[San Corvo — Harbor Tavern — Day 43 — 4:30 PM]
Jessica had reserved the table in the back.
She had told the tavern owner she had data on SS‑rank creature migration routes in the central ocean that no sailor in San Corvo had yet, and that she would share it in exchange for a quiet table for three hours and access to any sailor with more than ten years of ocean experience who wanted to talk.
The owner had agreed before Jessica finished the sentence.
The team arrived in groups — first Seraph and Alex, then Maya and Kira, then Raven. Emily arrived last with a bag of new plants that she left on the floor under the table without anyone asking and without explaining why she had brought them.
"What exactly are we looking for?" asked Alex.
"The Empty Fleet," said Seraph. "Everything anyone on this island knows about it."
"And the Silent Threshold," added Jessica. "The Eastern Island ruins."
"What are the ruins for?" asked Kira.
