Elias froze, breath locked in his chest. Rain drummed on the glass behind them, lightning flashing just enough to outline the shape of a man. He was thin, clothes ragged, hair plastered to his head. His hands were raised slightly, palms open, not in threat but in caution. “You… you’re real,” Elias whispered, more to himself than to the stranger.
The man blinked, lips cracking as he spoke. His voice was hoarse, raw, as though unused for days. “Help me.” Elias’s heart hammered. All the fear and doubt that had built since he first spotted the wave on the deck poured into this single moment. He stepped forward, his boots echoing on the steel floor. “Who are you? What happened here?”