Chapter 7: [7] Side Character My Ass!
The darkness shifted, dissolving into a haze of blue and gold. Pierre was falling. Not through air, but through time—his consciousness sinking through layers of memory like a stone through water.
These aren’t my memories.
But they were. Or rather, they belonged to this world’s version of him.
The first image that solidified was of a small island, emerald green against the sapphire sea. White sand beaches curved like a smile around a collection of wooden houses. Children ran between the buildings, their laughter carried on the salt-tinged breeze.
One boy stood apart from the others, watching the horizon where the sea met the sky. His hair was as red as autumn leaves, his eyes the color of a cloudless summer day. Though only seven or eight years old, he had the serious expression of someone much older.
Pierre watched as a large hand descended onto the boy’s shoulder. The hand belonged to a tall, broad man with a wild mane of black hair and a scar that bisected his right cheek. His face was partially obscured by shadow, but his smile was undeniable.
"Still watching for ships, Pierre?" The man’s voice was deep.
Young Pierre nodded without looking away from the horizon. "One day I’m going to sail beyond it."
"Beyond the horizon? Gehahahaha!" The man’s laugh was distinctive—starting deep in his chest before exploding outward like cannon fire. "The horizon never ends, boy. That’s the beauty of it."
"Then I’ll never stop sailing," young Pierre replied simply.
The hard lines around the man’s eyes gentled as he looked down at the boy. "You’ve got the sea in your blood, just like your old man. It’s in our name, after all. Pierre..."
The last name was lost in the crash of waves against the shore.