LI

The year was 2004. Makayla Bennett was 24 years old years old and had her whole life ahead of her. She loved late-night drives with her friends, burned CDs full of her favorite songs, flip phones that never seemed to have enough battery, and dreaming about what the future might hold. History, however, had never interested her. To her, it was just names, dates, and stories of people long gone. She never imagined she would become part of it. It began with an old brass pocket watch her grandfather had left behind after his passing. It had no maker’s mark, no explanation—only six words engraved inside its cover. Time remembers those who dare to listen. Curious, Makayla turned the tiny crown. Click. The watch sprang to life. A deep ticking echoed through her bedroom. The lights flickered. Her television dissolved into static. The walls trembled. Wind exploded through the room, lifting books, clothes, and photographs into a violent whirlwind. Golden light wrapped around Makayla as the floor disappeared beneath her feet. She screamed as the world shattered around her. Everything went black. ⸻ Makayla awoke face-first in damp sand. The salty scent of the ocean filled the air. Groaning, she pushed herself up and wiped grit from her face. “This… isn’t possible.” Stretching before her was a quiet cove untouched by modern life. Dense forests climbed the cliffs, and the only sounds were crashing waves and gulls circling overhead. She reached for her flip phone. No Service. Not even a single bar. Her breathing quickened. Then she heard voices. Deep. Rough. Laughing. Men emerged from the trees carrying pistols, cutlasses, and muskets. Their clothes were worn from years at sea, their faces weathered by wind and salt. Gold earrings glinted in the afternoon sun, and faded tattoos curled across their arms. Makayla froze.