The Forgotten Tide: Rebirth Before the Pirate Era

The night was unnervingly quiet, broken only by the gentle lapping of waves against the ship's hull. Kaizen stood at the bow, eyes fixed on the horizon where the dark sea merged with an even darker sky. The events of the past days weighed heavily on his mind, each memory a fragment of a puzzle he couldn't yet solve.

A faint mist began to rise, cloaking the ship in an ethereal veil. Lio approached silently, his steps careful on the creaking wooden planks. "Can't sleep?" he asked, his voice a mere whisper against the vastness of the ocean.

Kaizen shook his head. "Something feels off. Like we're being watched."

Lio glanced around, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his dagger. "It's just the sea playing tricks. The mist can do that."

But Kaizen wasn't convinced. His instincts, sharpened beyond normal human perception, screamed of an unseen presence lurking just beyond the edge of reality. As the mist thickened, shadows danced along the periphery, their movements too deliberate to be mere illusions.

Suddenly, a chilling voice echoed from the fog. "Travelers of the forgotten tide, you sail into waters not meant for the living."

The crew scrambled to their positions, weapons drawn, eyes darting into the dense mist. Kaizen's heart raced, not with fear, but anticipation. A figure emerged slowly, cloaked in darkness, its features obscured but its intent clear.

"Who are you?" Kaizen demanded, stepping forward.

The figure laughed softly, a sound devoid of warmth. "A messenger of truths buried beneath waves and time. You carry a burden, Kaizen, one that will awaken the abyss."

Kaizen's grip tightened around his sword. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The figure drifted closer, revealing eyes that glowed faintly with an unnatural light. "You will. When the tide turns and the abyss calls, you'll remember."

With those cryptic words, the figure dissolved into the mist, leaving only an unsettling silence in its wake. The crew remained tense, but Kaizen's thoughts spiraled deeper.

What did they mean? he wondered, staring into the void where the figure had stood.

The sea held many secrets, but Kaizen now knew some were meant to be forgotten—and he was destined to uncover them.