Against all expectations, Talia heard the same voice she had heard when facing the three Abyssal Scuttlers without her weapon on Solara – the same voice that had saved her from certain death, but also the same voice that had her choose the Crimson Sage Talent Tree, which had brought Talia to meet her father, Maui.

Her mother's voice came, sad and almost carrying disapproval.

"You're about to lose."

"He's a second-year student," Talia said, unable to believe that the second time she heard her mother's voice in this gray space was to hear her reprimand her.

But soon, her mother's voice grew softer.

"I know, but only heroes face hard battles way beyond their power. That's the crucible of all heroes."

Even though Talia understood what her mother was saying, she really couldn't do anything about the fact that this guy was so much stronger than her.

She didn't have much to go on compared to him; the Abyssal Scuttlers had been as easy as treading coastal water.

"You're my daughter," Yelena's voice came stronger than before. "Do you really think you can't do it?"

"What do you expect me to do?" Talia rebuked.

"I expect you to open your Akashic Record and look at your Talent Trees," the voice of her mother carried some mischief.

Talia looked at her Talent Trees.

The previous time her mother had appeared to her in this weird time vacuum, Crimson Sage had been highlighted in red.

This time, she saw that another tree had been highlighted in red.

[Talent Trees:

* Bloodborne Warrior

* Carmine Thunder

* Sanguine Guardian

* Hemomantic Artisan

* Crimson Sage (1)

* Life Thief

]

It was Hemomantic Artisan.

Talia knew it meant she was being told to choose that Talent Tree, but she couldn't understand why exactly.

Hemomantic Artisan was the Intelligence-based Talent Tree.

What could be hiding under the first branch of the Hemomantic Artisan Talent Tree?

What kind of skill could she ever gain from it that would save her from the lightning spear that Kano had just hurled at her?

Most likely, under the Hemomantic Artisan, there was some sort of attack spell.

That was what usually hid under an Intelligence-based Talent Tree. Talent Trees based on Intelligence were the stuff of casters like Fiora. But Talia, thanks to her glaive, clearly had more of a physical warrior aptitude than a caster’s. Her Soul Weapon was literally one of the most brutish weapons a Water Rider could wield.

Then why was her mother suggesting Hemomantic Artisan?

No casting spell or attack was going to save her from this battle—not at her level.

"Is my father going to visit me again?" Talia asked with sarcasm dripping from her words.

She wasn't happy about how the last meeting with her mother had ended. Not that she wasn't glad for her mother saving her life, but her father had clearly stated, among the rest of the traumatic revelations, that it was her choosing Crimson Wisdom that had brought him to her. She hadn't even asked why; that's how flabbergasted she had been by the whole event.

"I don't think so," her mother's voice replied in a neutral tone.

"I need you to tell me more," Talia frowned. "What is happening? What is this? Where are you? Are you alive? Are you inside me? Where are you?" Talia sounded desperate.

"I'm alive," her mother revealed, making Talia's heart skip a beat.

Talia's heart raced as she absorbed her mother's words.

Alive. Her mother was alive. Questions flooded her mind, but before she could voice them, her mother spoke again.

"Focus, Talia. You need to unlock Hemomantic Artisan now."

Talia hesitated, still overwhelmed by the revelation.

But the urgency in her mother's voice spurred her to action. She opened her Akashic Record and selected the Hemomantic Artisan Talent Tree.

[You unlocked the Hemomantic Artisan Talent Tree.]

[New Auxiliary Skill obtained!]

[Blood Confluence]

"What does it do?" Talia asked, studying the unfamiliar ability.

"It enhances you and your spells, decreasing your Mana costs. But you need to use it, Talia. Now."

How’s that going to help?

Talia sighed and activated the skill, feeling a sudden rush of energy. Her senses sharpened, and she felt more connected to her magic than ever before.

But she still felt panic as she looked at the lightning spear hurtling towards her.

"How do I stop it?" she cried out, fear rising in her chest.

"You're my daughter," her mother's voice rang out, filled with pride and determination. "You will win."

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The gray world around her began to flicker and fade.

“Mom! I can’t! This Skill is not enough!”

Talia could feel desperation clawing at her heart.

Just as the world started to dissolve, her mother's voice came again, softer this time.

"Elder Kahua... he knew about the trap. He could have warned me, but he didn't. Remember that, Talia."

Those were the last words her mother left her before disappearing. Talia’s eyes went wide as she glanced at the Elder who had put her in this unfair situation.

Anger flared up in Talia's chest, hot and fierce.

The gray domain shattered, and she found herself back in the present, facing Kano's attack.

She felt a fury like never before seize her body, burning through her vein like hot lava.

He had known something that would have Mom? What, exactly?!

How dare Elder Kahua set this up?

How dare he threaten to expel her when he might have played a part in her mother's disappearance?

And Kano – willing to seriously hurt her just to keep his place in the School.

Talia's rage kept building up – an inferno of emotions.

She reached for her wrist marks, no longer caring about the consequences.

She needed power. She needed to win. She needed to show them all that she wasn't someone to be trifled with.

Talia’s plans had been to reach for the same power that had saved her during Professor Iakopo’s test.

But something was different this time.

When Talia looked at her wrists, with her vitality and power enhanced by [Blood Confluence], she saw something else.

There wasn’t just power there… there was more.

The familiar power was there, but it was accompanied by something new, something darker.

She didn’t even know what exactly it was that she was feeling, she just felt a sort of gravitational pull and allowed the power to sweep through her body.

Her eyes went wide as she got another notification.

[You have unlocked Secondary Mana Channel - Dark Water]

The Affinity surged coldly through her body.

It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

Talia instinctively tapped into her new power.

Kano's lightning spear flew at her, crackling with deadly energy.

But Talia no longer felt fear.

Instead, a cold determination settled over her.

She raised her hand, the Dark Water Mana coalescing around her fingers.

She shaped the energy into a massive serpent-like attack of inky water.

It burst forth from her palm, meeting Kano's attack head-on.

The clash was devastating.

The lightning arced and sputtered as it made contact with the Dark Water serpent.

But instead of dissipating, the serpent seemed to devour the electricity, growing larger and more menacing.

Gasps and cries of shock echoed through the hall.

The students scrambled backward, pressing themselves against the walls to escape the magical onslaught.

Even Elder Kahua's eyes widened in disbelief at the display of power before him.

Kano's confident expression morphed into one of terror as he watched his attack being consumed.

He tried to pour more energy into the lightning spear, but it was futile.

The Dark Water serpent surged forward, unstoppable. In mere seconds, it had devoured the entirety of Kano's spell.

But it didn't stop there.

The construct, now twice its original size, lunged at the second-year student with frightening speed.

Kano attempted to dodge, but he was too slow.

The serpent crashed into him with tremendous force, engulfing him in a whirlpool of Dark Water.

His screams were muffled by the roaring torrent as he was lifted off his feet and slammed against the far wall.

The impact shook the entire room.

Cracks spider-webbed across the stone where Kano had struck the wall.

When the Dark Water receded, dispersing in dark fumes on the pavement, he crumpled to the floor, unmoving.

A deathly silence fell over the hall.

All eyes turned to Talia, who stood at the center of the room, her Dark Water Mana still swirling around her.

For a moment, no one dared to move.

The sheer display of power had stunned everyone into immobility.

Talia herself seemed frozen, struggling to process what had just happened.

The rush of the new Affinity, the overwhelming strength of the spell – it was all too much to take in.

Then, reality came crashing down and whispers broke out among the students.

Talia caught snatches of their words.

"Did you see that?"

“Is he still breathing?”

"Dark Water... but how?"

"She killed him!"

"What kind of monster is she?"

Monster.

The word brought Talia a veritable tsunami of painful memories.

All her life, she had fought against that label.

And now, after everything she had done to prove herself, to show that she belonged...

She looked down at her hands, the Dark Water not there anymore

Was this what she truly was?

A monster?

Across the room, Kano groaned weakly.

Two students rushed to his side, carefully helping him into a sitting position.

His clothes were in tatters, and angry red welts covered his exposed skin where the Dark Water had lashed at him.

He coughed, spitting out a mouthful of water tinted with blood.

The sight snapped Elder Kahua out of his shock.

His face contorted with fury as he strode toward Talia, magic flaring around him in a brilliant display of power.

"How dare you?!" he thundered, his voice echoing off the walls. "You attacked him with such dangerous, uncontrolled, FILTHY magic in my School? You could have killed him! If you had a full control over it, he would have been fully consumed, you FOOL!"

Talia took a step back, overwhelmed by the Elder's rage.

She opened her mouth to speak and defend herself, but no words came out.

What could she say?

She hardly even understood what had just happened.

Elder Kahua's magic intensified, and the air around him shimmered with uncontained power.

"I knew you were trouble from the moment you arrived," he snarled. "Just like—” The Elder stopped himself midway. “Reckless. Dangerous. A threat to everyone around you."

Is he talking about my Mom? Did he really do it?

Apparently, there were people who thought that Yalena had been reckless.

But now that Talia knew that her mother was still alive and out there somewhere, perhaps needing her, in infused Talia with courage.

But before she could shout at the man, furious about what the shadow of her mother had just told her about Elder Kahua betraying her, Riala stepped between them.

Her sister's face was pale, but her jaw was set with determination.

"Elder Kahua," Riala said, her voice steady despite the tension in the room. "This is enough. The test is over."

The Elder's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Step aside, Riala. This goes beyond a simple test now. Your sister has proven herself to be a danger to this entire Academy!”

Talia felt her blood boil.

For a moment, it seemed Elder Kahua might lash out at Riala as well.

The air crackled with magical energy, setting everyone's teeth on edge.

However, instead of stepping aside, a gigantic aura erupted forth from Riala, pushing back the Elder.

“I said,” the white-haired girl spoke slowly and angrily, “this is it. The test is done.”

Slowly, the Elder's fury seemed to abate.

"Very well," he said, his voice cold. "But this isn't over. The Principal will hear about your sister’s incident."

Talia's mind reeled.

The Principal? Surely they wouldn't expel her for this?

But as she looked around the room, at the fear in her fellow students' eyes, at Kano's battered form, she realized just how serious the situation was.

Unable to bear the weight of their stares any longer, Talia turned and fled.

She pushed past the crowd of students, ignoring their startled cries.

She ran through the halls of Elder Kahua's School. She needed to get away.

Behind her, she could hear Riala calling her name.

But she didn't stop.

She couldn't face her sister right now.

Not after all she had heard from her mother.

As Talia disappeared around a corner, Elder Kahua turned to address the remaining students.

"Return to your dormitories," he ordered. "My Classes are canceled for the rest of the day."

The students filed out quietly, still shaken by what they had witnessed.

Soon, only Elder Kahua and Riala remained in the hall.

"Sir," Riala began, now meeker, "about Talia-"

Elder Kahua cut her off with a sharp gesture.

"I warned you about this, Riala. I told you bringing her here was a mistake."

"She's my sister," Riala protested.

“You’re your mother’s daughter. She clearly is her father’s.”

"She deserves a chance, just like anyone else."

The Elder's eyes narrowed.

"She's exactly like your father, Riala. It's only a matter of time until she turns into a monster like him."

Riala flinched at his words, pain flashing across her face.

He turned away, his shoulders sagging with a weariness that made him seem far older than his years.

"Go. Find your sister. Make sure she doesn't cause any more damage. I need to report this to the Principal."

As Riala hurried out of the hall, Elder Kahua stayed behind, lost in thought. He gazed at the destruction left in the wake of Talia's power.

"Yalena," he murmured to himself, "what have you unleashed upon us?"