Ace stood at the bow, the worn leather of a necklace pressed between his fingers. An eternal flame flickered at his back, the same flame that had carved his path through death, still burning.

And in that shimmering distance—an island. Small. Unassuming. A speck of green amidst the endless blue.

Then the figure on the dock took shape from the haze of golden light. A familiar silhouette. Unmistakable.

His breath caught.