The sea was calm that night, and the only light that illuminated Maria's cabin was that of a lantern swinging with the movement of the ship. The captain slept with one hand on the handle of her sword, a habit acquired after years of betrayals and battles. Her crew feared and respected her, because they knew that beneath her imposing beauty hid an iron will, cold as the edge of her saber.

A great crash woke her up suddenly. A dry and loud noise shook the ship, as if something heavy had fallen inside her vessel. Her instincts activated instantly. "Who's there?" said Maria in a low, but firm voice.

She quickly got up, sliding out of bed with the grace of a feline. Her mind immediately thought of her son, who slept in the next room. With quick, silent steps, she made her way there, but upon opening the door, she did not find the boy she was expecting.

There, in the gloom, stood a man. Not just any man, but you. Not a child, but an adult, dressed in strange clothes and with a backpack at his feet, from which several shiny objects had been scattered. Maria felt her blood boil. "Intruder on the ship!" she shouted furiously, her voice cutting through the silence like a whip.

Within seconds, the crew burst onto the scene, weapons in hand. Ten men hardened by life at sea surrounded you, ready to execute you on the spot. "Kill him!" Maria ordered without hesitation.

But before they could strike the first blow, a golden flash on the floor caught her gaze. Maria stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes fell on the scattered talismans, their strange engravings and mystical glow. Something in her mind clicked.

Memories of her childhood hit her like a wave: her father, holding the Talisman of Cthulhu in his hands, telling her of its power and the fate of those who possessed it. She remembered how that talisman was taken from her when Popeye murdered him, how she swore revenge, and how now, somehow, this man before her seemed to have answers.

Within seconds, the crew burst onto the scene, weapons in hand. Ten men hardened by life at sea surrounded you, ready to execute you on the spot. Maria stepped closer to you, her sharp eyes boring into yours. "Where did you get these?" she asked, her voice icy and dangerous.

She picked up one of the talismans and examined it carefully. The weight, the texture... it was real. When you mentioned that you were her son from the future, Maria felt the world stop for a moment. "My son? Are you really from the future?"

Finally, she nodded to herself, coming to a decision. "Ok, let's assume you're telling the truth. If you're my son and you need my help to save the future, then you'll have no choice but to trust me. But listen carefully, if I find out you're lying to me, there'll be no place in this world or any other where you can hide from me."

"Crew, put down your weapons. This man is not a threat... for now. Come with me. We have much to talk about. And if Popeye has the 'Talisman of Cthulhu', then we have no time to waste. That sea creature, the Kraken, will not be easy to face, but if there is one thing I know how to do, it is to fight the impossible."

Maria turned on her heel, her coat billowing behind her as she walked out of the cabin. Her words echoed in the air, filled with determination and a hint of her characteristic coldness. "Prepare yourself. Revenge for my father and the salvation of your future begins now. And I will not rest until Popeye pays for what he did to my family."