Max shrugged casually. "It's not just for fun. Traveling by sea in this world isn't exactly safe."
Rize raised an eyebrow. "So you planned for surprise pirate attacks while designing a leisure cruise ship?"
Max smirked. "Prepared for everything. You never know what you'll run into out here."
"Prepared?" Gwen sat up and pointed toward the deck. "That thing had spirit cannons hidden in the floor."
Lan Xue chuckled lightly. "And shielding runes… stealth compartments… this isn't a ship. It's a floating fortress."
"Not just any fortress," Malaika added. "A well-disguised one."
Mu Qing looked over the railing at the fading smoke. "Still… I didn't expect that level of firepower. That ship didn't even stand a chance."
Max walked to the front of the deck, watching the sun dip closer to the horizon. "We're not just sailing for sightseeing. We'll be heading through untamed waters. Lost islands. Ruins that weren't meant to be found. Spirit Pirates are just the beginning."
The others quieted, thinking.
"…So," Rize finally said, stretching her arms, "this trip just got a lot more interesting."
"Good," Gwen replied with a grin. "I hate being bored."
Max turned around, his voice quieter now but serious. "If you're going to stay with me on this trip, you need to be ready. Not just for pirates. There are strange things out here. Spirit beasts no one's seen before. Islands that don't show up on maps. Old places forgotten by time."
Lan Xue nodded gently. "Then we'll keep going. Together."
Malaika twirled a dagger lazily between her fingers. "Sounds like a good change of pace."
Mu Qing stepped up beside Max, calm as always. "We're with you."
Max looked at each of them and gave a small nod. "Alright."
Just then, the crystal near the map let out a soft chime. The floating map zoomed in on a small cluster of islands up ahead. One of them was glowing faintly red, with strange energy flickering around it.
"Looks like that's our next stop," Gwen said, sounding curious. "What's it called?"
Max watched the name slowly appear in glowing letters.
"Mistshade Isle."
Lan Xue frowned slightly. "I haven't seen that on any maps we studied."
Rize leaned closer. "Is that… fog? Or is the island actually moving?"
Malaika squinted. "Feels off. The spirit energy's weak but weird. Like it's... shifting."
Max smiled a little, the breeze brushing his hair back. "That just means it's worth checking out."
The ship gently turned in that direction, moving slowly toward the hazy outline in the distance. It wasn't fast or flashy—just steady, peaceful sailing.
As the sun dipped low and stars began to appear in the sky, the sea around them stayed quiet. No storms. No monsters. Just the soft sounds of waves and wind.
Max rested his hand on the wooden railing and spoke softly.
"Let's see what's out there."
The others didn't say anything right away. They just stood there, watching the soft fog roll across the water ahead. There was something calming about it—not exciting, not dangerous—just... still.
Rize leaned on the railing next to Max. "It's weird. I thought this trip would be full of battles and big discoveries from the start. But this? I kinda like it."
Mu Qing smiled faintly. "Not every journey has to begin with a storm."
Gwen lay back down on the deck with a yawn. "Wake me when the ghosts come out."
Lan Xue chuckled. "You'll probably sleep through it anyway."
Malaika sat cross-legged near the mast, checking one of her knives. "We'll see what's waiting for us when we dock."
As they got closer to Mistshade Isle, the fog grew thicker, curling around the ship like soft smoke. The sea was still calm, but the island itself looked strange. Faint lights flickered through the mist, and every now and then, they thought they saw shadows moving along the shore—but nothing ever stayed long enough to confirm.
No other ships. No cries of beasts. Just an odd silence, like the island had been waiting for them.
They reached the edge of the isle by nightfall. The ship gently slowed and stopped near a small stretch of rocky coast. No docks. No signs of life. Just stone, moss, and silence.
"We anchor here?" Rize asked.
Max nodded. "For tonight, yeah. We'll go ashore in the morning."
"Good," Gwen mumbled from her spot on the deck. "Let me know if anything spooky happens. Or if something needs kicking."
The group settled in for the night. No tents. No fancy magic wards. Just blankets, the open sky, and the soft rocking of the ship.
Lan Xue sat beside Max before heading to sleep. "Do you think this place is dangerous?"
He looked toward the island, his expression unreadable. "Maybe. But not everything strange is dangerous."
She nodded, then curled up under her cloak.
One by one, the others drifted off. Even Max eventually closed his eyes, listening to the distant waves and the soft whisper of wind through the sails.
The night passed quietly.
A few times, someone stirred—a rustle of fabric, a soft sigh—but there was no danger, no alarms. Just the sound of water gently lapping against the hull and the occasional creak of wood as the ship swayed.
Near dawn, Max was the first to wake. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes before glancing toward the shore. The mist was still there, thicker now, almost like it was clinging to the land itself. But something had changed.
The island felt closer.
He stood and stepped to the edge of the deck, gripping the railing. The fog shifted slightly, revealing glimpses of the beach. Smooth stone. Patches of moss. Broken bits of old wood—maybe the remains of boats long gone. No movement, no sound.
Rize woke next, yawning loudly. "Mmm… what time is it?"
"Early," Max said without turning. "But the island's... strange. It looks closer than before."
She stood beside him and peered through the mist. "We didn't move, right?"
"Nope."
Soon, the others were up too. Gwen stretched like a cat and looked around. "Still foggy?"
"Thicker than before," Mu Qing said softly, eyes scanning the horizon.
***
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