Sonia Sea, 1339 of the fifth epoch
Amidst the rhythmic crashing of waves, a ship sailed unperturbed by the chaotic ocean. The people aboard moved with practiced efficiency. Onboard the ship, in a particular room, there lay a young boy with long, unkempt black hair. Suddenly he jolted upright as his breathing sharply increased.
He reached his hands out in an instinctual attempt to catch himself from falling. However, as his hands grasped at nothing but air and the young boy took in his surroundings, a semblance of calm came to him.
Seeing there was no danger and he was no longer in the village, the boy swept his purple gaze around the room to take in the surroundings. He is on a bed nailed into the ground, and next to him is a round window that gives him a view into the boundless ocean.
On the farside of the room is a table and a few chairs; on the table are clothes and bottles filled with an unknown substance. Next to the table is a door with no openings, and on the other side of the door is a wooden planter filled with soil and unknown plants.
The boy turned his gaze back to the window; his own reflection stared back at him. The sight triggered a violent rush of memories that drilled into his mind. William, the boy he once was, and Isaac, the boy whose body he now inhabited, warred within his mind. He clutched his head, but the searing pain subsided, leaving behind a fractured understanding.
He sifted through the memories; a strange sense of familiarity yet unfamiliarity came over him. It was like watching a film where he was both the protagonist and a detached observer. The film depicted the life of Isaac, an orphaned outcast in a small village, known for his odd behavior that others couldn't comprehend. Isaac, despite being young, had always talked about things he saw that others couldn't, and for this he was ignored by the villagers.
Then came the memory of a ship arriving at their isolated shore, its crew seemingly engaged in some activity on the far side of the island. The villagers, initially wary, were lulled into a false sense of security by the newcomers amiable demeanor. But one day, a deafening boom shattered the peace, followed by an onslaught of. . . something else. Something the memories couldn't quite grasp, only impressions of writhing darkness and terrifying crazed eyes.
That was the last coherent image from Isaac's mind, the point where William's consciousness seemed to have taken root. He was abruptly pulled from this unsettling reverie as the cabin door creaked open and a man entered. William instantly recognized him as the one who had pulled him from the chaos. The man, with his distinctive short red hair, grabbed a nearby chair from the table and placed it beside William's bed.
He sat down, his gaze steady. "Hey kid, how are you feeling?"
For a long moment, William simply stared, his purple eyes searching the man's face. Finally, he broke the silence, his voice raspy. "Who are you? Where am I? And wha-"
"Whoa, slow down there, kid," the man chuckled softly. "Let's start with introductions. My name is Cole, and I'm the captain of this ship we're currently on."
William took a shaky breath, trying to organize the swirling thoughts in his head. "I'm sorry. I'm just. . . confused. My name is William. Can you tell me what happened?"
Cole's eyebrows rose slightly. "William? Some of the other people from your village said your name is Isaac."
A jolt of panic shot through William. They know Isaac. His mind raced, searching for a plausible explanation. "Isaac is my first name," he blurted out quickly. "William is my. . . my family name?"
Cole's gaze remained fixed on him, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken questions. Finally, Cole sighed, rubbing his forehead before turning back to William. "A first and last name, not very common for folks in villages like yours, but not unheard of, I suppose. Either way, let's move on to something more important."
He leaned forward slightly, his expression becoming serious. "I don't know if you remember but there was an attack on your village. It was done by a passing pirate ship looking to get slaves to sell."
Cole's explanation jarred against the fragmented, horrifying images in William's mind. Pirates? He distinctly remembered. something far more monstrous. A seed of doubt began to sprout in his thoughts.
Cole continued. "They came ashore and . . . well, they weren't friendly. They were rounding people up, setting fire to homes; it was chaos." He paused, his gaze softening slightly as he looked at William. "I happened to be anchored nearby, and when we saw what was happening, my crew and I went to help. We managed to drive them off, but not before they took some people."
William listened intently, his mind trying to reconcile the fragmented memories of Isaac with Cole's grim account. The fear he felt in those initial moments after waking resurfaced, a cold knot in his stomach. "So. . . my village. ." he began, his voice barely a whisper.
Cole nodded slowly. "Yes, kid. Your village was hit hard. We did what we could, but..." He trailed off, the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. "We brought the survivors onto the ship. It's safer here for now."
William looked around the small cabin again, his eyes lingering on the bandages and herbs on the table. "Am I hurt?" he asked, realizing he couldn't recall any specific injuries.
"You took a nasty blow to the head," Cole explained. " You were unconscious when I found you. Lucky for you, you seem to be recovering quickly."
A wave of gratitude washed over William for this stranger who had saved him. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "Thank you for helping us."
Cole offered a small, weary smile. "It was the right thing to do. We couldn't just stand by." He leaned back in his chair, his red hair catching the dim light filtering through the small window. "So, William" Cole paused for a moment before saying.
"What do you remember about the attack?"