The storm tore at the sky, lightning jagged and wild, illuminating the chaos on the ship's battered deck. Thunder rolled like the roar of ancient gods, shaking the timbers and drowning out the desperate cries of battle. Salt spray mingled with smoke, stinging eyes and coating everything in a gritty mist.
Grenn Thampest stood firm despite the blood running down his bruised face, his hands crackling with storm energy—water swirling violently around him, lightning sparking with fierce intensity. Cradled tightly against his chest was Eldra, a baby swaddled in worn cloth, the last fragile hope of the Storm Tribe.
Before him, the man in the black robe moved with cold precision, his dark eyes glinting like obsidian shards in the flickering stormlight.
"You think your little Storm Tribe can stand against progress?" the man's voice cut through the tempest, smooth and merciless. "Your power is a relic—a threat to order. And threats must be crushed."
Grenn's jaw clenched, unwavering. "You know nothing of balance. Our powers are gifts—meant to protect, not to destroy."
The man's cruel laugh shattered the night, sharp as breaking glass. "Protect? Your kind hides in myths and shadows. But today, your story ends."
Grenn's voice rose above the crashing waves and howling wind, steady and fierce."I will not let the Storm Tribe die tonight. I will protect Eldra with my life. Through him, our legacy will endure."
The man raised a pale hand, fingers curled like claws. "Do it then. Run like the coward you are. But know this—your tribe's flame will be snuffed out."
Grenn's eyes burned with unyielding pride. "You underestimate us. The Storm Tribe does not fade into darkness so easily. As long as Eldra lives, our fire remains alive."
Hazard, thirteen and trembling but resolute, stepped forward. A faint crimson glow surrounded his hands—magma seething beneath his skin.
"Take Eldra. The emergency boat—now. Protect him with everything you have."
Hazard's voice cracked, but his gaze was steel. "I won't fail."
The man in the black robe's lips curled into a cold smile. "Do your worst."
With a terrible roar, the man's soldiers surged forward. The deck erupted into chaos—clashing steel, cries of pain, and the crackling fury of Grenn's storm magic holding the line.
The ship groaned and shuddered beneath the fury of fire and water, splinters flying as flames licked the soaked wood.
Hazard leapt into the emergency boat, heart pounding in time with the crashing waves. He wrapped Eldra in a fierce embrace, pulling him close as magma flared around his hands, carving a blazing trail through the chaos.
"I promise," Hazard whispered, voice thick with pain and fierce determination, "I'll protect you. Always."
As the ship trembled and began to sink beneath the roaring sea, Hazard looked back through the swirling mist. Grenn stood alone, a solitary tempest defying the dark.
Far away, hidden in shadow, the man in the black robe watched through a cracked screen, lips curled in a cruel, knowing smile.
"This is only the beginning."