The Seahawk cut through the final stretch of turquoise waters toward Lothvrok's jagged silhouette, the island's volcanic peaks rising like ancient sentinels against a sky that seemed too perfect, too blue. Gulls wheeled overhead in lazy spirals, their harsh cries forming a mocking chorus to the ship's increasingly tense atmosphere. The very air felt thick with unspoken judgment, pressing down on the deck like an invisible weight.

Belowdecks and on the rigging, sailors cast sidelong glances at Fin as he passed, their whispered conversations dying abruptly when he drew near. The words still carried on the salt breeze: "Turned that pirate into paste with his bare hands," one muttered to his companion while coiling rope. "Saw his eyes through that mask, like looking into a demon's soul when he's riled," another added, his voice dropping to a reverent whisper reserved for things that haunted nightmares.

Fin ignored them all, his featureless mask serving as both shield and prison, but the isolation stung more deeply than he cared to admit. Each sidelong glance felt like a physical blow, each hastily averted gaze a reminder that he'd crossed some invisible line from protector to predator in their eyes. The very sailors who'd cheered him as one of the "Blink Brothers" now gave him the wide berth reserved for dangerous animals.

Soga materialized beside him on the main deck with his characteristic turquoise flash, his casual gait at odds with the ship's somber mood. "You know, if you keep glaring at everything like that, they'll start thinking you're planning to beat the island to death too." His voice carried its usual light mockery. "Lighten up, you're still a hero! The legendary Blink Brothers, terror of the high seas!"

Fin didn't respond, his masked gaze remaining fixed on the approaching docks where merchant vessels bobbed like toys in a bathtub. Soga's jokes grated against his raw nerves today, each casual quip serving as another reminder of the cracks spreading through his carefully maintained control. Without a word, he pushed past his companion, heading toward the quarterdeck where Captain Tatum stood overseeing preparations for their arrival.

The crew moved with practiced efficiency around them, hauling lines taut, furling sails with choreographed precision, their voices calling out in the ancient rhythm of sailors who'd performed these tasks a thousand times before. The ship groaned and settled as her speed decreased.

Tatum spotted Fin's approach and straightened instinctively, his weathered hands adjusting their grip on the ship's wheel. His grizzled beard caught the salt breeze, and his eyes held a mixture of respect and wariness that hadn't been there before their encounter with the pirates.

"Lasair," he acknowledged, his voice carrying the careful neutrality of a man choosing his words. "Something weighing on your mind, lad?"

Fin stopped at what felt like a respectful distance, though he noticed Tatum's subtle shift to keep the wheel between them. "Captain, about what happened with Brokenheart... I need to apologize. For killing him the way I did. It wasn't planned, wasn't controlled." He paused, reaching into his dimensional storage to withdraw a heavy leather pouch that clinked with the distinctive sound of gold. "This should cover any trouble my actions might have caused you. It's half the spoils from the pirate vessels, your share and something extra for the crew."

Tatum's expression hardened like sea-weathered stone, his eyes flicking to the offered pouch before meeting Fin's masked gaze with uncomfortable directness. "Keep it, lad. I want nothing to do with coin earned that way. Blood money's a curse that follows a man to his grave."

Fin tilted his head, genuinely puzzled by the refusal. "But you're a merchant captain, operating in waters where half the trade involves…"

"Aye," Tatum interrupted with a bark of laughter that held no trace of mirth. "And it's hard as hell being an honest one in these waters. Temptation's everywhere you look, customs officials with greedy palms, pirates offering 'protection,' nobles wanting goods moved without questions asked. Dark deals that promise easy profit." His voice grew harder, more resolute. "But I refuse to contribute to this world's disgusting underbelly. A man's honesty is all he truly owns in the end, lose that, and you're nothing but a well-dressed animal."

Fin stored the pouch away with deliberate care, nodding gravely. "I can respect that philosophy, Captain. It's... rare."

Tatum studied him for a long moment, his experienced eyes searching for something beneath the mask's blank surface. The silence stretched between them, filled only by the sounds of sailors working and waves lapping against the hull. Finally, he leaned closer, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper.

"Can I speak plainly with you, lad?"

"Please do."

The captain's weathered face grew serious, the deep lines around his eyes and mouth seeming to deepen further. "You're a good kid at heart, I can sense that much. Skilled beyond your years, brave when it counts. You saved every soul on this ship back there, and I won't forget that debt." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "But you're a fucking mess, boy. In all my years at sea, through battles and storms and every kind of hell the ocean can throw at a man, I've never seen anyone snap the way you did in that cell."

Fin remained perfectly still, but Tatum caught the slight tension in his shoulders.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"The power you carry," Tatum continued, his voice gaining urgency, "it's already beyond what most men achieve in their entire lives. And you're what, twenty-one? That kind of strength in someone so young, someone with the mental fractures I saw..." He shook his head gravely. "Power without control doesn't just destroy your enemies, lad. It destroys everything, your allies, your purpose, and eventually yourself. I've seen it happen to captains who thought they could rule through fear alone. They always end up alone, surrounded by nothing but the wreckage of what they built."

Fin absorbed the words like physical blows, each one striking deeper than the last. But he found himself nodding slowly. "I... I'll try to find better control. Work on whatever's broken inside me."

Tatum glanced around the deck, ensuring their conversation remained private, then leaned even closer. His next words were barely audible over the ship's creaking. "And to be brutally honest... that brother of yours? I don't think he's doing you any favors. Man's got shadows following him that make even old sailors like me nervous. The way he handled that whole situation, like he expected it to happen..."

A soft chuckle escaped Fin, surprising them both. It was the first genuine sound of amusement he'd made since the incident. "I'm beginning to reach the same conclusion, Captain. Thanks for the warning, and the honesty."

Tatum nodded, relief evident in his posture. "Fair winds to you. Whatever demons you're fighting, I hope you win."

Fin turned and walked away, leaving Tatum to his duties. The captain watched him go, noting how the crew instinctively gave him space, like prey animals sensing a predator's passing.

Alone near the bow, Fin found a quiet spot away from the bustling preparations. He pulled up his system interface, the ethereal blue screen materializing before him like a holographic veil. The familiar layout usually brought comfort, but today something was wrong.

System Interface Active

Name:

Fin Aodh

Race:

Aos sí

Age:

13

Imprint:

Taranis (Prime)

Core Quality:

Perfect – Low Tier Two

Skills:

Lightning Armament* (Unique) Level 19

Plasma Compression Core* (Unique) Level 7

Dimensional Pocket Realm (Legendary) Level 15

Convergent Equilibrium* (Unique)

[SHATTERED]

Electromagnetic Synchronization* (Unique) Level 17

Theoretical Physics Application* (Unique+) Level 12

Ambient Cloak (Unique) Level 14

Quantum Leap (Unique) Level 8

Plasma Bow (Unique) Level 2

•

Innate:

Stormheart (Primal)

Fin's breath caught in his throat as if someone had struck him. The word "SHATTERED" pulsed beside his most crucial skill like an infected wound, its red lettering a stark contrast to the interface's usual calm blue. Panic clawed at his chest with icy fingers, what had caused this? The uncontrolled rage in the cell? The complete breakdown of his emotional barriers? His mind raced through possibilities, equations and variables spinning through his consciousness: emotional overload, passive skill failure, psychological fracture... but no clear answers emerged from the chaos of his thoughts.

The sky chose that moment to darken abruptly, as if his internal turmoil had somehow summoned external chaos. Heavy storm clouds rolled in from the horizon's edge with unnatural speed, blotting out the perfect blue sky like ink spilled across pristine paper. The temperature dropped ten degrees in as many seconds, and the first rumbles of thunder rolled across the water, low, ominous vibrations that seemed to resonate in his very bones.

Sailors froze mid-task, then erupted into frantic action as years of experience kicked in. "Storm coming fast!" one shouted from the rigging. "Secure all loose gear! Get us to dock, now!"

Panic spread through the crew like wildfire. Tatum's voice boomed from the quarterdeck, cutting through the chaos with practiced authority: "Full sail! Make for harbor, double time! This isn't natural weather!" Lightning began to crack the sky with increasing frequency, massive forks slamming into the churning water around the ship and sending up towering plumes of superheated steam.

Soga materialized beside Fin in a turquoise flash, his usual composure cracked as he gripped the rail with white knuckles. "I don't know what you're doing, but cut it out! You're going to sink the ship!"

Fin whirled to face him, genuine confusion mixing with rising panic. "It's not me! I'm not controlling this!"

A massive bolt of lightning chose that moment to lance down from the roiling clouds, striking the water mere feet from the bow. The explosion of light and sound was beyond anything natural, a detonation that blinded every soul on deck and sent the Seahawk rocking violently to one side. Sailors cried out in terror as white-hot spots danced across their vision.

When the afterimages finally cleared and the ringing in their ears subsided, a man stood casually on the deck exactly where the lightning had struck. He appeared completely unharmed, as if he'd simply ridden the electrical fury down from the heavens themselves.

He was powerfully built with broad shoulders that spoke of a lifetime of battles, close-cropped brown hair streaked with distinguished silver, and a face that unmistakably echoed Fin's father's features but aged by twenty or thirty hard years. Strong jaw, weathered lines carved by time and conflict. But those eyes, those were identical to Fin's own: piercing electric blue.

"So you're the one causing such a commotion across the kingdom," the man boomed, his voice carrying over the storm like thunder given human form. His grin was fierce and wild, the expression of someone who'd lived life on his own terms and enjoyed every dangerous moment. "Guess it runs in the family, eh?" He threw back his head and laughed, a hearty sound that seemed to shake the very air around them.

Soga lunged forward with desperate speed, positioning himself between Fin and this impossible stranger. "Stay back…"

The man's gaze shifted to Soga, and killing intent rolled off him in a wave so dense and suffocating it felt like gravity itself had been weaponized. The very air seemed to thicken with menace. Soga crumpled instantly, his legs giving out as consciousness fled, hitting the deck like a puppet with severed strings.

Fin tensed, power beginning to gather around him instinctively. "Who are you?"

The man stepped forward with casual confidence, reaching out to flick Fin's forehead with the kind of gentle strength that stung without causing real harm. "Your great-grandfather, of course."

Lightning cracked again with deafening intensity, enveloping them both in blinding white radiance. The world dissolved into pure electrical fury, whisking them away as the Seahawk's horrified crew could only gape at the empty space where they'd stood moments before.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.