They had disembarked at a shipyard close to the Spiral.

From there, the Promises had been herded quickly to the gigantic structure.

“Get moving, you useless floaters!” Shaker screamed, kicking a recruit who had stopped to admire a coralline bridge in the butt. “If we’re late, I’ll send you home with a harpoon stuck up your—”

“Shaker,” Professor Iakopo sighed. “Please, keep it down.”

“Professor, we are—”

The man gave his assistant an eyeful, and Shaker begrudgingly stayed quiet.

“Now, we’ll be arriving shortly at the site where those of you who have already passed the Test will be assigned a general dormitory or, in case someone vouched for you, a School dormitory. For all those who don’t have a School, please do not fret nor bombard me or Shaker with questions. You’ll have time to get selected in the upcoming weeks. And for those who have come to the Academy having Initiated themselves, you’ll be tested to assess your Primary Mana Channel Level first.”

Talia had discussed Schools with the others at length.

Simply put, Schools were Elder-led or otherwise-formed factions.

Each Elder had their own School, which afforded their members some special privileges. Such privileges ranged from nice cafeteria spots to much more important ones, including many that reflected on which Classes a recruit could take. The stronger the School – something that was decreed based on Missions and Academic results – the more privileges would be afforded to its members.

In short, to maximize one’s chances of succeeding at the Academy, it was essential to be picked by the right School.

If Talia hadn’t been sick with worry about her Primary Mana Channel not having reached Level One yet, she would have been stressing about which School would take her in.

She felt decently confident that Riala would put a good word in for her in whatever faction she had ended up joining. Considering that her sister wielded Star Water and had a Level Nine Primary Water Channel, Riala must have been rubbing shoulders with some pretty powerful people. Talia, despite the relationship with her sister being a bit shaky, was really banking on that.

Without Riala’s support, she knew she’d be a pariah.

She couldn’t imagine how people would treat her here.

She had been treated like a monster at home, among those who had already judged her even before seeing her Skills. And back on Solara, the islanders had only seen the Kraken once. Here, dead in the middle of the Four Seas, plenty of people had friends, family, or lovers who had been lost to the Kraken.

And if they believed that Talia was associated with the Scourge of the Deep, she knew for a fact that they would come after her.

As they walked, the group of recruits found themselves entering a large open plaza.

The space was already teeming with other young hopefuls from across the Four Seas standing in orderly lines.

Professor Iakopo swore under his breath.

“Damn it all, the address is about to begin. Shaker, I have to go! Take care of them!”

Without missing a beat, Shaker barked out orders.

“You heard the Professor! Form up, you bilge rats! Straight lines, shoulders back, chins up! Move it!”

The recruits scrambled to obey, falling into formation with varying degrees of success.

Talia found herself sandwiched between Fiora and a nervous-looking boy she didn't recognize.

A hush fell over the crowd as all eyes turned to the raised podium at the front of the plaza.

The structure was crafted from polished white stone that shimmered with magic and was adorned with carved waves and warriors.

They waited in silence for a few minutes.

Then, at the base of the podium, a group of figures emerged and stood at attention.

Their uniforms were a deep blue trimmed with silver.

“The Professors,” someone muttered.

Among them, Talia recognized Professor Iakopo, who had clearly just changed from his everyday clothes – his usually disheveled appearance seemed magically replaced by a crisp look and slicked-back hair.

How did he do that?

Anticipation brewed among the recruits gathered there, as more movement caught their attention.

From a side entrance, partially obscured by a shimmering veil of water, a figure had emerged.

It was a very old man.

He leaned heavily on a tall staff, its surface carved with glowing runes that pulsed softly with each move.

“That’s Principal Kaimana,” Talia heard a recruit whisper.

Principal Kaimana looked so old that it appeared he would fold in half at any moment.

Despite his apparent physical frailty, there was an unmistakable aura of power that seemed to radiate from him, causing the air around him to shimmer.

“They say he’s Level 90,” someone whispered.

“What?! That’s ridiculous! No one’s above Level 80!”

“The last Kraken Slayer was, you idiot!”

“Well—”

When Talia heard her mother being mentioned, she stood a bit straighter, feeling pride coursing through her body.

As Principal Kaimana began his ascent on the podium steps, the entire plaza seemed to hold its breath.

The only sounds were the soft tapping of his staff against stone and the distant lapping of waves against the Academy's shores.

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Talia found herself leaning forward slightly, straining to get a better view.

This was the man who led the Water Riders and who was said to be the most powerful warrior in existence.

Principal Kaimana reached the podium, his weathered hands gripping its edges as he surveyed the sea of young faces before him.

The Spire loomed behind him.

“Welcome, young ones, to the Water Riders Academy,” Principal Kaimana began, his voice magically amplified to reach every corner of the giant plaza. “You stand here today at the threshold of a great journey; one that will test your limits, challenge your beliefs, and forge you into the guardians of our world.”

He gestured behind him to the towering Spire.

“Like this great structure behind me, you too shall rise. No matter if you come from a great family, the Water Riders, or have humble beginnings, you will all ascend alike to heights you never thought possible.”

Principal Kaimana paused, his gaze sweeping across the assembled recruits.

“The path ahead will not be easy. You will face trials that will push you to your very limits. Some of you may falter, some may fall. But those who persevere, those who embrace the challenges that lie ahead – you will become the bulwark against the darkness that threatens our world.”

His voice grew softer, yet somehow more intense. “For make no mistake, young ones. The Deep is stirring. We have never seen so many Abyssal Creatures swarming our shores.”

The old man took a deep breath.

“Now, more than ever, we need new Water Riders to protect our people.”

Principal Kaimana straightened, his form seeming to grow taller, more imposing.

“So, I ask you of you now: Are you ready to dedicate yourselves to this cause? To sacrifice comfort for duty and safety for purpose? Are you ready to become Water Riders?”

A resounding cheer erupted from the crowd.

Talia found herself joining in.

As the cheers died down, Principal Kaimana nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Then, let us begin,” he said. “May the tides favor you all.”

***

After Principal Kaimana's speech, the recruits were quickly divided into groups.

Talia and Takai found themselves ushered toward a section where Academy officials and some older students waited to assess those who had Initiated themselves.

Meanwhile, Fiora, ever ambitious, spotted a group of well-dressed young people nearby.

Seeing they were dressed much more nicely than everyone else, she guessed they came from the Great Families. She immediately saw it as an opportunity to secure a place in a prestigious School early on.

Smoothing her hair and putting on her most charming smile, Fiora approached the group.

“Hello, there,” she said brightly. “I'm Fiora. I was wondering if you could tell me more about the different Schools there are at the Academy?”

The group – three young boys and two girls – turned to look at her.

Their expressions ranged from mild amusement to outright disdain.

One of the young men, tall with broad shoulders, raised an eyebrow.

“And you are...?”

Fiora's smile faltered slightly.

“I'm Fiora. From Solara Island. I’ve just arrived and-”

“Solara?” One of the two girls, clearly older than Fiora, interrupted her with a laugh. “Where is that?”

“In the Southern Archipelago, see, I—”

“A backwater island in the Southern Archipelago? Are you trying to get chummy with us, hoping to get into our School? Do you even know who you’re talking to?” The older girl replied, irritated.

The others snickered, and Fiora felt her cheeks burn. Before she could respond, a familiar voice boomed from behind her.

“You, there! What do you think you're doing?”

Fiora turned to see Tulo striding towards her, his face thunderous.

“How did you get in here? This area is for registered recruits only!”

“Captain Tulo, I can explain-” Fiora began, but Tulo cut her off.

“Explain? Explain how you managed to sneak past our security? Do you have any idea how serious this is? You mocked a failed Recruit – the daughter of the Hākai Pō!”

Fiora's temper flared. “I didn't sneak in! I Initiated myself! We killed an Abyssal Cuda, and if you just listen-”

“An Abyssal Cuda?” Tulo scoffed. “Do you expect me to believe that? Let me find someone to escort you out.”

Just then, Talia approached, having noticed the commotion and hoping to smooth things over.

“Captain Tulo? Is everything alright?”

“Talia?” The gruff man looked surprised.

“How did you get here?”

“I heard what Fiora was saying—we did Initiate ourselves, sir.”

“And your Primary Mana Channel…” The man was stunned.

“That problem was solved, too.”

After hearing Talia’s words, Tulo took a step back and re-evaluated Fiora.

But as far as Fiora’s reputation went with those five scions of the Great Families, she had not only lost a lot of respect for her crude approach but was now also being mocked for how Tulo had reprimanded her.

“You two Initiated yourselves together?” Tulo frowned.

“Well, yes,” Talia nodded.

“You mocked the daughter of the Hākai Pō?” The older girl from the Great Families sounded angry. “Do you have no shame?”

Talia was shocked to hear that.

“Lady Nami,” Tulo cleared his voice, taking the opportunity to give Talia an assist, “she’s actually standing right in front of you. This young girl here is the Kraken Slayer’s daughter—the infamous one.”

Talia felt the sting of those words, wondering why Tulo had to put it like that.

But such harsh words seemed to be received completely differently by the Great Family scions.

“By the Deep,” the older girl said, putting a hand in front of her mouth, “you’re the one with the marks?!”

Talia nodded, already exhausted by the thought of what might be coming her way.

Talia braced herself, expecting the usual reactions of hate, fear, and disgust that she had experienced her whole life on Solara.

She anticipated scorn and rejection from these elite Academy students, assuming they would want nothing to do with the “cursed” daughter of the Kraken Slayer. Talia had already made peace with being excluded and ostracized again, figuring that these prestigious recruits from Great Families would shun her just like the villagers back home. She steeled herself for the familiar pain of being treated like a monster, an outcast to be avoided at all costs.

With a heavy heart, Talia prepared to face more of the same prejudice and isolation that had defined her existence up until now.

But surprisingly, it didn’t come.

The girl took her hands in hers and kissed them.

“Your mother saved our entire city. When the Kraken came back at full strength, even though your mother was wounded from another battle with a Boss and wasn’t nearly as strong as when she actually killed the Scourge, she fought through the night together with our families. Ultimately, she was the reason they managed to repel the Kraken…”

The girl hesitated, realizing she had been squishing Talia’s hands.

“Pardon my boldness and my rude manners. I am Lady Nami Moana from Tempest City, of the Moana Family,” the girl curtsied, and Talia was caught completely off-guard.

“I—I am sorry, my name’s Talia, from Solara.”

“Pardon my older sister,” the younger girl came forward, curtsying herself. “She’s very impulsive. I am Princess Lilo Moana from Tempest, heir to the Moana Family.”

A stream of lessons on Great Families made its way back into Talia’s mind.

Tempest City was the biggest city in the West Deep, close to the border with the North – a frequent target of Kraken’s attack.

Most importantly, it housed the Moana Family, who took their name after their first Kraken Slayer, Moana.

If Talia remembered correctly, they had more than five Kraken Slayers in their bloodline, which put them right up with the strongest Great Families in existence, perhaps rivaled and overshadowed by only one or two Great Families in the North Deep.

“It’s a pleasure,” Talia said, embarrassed.

Under any other circumstance, she would have defended Fiora and wouldn’t have been swayed by the rank of these people.

However, this was perhaps the very first time that someone truly showed admiration for who she was.

“Is it true that you killed an Abyssal Cuda without any levels? Did you use magical weapons or artifacts?” Lilo inquired curiously.

“No levels and no artifacts. I had this,” Talia coughed, taking the glaive off her back. “But I didn’t even know it was magical. It’s my mother’s—”

“BY THE DEEP!” Lilo screamed. “THAT’S THE GLAIVE THAT SLAYED THE KRAKEN?!”

That made literally everyone turn.

Nami, her older sister, had to shake her by the arm.

“Lilo, the actual weapon is in the Leviathan’s Arsenal. That’s the Kraken Slayer’s first weapon.”

“Oh,” Lilo seemed embarrassed for the commotion she had created.

Talia wanted to steer the conversation in another direction, trying to mention Fiora’s contribution.

She was sure that the blonde really cared about the Schools, and while Talia had Riala to count on, Fiora had no one.

But despite Talia's attempts to include her in the conversation, Fiora found herself pushed to the edge of the group, her earlier humiliation compounded by being overshadowed so quickly.

As the Great Family scions peppered Talia with questions about her mother and her own abilities, Fiora clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

The admiration in their eyes, so quickly bestowed upon Talia after dismissing her, made her blood boil.

Tulo looked sheepish. “I apologize for the misunderstanding, Fiora,” he said, though his attention was clearly more focused on Talia. “I had no idea you had managed such a feat.”

Fiora forced a tight smile.

“It's fine,” she said, her voice strained.

But internally, she seethed.

This wasn't over.