.”
Without thinking Luna grabbed her stuff and ran after him as fast as she could, determination burning in her chest. She wasn’t about to let her only chance at adventure slip away.
Keal sprinted toward the harbor, leaping aboard a sleek brigantine ship docked at the pier. Luna came to a halt just as the gangplank was pulled from the dock. She watched, breathless, as the sails unfurled and the ship began to drift away from the dock.
But then Keal turned back grinning down at her from the deck. “Coming or not?” Keal grinned, hand extended, as the ship drifted farther from the dock.