Chapter 7 The Curse of the Heart

The next day, the storm had worsened.

The Crimson Serpent pitched violently with each crashing wave, the ship's timbers groaning beneath the strain. The sky above was a deep, bruised purple, swirling with clouds that seemed to pulse with a dark energy, as if the storm itself was a living, breathing creature.

Lucien stood on the deck, hands gripping the rail, feeling the cold salt spray sting his skin. His mind was a whirlwind, torn between the pressing weight of his duties as the pirate king and the insidious pull of the Heart of the Abyss. He had to focus, to control his emotions, but every passing moment, the sea seemed to grow louder, its whispers stronger.

"Do you feel it too, Majesty?" Ryker's voice broke through his thoughts. He was standing at Lucien's side, his cold eyes scanning the horizon. The older pirate's presence was unnerving. Ryker always wore a smirk, a facade of confidence, but Lucien could see the underlying desperation in his eyes. It was a hunger for power. A hunger that could not be easily satiated.

Lucien glanced at him, his face unreadable. "Feel what?"

Ryker chuckled darkly. "The curse, of course. It clings to you, like a shadow. You can't escape it, no matter how far you sail. The Heart is within reach, but so is your doom."

Lucien's jaw clenched. He had learned early in life to distrust Ryker's cryptic words. Yet, the mention of the curse... it gnawed at him. The curse. It was something Lucien had grown up with, something that had always lurked in the background of his family's legacy, but it was never discussed openly. His father had avoided it, as though acknowledging its existence would give it power.

Now, Lucien's fate seemed inextricably tied to it. But how could he escape it when his bloodline itself was cursed? His father's death had only solidified the truth. If Lucien was to survive this journey, to claim the Heart and rule the seas, he would need more than just strength. He would need to uncover the secrets buried deep within his lineage. Secrets that could destroy him.

"I'm not afraid of curses," Lucien muttered, his voice like ice. "They can't control me."

Ryker's expression hardened, but he said nothing more. Lucien knew that beneath the surface, Ryker was more than a little afraid of the power the Heart promised. And he knew Ryker would do anything to take it for himself.

As the ship sailed deeper into the storm, Lucien felt the oppressive weight of the curse on his chest. The whispers of the sea were louder now, almost deafening. His father had been a pirate king, but the Heart had never truly been his. It had been bound by blood and magic, a relic of an ancient power that could only be controlled by the rightful heir. That heir, as the sea seemed to taunt him, was Lucien himself.

But with each passing hour, Lucien's control began to slip. The sea's pull grew stronger. A part of him wanted to give in, to surrender to the madness that was beckoning from the deep. But another part-the part that still clung to reason-fought to maintain control.

He couldn't let the curse take him. He couldn't let it break him like it had broken his father.

A sudden crash broke through his reverie, and Lucien's head snapped up, his body instantly alert. In the distance, just beyond the mist, there was a shape-a dark silhouette that stood out against the roiling waves. A ship. No, not just a ship. It was a ghost ship. A ship of the damned.

"Lira's ship," Ryker muttered under his breath.

Lucien turned sharply, his pulse quickening. The Shadow's Wake. It was Lira Vane's ship, known for its eerie black sails and the crew of cursed souls who served her. The sea witch had always kept her distance-until now. She was here for a reason. And that reason was him.

Without thinking, Lucien stepped forward, his voice commanding. "Prepare for battle. Ready the cannons."

But Ryker's hand shot out, stopping him. "Don't be a fool, Lucien. The Shadow's Wake is not a ship you can defeat in open waters. Lira is a master of dark magic. Her ship is alive."

Lucien shot him a dangerous look. "You've never met my crew."

The tension in the air thickened as the two ships neared each other. The Shadow's Wake seemed to glide over the water, moving with a sinister grace that defied the storm. The crew aboard Lucien's ship was ready for combat, but Lucien knew that this battle would be different. It wasn't just a fight for survival-it was a fight for his soul.

As the ships drew closer, Lira's figure emerged on the deck of the Shadow's Wake, her fiery red hair whipping in the wind. Her gaze was locked onto Lucien, filled with a mix of desire and something darker. She was here for him, for his blood, for his power.

The wind howled as the two ships met, the storm seeming to swell with anticipation. Lucien's heart raced, his blood pumping with adrenaline. This was it-the moment that would either cement his place as king or drown him in the depths of the curse.

"You think you can escape the Heart's call, Lucien?" Lira's voice drifted over the water, like a siren's whisper. "You belong to the sea. Your destiny is bound to it."

Lucien's fists clenched at his sides. "I belong to no one."

Lira's smile widened, a cruel twist of fate dancing in her eyes. "We'll see about that."

Cliffhanger-

The impact knocked Lucien back, his boots skidding across the rain-slicked deck as the magical force pulsed outward like a heartbeat. He hit the railing hard, breath stolen from his lungs, the taste of salt and blood sharp on his tongue.

Across the gap between ships, Lira stood unmoved, her hair floating as if underwater, her eyes glowing with a blue so deep it seemed to hold the ocean itself. Her voice was no longer her own-it echoed with the voice of the deep.

"You cannot kill what was born of the sea, Lucien. You are fighting your own nature."

Lucien forced himself to stand, every muscle trembling, not from fear-but from the strain of resisting a power far older than any man. His sword trembled in his grip, not from weakness, but from the chaos within him. The Heart's call pulsed louder in his chest now, its rhythm syncing with his heartbeat.

Ryker stumbled beside him, soaked and wide-eyed. "We need to fall back! She's not here to fight-she's here to take you!"

Lucien's jaw tightened. "Then she'll have to try harder."

He raised his sword once more, and the wind seemed to shift around him. The storm, for a breath, paused-like the sea itself was watching. The Heart of the Abyss beat louder in his blood, and something ancient began to stir.

Lucien Stormborn, whispered the sea. Choose.