Elias had lived in Portmere all his life, a small seaside village where the days were ruled by the tides. Most mornings he rose early, pulling on his boots to check nets along the shore. He wasn’t much of a fisherman anymore. His father had been, but Elias made his living doing odd jobs around the harbor.
He fixed ropes, patched holes in boats, and helped unload the catch when the trawlers came in. It was steady work, though it often felt too quiet for someone who carried so much restless energy. In the evenings, he liked to sit on the cliffs above the sea, staring out at the horizon.