In the end, the islanders quickly returned to the island before nightfall.

Missives had been sent, carried by the fastest vessels, to the nearby islands, warning them of potential swarms of monsters and advising them to stay in safe places, possibly near their ships, for the next few days.

Talia had already explained to Noelo about the foul play and Akua, giving him a complete account of what had happened – without, of course, mentioning her father.

Now, the villagers could finally enjoy the party they usually held the night before the departure of those who had passed the Initiation test.

The bonfire crackled, sending sparks spiraling into the night sky.

Talia stood at the edge of the celebration, her blue eyes reflecting the distant flames.

The rhythmic beating of drums pulsed through the air, mingling with laughter and the strumming of ukuleles.

The villagers swarmed the beach, their faces alight with joy and relief.

Children darted between adults, kicking up sand as they chased each other.

The scent of grilled fish and roasted pork wafted through the breeze, making Talia's stomach growl.

She watched Fiora and Takai huddled with other young promises near the fire.

Their excited chatter about the Academy carried over the general din.

Talia's fingers unconsciously traced the golden bracelets on her wrists, covering the marks that had set her apart for so long.

Noelo moved through the crowd, his usual stern expression softened by the festivities.

His eyes met Talia's briefly as he passed.

She couldn't read his expression – was it suspicion? Begrudging respect?

He moved on without a word.

The weight of recent events pressed down on Talia's shoulders.

The monsters. Her father's appearance. Akua's death.

Each memory felt like a stone in her gut, dragging her down while everyone else celebrated.

She should be excited.

This was what she'd fought for – a chance at the Academy and to follow in her mother's footsteps.

Instead, doubt gnawed at her.

Her father's revelation echoed in her mind, drowning out the cheerful music.

Had her mother really been killed by an Elder?

Talia promised herself to find out after getting to the Academy.

Then, there was Akua’s death.

She had been a Cultist, apparently.

But what did that mean?

Talia had been really confused as to what made Akua’s energy invisible to her [Eyes of the Abyss].

I haven’t met anyone – or anything, for that matter – that was invisible to it.

I even saw the Kraken, or… what looked like its energy.

So, why had Akua been invisible to her?

She mulled over it, incapable of coming up with an answer.

Talia glanced at her side where her glaive rested.

She had decided to keep the weapon on her at all costs since she wasn’t completely sure about how the islanders felt about her at the moment.

And as she observed the festivities, with children running around and shouting at each other with their crystalline voices, she let herself slip into a fantasy.

She pictured what it could have been like if she had a father and whether she would have been allowed to join the same games the other kids played instead of always being sidelined.

Talia saw a kid fall and scrape his knee on the hard sand, his father immediately going over and taking him into his arms.

She wondered whether her own father would have taken her into his embrace.

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to imagine the warm skin of the man she had met earlier today, cradling her when she was still a frail little girl.

She imagined her mother, Yalena, reprimanding Maui for being too reckless.

Or perhaps the opposite – a still-young Yalena bringing her two daughters to fish for big game in the Deep.

It made sense – her father looked very rational and not at all hot-blooded like she had heard her mother described so far.

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For a moment, she could hear her father’s voice, telling something to her mother.

But such memories were so distant even in her imagination that even the gentle crashing of the waves easily dispersed them.

Talia turned away from the festivities, drawn to the dark expanse of the sea as she sat on one of the logs used as benches.

Somewhere out there lay the Academy and, beyond that, answers to the questions she wasn't sure she wanted to ask.

Out there, she had killed Akua.

She had thrown up immediately after the incident, unsure of what to do next.

She had found some sheets to cover her body and brought it back to the island for the Elders to dispose of.

Talia had been tempted to just throw it into the sea – give it its final rest.

That was because Akua’s words still haunted her.

“I’m happy… to die… like my Mom.”

It was as if the gurgling sound was stuck in her ears.

Talia had never doubted that her mother was a hero for the ages.

However, considering what her father and Akua had told her in the short span of a few hours, Talia had felt her conviction waiver.

Clearly, not everyone regarded her mother as a hero.

“Miss Talia?”

Talia turned away from the sea and back to the bonfires.

In front of her stood a small girl, no more than six or seven years old.

Her dark hair was tied into two messy pigtails, wisps of locks escaping to frame her round face.

She wore a simple sundress with colorful flowers, its hem stained with sand.

In her small hands, she clutched a fish skewer, the grilled meat still steaming slightly from the heat of the fire.

Behind the girl, a few paces away, her parents hovered anxiously. The father's hand rested protectively on his wife's shoulder.

“Yes?” Talia asked, clearing her voice.

The crackling of the nearby bonfire seemed to grow louder in the moment of silence that followed.

“This is for you,” the girl thrust the fish skewer forward, her eyes fixed on the sand between her feet.

Her cheeks flushed pink, whether from the heat of the fire or the embarrassment; it was hard to tell.

“Oh,” Talia said, carefully taking the skewer. Its warmth seeped into her fingers, in stark contrast to the cool night air. “Huh, thank you.”

The girl nodded, her head still bowed.

The beads in her hair clinked softly with the movement.

Talia saw the girl's parents flinch behind her, their bodies tensing as if ready to intervene at any moment. The weight of their unspoken fears hung in the air, thick and palpable.

Feeling obligated to ease the tension, Talia tried to say something else.

“What's your name?” she asked, her voice softer now, almost gentle.

The girl lifted her head slightly, peeking up at Talia through her lashes.

“Aleka,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Do you practice your Cantrips, Aleka?”

The girl vigorously nodded her head up and down.

“I want to become a Water Rider,” Aleka said. “I want to fight big, bad monsters and keep mom and daddy safe.”

“Me too,” Talia smiled, taking a bite out of the skewer.

The little Aleka hesitated before asking another question.

“Is it true you defeated a big, bad monster? My friends say you did.”

Talia raised an eyebrow and looked at her parents, who were less apprehensive and more curious to hear her reply now.

She had told Noelo that Lani had done the heavy lifting in killing all the monsters, which had granted her a lot of social points with the villagers.

However, there seemed to be an undercurrent created by the mix of fear and admiration for Talia.

She had already overheard several people think that it had been her, not Lani, killing the Boss. They thought that Talia wanted to keep her true strength a secret – it was all very conspiratorial, but it somewhat made sense from their perspective. In fact, since it tinged their perception of her with reverence, which had replaced a lot of the fear, she wholly accepted the rumor.

Still, she didn’t want to ruin Lani’s newly gained reputation.

“Lani did the majority of the work,” Talia explained with a smile. “However…”

She saw both the girl and her parents tense.

“I did land a blow or two…” Talia lied for the sake of keeping her father’s appearance a mystery and, well, to receive some manner of appreciation after all those years of hate.

“If you behave,” Talia said with a lowered voice, “I’ll show you which moves I used when I come back from the Academy. But you have to practice every day and listen to your parents. Deal?”

Aleka's eyes widened with excitement, a broad smile spreading across her face.

“Really? You promise?”

Talia nodded solemnly.

“I promise. But remember, it's our secret, okay?”

The little girl nodded vigorously, her pigtails bouncing. She glanced back at her parents, who now wore bemused expressions, their earlier tension melted away.

“Go on now,” Talia said gently. “Enjoy the party with your family.”

Aleka gave a little bow before scampering back to her parents.

As they walked away, Talia saw the girl tugging on her father's hand, whispering excitedly.

The man cast a grateful look back at Talia before they disappeared into the crowd.

Talia's smile faded as she turned back to the sea, taking another bite of the fish skewer.

“That was kind of you,” a familiar voice said.

Talia turned to see Fiora standing nearby, arms crossed over her chest, her blonde hair gleaming in the firelight.

“Didn't expect to see you playing nice with them,” Fiora continued, a hint of amusement in her tone.

Talia shrugged.

“She’s a kid. If Noelo had come asking, I might have punched him in the nose.”

Fiora studied her for a moment before sitting down on the log beside her.

“You've been avoiding everyone.”

It wasn't a question, but Talia felt compelled to answer anyway.

“I've had a lot on my mind.”

“Like the fact that neither you nor Lani killed the beast that was literally flattened into the ground? And the same goes for almost every other monster on the island that mysteriously got killed by the same type of spell?”

Talia smirked, almost pleased by how sharp Fiora was, but didn’t say anything in return.

Fiora leaned in, her voice low.

“I'm not stupid, Talia. Something happened out there that you're not telling anyone. And don't give me that story about Lani doing all the work. I saw her scar – how did she get such a wound without nearly dying?”

“Ask the stars,” the other shrugged. “Luck, maybe? Fate? A generous breakfast and good training? Who knows what made the difference.”

Fiora scoffed. “Don't patronize me. We're about to enter the Academy together. If there's something going on that could affect us, I deserve to know.”

For a moment, Talia considered telling Fiora everything – about her father's appearance, his cryptic warnings, and Akua's final words.

But the weight of those secrets felt too heavy to share, even with someone who had unexpectedly become an ally – well, sort of.

“I can't tell you everything,” Talia said finally. “Not yet. But I promise, if it becomes relevant to our safety at the Academy, you'll be the first to know.”

Fiora studied her face, searching for any sign of deception. After a long moment, she nodded.

“Fine. But don't think this conversation is over.”

“I know it isn’t,” Talia laughed under her breath.

As Fiora stood up to leave, Talia called out.

“Can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“Why do you care anyway? I thought you hated me.”

Fiora paused, looking back over her shoulder.

“Let's just say, after everything that's happened, I'm starting to realize we might have more in common than I thought.”

After having said that, Fiora walked away, leaving Talia alone with her thoughts and the vast sea.

Talia gripped her glaive, its weight anchoring her to reality.

Challenges loomed over her, but she'd face them.

She finished her skewer, the taste of smoke and fish lingering on her tongue.

Tomorrow would bring change.

But tonight, surrounded by the sounds of celebration, Talia felt something unfamiliar.

It wasn't quite the feeling of belonging, but she was also no longer an outcast.

For the first time, she wasn't just tolerated but acknowledged.

It wasn't acceptance – not yet.

But it was a start.