The air in the brig smelled of sulfur and wet rust. Above them, the HMS Malice groaned, its ancient coal-fired heart straining as the crew positioned the massive drilling derrick over the North Inlet."The blade," Kael whispered, reaching through the bars. "Elara, how did you get it back?""They don't understand the 'Wild' as well as they think," Elara said, her voice a low vibration. She handed the hilt to him. "The Whistler tried to lock it in a lead box, but the blade didn't want to stay. It felt like it was... calling for you. I just followed the heat."Kael gripped the obsidian. The moment his skin touched the stone, the amber glow returned, warmer and steadier than before. He felt a surge of vitality, a phantom echo of Nora’s strength flowing into his tired muscles."Leo, we have to go," Kael said, turning to the patriarch."I can't," Leo whispered, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. "The Void-Stitch... it’s like a poison in my marrow. But I can ground the ship's signal for a
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