The days went by in peaceful bliss. At least, for a boy who had been constantly killed for the first two and a half years of his life.

Atlas first learned to walk. He found his legs feeling like mush and lead at the same time, and unable to support his body. Learning to put one foot in front of the other was a rather troublesome endeavor, and required precise coordination of both legs and calculated effort. However, he finally managed it. He walked to the edge of the evergreen forest and back to the sea, celebrating when he did. Scout Taron was there to see his progress and cheered alongside him.

After learning to walk, he learned to run. And jump. Soon, Atlas was bouncing along the beach, his squeals of delight resounding through the evergreen trees. He had stayed clear of the forest for now, as Ronan warned him that there were other predatory animals within. Knowing what true horrors looked like, Atlas didn’t question this.

The Keepers brought driftwood and cloth that had fallen into the ocean from human ships. Atlas, with the help of Taron’s mate, Riva, was able to turn this cloth into crude clothes that kept him warm, and a bed that he could sleep in soundly. The driftwood was also set up in a sort of clumsy shelter, with simple walls and a roof.

The Keepers brought him food as well, usually Taron. Atlas’s meals consisted of fish, shellfish, and seaweed. For water, Atlas would cut the fish in half, along its spine, with a sharp rock knife given to him by Taron. Then he would suck out the fluid that was along the spine, as well as in the eyes of the fish. This technique was taught to him by Taron, who had seen stranded human sailors do it on one of his scouting trips.

Equipped with food, fresh water, shelter, and clothes, Atlas’s standard of living increased immensely. He found himself watching the stars at night before bed, and hunting the crabs and shellfish that inhabited the beach in the day.

Having his needs met, however, made it possible to start learning from Ronan. Ronan insisted that he learn to breathe underwater first, which confused Atlas greatly. He did not have gills like the Keepers or the fish.

Ronan, however, insisted.

“Your human anatomy makes you unable to breathe underwater, that is true. But, you have something much more special than just your body that you can use to bypass these limitations put upon you by your biological structure,” Ronan said.

Atlas and Head Keeper Ronan were sitting in the shallow waters leading up to the beach. Atlas had his fingers gripping the sand for purchase, and Ronan allowed the waves to roll gently over his iridescent orange tail. His deep yellow eyes watched Atlas’s face as he spoke.

“Inside almost every intelligent creature is something we call a Core. The Core is the center of a being, its life force, and its drive. You, too, have a Core. I want you to feel for it. It should feel like a warmth behind your sternum. Here.” Ronan showed Atlas by guiding his hand to his sternum.

Atlas poked at his sternum with several fingers, feeling. He raised a brow in confusion.

“Deeper within you. Close your eyes, feel where your fingers are pointing towards,” Ronan said softly.

Atlas closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He felt where his sternum was, and then, without his fingers, he felt where his supposed Core was. There. Lingering just behind where his fingers touched his torso was a warmth he had never noticed before. His face must have shown his surprise because Ronan suddenly chuckled.

“How… use?” Atlas asked, in broken Aberrant language.

Ronan nodded thoughtfully. “First, let’s go over what the Core stores. The Core, as I said, is your center. The Core holds Solar inside it. Solar is sort of like…” he trailed off, searching for an analogy. He then cupped his hands and scooped up seawater. “... like this. My hands are the Core, but the water within is the Solar. Solar can be channeled outwards to create all sorts of spells. Like this.”

He held his cupped hands closer toward Atlas. Atlas watched with wide eyes as the water coagulated into a perfectly smooth, round sphere and then lifted off into the air, just in front of him.

Atlas poked at the sphere, which wobbled with his disruption, and then went back to its smooth shape. A wide grin spread across Atlas’s face as he poked at the sphere a few more times. Suddenly, the sphere surged forward and splashed into his face, drenching him.

A deep, mischievous laugh came from Ronan, and Atlas glared at him. However, he couldn't hold the glare for long, and soon he was laughing along with Ronan.

After a few seconds, Ronan returned to his explanation. “That spell was simple and used very little Solar to achieve. There are much bigger, flashier, or more dangerous spells that can be formed from one’s very own Core. However, you will not be able to do those for a while. The amount of Solar you have is limited to how much your Core can hold. Solar is all around us and is the essence of all things. It can be pulled into our Cores to replenish and be used. Imagine you are underwater, surrounded by water on all sides. Now, imagine your pores opening to receive that water, rushing through your veins and into your Core. Replace that image of water with Solar.”

Atlas shuffled in the water, reaffirming his grip on the sand. He closed his eyes again, focusing on his Core. He felt its swirling, comforting warmth, like a thousand sunsets. He then moved his focus to the atmosphere. He imagined himself underwater, with the water on all sides.

The water was cold and gripping, its claws laced with death. Just like the water he had drowned countless times in. He felt the rush of icy fluid in his lungs, suffocating him. He felt his helplessness, his inability to stop it.

Solar rushed inwards like a torrent, through his pores, and into his Core. It was unstoppable, ceaseless. His Core felt tight, and the pressure was building and building and building…

“-las! Atlas!”

Atlas’s eyes shot open, thick sweat dripping into them. Ronan’s face, crinkled with worry, appeared before him.

“Dammit, boy!” he growled. “You could’ve been killed! I said ‘receive’ the Solar, not draw it in haphazardly!”

Atlas frowned at this. Death? Atlas was used to death. Sure, he did not like it, but it wasn’t the worst thing that could happen, surely. If anything, the pain and despair of death were the true fear.

“What were you thinking- no, how did you even do that?!” Ronan muttered, his anger simmering.

Atlas’s shoulders dropped. “Distracted,” he mumbled.

Ronan scowled, disbelieving. However, he didn’t press further. His tail flicked with worry in the water, causing small splashes.

Atlas looked up at Ronan with obvious questioning.

“What?” Ronan grunted.

“What… is… death?” Atlas asked seriously.

Ronan wore a face of confusion, obviously uncertain of where this question was coming from.

“You have seen it everywhere already, Atlas,” he said, softer now. He must have realized that Atlas had not asked this question randomly and that the boy was serious about it.

“The fish that you eat, the crabs that you hunt, they have all been killed and are in a state of death. Death is the end of life, the dispersion of the soul, and nothing can escape death. We are all heading for death the moment we are born. It is unpredictable, incomprehensible, and everlasting. Many intelligent creatures believe in some sort of afterlife, a place where the soul goes after death. Perhaps they are correct, or perhaps they are just attempting to stay sane in the face of something so terrifying,” he answered solemnly.

“Why not… me?” Atlas asked, envying the death he spoke of. A true ending. Perhaps, if life meant pain, then true death meant bliss.

Ronan frowned in confusion again. “What do you mean? All things will eventually die, Atlas, including you.”

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Atlas nodded, unsure how to convince Ronan that this was not, in fact, the case. He decided to leave it and waited for Ronan to continue.

Ronan shuffled. “Whatever you did earlier… it was extremely potent. Especially for someone so young. I do not understand what happened, but you must not let it happen again. At least, not yet. I want you to try again, to bring the Solar into your Core slowly. However, you’re first going to have to expel some of that built-up Solar. Do the opposite of what I said, and imagine the Solar flowing out of your pores, back into the surrounding atmosphere.”

Atlas closed his eyes again. His Core felt pressurized, ready to burst. He wondered what would happen if he did let it burst. Would he die as Ronan claimed? And if he did, what about after his resurrection? Would there be a change?

He wondered about this vaguely, slowly expelling the Solar through his pores by imagining the soft, pale waves on the beach, and the way they receded off of the beach, back into the vast ocean.

Atlas heard Ronan grunt approvingly.

He went a step further. He then imagined the waves returning to the beach, rolling in gently. He felt the Solar enter his Core again, calmer this time. The essence warmed him from within.

The waves of Solar rolled in and out of his Core like the waves on the beach. He felt like he was truly breathing for the first time. His Core filled with Solar, before emptying itself. He didn’t fill it completely, nor did he empty it completely. Atlas kept Solar levels in his Core balanced and in harmony.

When he opened his eyes, he found Ronan staring at him in awe. Atlas tilted his head to the side questioningly.

“You are insanely talented, and I don’t know whether to be scared or not,” he breathed. After a few more seconds of his awe-struck silence, he cleared his throat. “Ahem… what you just involuntarily learned is called Solar Breathing. It is the balancing of a Core by continuously absorbing and expelling Solar, and it teaches control over Solar. You are to repeat this meditation daily.”

Atlas nodded firmly. He would do as he was told.

Ronan chuckled, patting Atlas’s head encouragingly.

“We aren’t done with lessons for the day yet! Now, I need to teach you how to properly speak so that you aren’t as pitiful as you are now,” he said, clasping his hands together.

Atlas listened as Ronan spoke of the four main languages of this world. Meral was the Keeper language and consisted of teeth gnashing and clacking. Neoraian was the human language, which Atlas would have to learn if he ever hoped to walk among them. Aberrian was the language Atlas could already understand, the language of the Aberrants, or Monsters, as the humans called them. Lastly, the rarest language was Eizina, the language of the spirits.

Ronan explained that each race could understand its own language from birth, and the phenomenon was dubbed Soul Language. Comprehension of the language grew as the child of that race grew, and eventually, they would be able to speak the language. However, even if an adult of a certain race had never heard their own Soul Language before, if they were to hear it one day, they would understand it immediately.

Soul Language was an inherent part of each race and was said to be a gift from the gods.

In between Ronan’s breaths, Atlas asked some questions. “How… know so… many?”

Ronan grinned. “Every Head Keeper of both Keeper Kingdoms needs to be able to understand and speak every language in this world. This is to ensure the preservation of our race, as we never know if being able to converse will be a key to survival one day. Remember, Atlas, language is powerful. It can uplift a race, but it can also destroy it.”

Atlas nodded along, asking questions where he didn’t understand, or wanted more information.

Ronan decided that learning Aberrian was the priority for Atlas, followed by Meral. As Atlas gained control over his Core and was able to create a water-breathing spell, the Meral language of the Keepers would come in handy when he visited their home. And, of course, Aberrian was a priority because it was his Soul Language.

Following the small lesson on every language, they delved deeply into Aberrian. Aberrian contained harsh sounds, grating noises, and chaotic sequences of words. Having spoken to Ronan, and having heard him speak constantly, Atlas managed to get the hang of many of the noises and pronunciations quickly.

Stringing the noises together into words was a new set of difficulties entirely, but it helped that he understood and knew what he wished to say.

By the end of the day, when the sun was hanging low in the sky, Ronan bid Atlas farewell. As he swam away, a fish came flying from his direction and towards Atlas. Atlas scrambled to grab his reward, grinning when he had to tackle the slippery creature to the ground before bashing its head with the back of his rock knife.

Eating his well-deserved meal, and putting on some dry clothes, Atlas sat in his makeshift bed. He closed his eyes, remembering the feeling of Solar Breathing. He meditated for an hour, before bidding the stars goodnight and laying his head on the pillow.

It was not long before he fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The next few months were much the same. After having mastered Aberrian in three weeks, Atlas started becoming familiar with Meral. It was difficult to clack his teeth and hiss the words, especially with his anatomy.

He also found that after so much time meditating, his Core felt deeper, like its reservoirs had grown. Atlas found he could absorb and expel atmospheric Solar much quicker, and without having to imagine the waves to accomplish it.

The most astonishing thing, however, was that Atlas could now finally breathe underwater. He was taught a simple spell by Ronan that took in the minute amounts of air within the water and funneled it straight into his lungs. It was different from breathing, and more of a forced intake of air using Solar to conjure it. However, it worked wonderfully.

Atlas struggled at first to learn it, his fear of drowning being the main cause of this. Over time, he managed to conquer this fear. He often came out of the water coughing violently, however. He could not lose concentration, otherwise, the spell would shatter and he would begin to drown.

It seemed impossible, but after six months he finally managed to get to a point where he could breathe underwater effortlessly, without having to pinpoint his concentration on it.

Additionally, Atlas found out that his body was a bit more sturdy than the average human, perhaps due to his Aberrant blood. His body could survive a dive under much more pressure than a human, and this was vital if he was to be able to go to the Keeper Kingdom which lay deep in the ocean. He also learned to channel Solar into his eyes to increase visibility underwater.

He spent his efforts in learning to swim better, and faster. He would use Solar to manipulate the water to push him and move him along, often racing against Taron. He had never managed to win as of yet.

“I would beat you if we were on land!” Atlas had once said in Meral, pouting.

Taron had raised a brow. “Well done, Atlas. You successfully pointed out that I don’t have legs.”

At three years old, equipped with the ability to fluently speak two languages, swim as fast as a normal Keeper child, and breathe underwater, Atlas was finally ready to visit the Keeper Kingdom.

Sighing, Atlas struggled out of bed. He was to meet Ronan and Warrior Marlin in the shallow waters in an hour or so.

Having grown a little older now, Atlas had gained full consciousness and awareness. It was astounding for a boy his age to have done so, so quickly. However, having endured his repeated deaths in the ocean and lessons from the Keepers, his mind grew at an exceptional rate. Atlas could now have a deeper understanding of himself and the people and things around him. He understood more difficult concepts like life and death. His ability to have internal monologues also increased.

‘I’m starving,’ Atlas thought to himself, heading out of his little shelter that had held for six months. He made his way towards the area where he found crabs, and returned with a large one.

Gathering kindling and using Solar to heat it enough so that combustion could occur, Atlas began cooking the crab over a small fire. He had also learned how to make such a fire, albeit recently, from Taron. Taron had been surprised when he could do this, though Atlas knew not why. Regardless, he found it much easier to eat the food after it had been cooked.

‘I don’t know how I ever managed to eat raw crab…’ he thought to himself, disgusted. After his meal, he scattered the ashes of the fire and washed himself in the seawater. He donned a black skinsuit that was more suitable for swimming, which he and Riva had repurposed from a human sailor’s divewear. It was made of scale-like black material and, although of poor quality, it provided Atlas with warmth and mobility.

He combed through his growing white hair with his fingers before standing in the shallow water, waiting for the Keepers.

Soon, he saw two heads pop out from the deeper water. Head Keeper Ronan and Warrior Marlin. Ronan waved his hand, gesturing for Atlas to swim toward them. Atlas looked around at his little campsite for a while, fondly remembering his time there. It was his first home, and he felt a tinge of sadness leaving it. However, the excitement of visiting the Keeper Kingdom was greater, and soon he dove into the water.

He influenced the water with Solar to move him along quickly toward where Ronan and Marlin were waiting for him while channeling air into his lungs from the surrounding water. He was a master at this now.

Deeper in the water, where colorful coral formations lay, he came to a stop in front of Ronan.

“Are you ready?” Ronan asked, speaking in Meral. Meral was ideal for underwater communication, as the water did not interrupt teeth clacking and grinding, and deep intonations of the voice could still be distinguished.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Atlas replied in Meral, grinning.

Marlin eyed him, his aggression having reduced since the first time they had met, but never fading. He had a trident in his hand, the three forks sharp and intimidating. “You better keep up,” he grumbled, before turning and swimming east.

Ronan let out a bark of laughter, muffled beneath the water. He then winked at Atlas and sped off after Marlin.

Atlas, turning in the water to gaze back toward the island, felt his heart squeeze in anticipation. Through the waves, he saw the evergreen trees overhead that he never had the opportunity to explore. He saw his little shelter and the area he used to catch crabs. Taking a deep breath, or the equivalent that one could while using Solar to channel air, he turned and followed the Keepers.