"This crew is the closest thing I have to family...ever since my parents died."
Kael knew exactly how that felt.
As they stood together under the night sky, Kael took a deep breath, steeling himself to reveal a part of his past he rarely shared with anyone. "My parents died in a shipwreck when I was just a child," he began, his voice a rare shade of sad in that moment. "I was left orphaned and alone, forced to fend for myself on the unforgiving streets of the port city."
He paused, his gaze distant as he recalled the memories of his youth. "Survival wasn't easy," he continued. "I had to steal to put food on the table, to find shelter for the night. It was a harsh life, but it was all I knew."
Kael glanced at Elara, meeting her eyes briefly before continuing. "One day, I made a foolish attempt to steal from my now boss, Rata," he confessed, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "But instead of punishing me, he saw something in me. He saw potential."
"And so he brought me into the crew," Kael concluded. "It was with the Canary Crew that I found a sense of belonging, a family of sorts. They took me in, taught me the ways of the trade, and I've been with them ever since."