Chapter 78

• || SANCIA'S POV ||
• I could feel the sun beating down on me as I stepped onto the rocky shore of the pirates' island. The heat was oppressive, but it wasn’t nearly as heavy as the dread settling in my chest. The island was nothing like I’d imagined—a jagged landscape of sharp rocks and windswept cliffs, with a few shabby wooden huts scattered near the center. The air smelled of salt and decay, a stark reminder of how isolated this place was from civilization.
• My footsteps crunched on the gravel path as I approached the gang’s camp. They were a ragged group, their appearances as brutal as the stories I’d heard. Torn clothes, sun-scarred skin, and eyes that gleamed with malice. It wasn’t just their appearance that unsettled me—it was the way they watched me, like wolves sizing up prey.