The morning sun cast molten streaks of silver and gold across the Indian Ocean, each wave catching the light like a shard of glass. Captain Noah Reyes shifted in his seat, adjusting his headset, eyes flicking to the mirrored image of the seaplane’s wings skimming over the water far below.
Beside him, co-pilot Jamie Malik gave the altimeter a playful tap, his smile stretching almost as wide as the horizon itself.
“Flight number one hundred,” Jamie announced with mock ceremony.
Noah didn’t look up from the dials. “And that means you’re finally buying cake for the ground crew?” he said, his voice dry enough to cut through the static in their headsets.