The door to the captain's cabin was tightly shut.
But the air couldn't be contained.
Thick silk rugs covered the floor, footsteps were almost inaudible upon them.
In the corner stood a chandelier crafted from a single piece of crystal, an old model from the workshops of the Jade Federation, the light cut into tiny, gentle fragments.
A full set of golden drinking vessels was displayed on the table, the cup walls absurdly thin, as if meant only for show, not for use.
Ambergris was burning, but too much had been used.
The cloying sweet scent suppressed the air, overwhelming to the point of dizziness.
Yet even so, a trace of an indelible fishy smell lingered in the depths of the room, like a dead fish hauled from the deep sea, confined under the deck for days.
The candle flame flickered lightly.
The bed curtains shook violently, emitting a rapid, chaotic sound of friction, then suddenly stopped, followed by dead silence.
