NOVPUBThe moment the three walked into the room, Zuzu already knew which name belonged to which face.
Thorn had mentioned three people.
Ren, Lilith and Elias.
Ren was obvious. He was the most handsome yet beautiful person she'd ever seen in her life. And so, she could totally understand why anybody would want to beat all competitors to death with a stick.
She remembered Thorn's warning, her eyes shifting to the girl beside him.
What the…
She looked… beautiful. Like a goddess.
They… actually looked good together.
Ren and Lilith.
And since this is Lilith, the only lady in the group, she's the one who fought a sea dragon. And that meant she could kill Zuzu with just her pinky.
She gulped. Threat noted.
Her eyes moved to the last man and she almost felt… disappointed. He wasn't as beautiful as the other two, but that was to be expected.
That wasn't to say he wasn't good looking. Thorn was too, but he was an idiot. He didn't count.
Anyways, with two eliminated, that means this is Elias. He looked like a… soldier.
While she'd been checking them out, the three had walked in, immediately noticing Zuzu standing in the room.
Lilith's eyes narrowed slightly.
Elias raised an eyebrow, as if quietly gauging threat levels.
Ren blinked, his gaze shifting from her to Thorn.
"You made a new friend?"
Thorn grinned. "Everyone, meet Zuzu. She's here to join us. She knocked on our door, insulted me thoroughly, and hasn't tried to stab me yet. That's more than I can say for Lilith."
Lilith, who had just crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, rolled her eyes. "That's because you're not worth the effort."
Zuzu stood straighter. Her heart thudded in her chest like a war drum. This was the moment. Her chance.
Time to prove she belonged.
Elias sat on the edge of the table, his arms folded. He studied Zuzu in silence, his eyes narrowed.
There was no sign of hostility in his gaze, reinforcing the soldier image that was Zuzu's first impression. All that was in those eyes was only calculation. The kind that measures risk versus reward before taking any action.
Ren remained standing near the center of the room, his expression thoughtful, quiet. Watching.
Zuzu straightened under their attention, folding her arms tightly across her chest.
She had come prepared to be challenged, maybe even laughed at. After all, no one wanted a Tidecaller who hadn't even been through one war on their ship?
But now that she stood under the full scrutiny of these strangers, each gaze felt like a gust of wind testing her balance at the edge of a cliff.
"So." Elias finally said, his voice even. "You just showed up?"
"I heard about you through a friend." Zuzu replied, her tone clipped. "Word travels fast in a place like this."
Ren stepped forward, arms loose at his sides and the hint of a smile on his face. "Why are you here? And don't give us some poetic answer. Be honest."
Zuzu hesitated for a heartbeat, then answered. "Because I want to go back. I was there. I saw the Deep."
Lilith's eyes narrowed. "You saw it?"
Zuzu nodded. "Me and my brother were on a fishing run. The sea... it screamed. Then it opened. We saw something massive. It tried to pull us in. We barely escaped."
Ren's eyes narrowed, his lips twitching like he knew something no one else did. "A brother, huh? Where is he now?"
Zuzu looked away. "Working."
Elias raised an eyebrow, opening his mouth to speak, but Ren quickly intervened, pushing the conversation along.
"What did you feel?" he asked. "When you saw the Deep?"
She took a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Small. Terrified. Alive."
"It was like standing at the edge of the world, but knowing the world might stare back. I want to feel that again. I want to understand it."
The room was quiet for a few heartbeats.
Then Ren nodded slowly. "Alright. You want in. We leave tomorrow. Meet us here before first light."
Zuzu opened her mouth, then closed it. Her gaze dropped to the floor. Her fingers curled around the hem of her sleeve.
"What?" Ren asked.
She knew that if she went home now, she wouldn't be able to sneak away at dawn. Her brother was more watchful than a hawk. He'll know.
So, what excuse would she use?
"I can't go home." She said quietly. "If I do, I might not come back. I might give in to the part of me that's afraid. Scared to step out of all I've known all my life."
She stared up at them.
"I... I don't want to lose this chance."
Lilith looked like she was about to speak, but Ren held up a hand to stop her.
"We can't leave tonight." He said. "We don't even have a ship yet. We were going to secure one tomorrow."
Zuzu shook her head. "You won't get one."
Ren frowned. "Why not?"
"Because you're outsiders. No one's going to lend you anything more seaworthy than a cracked barrel. Not unless the Council gives the order. And they won't. Not for something this dangerous."
Elias exhaled through his nose. "She's not wrong. We've already hit that wall once."
Thorn leaned forward, curious now. "So what, we stay landlocked until bureaucracy decides to wake up?"
"No." Zuzu said. Her voice was firm now. "I have a boat. It's a fishing boat. Big enough to fit all of us."
The group exchanged glances.
"What's the catch?" Elias asked, voice flat.
"No catch." She said a little too quickly.
Lilith narrowed her eyes. "Why can you offer it but not get another ship for us?"
Zuzu hesitated. "It's... my family's. My brother and I use it when we go out together. I don't think anyone would stop me from taking it. But if I tried to get another, they'd ask questions. Make it harder."
"So you're stealing it." Elias said.
"Borrowing it indefinitely." Zuzu corrected. "Besides, once we're out there, who's going to chase us?"
Ren looked to the others. "Thoughts?"
Thorn gave a theatrical shrug. "I like her style."
Lilith offered a neutral shrug of her own. "If she betrays us, I get to break her bones."
"Fair." Zuzu said without flinching.
Lilith blinked.
Elias leaned back. "It's a bad plan. But it's the only one we have."
Ren studied Zuzu for a long moment. Then he nodded. "Then it's settled."
"We spend the night gathering supplies. One week's worth. Rations, water, repair kits. If you have tools on your boat, let us know."
"I do." She said. "Nets, patching tools, a small stove, some spare ropes. It's not fancy, but it's seaworthy."
"That'll do. We sail when we have our supplies."
Zuzu let out a long breath. She had expected rejection, and even some suspicion. But somehow, she was in.
The group dispersed into motion.
Elias opened a list he'd kept tucked inside his coat and began checking off needed supplies.
Lilith slipped downstairs with the kind of silence only someone dangerous could manage.
And Ren surveyed it all in a way that made it clear to even the uninformed watcher that he was the leader of it all.
Thorn remained behind, watching her with a grin.
Zuzu raised an eyebrow. "You look like you're waiting for something."
"Still sure you want in?" Thorn asked.
She smirked. "Is that a challenge?"
"Absolutely."
"Then you better keep up."
He laughed. "I like you already."
