The ship moaned like a wounded beast as the storm intensified. Rain pelted down in sheets so thick it was nearly impossible to see, and the wind shrieked through the sails like a banshee's wail. Every creak of the Sea Phantom threatened collapse. Still, the Captain's voice roared above the chaos.
"All hands! Get to the mast! Hold her steady or we lose everything!"
From below deck, the group emerged one by one, drenched to the bone, slipping and stumbling up the soaked stairs. Liam led the charge without hesitation, his boots thudding on the flooded planks as lightning illuminated the world around them in sudden, blinding flashes.
"Move! Grab the ropes!" he barked, his voice cutting through the howl of the wind. "We need to keep the mast standing!"
