Kate winced, running her fingers lightly over the welts on her back, the pain fresh and sharp. The low candlelight flickered, casting eerie shadows that danced on the walls of the dimly lit chamber. "These will leave scars," she murmured, more to herself than to Leena.
Leena looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Kate. I truly am." After a moment of awkward silence, she added, "But I think... I think there might be a way out of this hell."
Kate's eyes flicked up, curiosity and hope mingling with pain. "What are you talking about?"
Reaching into the back pocket of her jeans, Leena pulled out a piece of cloth. She unfolded it carefully to reveal a detailed drawing of a key. Pointing at it, she said, "This. The key. Rumors on this ship say it unlocks the Dead Man's Chest. And maybe, just maybe, it's a way out of this curse."
Kate leaned in to get a closer look, her brows furrowing in confusion. "But what's in the chest? And why would it help us?"
Before Leena could answer, a gravelly voice interrupted them. "The Dead Man's Chest!" Both women jumped, turning to find the source. Wyvern, previously a static part of the ship's structure, was now animated, his wooden figure contorting in a semblance of life as he struggled to pull himself free.
"Open the chest with the key and stab the heart. But don't... don't stab the heart!" Wyvern's voice grew more desperate. "The Dutchman must have a living heart! Without a captain, there's no one to possess the key!"
Kate's mind raced, trying to piece together the cryptic information. "Where's the key?" she demanded.
Wyvern's eyes, or what remained of them, stared blankly. "Hidden."
"And the chest?"
Again, the single word echoed hauntingly. "Hidden."
With a final groan, Wyvern receded back into the ship, resuming his tormented, static state.
Kate turned to Leena, her expression a mix of fear and determination. "Whose heart are we talking about?"
Leena's face was grim as she whispered, "The heart of Davy Jones."
The realization settled heavily between them. To free themselves, they would have to confront one of the most feared beings of the seven seas. But with freedom at stake, neither woman was willing to back down.