At 15, Nathaniel never imagined his life would take such a strange turn. Born and raised in the small coastal town of Windridge, he had always loved the sea, but he had never expected it to separate him from everything he knew. One stormy afternoon, as Nathaniel boarded the ship *Elysian Dream* for a summer voyage with his father, the ocean had seemed calm, almost inviting. But by dusk, a tempest unlike anything Nathaniel had ever seen surged around them. The sky darkened, waves taller than the ship’s mast crashed down in a terrifying roar. The crew fought to keep the ship afloat, but it was no use. A massive wave struck, tearing the ship in half and sending Nathaniel into the cold, unforgiving sea. He woke up on the shore of an island. The beach was empty, save for the wreckage of the *Elysian Dream*, splintered and abandoned, scattered in pieces across the sand. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious.