Book III — Chapter III: wherein CATHY, wakes in the deep hours between tide and dawn, her rest broken by visions too dark for the telling; and wherein, in the dim sway of the between-deck, beneath the uncertain glow of a storm lantern, she takes in trembling hands the slender dagger whose silver flank bears the grave inscription NUMQUAM ITERUM; and wherein, before no priest nor officer of the Crown but only the silent timbers of the ship and her small feathered witness, the orange parrot called Suno, she speaks a vow not lightly given—swearing that never again shall fear rule her heart nor sorrow chain her spirit; and wherein that oath, uttered in the hush of the night sea, is heard perhaps by more than bird and lantern, for promises forged in the furnace of terror seldom remain private things, and the blade that bears the words Never Again may yet carve their meaning into fate itself, so that what begins as a whisper in the dark may in time resound like thunder across the voyage to come. [Intro – spoken, playful] [Cathy (choked, fragile):] "Oh Suno… I had a dreadful nightmare. It was awful. I don’t want to remember anymore. Never again." Do you see this blade? My sister gave it to me. “Never again” — that’s what’s carved in Latin. [Verse 1] I made myself a promise, A pact with my own soul: Never again a prey, Never again a victim. I chose this path… If only I could keep that vow. [Pre-Chorus] Never again. No, never again. [Chorus] I’m not afraid anymore. Never again will I fear. Do you want to know how I pushed the horror away? Do you want to hear the pact my heart has made? [Verse 2] I won’t be conquered by sorrow, A pact sealed deep in my heart: Never again a toy, Never again a doll. I have chosen joy. If only I had strength without the weakness. [Pre-Chorus] Never again. No, never again. [Chorus] I’m not afraid anymore. Never again will I fear. Do you want to know which weapon I have chosen? Do you want to hear which blade I am holding? [Bridge] Forever. Yes, forever. The choice of a smile, The choice of laughter, The choice to grow… If only the night were not a traitor. [Fade Outro] I promise myself victories, A pact sealed before the mirror, Never again, No, never again, No more defeats in the dark. I promise myself victories, I promise myself victories. [end]
