The night was bright with fresh moonlight reflected across the vast, ever-changing sea that had long since swallowed the planet's once-rich lands.
Dangerous islands, rich with mystery beyond compare, awaited discovery by the bravest of travellers who cast caution to the wind for the thrill of the hunt.
From the wild of waves to the dark depths that stirred with monstrous beasts known as sea terrors, the ocean teemed with danger.
Yet, upon the deceptively calm waters, a lone vessel drifted aimlessly.
Each detail of the ship was carefully carved to perfection; however, an empty mast towered at its center, decrepit and wasted.
Silence once hung over the foggy waters around the boat, yet an unusual presence disrupted this peace.
Lying sprawled across the wooden boards that rotted and broke under the lightest of touch was a young boy, perhaps fifteen years of age.
As his eyelids gently opened, two magnificent sparkling turquoise eyes that resembled waves blinked to life, scanning the scene curiously.
His legs were long for his age, pushing him to a staggering near two-meter height, allowing him to tower over most.
A mop of blond hair swept over his head with streaks of brown mixed into the fray, giving it the appearance of the rich wheat of the Southern-most islands.
The boy had no memory of where he was, how he had got there, or even his own identity.
Not a single strand of history echoed throughout his empty head, leaving him scrounging for any idea of his past, present, or even the future he would carve.
Deep within, something called to him, a feeling, something unique that even without any knowledge still pulled at his very essence.
He stood up slowly, glancing around the edges of the old sloop that drifted helplessly across the eerily still sea.
Thick gray fog stretched further than he could see, only influencing the puzzled expression forming on the boy's lips.
Opening his mouth to speak, he suddenly realized no words came to his throat, leaving him to just silently stare and wonder.
Could I have set out for treasure?
He furrowed his brow in thought as the growing tension inside his chest intensified.
No, that doesn't feel right… Could I have been looking for knowledge?
Nodding his head, he dismissed the idea but quickly came upon another possibility that relieved a slight bit of the pressure that filled him internally.
Could it be for both?
The hollow thought lingered within his mind as he finally finished a rough scan of the boat.
It was a tiny vessel comprised of a single mast that lay bare to see, with only frayed rope and string in piles.
The bow was cracked and decayed, with even the smallest step threatening to drive a hole through the wooden ship.
Out of everything he could see, only one thing stood out among the rest.
A small cabin that was guarded by a heavy door that looked to have fallen off its hinges years ago, but was still propped against the frame.
Slowly, he approached the entrance, watching his step carefully to not send himself to an early grave by capsizing the vessel with a hole.
The cabin door was about half a meter too small for the boy to fit through, leading to him having to duck into the cabin to gain entry without injuring his head on the door frame.
Inside was a dark room, only illuminated by a fraction of moonlight that slipped through the covering of clouds above head.
It was a room you might expect a dwarf to live in, with a short ceiling and tiny furniture; however, one object stood out from the rest.
An extremely damaged cabinet rested in the very middle of the room, emitting a feeling that sent shivers down the boy's spine.
On the southernmost drawer of the object, a small keyhole was indented into the wooden frame that had rotted away.
Unlike a normal hole, this one was of an unusual shape that made the boy furrow his brow in confusion.
It was in the form of a human skull; however, where the two eye sockets should've resided were instead two intricate markings that itched a strange urge inside the boy.
He attempted to give it a tug, yet no luck.
There has to be some way—
His thought was cut off as his fingers brushed against an oddly soft piece of wood that shot a violent string of pain through his skull.
Agony overwhelmed him as he collapsed to the floor, trying to peel open his skin to reach what was digging away at his brain.
Knowledge flooded in like a dam that had been opened for the first time in a century, releasing thousands of memories into his once-empty head.
Faces flashed through, some of relatives, some of teachers, and some of places that struck a cord somewhere deep inside of him.
But the most important detail that had flowed into his mind was a single strand of words that resonated unlike every other.
This time, as he tried to speak, his throat responded to the call, producing a slightly gruff but also childish voice.
"Aaron?"
He paused, thinking carefully.
"My name is Aaron."
His pupils dilated as he rocketed up from where he lay, accidentally slamming his head against the short ceilings.
One of the memories he had recovered showed an image of him as a boy repeating what he had just done while fishing.
Aaron laughed as he recalled it; however, his expression faded as he noticed a faded piece of paper atop the cabinet that hadn't previously existed.
Curiosity tugged at him as he reached out his hand, yet strangely, something stopped him.
It was as if all the urges he had had to observe the scribbles had been erased from his mind, leaving him pondering another detail that had been pushed to the surface.
Slowly, he picked up the paper, then dropped it on the floor as he turned around, facing the hatchway leading onto the deck.
Almost robotically, he stepped one foot after another outside the door, staring out onto the fog that engulfed the sea.
My dream… It was never treasure nor knowledge…
Inhaling deeply while shutting his eyes, he felt the salty sea breeze in his lungs, with it being released in a warm breath as he spoke.
"The one thing I wished for more than anything else…"
His turquoise eyes blazed to life as he opened them, bringing light to the desolate surroundings.
"Adventure."