As June dawned, I looked at my schedule and thought about the characters I wanted to explore. At first, I agreed with my past self’s decision. However, after a few minutes, I decided to keep only half of the original plan. With that choice made, I focused on the accepted half of my schedule, which meant returning to Ramas Caldwell as he continues his journey to the Isles.
As a reminder, Ramas’s cursed sight allows him to understand the world in a way others cannot. Those afflicted with that curse lose the comfort of ordinary vision, but they gain an understanding few can endure. Where sailors see waves, clouds, and wooden planks, Ramas perceives the hidden galaxies. To him, the world is not observed, but understood in pieces others will never grasp.
That difference has shaped more than his vision. It has sharpened his ego and widened the distance between him and the wider world. During this voyage, the captain recognizes danger forming around them, but Ramas treats the warning as little more than an inconvenience. His certainty may come from experience, but there are moments when it leaves no room for anything else.
In this tale, the sea offers Ramas a quieter challenge than any previous one. The surface may appear to be calming, but that does not always equate to safety. Some dangers don’t announce themselves with thunder. Before the voyage can resume, pride and survival must share the same deck.
Excerpt of Silent Breach
As the dark clouds dispersed, the captain glanced back at the wanderer. Before he could speak, the ship shuddered, threatening to knock him down.
In heartbeats, a sickening sound of wood buckling and bursting filled the air as sailors stumbled with the ship’s sudden lurch. Ramas gripped the arms of his chair.
“Reef!”
The captain spun toward the bow, muttering a curse. “There aren’t reefs here!”
“There are now,” Ramas said, rising from his seat. He turned, his cursed sight latching onto the reef gouging the ship’s keel. He clenched his fists as water poured in.
As curses echoed across the lurching ship, the captain seized the nearest sailor. “Get below deck and start patching that hole. Drag everyone you need to repair the hull!”
Ramas walked closer to the gaping breach. “Your crew won’t reach it in time.”
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