“So, what do I do?” Talia wondered, walking around the sphere.

There was no entrance nor any part that wasn’t perfectly smooth, possibly indicating a way in.

“Do I just…” She got closer, straining her eyes to see what was inside.

This was clearly powerful magic, far beyond anything she had encountered before.

But if it helped her access her Primary Mana Channel, she had to try.

Taking a deep breath, Talia stepped forward and placed her hand on the surface of the mysterious sphere.

It was cool to the touch, and she could feel the vibrations of the storm within.

Closing her eyes, she focused on her Dark Water Affinity, trying to connect with the energy swirling before her.

But just like when she attempted to summon a Mana Board, Talia felt nothing.

No response, no connection, not even a flicker of recognition from the magic within the sphere.

She pushed harder, straining to feel something – anything.

But whatever magic Dark Water was, it stayed out of reach.

Frustration welled up inside Talia.

She pulled her hand away from the sphere, clenching it into a fist at her side.

Why wasn't this working?

More importantly, what was she even trying to do?

Mano had given her no indication of how she was supposed to interact – if at all – with the Darkstorm Sphere.

He just said that Maui, her father, had spent a lot of time training here.

Was there something wrong with her?

Or was there something she didn’t know?

She paced around the room, her footsteps echoing in the chamber.

The constant patter of rain within the sphere and the sporadic thunder filled the silence.

Talia ran her fingers through her hair, trying to think.

Maybe I'm approaching this wrong, she thought. Dark Water isn't my best Affinity. I've barely tapped into it. Let me just…

Talia closed her eyes, focusing on her Blood Magic instead and taking a knife to her palm.

This, at least, was familiar territory.

She felt the power respond immediately, warm and alive in her veins. Opening her eyes, she saw a small orb of blood hovering above her palm.

Okay, that still works, she thought with relief.

But how does this help me with Dark Water or my Primary Mana Channel?

I guess at least it proves I’m not having Mana problems.

She dissipated the blood orb and turned back to the Darkstorm Sphere.

“Dad had mastered Dark Water, right?” She asked out loud, the gears in her brain spinning. “Mano even mentioned Dark Water himself. I mean… could he have swindled me? Is there a chance that this is not what he said it was because he just wanted to get the information on the Leviathan Hall?”

Carelessly, without even thinking, she touched the Darkstorm Sphere with her bloodied hand while deep in thought.

The moment Talia's bloodied hand made contact with the Darkstorm Sphere, though, a jolt of energy surged through her body.

Before she could react, an invisible force pulled her forward, and she found herself stumbling through the sphere's edge as if it were nothing more than a curtain of water.

A ripple went through the glassy surface as Talia tumbled into the world of chaos and darkness.

The interior of the Darkstorm Sphere was as furious, if not even more, as what it looked like from the outside.

Dark, roiling clouds surrounded her, and their edges were illuminated by frequent flashes of lightning.

Electric currents snaked through the air while rain lashed at her face.

Her hair whipped wildly in the wind.

The rain felt more like tiny needles than water.

At least, Talia realized, she wasn’t sinking in the mock-ocean.

The storm raged all around her, but somehow, she was standing on a flat surface.

As her eyes adjusted to the gloom, Talia realized she was standing on what appeared to be a black stone.

The temperature inside the sphere was significantly colder than in the room outside, and Talia felt a chill seep into her bones.

The constant rumble of thunder reverberated through her chest, so loud it drowned out her rapid heartbeat.

But what attracted her attention was a muffled whooshing that resounded intermittently.

Through the darkness, she saw what could only be described as streams of dark energy that whirled in and out of the existence around the sphere.

Is this Dark Water? She wondered.

It looked like it, but Talia didn’t really know what to do about it.

Was she supposed to touch it?

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And then what?

Talia had come here after the Mana Board lesson because she had felt useless and wanted to reclaim control, but once again, this was completely beyond her.

There’s clearly something I’m missing.

I bet Dad used some special technique to practice.

I can’t just walk in here and expect this to work…

Does this mean I need to get in touch with him if I want to use Dark Water?

With all that Talia had gleaned about her father from the conversation with Elder Krakatoa, Riala, and Mano, she wasn’t sure that contacting him was the best thing to do.

In fact, she got the feeling that the more she kept away from the man, the better.

At the same time, if she wanted any chance at mastering Dark Water and—

Damn it, Dad might actually know why I can’t use Mana Board.

And if he does, that means he might help me solve my problem.

Talia sighed, looking at the fake sky over the sphere’s dome.

All that coming here had done was to reinforce how useless she felt and that she clearly needed help – most likely her father’s.

Whatever… I might get in touch with Mano and ask him to contact Dad.

But as she turned on her heels to leave, something happened.

It was nothing extraordinary.

Talia simply slipped.

She had really underestimated how slippery the black stone surface was.

She face-planted on the floor so hard, banging her nose and teeth, that she spat out a big glob of blood onto the black surface.

What happened next, however… that was quite extraordinary.

As Talia's blood hit the black stone surface, an unexpected reaction occurred.

The droplets seemed to come alive, spreading out across the floor in intricate patterns. The dark liquid began to glow. Talia scrambled to her feet, watching with fascination and alarm as the glowing blood patterns grew more complex.

Suddenly, the air around her began to shimmer and distort.

The howling wind and lashing rain of the Darkstorm Sphere seemed to fade into the background, replaced by an otherworldly silence.

The swirling streams of Dark Water suddenly became much more physical and began to gather at the other side of the sphere.

As Talia watched, transfixed, the dark streams began to coalesce, forming a whirling vortex of energy.

The vortex grew larger and more intense, its center darkening to an inky black.

Talia felt a pull, not a physical one but rather mental, drawing her attention deeper into the swirling mass. As she stared into the depths of the vortex, the darkness began to shift and change.

Some shapes started to form within it, blurry at first but gradually becoming clearer.

It was as if she was peering through a window into another time and place.

Through the vortex, she saw a figure in the distance.

It was a man – his features were indistinct, like a living shadow.

He stood with his arms outstretched, Dark Water swirling around him.

The man began to move in fluid motions.

With a sharp movement of his right hand, he sent a tendril of Dark Water snaking through the air. His left hand rose, palm up, and a sphere of the dark substance formed above it, pulsing with energy.

The figure moved his body in patterns similar to some martial arts forms.

As he spun in a circle, the Dark Water formed a protective layer around him.

The man then pushed both hands forward, creating a large wave of Dark Water that hit an unseen barrier.

This caused the vision to briefly distort.

When the image cleared, the man stood with his feet apart and knees bent.

He raised his arms, causing tendrils of Dark Water to rise and wrap around his limbs.

Using precise hand movements, the man shaped the Dark Water to his will.

As Talia watched, unable to move or speak from the stupor, another figure appeared.

This one she recognized immediately, despite her younger appearance.

It was her mother, Yalena, looking no older than Talia.

Yalena ran toward the shadowy figure, her white hair streaming behind her.

"Stop!" she cried. "Please, you have to stop this! It’s eating too much of your vitality! You will die like this!"

The shadowy man turned, lowering his arms.

The Dark Water continued to swirl around him, but its patterns became less frenzied.

"I'm so close," the man's voice was strained, almost desperate. It was distorted, too, as if the vision was somehow imperfect. "We need this power, Yalena. To protect everyone, to stop the Kraken once and for all."

Yalena reached him, throwing her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest.

"Not like this," she pleaded, her voice muffled but intense. "Look at what it's doing to you. Your body can't handle it."

Talia finally noticed that the man's form seemed to waver and distort where the Dark Water touched him.

It was as if the energy was eating away at his very being.

"It's too dangerous," Yalena's muffled voice reached Talia's ears. "We'll find another way, I promise. But not this. Never this. I can't lose you to this power."

The man's shoulders sagged, the weight of exhaustion evident in his posture.

"But if I can master it... if I can control it..."

The shadowy figure – which must have been Talia's father, she realized with a jolt – wrapped his arms around Yalena.

"No one can truly control it," Yalena insisted, her hands moving upward to cup his face. "We’ll find the Dark Water Well. I have narrowed down its location. It’s in Placid City! Please, stop! I love you—”

Before her mother could finish her sentence, the Dark Water began to dissipate, fading into wisps of mist that were quickly swept away by the wind.

* * *

Talia finally managed to stumble back into the circular room, gasping for breath.

Her clothes were somehow dry, but she could still feel the phantom sensation of rain on her skin.

Her mind reeled, trying to process what she had just seen.

In the vision, her father had been trying to master Dark Water.

Her mother, young and desperate, had begged him to stop.

What did it mean?

What had her father been trying to do?

Before she could begin to untangle her thoughts, something happened.

The surface of the Darkstorm Sphere rippled, and an object shot out, landing at Talia's feet with a wet thud.

It was a book – a journal, by the looks of it.

The leather cover was soaked, with water dripping from its corners.

But as Talia picked it up, she could see that the pages inside were somehow still legible.

With trembling hands, she opened the journal to its first page.

Her breath caught in her throat as she read the inscription:

"To my dearest Yalena. May this journal help you understand the choices I've made and the path I must walk. Forever yours, M."

Talia's heart pounded in her chest. This was her father's journal, addressed to her mother.

It could hold answers to questions she hadn't even known to ask.

The circular room fell silent as Talia departed, the Darkstorm Sphere continuing its endless tempest behind her.

As her departing footsteps faded down the corridor, a figure seemingly emerged from a puddle of shadows in the room.

Mano, the scarred information broker, stepped into the dim light.

His mismatched eyes scanned the room, ensuring he was alone.

Satisfied, he pulled out a small, iridescent shell from his pocket – a communication device rarely seen outside of certain circles.

He brought the shell close to his mouth – his voice barely above a whisper.

"I’ve just arrived in the room—I saw your daughter leave."

There was a moment of silence, then a voice responded from the shell.

Though quiet, the deep, authoritative tone was unmistakable.

It was Maui, Talia's father.

"And?" Maui's voice crackled through the shell.

"The Darkstorm Sphere wasn’t active—there’s no Dark Water residue," Mano replied, his scarred face twisting into a grim expression.

“What about the other matter? Awa is waiting for instructions.”

“He’ll come to Placid City. He’s made the arrangements already.”

“And Talia?” Maui asked from the shell.

“Your daughter couldn’t master Mana Board nor Dark Water, apparently. It shouldn’t be long before she comes to ask me to get in touch with you.”

“Good,” Maui said after a pause. “Are you sure about Placid City?”

"My source is reliable. Iakopo doesn't suspect a thing."

Another pause. Then, Maui spoke again.

"Good. Keep watching him. Let me know if anything changes."

"Of course," Mano agreed. “One more thing. She found a journal?”

“Interesting,” Maui replied. “But not important.”

"And what about you?” Mano asked “Are you settling this matter yourself?

“Awa’s taking charge,” Maui said. “I’m not getting involved.”

“Surprising,” Mano laughed and then slapped his forehead with sudden realization. “By the way, other than Kahua, your daughter suspects Iakopo as well. Isn’t that ironic?”

A longer silence followed.

When Maui finally responded, his voice was hard.

"Make sure nothing happens to her, Mano. If that bastard does anything to her before his times comes, I will storm the Academy myself."

"Understood," Mano said with a note of fear in his voice.

The communication ended, leaving Mano alone in the room with the swirling Darkstorm Sphere.

He stared at it for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

With a final glance at the Sphere, Mano slipped back into the shadows, leaving behind no trace of his presence.