The wind howled as their ship cut through the waves, the salty air stinging Evan's face. He had no experience with sailing, but the journey had become inevitable, the horizon beckoning him forward.
That's when they met Silas.
Silas was everything Evan wasn't: experienced, confident, and knowing more than he let on. His voice was deep, filled with an unsettling calm, and his eyes had a sharpness to them that made Evan uneasy.
"I've heard of your mother," Silas said one evening as they shared a fire on deck. "She was more than just a name in the wind."
Evan's pulse quickened. "What do you know about her?"
Silas smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I know enough. Enough to get you closer to the truth... if you trust me."
There was something in Silas's demeanor that didn't sit right with Evan. But as the days passed, it became clear that Silas was a man who could be useful. He knew the seas, the lands, and the people they'd encounter. The map, Evan realized, wasn't the only thing guiding them.