Archer glanced up over the rail, referencing the map.

"Looks identical to me," Belford noted, his eyes flicking between the map in his hands and the island in front of them.

"That's it, alright," Harvi replied. The look in his eyes had morphed from what Archer once deciphered as kindness to calculation.

He tore his eyes away from Harvi and focused on the island. It was decently unique; the tall palms and white beaches of most islands were nowhere to be found, replaced by the lush green of moss and the dark colours of rock.

"We've got a team, Captain?" Lyra inquired from behind him, long hair tied up into practical braids, clearly a sign she was anticipating being on the shore team.

"Marquis, Pincho, Harvi, Tailsley," Archer told the awaiting crew, his eyes scanning the horizon. The Avourienne was nowhere to be seen.

Archer glanced out of the corner of his eye, pausing to look over at Alli. She should be on the team. She was smart and capable and she would be the only navigator.

"And Laurier," Archer finished, glancing at the blonde girl. "Alli," he specified, watching her face break into a sly smile.

The rest of the crew helped to bring the Myriad around the back of the island. The glorious sun from the last few days had hidden behind a thick blanket of clouds, the rays completely gone. The grey sky promised rain.

"You've got a plan, Harvi?" Archer asked the older boy, looking at him as he ordered the anchor to drop. He'd already passed it down to the deckhand to be ready.

"I hope you like swimming, Cap," Harvi said with a smile. "It's quite the feat."

He could swim just fine, but he didn't like the lack of information Harvi was delivering. "I need a solid plan," he said, taking a step down to the deck to face him. "The whole thing."

Harvi looked a surprised, as if he'd expected Archer to let him take the lead. The expression passed, and he answered quickly, "The island is mostly untethered, other than a column in the middle. We'll have to swim under the lip of the island—that part's easy. Then, once we're under the island, there's a cave with air to breathe."

Archer looked back at the island. There was a dome of a rock shape and based on Harvi's description, it would be hollow under the rock. The middle of the island swirled up to a spiral, reaching into the dusty clouds.

"After that initial breathing space, it gets a little more difficult. Swim all the way nearly to the floor, where you can squeeze between some space and go back up on the other side. The map should be in that second more protected cave."

Archer thought his words sounded almost...familiar, in a way. Familiar in a way that matched how he felt about those lines drawn onto the map Kerian had given the Myriad. He pushed aside the feelings and nodded to Marquis and Lyra, following behind Alli as the Myriad pulled up alongside the rock.

"You're all okay with that?" Archer asked them. He searched their faces to see if their expressions would reveal what their words wouldn't, but the other three sailors nodded, eager to dive into the navy waters of Myria. Archer glanced down at the water himself. He looked at Harvi.

"It's you first, Captain," Harvi said with a grin. His straight teeth were even more noticeable now that Archer had placed him. Only the most attractive for the Avourienne crew.

Archer took a breath. He kicked off his boots as the rest of the group followed. He glanced back at Lyra once, asking her something with his eyes.

She tilted her head and took a step closer to whisper to him, "It's the right decision, Captain. Better we get the map than anyone else."

Archer nodded, his momentary question lapsed back into the depths of him. He lifted himself over the rail and pushed off the side.

The air didn't rush him for long; soon he was coughing from the impact of the water. He kicked up against the waves and glanced at the rail. Marquis followed next, Harvi on his left.

Soon, all five of them were in the water. Archer glanced at them again to make sure they were all still okay. He motioned to Harvi, who nodded his head to the rock to their right.

"Somewhere along here," Harvi mumbled to himself, feeling the rock where it met the waterline.

"You know what you're doing, don't you?" Alli wondered allowed. Archer would've shushed her if he weren't thinking the same thing.

"Here." Harvi tapped a red 'X' along the rock. It was almost as if someone had come along and made their experience exceptionally easy—almost as if the Avourienne had come along and paved him a path.

"Shouldn't be too far under," Harvi was saying, looking at Marquis. "I'll lead."

Archer followed him under, allowing cold, salty water to overwhelm his skin. He kicked under and opened his eyes, ignoring how they stung. He used the rock to pull himself down until he felt it disappear under his fingers. He quickly swam under.

His head crested in the cave, which was really just a closed circle with more rock in the middle. It was dark, but not quite as dark as it should've been. The usually navy waters glowed with something just shy of skylight. Archer pushed the hair out of his eyes and blinked away the salt.

Lyra and Alli pushed up through next, Marquis just behind.

"Marquis, Laurier," Archer instructed, using his arms to stay afloat, "stay here. You're to swim back out if you hear anything happen and warn Kick."

Alli frowned at Archer, her blue eyes unimpressed. "I can do more than tread here," she told him.

He resisted the urge to snap at her. Now was not the time. He ignored the comment and turned to Lyra and Jordan. "This is the hard part?" he asked Harvi.

"I believe so," he replied, his expression a little less audacious than it had been before. Archer had to admit he didn't like the idea of swimming under that rock, either. It went much further down than the first one; he could tell from the way the water had turned crystal clear. He looked past his feet at the seafloor.

"I'm not sure I can do this one, Captain," Lyra breathed. She glanced over her legs as well, the glow illuminating a fearful expression. "Never been one for small spaces."

"I don't mind small spaces," Alli piped up from the other side, where she treaded near Marquis.

Archer shook his head. It was like she planned these things. "Fine. Tailsley and Laurier switch."

Alli swam over and placed her hands on the rock. "I'll go first," she told him, and ducked under the water with a massive breath before Archer could tell her no.

He let out a deep sigh and pulled another one in.

Can't go over it. Can't go through it.

Archer blinked, the thought out of place in his mind. He shook his head to clear it. Harvi still looked unsure as they watched Alli use the rock all the way to the sand. She disappeared under. It was a long way down.

Better go under it.

Archer shook his head again. The words repeated under his mind, trying to convince him they held more significance than they really did.

It's a claustrophobic fit, but I've done it countless times.

Archer pushed the intrusive thoughts from his mind. He would not go down that path. He would not remember those words. His subconscious could try to tell him as many times as it wanted; his waking mind would not let him think about the things he might've missed.

With one last gulp of air, he dove under before Harvi could, using his fingers to hold the rock as he pulled himself towards the seabed. He kicked with all the power his legs could give him, following the rock down.

His eyes blurred and his lungs burned. He wasn't new to the feeling of being suffocated—in fact, he'd had one particularly bad experience with it. He fought the urge to relive that memory and continued to draw nearer to the seabed.

Evening, lad. You're a hard man to find.

Archer might be able to push out his own words from his head, but he couldn't quite shake Bardarian's. The late Captain's hot breath whispered on his skin as his hands clasped around Archer's neck, choking him.

It's not real. It's not real.

He reached the seabed and dug his nails into the rock, looking at the tiny space between the sand and the rock bottom. Alli might've had no problem slipping through, but Archer was going to have issues. It was barely as wide as him.

Archer was running out of air, and he needed to move quickly. Capillaries burning, he slid under the rock, moving between the rock and sand. The rock evaded his vision, all he could see. The sand grated against his back. The Captain's hands enclosed around his neck.

That's it, Kingsley. Fight to the last second.

Archer began to panic. He knew it was just a memory, knew it was his mind playing tricks, but he couldn't breathe and felt like he couldn't move and the experience felt all too similar to the one with Bardarian in the Kingsland.

Mercy?

Mercy. You've heard of it?

Can't say that I have.

Archer desperately clawed at the rock, willing the time to go by faster as the rock space got even tighter. Finally, just when it felt as though Bardarian's fingers might cut right through his skin, he pulled out of the rock onto the other side. He kicked off the sand, pulling his hands through the water. His ears popped with pressure as he crested the surface, gasping.

Alli was offering him a grin, her face white with lack of air but unaware of Archer's struggle.

Moments later, Jordan popped up behind them, gasping even more than Archer had.

"Oh, fuck her," the older boy mumbled under his breath, just loud enough for him to hear.

"What was that?" Archer caught the eyes of the other sailor.

"Sorry, Captain," Harvi coughed. "I was talking about Tailsley. Asked her to switch with me last minute. She said no."

Archer didn't bother to think about it too hard, for he was now seeing the map to Myria's chest with his own eyes. Resting atop the column of rock in the center, something glowed an ethereal grey. He looked at the rock. It was awfully steep to climb. He glanced again at Harvi.

"No way around this part, Cap," Harvi told him, his white teeth shining. "Rumours are you've got a talent for agility—should be easy for you."

Archer sighed as he swam his oxygen-starved muscles toward the column.

"You up for this part, Laurier?" he asked the navigator, knowing what her response would be.

Alli glanced up at the map. "Not this time," she told him.

Archer rolled his eyes and pulled himself up onto the column with two handholds he'd managed to find.

"How is this thing still up here?" Archer asked Harvi as he continued to climb. "Has no one found it ever before?"

"Apparently they have, but legend says the map always finds its way back home."

Archer grunted as he pulled himself up and cut his bicep on a particularly sharp stab of rock. Blood drew immediately.

"You're good?" Alli asked from below.

Archer glanced down at her quickly. "Rephrase that, Laurier."

Alli rolled her eyes and gave him a bold grin. "You're good, Captain?"

"Fine, thank you," he replied, resuming his climb.

Finally, Archer pulled himself over the top of the column, swinging his legs over the side and reaching to take the map, resting inside its cover. It wasn't all that incredible, just a regular star map. There were no lines of islands but rather just a pattern of the heavens. He wasn't sure how to read them, but Belford would. Archer would have no problem getting the chest.

He blinked.

He'd never intended to go for the chest. He'd only wanted to possess the map before someone else.

Archer held it out at a distance from him as he curled it back into the map cover. There was just something about immortality—something about the idea of having an eternal heart—that was difficult to brush off. He tossed the map to Alli below and followed it down.

Back in the water, he took the map from Alli, who seemed reluctant to give it up. Her cloudy eyes followed the heavenly map. She'd taken it out of the case to look at it, her incredible memory surely trying to find the patterns.

"It's a star map," she said slowly.

Archer guessed Alli could probably read a star map as well. They were interesting things, and if he spent any longer as a sailor he probably would've learned eventually. They had a clear advantage over regular maps: It was impossible to glance at the end destination and simply plot those coordinates. Star maps depended on the sky; it was only possible to get from one location to the other based on what the stars showed that night.

Archer tucked the map between his teeth, gesturing to Jordan and Alli to go first. Harvi eagerly dove under, Alli quick to follow.

He took another deep breath and dove under the water once again. It was less terrifying this time, but his heart didn't stop stumbling until he broke the surface and saw Lyra and Marquis' faces.

"Got it?" Lyra asked quickly, her eyes darted.

Archer tilted his chin at her, showing her the map in his mouth. He nodded to the next rock wall.

"Agreed. Let's get the hell out." She slid under the rock, followed by the rest. Once again, Archer went last.

He felt panic once more when he crested the water outside the cave, for the sky was as black as night. In fact, it was night, the stars invisible under a layer of foggy clouds.

"What the hell?" Lyra was spouting, her limbs splashing around somewhere beside Archer.

"Time passes differently in there," Harvi spoke somewhere to their left.

Archer found the moon, bright between a crack of clouds. It was nearly morning—in the early hours before the sun rose where the world was the darkest. They'd been in that cave for almost half a day.

There was a shout, and Archer squinted to see the lights on the Myriad, candlelight sparkling on the deck. Ropes were thrown down, and the shore team climbed them hand over hand.

Rolling over the rail back onto the deck, Archer let out another groan as the cut on his arm caught a splinter.

Kick was in his face in an instant. "I never expected you to take so long," he was saying. "But you've got it, no? Is that it?"

Archer nodded tiredly. His limbs felt exhausted. "Set us back east, please, and get us going fast." He knew that others wanted this map, but he was especially terrified of the Avourienne, preparing for their big reintroduction to the world now that he had the map.

Heart stuttering, he gave out his final orders and stumbled into the captain's quarters, feeling drunk. As his consciousness faded and the true tiredness of the real world set on him, he peeled open the block in the pillar that Kerian had shown him as a hiding spot. He slipped the map inside. Hopefully, it'd be safe there.

Archer barely had the sense to dry himself off before he pulled aside his covers, enjoying his last moments before his world flipped on its axis.