The heavy iron door of the makeshift prison cell creaked open on its rusty hinges.

The senior student who stood guard there eyed Takai and then let him in. Professor Iakopo himself had given the boy permission for this visit.

Takai stepped into the dimly lit room, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the gloom.

The cell was sparse, containing only a simple cot and a small table.

The lone window was barred, allowing thin slivers of moonlight to filter through.

In the corner, Lilinoe sat on the edge of the cot with her back against the wall. Her wrists were still bound by the mana-draining cuffs, but her posture remained straight as an arrow. She turned her head slightly as Takai entered, her eyes narrowing.

Takai couldn’t believe he was meeting this girl, his alleged sister, the same person who had nearly killed him just hours before. The memory of her blade piercing his flesh was still fresh, making him wince involuntarily.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself before speaking.

“I have questions,” Takai said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I need answers.”

Lilinoe’s lips curved into a mocking smile.

“Oh? Does the weakling need answers? How amusing.”

Her voice dripped with disdain, each word carefully chosen to wound.

Takai clenched his fists, fighting to maintain his composure.

“Why did you attack me? What have I ever done to you?”

Lilinoe leaned forward, her eyes glinting in the dim light.

“Your very existence is an insult to our father’s legacy. You’re a reminder of his weakness, a stain on the Sword Demon’s reputation.”

Her words stung, but Takai pressed on.

“You keep talking about our father. How do I know you’re really his daughter? Where have you been all this time?”

A harsh laugh escaped Lilinoe’s lips.

“Where have I been? Training. Growing stronger. Becoming worthy of the Sword Demon’s - of our father’s - heritage. While you’ve been playing at being a Water Rider, I’ve been honing my skills in ways you couldn’t even imagine.”

Takai’s tried to reconcile this new information with everything he thought he knew about his family.

“But why?” he asked, his voice cracking slightly. “Why would our father train you and abandon me and my mother?”

For the first time since he entered the cell, Lilinoe’s expression changed.

The mocking smile faded, replaced by a look of cold seriousness.

She stood up slowly, moving closer to Takai until they were face to face.

“You want to know why Father abandoned you and your mother?” Lilinoe’s voice was low, almost a whisper. “It’s simple, really. Father only recognizes strength. You and your mother are weak.”

The words hit Takai like a physical blow.

He stumbled back, his back pressing against the cold stone wall.

“That’s... that’s not true,” he mumbled, more to himself than Lilinoe. “That’s insane.”

“Insane? What else do you think father cares about? What else do you think this entire Great Archipelago cares about, little Takai? Strength. It’s all about strength.”

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“Dad didn’t even see me grow up. I wasn’t even five when he left. How did he even know that I was weak? This makes no sense,” Takai rebutted.

“You really know nothing, little brother. Do you think that a test can only assess talent when you’re sixteen? You really know nothing about the Deep. You really know nothing about what the Great Families are capable of. What their real strength is. You have seen nothing of this world.”

Lilinoe’s words cut deep.

“Face it, little brother. You’re nothing but a disappointment. A failed experiment. Father saw your weakness and cut his losses. He had me months before he had you, then molded me into the warrior he always wanted when he saw that my talent would be much greater than yours.”

“We’re the same age?” Takai asked, incredulous. “Wait, Dad cheated on Mom?”

Lilinoe didn’t even answer to that.

She just said, “Strength is everything, little brother. Dad knew it. He needed a bloodline. He needed a true heir.”

“Strength isn’t everything. You’re not a good person--that’s important.”

Lilinoe scoffed, turning away from him.

“Keep telling yourself that, weakling. But remember this: in the real world, only the strong survive. And you? You’re nothing but prey.”

Takai opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out.

He turned and stumbled out of the cell.

Exiting the building, he leaned against its wall, trying to process everything he had just heard.

However, the echo of Lilinoe’s words haunted him.

“Weak.”

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of Placid City, Talia and Keanu walked side by side down a desolate street. The abandoned buildings loomed over them with empty, broken windows staring down like hollow eyes.

The occasional gust of wind whistled through the deserted alleys, carrying the faint scent of salt and rotten wood.

Talia’s glaive was strapped to her back.

Keanu’s daggers were sheathed at his sides, but his hands never strayed far from them. Both students remained on edge since the place was so creepy.

“It’s hard to believe this place was once an actual city,” Talia remarked, looking at the dilapidated structures around them. Many buildings showed signs of extensive damage – crumbling walls, collapsed roofs, and debris scattered all over.

Keanu nodded in agreement.

“Yeah. I wonder what exactly happened here to leave it in such a state.”

That was the question most students had been asking themselves, but the locals seemed very skittish about the topic, especially in Professor Iakopo’s presence.

After a few minutes, Talia turned to Keanu.

“By the way, thank you for watching my back during the battle. When I was healing Takai and the others.”

Keanu’s face broke into a warm smile.

“No need to thank me. Professor Iakopo was looking at you even when he was helping others, and I’m sure he would have intervened if he had to. Besides, your healing skills were incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I’m just glad I could help. I don’t think much of my skill’s healing part.”

“Well, you should,” the boy replied with a smile.

Then, a thoughtful expression crossed Keanu’s face.

“Speaking of which, what are your goals, Talia? Why did you come to the Academy?”

Talia’s eyes lit up. “I’m going to become the next Hākai Pō,” she declared without hesitation. “I’ll surpass even my mother’s legacy.”

Keanu’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “That’s... quite the ambition. But wait, doesn’t becoming the Hākai Pō involve slaying the Kraken? How do you know it’s still alive?”

Talia’s expression turned enigmatic.

“Let’s just say I have my reasons for believing the Kraken is still out there.”

Keanu looked like he wanted to say more but instead changed the subject.

“You know, I’d really like to get to know the Moana sisters better. They seem interesting.”

“They are,” Talia agreed. “Lilo and Nami are great.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Keanu’s face, but he quickly masked it.

“Really? That’s... good to hear. Nobles are not usually…”

Before Talia could ask about his reaction, they found themselves in front of a small, well-maintained building.

A hand-painted sign above the door read “Lana’s General Store.”

“This is the place Professor Iakopo stopped at before, no?” Talia said. “Should we check it out?”

Keanu nodded, and they approached the store.

As they pushed open the door, a small bell chimed, announcing their arrival.

The interior of the store was in contrast to the desolation outside.

Many shelves linedrisingly well-kept compared to the rui, outside. Shelves lined the walls, stocked with canned foods and basic supplies.

A woman in her thirties stood behind the counter, her hair in a tight bun.

“Welcome!” she said brightly. “You’re the Water Rider students, aren’t you? I’m Lana.”

After quick introductions, Lana disappeared into a back room before they could say more. She returned with sandwiches and two glasses of juice.

“Here,” she said. “You must be starving.”

They were. As they ate, Lana asked about their journey and the Academy.

“What do you think of Placid City?” she asked, watching them closely.

“It’s different than we expected,” Talia said. “Why is everything abandoned?”

Something flickered across Lana’s face. “People leave small cities. Looking for better things elsewhere. Those of us still here, we manage.”

Talia wasn’t convinced. “You seem to know Professor Iakopo well?”

Lana’s cheerful demeanor vanished. “He’s... helped our city. For a long time now.”

The door burst open before Talia could press further. Mayor Boro stumbled in, out of breath. His eyes widened when he saw them.

“Lana!” He collected himself. “Oh, visitors. Wonderful. Lana, back to work please. And you two - Professor Iakopo must be looking for you.”

He practically pushed them out the door.

“Thank you for your help today. But best not keep the Professor waiting!”