The inn creaked with every gust of sea wind.
Its wooden walls smelled of brine and candle smoke, the faint laughter of drunken sailors echoing from the tavern below.
Magnus sat by the small window in their room, knees pulled up, chin resting on them. The streets outside were quieter now, though not silent as Loguetown never truly slept. Lanterns still glowed faintly in the distance, and he could hear the muffled shouts of a fight breaking out two alleys away.
His silver-white hair fell into his sharp eyes, reflecting the flicker of the candle by his side.
He couldn't stop thinking about the platform he'd seen rising in the square.Wooden beams in the daylight, but by tomorrow… history.
The door creaked, and Darius slipped in. His older brother's grin was softer this time, no teasing edge, just calm. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Can't sleep?"
Magnus shook his head. "Too loud." He paused, then admitted in a quieter voice, "Too… much."
Darius chuckled, sliding down to sit beside him at the window. "Yeah. Loguetown's like that. It never shuts up."
For a while, they just sat in silence, the muffled city stretching out before them. Magnus's eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke, his voice low. "Tomorrow… it starts. Everything changes after tomorrow."
Darius gave him a sidelong look, eyebrows raised. "You talk like an old man sometimes, you know that?"
Magnus smirked faintly, but his chest ached at the words. An old man… if only you knew. He glanced away. "I just… feel it. The air's different. Everyone knows something's coming."
Darius didn't press. Instead, he bumped his shoulder lightly against Magnus's. "Well, whatever comes, you're not alone. You've got me, sis, mom, and dad. You're stuck with us."
Magnus froze for half a second. His throat tightened, something sharp and bittersweet crawling up from inside. Back on Earth, he'd never had this. No older brother to lean against, no family that felt like an anchor. He blinked quickly, looking away, hiding the heat in his eyes.
"...I know," he whispered, his voice rougher than he meant.
Darius noticed but didn't push. He just let Magnus sit there, staring out at the restless glow of Loguetown, the two of them side by side.
Below, the laughter of drunkards rose and fell. Beyond the window, the execution platform waited.
Magnus clenched his small hands in his lap, silver-white hair shadowing his face.
Tomorrow, the Pirate King would die.
Tomorrow, the seas would ignite.
And he would be there to see it.