---
The Solace rocked gently upon the Black Sea of Vehras as the waters gradually stilled.
Yet the silence that now cloaked the ship felt heavier than the storm they had just survived.
Waves ebbed with lazy reluctance, leaving trails of dark foam stretching to the horizon.
The sky remained clouded, unwilling to shed the last shreds of the storm's memory.
Inside the ship's command room, the air was thick with fatigue, tension, and disbelief.
All eyes were on the figure now seated in the center of the room — Raka Aryasatya.
Drenched, his cloak tattered and torn in several places.
His body clearly bore the marks of exhaustion and injury.
Yet his eyes — eyes that should have dulled after such a journey — now held a depth that seemed to weigh down the air around him.
Vira Caelum stood near the navigation table, her hands trembling faintly.
Her gaze never left Raka, as though trying to confirm that what she saw was truly real.
Darius Kerta stood straight at the side of the room.
Usually, his gaze was sharp and filled with certainty.
Now, a different glint shone there — something closer to caution, or perhaps newfound respect.
Marin, the old engineer who had spent more of his life battling machinery than the world's affairs, sat in a corner, hands gripping his knees, face weary.
No one spoke.
Until Raka's voice — hoarse yet firm — broke the silence.
"Report."
Vira straightened, her voice cold, trying to maintain the composure she was known for.
"Main engine is stable. Hull integrity... fractures in two areas. Temporary repairs are in place.
We can move, but we won't last long in open waters."
Marin added softly:
"Etheric stabilizers nearly spent. We pushed them beyond limits during the storm. We... need port."
Darius nodded, his voice heavier than usual.
"And the world... has begun to move."
Raka looked at him, eyes sharpening.
"Details."
Vira glanced at the old, flickering comms screen.
"I received fragments of transmission from Veloran's main port.
Energy anomalies reported along the northern coast.
Quakes, etheric storms... shifts in energy currents.
The major sects are sending observers. They sense something is stirring in the north."
Darius continued, voice deep:
"No one knows exactly what happened.
No witnesses, no direct reports.
But they... know something has awakened."
For a moment, the room seemed to thicken with the weight of unspoken thought.
Their ship lay adrift upon a silent sea.
No other vessels had approached.
No one had witnessed Raka's return.
All they knew were the aftereffects of the storm, and the eerie silence that lingered afterward.
Raka remained seated, body leaning slightly forward.
Not in weariness, but in the manner of one weighing a decision that could shake the world.
"We cannot remain idle."
The words were calm, almost simple — and that made them all the heavier.
"Veloran will be a beginning... or a grave."
Vira frowned.
"Our condition is far from ideal. If they've truly sent observers, we might not make it out in time."
Raka met her gaze — not with anger, nor arrogance.
His look seemed to say: I know. And I choose this path anyway.
"That is precisely why we must move.
Here, we wait for death.
In Veloran... at least we choose the battlefield."
Darius gave a slow nod.
"When do we move?"
Raka rose slowly.
His movements were steady, deliberate — not those of a man rushing, but of one carrying the weight of the world upon his shoulders.
"As soon as the engines are ready.
We have little time before the world crafts its answer."
---
Outside the command room, The Solace drifted gently on the silent sea.
No other ships.
No sounds save the whisper of the cold wind that lingered.
The crew moved quietly.
Some worked to patch damage, others simply sat, gazing out at a sea that now felt foreign.
Few spoke.
Some whispered, faintly:
"He returned... but from where?"
"No one knows.
No one saw.
After the storm passed... he was here."
Then, silence again.
No one dared speculate further.
There were questions in this world better left unanswered.
---
In the command room, Marin spoke again, softly:
"One more thing."
Raka looked at him.
"What is it?"
"A scouting vessel from Veloran... was reported moving north.
They haven't detected us yet, but... it won't be long."
Raka gazed out at the dark sea beyond the thick glass of the command room.
"We depart tonight.
Extinguish all lights.
We head to Veloran."
Vira asked softly:
"For what?"
Raka answered without hesitation:
"To remind the world that not all of humanity has surrendered.
And to ensure... they can no longer turn away from the truth they've denied."
---
In the depths of the Black Sea, far beneath the seemingly calm surface, a faint echo still reverberated.
Not sound. Not current.
Only the silent resonance of something stirred — and far from finished.