All the students of the Water Rider Academy were about to attend the commencement speech for the new school year. While the 1st year students would get a separate commencement speech from the Principal, all the others were going to get the same welcome from year 2 to year 5.

There was a sort of an anomaly this year, not a physical one, but one in mood. Most of the students from the 2nd year had faced the tragic events of Placid City. And while no one had miraculously died in the 2nd year, unlike the seniors that had perished by the Sword Demon’s hand, there was a common sense of unease in their ranks. They felt as if this wasn’t the 2nd year but their last almost.

Even more interestingly, there had been a natural division, a rift opening between the students who had participated in Professor Iakopo’s class and who incidentally had ended up joining Professor Iakopo’s school almost in its entirety, and the students who hadn’t been welcomed to his class. And that mostly meant the students from Elder Kahua’s School.

So there were about 100 or so students who had switched from their current schools, including the Moana sisters, to join Professor Iakopo’s school. Another 100 or so from the 2nd year had been nobles and either not welcome in Professor Iakopo’s school or too conceited to join.

Interestingly enough, they had left Elder Kahua and Elder Krakatoa’s schools to join Elder Kahua’s school as this rift between nobles and commoners had formed inside the academy. A few had joined Lady Naia’s school, but those were mostly the weird ones and exceptions that happened every year, not just this one.

With still some time before the commencement speech, Talia sat in the office of the man that she had been talking to the most in the past months, explaining what she had found in the Abyssal Jaws dungeon. Also, despite Keanu’s protests, she had divulged his identity.

Talia plainly said that she trusted Professor Iakopo with her life, and she didn’t care whether Keanu agreed or not. She had made it very clear that her first priority was to find out whatever her mother had been up to because there, she probably found answers to what her mother had done to her and, most importantly, what had really happened to the Kraken since it had yet to reappear.

Talia had had yet another vision of the Kraken before the graduation ceremony. Despite the fact that it had been brief, the Kraken had felt so close; it was almost as if she was standing on top of it, and she had once again felt one of its eyes staring right into her soul.

“I have found many references to the Kaimoro myself,” Professor Iakopo said, not surprised when Talia had revealed Keanu’s real identity. “Your father is one of them, but he doesn’t come from wherever it is that Keanu comes from. He was an orphan, and he grew up poor in some village on a random island in the Calm Belt of the East Deep. I knew your father, Talia, and I can guarantee you that much is confirmed.”

“I personally investigated Maui’s upbringing after what had gone down in Placid City. However, knowing that the Kaimoro are not just people with weird eyes but possibly connected to this whole mess and to the Kraken itself... That’s interesting.”

“Can you... Can Luminescent Water... Professor, is it the only Affinity capable of interacting with Dark Water without fizzling out? If Dark Water was an essential component in whatever my mother wanted to do, does that mean that the Kaimoro might have been involved in controlling or creating the Kraken?” Talia asked.

Professor Iakopo shrugged. “I have not visited the other places your mother found information about whatever ritual she used during the fight. She must have done something. We know that much. But I only knew that her obsession started after visiting the Abyssal Jaw dungeon, and I saw those murals for myself.”

“I couldn’t really tell what they did before seeing you use the Cursed Form in Placid City. So my guess is as good as yours. We just don’t know, Talia.”

“Keanu said that the vessel I saw in the mural is located where he comes from, so I think I should go soon.”

Iakopo sighed and nodded. “I don’t think they would be hostile to you since they sent Keanu to get close to Yalena’s child. There’s actually a good chance your mother visited the same place. And knowing her, she might have found the first piece of the puzzle right there.”

“I just want to reiterate, though, Talia,” Professor Iakopo said after a beat. “Your mother was vicious. Whatever she did to get that information, I’m not sure you would want to do the same. She killed people. I am now sure of it. Someone covered for her back then, but I think that she killed some nobles who somehow had found out about whatever it was that she was doing.” And Iakopo paused.

“What?” Talia asked.

“This is speculation,” he said pointedly, “and I want you to take this as pure speculation. But while I don’t think that your friends, the Moana sisters, are involved in any of your mother’s plots, their father, Rongo Moana, has always had a weak spot for your mother. So be very careful of any involvement with that family of theirs.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

* * *

Talia waited in the plaza where Principal Kaimana would give a speech with Keanu behind her. By then, he was a shadow of hers that followed her anywhere but in her room and in the bathroom. The boy took his duties very seriously and possibly as seriously as a real shield would have with their chosen.

She had also seen Keanu start gathering information, building ties in the market, and trying to find out more about secret dealers and anything that could help Talia out. Thankfully, Talia didn’t really need to put Keanu in danger since Professor Iakopo was essentially behaving as a very caring father would have, doting on her in every way possible.

At this point, Talia was pretty sure that she could have asked the man even for money, and he wouldn’t have batted an eye and given it to her. Not that she really needed it, but she had asked for help in getting a few more pieces of clothing since she had been running through them because of her fights in the dungeon and during her training.

Waiting in the plaza, she saw Takai walk awkwardly around the place. And as soon as she spotted him, she ran to him and literally jumped and hugged the boy so tightly that she heard his ribs creaking.

“Hey,” Takai said with a groan. “Ouch.”

“I missed you,” Talia said, releasing the hug and patting his shoulders. “Keanu and I were in a dungeon, and I was in the water most of the time. I was going crazy. You should have come, maybe.”

Talia had actually not wanted Takai to come since she couldn’t yet fully control the Cursed Form and, before entering the dungeon, Ravenous Wounds. But Takai himself had said that he needed to go train himself with the Principal, who had taken a great interest in his development since he had somehow unlocked the same technique the legendary Principal wielded.

But it was when Talia saw Fiora walk in the plaza with her back straight as an arrow and a proud gaze that a big smile blossomed on her face. She immediately went up to the blonde, and despite her immediate protests, she swung her arms around her neck and gave her a big hug.

“I missed you.”

Fiora sighed and begrudgingly returned the hug.

“The place wasn’t the same without you. There is much less drama. A bit too calm for my taste,” Fiora said.

Talia then said hi to Agalei, Fiora’s friend who had also ended up joining Lady Naia’s school. The group now made their way to the center of the plaza since students were finally settling in, and the elders started appearing around the stage.

Talia saw Elder Krakatoa, whom she had tried reaching out to, but the man had clearly tried hard to avoid her, not even looking in their direction. After Mano had said that the man had been the one involved in her not getting through the academy’s test, Talia had not really known what to think.

However, her train of thought was disrupted as she saw Nami making her way to the group and standing with them, just exchanging a few salutes and not saying much. Talia had heard from her that Lilo was being personally trained back in the Moana family estate in Tempest City.

After what Professor Iakopo had just said, though, and considering that her family could have been somehow involved with her mother, Talia felt a little squeamish about the girl even though she knew that Nami was probably not involved. Still, it was another thing to look out for.

Principal Kaimana soon reached the stage. And Talia saw a rather troubled expression on the old man’s face. As soon as he started to talk, she understood why.

“Students,” Principal Kaimana’s voice boomed across the plaza. “Many of you most likely expected me to have some encouraging words after last year’s events, but I must come today and tell you that perhaps a bigger menace than Cultists has appeared across the Four Seas.”

Many students looked among themselves and whispered, wondering what the man was talking about.

“We have never seen such a wild and increased activity among dungeons and Abyssal Creatures. All our graduates have been dispatched across the Four Seas to quench dungeons and avoid them spilling out and creating problems. However, we do not have nearly enough men to take care of all the trouble that is arising.”

“Therefore, we have decided to take drastic measures. Aside from the 1st year students, everyone else will only attend two months of lessons. Your professors will condense their courses as much as they can. And after that, you will be sent out on missions.”

“You will be escorted by one senior student if you are a second or 3rd year student. If you’re not, you will form groups with your own classmates and tackle dungeons at your level. This will free our graduates to tackle the most dangerous dungeons and make sure that they do not spill into the cities.”

“I’m sorry about introducing the year with such an ominous announcement,” Principal Kaimana said. “I believe there is a silver lining in these events. You all came here to be Water Riders, to protect people, to uphold our honor code, and to fight for what’s just. You will have less of a chance to enjoy your time at the academy, but you will have all the chances in the world to prove that you’re deserving of becoming a Water Rider.”

Principal Kaimana made an emphatic pause.

“I fear,” the man said, “that the surge of Abyssal Creatures will continue, at the very least, until the end of the year.”

After saying those words after hearing those words, Talia had the impression that Principal Kaimana was looking directly at her.

“It is an anomaly,” Principal Kaimana continued. “So you shouldn't worry about this going on for too long. All things eventually have to go back and be balanced.”

The speech’s last words might have sounded reassuring to most, but to Talia, they carried an awful sense of finality.