On a clear moonlit night, high in a castle tower overlooking a crescent-shaped island, Arthur Avalyn threw his son off a balcony to his death.

As the air rushed around him for what seemed like eternity, and before his body collided with the rocky shore below, one thought filled Rafael Avalyn's mind: the last time he would ever see his sister Morgan was the first time he'd ever seen her terrified.

But then by some strange grace, Raf opened his eyes to witness an angel robed in blinding light, glory incarnate, with dove-like wings and a face of peerless beauty.

"Get up," the angel ordered. "Your sister is in danger, and only you can save her."

Raf coughed the water out of his lungs and tried to remember what happened. His father… The last thing Raf could remember was falling, and as the rocky waters neared, Raf blacked out. Had he died? Raf sat up and felt his body and felt very much alive and unharmed.

Wait! The angel said Morgan was in danger!

"What do you mean, 'in danger?' and what happened to my father?" he asked.

"Your father is dead. A fallen known as Azazel killed him. Now it possesses your sister, and if you don't save her, Azazel will consume her soul completely."

Raf couldn't think. There was a ringing in his ears. What does this mean? he thought. What do I do?

"What do I do?" he pleaded. "How do I stop it?"

The angel responded with a voice of wind chimes and cascades, "You will need to learn soul magic to trap the fallen and free your sister. To do that, you must enter Oceania and find the Time Dragon."

Raf panicked. Oceania? Soul magic? An angel and a dragon? This is crazy, he thought. Am I dead? Could this be a dream? He felt tears on his face.

"Clear your head," the angel commanded. "Go to the caves on the far side of the island."

Raf picked himself up and tried to do as he was told. Morgan needed him. He had to be strong.

"Good," said the angel. "I will remain by your side as you cross the island."

With that, the angel dispersed into a cloud of golden light that encircled and enveloped Raf. He felt something like a warm mist brush across his skin, but otherwise, no different. Raf felt alone and scared, but he knew the angel was near.

"What should I call you?" he asked.

At first, the angel didn't respond, and Raf thought he wouldn't get an answer, but finally, the angel said, "You can call me Sophia. Start moving. We have a long way to go."

But first, he needed to escape the beach. The tide came in at dawn, and the narrow track of sand he ran along would soon flood. If he couldn't find higher ground by then, the undertow would likely sweep him back out into the endless blue.

To his left was the ocean, creeping closer with every wave, and on his right, a massive tower of stone jutting out of the crashing sands like a beacon to wayward ships. Far above Raf, at the peak of the cliff, was his ancestral home, Castle Moondial, where his father had thrown him to his death and where a monster held his sister captive.

The moon was full and bright, illuminating the narrow strip of shore Raf ran along. His clothes were soaked. The night winds off the ocean chilled him to the core, and his leg muscles burned in protest, but the tide was coming in, and Raf needed to find a way up and off the beach.

Raf knew roughly where he was and what he was looking for. The upper outside beach was a popular spot for surfing and sunbathing during certain times of the year. His family had gone years ago, before Lyn was born, back when Raf's mother was still alive.

He was so young when she died. Raf could only remember brief images, the sound of her voice, certain smells. Raf knew Lyn wasn't to blame for their mother's death, but deep down, he had never forgiven her.

Where was Lyn now, Raf wondered. With any luck, someplace far away and safe with Rowan.

Morgan is the one possessed by a fallen, Raf reminded himself. She's the one he needs to worry about.

Though in truth, Raf had more immediate concerns.

The sky was getting brighter, and the beach was already flooded. The ocean waves crashed against the cliff wall on his right, bringing the tide up to Raf's knees. Soon, the waves would overtake him, and he'd be swept back out with the undertow. And still, he saw no way up from the beach.

Had he misremembered coming all those years ago? Or was the beach simply longer than he ever knew?

Raf was beginning to worry. He looked up to gauge his progress. The cliff ledge was noticeably shorter than earlier, but something else, too. Metal bars had been drilled into the cliff wall as if to hang some giant painting. They were too high for Raf to reach. If only he had a rope. He continued moving.

The sun broke over the horizon to his left, setting the sky on fire with orange, red, pink, blue, and white clouds.

His legs were sore from pushing against the current, and the waves now came up to his waist, so Raf leapt forward and swam, letting his arms and chest do the heavy work. His heart was pounding, and every breath was strained, but there had to be a way up, he told himself, though he was beginning to panic.

In time a massive wave came in, throwing him sideways against the cliff wall. Raf's skull knocked against stone, and he felt warm blood around his ear. The wave went back out, pulling Raf out with it. He wiggled to stand upright, feet barely reaching the ocean floor. He was out of time. One more big wave like that, and he'd be swept out to face the ocean's mercy.

He looked up and around for an escape. The metal bars were still too high to reach, and the stone was too smooth and wet to climb. But ahead! The path Raf remembered from long ago. It was barely visible in the distance, but so close!

Raf launched himself with renewed vigor. His lungs and body ached, and his legs were in agony, yet he swam like his life depended on it.

But it wasn't enough. Soon another massive wave hit the coast, engulfing Raf, spinning him underwater, tucking him beneath the surface, and pulling him away from land. He held his breath and swam to the surface to see the distance he'd lost. His exit looked even farther than before.

Raf was beginning to despair. He was so tired. He'd been running and swimming for hours. Morgan is in danger, he reminded himself, and his exit was close enough to see!

"Hey! Up here!" Raf heard a shout. Someone with shining black hair waved from atop the cliff. "Come closer! I'll throw you a chain!" They yelled.

Raf tried to swim forward, but his arms were like jelly, so he flipped into a back float and waited for the next big wave. It didn't take long before Raf was carried back toward land on a wave, but this might be his only chance. If he got pulled back out again, it would likely be even farther than last time.

The wave crashed against the cliff wall, and Raf, along with it, slammed his shoulder. Before he could be swept back out, the person above leapt off the cliff and tossed two chains with both arms. One chain hooked onto a metal pipe in the cliff wall; the other splashed near Raf.

"Grab the chain! Careful of the edge on that hook! And hold on!" his rescuer yelled, and Raf did as instructed.

Suddenly, Raf's chain pulled him up so quickly that his grip almost slipped. His rescuer twisted midair and tossed Raf over the ledge of the cliff. He hit the ground and rolled limply, too tired to shield his fall.

His rescuer's grappling hooks connected with the stone ledge, and soon they leapt up, landing neatly on both feet next to Raf.

They looked a bit older than Raf, nearly Raf's height, with wild unkempt hair and soft features. Their clothes were yellow seaskin cloth. Raf was still on the ground where he landed. He tried to pick himself up, but his body was spent.

They knelt, swiftly reaching into a satchel on their thigh, pulling out a water canteen, and offered it to Raf, helping him drink.

"Thank you for saving me," Raf said when he finally finished drinking.

"Well, I couldn't leave you out there to drown. Last few months, bodies have washed ashore, all weird, shriveled, but soggy-like. Hard to describe. I feared you was one of those. When I saw you flounder, I thought, 'maybe this time I can make a difference.'" They said all this while helping Raf walk over to sit at the base of a tree.

Raf recalled the string of recent murders; a mysterious 'Raven' creature kidnapping vagrants in a cloud of smoke, bodies exsanguinated and tossed into the ocean. Was this the person that found them washed ashore?

"How terrible. I'm sorry you had to witness that," he said.

They shrugged. "That's life. I'm Hinata."

"I'm- I'm Ryan," he lied. Rafael Avalyn was supposed to be dead. "You're incredible with those grappling chains. You must be from the cliffs."

"Born and raised," they answered. "My folks taught me how to swing before I could walk. Tss. You got an open wound on the side of your head. Let me clean that up." Hinata reached back into their satchel and pulled out a basic first aid kit and a musubi.

"Here, eat this," they offered the musubi.

Raf was famished. "Thank you."

It was delicious: rice, cured fish, and vegetables wrapped in seaweed. While he ate, Hinata washed and treated his injury. Their hands were calloused and skillful. When Raf finished eating, they insisted he drink more water. They were so attentive, and Raf felt so safe in their care that before they even finished tending Raf's wound, he fell asleep.

Rafael Avalyn dreamed he was falling. His father watched from above. Raf reached for help, but he was underwater, and Arthur was holding him down. Raf struggled and panicked. Why, Dad, why?

Then Raf breathed in and found himself in a dimly lit hallway he'd never seen before. Blue flame sconces lined the grey marble walls, engraved with detailed images, so many Raf didn't know what to make of them. Signs of a great impending war. Looking at the engravings, Raf woke up in the dream. He looked around and knew somehow, this was someone else's dream.

"Come to me," rang a honeyed voice from down the hall.

At the end was a single door carved with an image of two winged figures mating in a swirl of shadows.

"Nope," Raf answered, turned, and walked away.

He was falling again. This time the jagged rocks came closer and closer, but before Raf hit the ground, he woke up in the dream again, standing on the rocks and facing Sophia. Again he knew this was no longer his dream.

Sophia was satisfied. How Raf knew this, he couldn't say because the angel's expression was inscrutable. Even in a dream, Raf struggled to see Sophia in detail, for the angel was so bright it felt like looking directly into the sun. He looked down as a sign of respect and an act of self-preservation.

"Well fought," said the angel.

Raf didn't know what that meant, and so he said nothing.

"The chainfisher has another part to play in this. You will need a grappling chain to reach the underground forest."

"How do I find this forest?" he asked.

"Go to the last peak on Crescent, and look for my signal. Go."

Raf woke up in the evening sun. Hinata was in the distance, walking toward him, carrying something. In the golden daylight, Raf could see their features more clearly. They had strong, muscular arms, broad shoulders, and an easy smile. Their clothes were loosely fit, allowing for free range of movement but modest and practical. On their waist were several straps and utility belts, which connected to a central harness.

He got up and waved. Hinata waved back, and for some reason, Raf's stomach fluttered. Sophia called them 'the chainfisher,' and said they had a part to play.

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What part? Raf wondered. Can I trust them? Either of them? They saved my life, he reasoned. So I have to trust them. What choice do I have? No one else can help me now.

With his crisis of faith more or less settled, Raf decided to tell Hinata the truth and hoped they could keep a secret.

Raf stood to greet them. His legs were still sore, and his shoulder hurt to move, but his head injury wasn't too bad. At least he could stand, and his vision wasn't impaired.

Hinata ran the rest of the way, shouting excitedly, "You won't believe what happened! While you were sleeping, an angel came to me! They said I was to help you get somewhere and-"

"Sophia spoke to you?" Raf interrupted, stunned.

"You know them!?" Hinata's eyes widened. "Sophia… Yeah, they told me you'd need my spare chain. I had to run home to pick up supplies and tell my parents not to worry."

Raf pondered. Surely Sophia speaking to them meant Hinata could be trusted.

"Is this the chain?" Raf pointed to the bag Hinata brought.

"Mhm. I only have the one grappling harness and rig, so I suppose we'll have to share while you practice."

Raf looked in the bag and pulled out the chain. It was heavy and well-forged. Unlike Hinata's chain, there weren't any attachments or hooks. This was a simple chain.

Suddenly the bag began to glow. The chain lit up a fiery red and moved with a life of its own, twisting and flattening into a thin layer, then rapidly snaking itself up Raf's arm like a tattoo.

His first reaction was one of shock and fear. He dropped the chain, shook his arm, and fell to the ground; yet the chain floated midair and continued its progression up Raf's arm, across his back and shoulders, and then down his other arm; coiling like vines around a branch. As the last of the chain flew out of the bag onto Raf's body, it spread down his back and around to his chest.

It was heavy, like chainmail or a suit of armor, but it moved as he moved, as if it were alive and reacting.

Sophia's voice sang out, and the chain/tattoos on his arms and torso seemed to vibrate with sound.

"This will shield you from damage and allow you to reach the peak more quickly. I will remain with you and guide your movements until your mission is complete."

Hinata watched all this happen, too shocked to do anything but stare, mouth agape. A moment of dumb silence passed until Hinata finally found the words to ask, "Who are you? What mission?"

Raf inhaled sharply. "My real name is Rafael Avalyn. A fallen killed my father, tried to kill me, and now possesses my sister. Sophia told me that the only way to stop the fallen and save my sister is to go to Oceania and learn soul magic. I don't know what that is or how to get there, but according to Sophia, my first destination is the 'last peak on Crescent,' whatever that means."

Hinata looked conflicted. Yet pensively, they looked up toward Castle Moondial. "If that's the first peak, the last peak must be on the other side of the island."

Then they turned to Raf and said, "You lied to me, Ryan." There was ice and anger in the accusation.

Raf felt a stab of panic. He looked down. "I'm sorry. I was scared and wasn't sure whether to trust you." His eyes met Hinata's. "I trust you now. I'm choosing to trust you. Please forgive me. I won't lie to you again."

They blinked in surprise and shrugged, "I guess. You're not what I expected."

"What did you expect?"

Hinata hesitated but then didn't hold back. "I figured stewarding families were shameless cowards. How else could they have surrendered?"

Raf was aghast. "How could- Adam destroyed Inari and everyone on it! He would have done the same thing to all of us! My grandfather had no choice!"

"Better to die free than live in servitude. He knelt and served Adam all the same."

"That's not true!" It was Raf's turn to hesitate. How much should he tell them? "My family conspired with the last firefox to assassinate Adam. That's why my father's dead and why I'm supposed to be dead, too. You're alive because my grandfather surrendered. We survived this long because my father pretended to serve."

Hinata was taken aback. "I didn't know that. I'm sorry. Like I said, you're not what I expected."

Raf cooled down. "It's alright. Sorry for getting defensive. I never knew people thought those things about my family. I guess it hurt my pride."

Hinata smiled, and their eyes sparkled. "You're for real! This is wild! No, impossible! What even happened to that chain? Can I touch it?"

Raf laughed, silently amazed that such a thing was still possible.

"Sure." He pulled up his sleeve, revealing his new chain tattoo. It glowed a molten reddish gold. Sophia seemed to have compressed the metal in the chain down to a liquid form. It looked like it would burn at the touch, but it was warm, like a chain left out in the sun. The molten tattoo reacted to Hinata's touch.

Sophia minded the chains, Raf supposed, and the visual expression of Sophia's mind was awesome. Magnificent, like solid fire.

Hinata looked amazed but was playing it cool. They shot Raf a daring smirk. "Let's see what it can do." They pulled out two grappling chains from a holster on their lower back.

"Huh?" was all Raf could manage to respond.

"Follow me. If I'm right, Sophia will make sure your throws connect."

Hinata ran toward the ledge and then jumped off the cliff, throwing their grappling hook to the nearest pole, swinging to the next pole, and throwing their other grappling hook. Repeat. Repeat.

Raf followed them to the edge of the cliff and hesitated. He'd never been afraid of heights before, but after being thrown to his death, looking at the beach from this high up sent his heart racing.

"You'll catch me, right, Sophia?" Raf asked. Silence. "Sophia?" Still no response. Raf felt embarrassed.

"Come on," Hinata shouted, not far off in the distance, dangling elegantly from a chain. "This is how we'll get to the last peak. Trust me, I can get us there."

Raf's heart fluttered again. He wanted to trust them. He had to trust them. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Raf leaned over the ledge. Immediately the chain flew from his arm, uncoiling itself and extending to latch onto a pole. Raf swung down and back up again, and then the chain behind him released, and he was freefalling again. He panicked and yelled, reaching with his other arm for Hinata. But the chain was alive and lifted his arm higher, aiming for another pole and firing out to grab onto it. Raf was swinging. He bumped and spun against the side of the cliff, but the chain held, and once he swung up, the chain released, and Raf extended his other arm forward. Repeat. Repeat.

"I'm doing it!" Raf cheered.

"I knew you could do it!" Hinata answered. "Follow me."

They swung forward and up. Raf followed joyously.

It felt like flying. They climbed higher and traveled far in a short time, but Raf was quickly exhausted. His arms were still sore from last night's exertions, and his shoulder hurt terribly. He called out to Hinata, and they found a place to rest on a naturally formed shelf, wide enough to sit down.

The outer coast of Crescent was mostly cliffs and hills. Legends say the island was the peak of an extinct underwater volcano. In the inner bay of the island was the crater, and Crescent made up the land surrounding that crater.

They sat on the outer side cliff facing the ocean, far above the shore. With the sunset behind them, the sky was turning darker shades of blues and oranges.

Raf was a little more confident with heights than before, but whenever he looked down, his body started a panic response, so he always looked up or forward.

Hinata passed him some food: nuts and dried fruits, another musubi, and the water canteen. He had forgotten to eat before jumping off the cliff and was again famished. Once he was fed, he looked at Hinata.

"You saved my life. You gave me a golden chain and showed me how to use it. You fed me twice. How can I ever repay you or thank you enough?"

Hinata blushed and laughed nervously, looking away toward the horizon. "I dunno." They were pensive for a moment. "You really know a firefox?"

Raf nodded. "The last."

"I wanna meet them," they said reverently.

Raf sighed. "I don't know where they are now. Somewhere safe with my little sister Lyn is all I know. I'm sure our paths will cross again someday, but I can't promise it."

That almost seemed to satisfy Hinata, but not quite. "And you truly believe Adam can be killed?"

"According to Rowan, if Adam were separated from the Blessings, he could be killed."

Hinata leaned toward him, wide-eyed. "Rowan is the last firefox?"

Raf nodded.

"What are the Blessings?"

"Five gems, the source of his power, embedded into Adam's regalia. Remove those, and he's still ageless but not immortal."

"And you intend to steal them?" Hinata whispered breathlessly.

The question terrified Raf beyond words. "Right now, I only care about saving my sister and banishing the fallen that killed my father... Then yes, Adam will suffer."

Hinata smirked with satisfaction. "Alright. Keep your word, Rafael Avalyn. I'll take that as payment for helping you."

Then Hinata yawned and stood up. From their lower back satchel, they pulled out their hooks, resembling sharp question marks.

"It's about time to make camp. You can go on a bit farther, yeah?"

Raf sighed. Carrying the chains on his body was a constant strain, and his muscles were already sore from heavy exertion. "Yeah, but not far. My shoulder hurts pretty bad."

"Let's see it," they said, and Raf pulled his sleeve up to the shoulder. The bruise was big and purple, spreading far down his arm and around his back. "Oof. That looks pretty bad." They gently poked certain places, inquiring as to the pain level. "I don't think it's broken, just banged up," they concluded. "Come on. I know a place up ahead where we can make camp. Try only using your one good arm to swing. Watch, like this."

Hinata put one grappling hook away and jumped off the shelf, throwing the free hook to a pole, swinging, twisting midair to release the chain, and throwing it forward again. Somewhat less graceful, and it looked much more difficult but also doable. He took a deep, fearful breath and followed Hinata off the cliff. Raf was much less graceful, but Sophia guided his arm and the chain so he never fell.

The camp spot was farther than Raf had hoped, but it was perfect. This shelf was much larger than before, lush with trees and bushes, and a firepit already built in the center of a tiny grove.

Fireflies danced in the air. Lizards and insects scurried by as Hinata and Raf collected dried kindling to start a fire.

Both Hinata and Raf were adept firestarters, and it wasn't long before a roaring campfire was going. Raf helped Hinata set up some tarps to shield from the elements, and once that was done, the two of them promptly fell asleep.

No visitors interrupted his slumber this time, which were a mix of nightmares of falling and drowning alongside dreams of soaring through the air with Hinata.

When Raf woke, Hinata was absent. The fire was still going, so he figured they must be nearby.

His muscles were agonizing. The chains were so heavy he struggled to sit up. He was getting stronger, but his body needed time to recover. Once he managed to stand, Raf looked around for Hinata.

Looking over the ledge, he started to hyperventilate. Even after swinging one-handed, looking down at the beach from this high up still activated a physical trauma response. Raf collapsed to the ground, frustrated and confused. He thought he'd overcome this already. Why was he still scared?

On his hands and knees, dizzy with fright, Raf looked over the side for Hinata. His vision was blurring, but he saw them below, swinging just above the water's surface, throwing a chain into the ocean, hooking a fish with incredible aim and skill, and yanking it up quickly into a bag. Raf retreated to tend the fire.

Hinata swung back up, landing nimbly on both feet and greeting Raf enthusiastically. "Good morning! I caught us some breakfast. Won't take long to cook. Sit tight. I got this."

They wandered the grove for a short while, collecting herbs and such, then returning to the fire to sit in front of a wide flat rock. Hinata set the herbs and fruits they'd collected on the rock off to the side. Then, from a sheath on the side of their boot, they pulled out a knife and set it on the rock. Finally, from a bag on their side, they pulled out a large silver fish with rainbow scales and set it in the middle.

It was already dead, either from bleeding out of the hook-induced hole in its body or from lack of water, but it died recently, so Hinata swiftly thanked it for nourishing them, gutted, scaled, and sliced it.

They squeezed some oily fruit over the fish and rubbed the oil from head to tail, flipped it over, and did it again, this time sprinkling on some tiny green leaves they stripped off a stem. A stick was shoved through the hook-hole, and the fish was set over a low flame until crispy brown and sizzling.

While that cooked, Raf and Hinata got to know each other. Raf inquired about their family life. Hinata grew up in a cave on the inside of the cliffs, near the cavern village. Their parents weren't thrilled with Hinata running off to the far corners of Crescent, but Hinata was old enough and capable enough to go anywhere they wanted. They had no siblings. Eight cousins.

Meanwhile, Raf and Hinata ate a delicious, sweet, and healthy breakfast together. And Hinata got to know Raf better, too, inquiring as to his wounds and his upbringing.

His injuries were healing slowly but steadily. Raf was used to the occasional bruise. Since the day he was old enough to hold a sword, Rowan trained him to be a deadly warrior. And not just in combat. Secretly, Rowan taught Raf and Morgan the fundamentals of mathematics, reading, writing, geography (local and global), wilderness survival, leadership, and critical thinking.

After breakfast, they relaxed in the sun, chatting, joking, and laughing. Time flew by, and for a little while, Raf forgot his dire mission and gave himself permission to rest and be happy.

Then Raf remembered his sister was suffering, and it destroyed any happiness he felt. By evening, Raf had rested enough, and it was time to continue to the last peak.

His muscles were still sore. His shoulder ached. The wound on the side of his head itched as the skin healed. And his fear of heights still paralyzed him at the ledge. Raf tried to hide his fear from Hinata, but they intuited much of the truth and were gently supportive and encouraging.

By sundown, Raf and Hinata reached the other side of the island.

"That's got to be the last peak," said Hinata, pointing upward while dangling in the air.

A plume of dark grey smoke rose from behind the peak, barely distinguishable in the twilight of dusk. "And that must be Sophia's signal," Raf thought aloud.

"Race you there!" Hinata swung forward.

Hinata knew the area better than Raf, but Raf wasn't playing. He was determined, and that plume of smoke meant the next step on his journey to save Morgan. Nothing was going to get in the way. Up his sleeve, Raf had Sophia and her solid flame chain.

With angelic strength, he catapulted himself over Hinata. Sophia's chain shot into the cliff wall itself, guiding him around a bend, securing Raf's fall, and then launching him forward again.

Unlike Hinata, Sophia didn't need poles to grapple onto. Sophia's chain fluidly molded to the size and shape of any location required and released as rapidly. So it was no contest. Raf reached the source of the smoke long before Hinata.

The smoke billowed out of a crack in the mountain. It was well-secluded and inaccessible for anyone without a grappling chain and a lot of determination. If not for the smoke, the opening would have been invisible from the ground below.

Raf looked into the crevice and saw an underground forest, just as Sophia mentioned, except everything was on fire. Raf looked down in horror at the flaming cavern.

"Sophia! Sophia, what do I do?" he begged for guidance as Hinata climbed up the ledge behind him.

The chains vibrated with sound, and Sophia's voice sang out. "Jump into the fire. There is little time. Chainfisher, you did well guiding Rafael to this threshold. Wait here, and when you see a sign, follow it."

Raf turned to Hinata, and their eyes met his.

"I want to go with Raf," Hinata pleaded.

"You will not survive where Raf is going," answered Sophia. "Say goodbye now."

Hinata looked devastated. Raf almost cried with them. Instead, he rushed forward to embrace them.

"Thank you for saving me," whispered Raf.

"Thank you for giving me hope again," Hinata whispered back. "Don't die, and don't forget me."

"I won't. I promise."

They held each other for a moment longer, and as they separated, both thought they might share a first kiss, but Raf turned, ran, and leapt into the smoke.