The freighter loomed ahead, its rusted hull cutting through the waves. Elias’s heart raced. He couldn’t ignore what he had seen. As he climbed the rope to board the ship, the storm grew fiercer, rain and wind making the climb treacherous. But Elias pushed forward, determined to find answers.
When he finally made it to the deck, he found the ship in worse condition than he’d imagined. Containers were scattered, railings twisted, and everything smelled of salt and oil. The ship felt abandoned, a carcass of rust and metal. But then Elias saw it—through the broken window of the bridge, a faint light flickered.
He rushed toward it. Inside, a man stood, ragged and pale, eyes bloodshot. “Help me,” the man croaked. Elias’s heart skipped. The man—Callen—was a stowaway, left behind when the crew had disappeared.