Talia sat cross-legged on her bed in the small, sparsely furnished room she had been assigned in Placid City.

She had her father's journal open in front of her. She had hoped to find some information about the Dark Water Well--anything that could give her a hint about the current situation.

Things were going poorly, to say the least.

Talia's brow furrowed as she ran her fingers over the journal.

She had thought that by exposing her wrist marks to the text for longer, she might be able to decipher more of its contents.

However, the words remained stubbornly indecipherable even with her strange birthmarks hovering just above the paper.

They trembled and vibrated, but most of it was still impossible to read.

She could make out barely a few scattered words here and there behind the love letters that her father had seemingly written to her mother.

No more than that.

“Come on,” she muttered. “There has to be something here.”

She knew that understanding more about Dark Water could be crucial, especially given the mentions of a Dark Water Well by both Lilinoe and her mother in the vision from the Darkstorm Sphere.

Any information was vital, as there was a growing sense that something big was about to happen in Placid City.

Any power she could reach for could make a difference, especially Dark Water.

Talia flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning for any hint of legibility.

As she did so, a loose sheet of paper slipped from between the journal's pages, fluttering to the floor.

Curious, she leaned down to retrieve it, her fingers closing around the fragile parchment.

As she unfolded the paper, her eyes widened.

Most of the love letters in the journal were a little faded and somewhat incoherent as if they had been scribbled down in haste.

This one, though, seemed genuine, not just a cover for whatever was hidden behind the pages.

“My dearest Yalena,” Talia read aloud, her voice barely above a whisper.

Taking a deep breath, she continued reading.

“My dearest Yalena,

Sometimes, I think about the lighting I used to see every day at home.

I feel like you were the greatest thunderbolt of my life.

In the way lighting splits the darkness in the sky and tears the gloomy nights apart, my love for you has split the twilight of my heart.

I wish our days together would never end.

I am ready to follow you anywhere,

Forever yours, M.”

Talia lowered the letter with conflicting emotions.

The words were undeniably sweet, filled with a deep feeling that she had never associated with her parents’ relationship for some reason.

Perhaps… because she had never really thought of them?

Well, I never really… met them.

Yes, she had met her father and saw her mother in weird, time-stopped visions.

But she had never seen them sip a tea or have a chat about the latest bounty from the fishing boats, whether they’d have to eat more fruits or whether it hadn’t rained much lately.

She had never heard of them or from them in an everyday context.

“He really loved her,” Talia murmured, a note of wonder in her voice. “Maybe I should get in touch with him—maybe he would help me with Dark Water.”

Considering how dire the situation was growing day after day, it wasn’t a crazy thought to try to get in touch with her father, too.

He was a big deal, apparently.

Maybe I can send a message to Mano?

Would it even reach Dad in time?

And how would I send the message to Mano anyway?

It’s not like Mayor Boro’s office has a line to the Market, do they?

She trailed off, her gaze drifting to the window.

The view outside was still gray and dreary. With a sigh, she carefully folded the letter and slipped it back into the journal.

As touching as the words were, they didn't provide any useful info to her.

What did they need the Dark Water Well for anyway? Talia pondered. What was Mom up to?

Talia's hand unconsciously moved to her glaive, which leaned against the bed within easy reach. She wondered why she had gotten [Ravenous Wounds].

The power she had felt at that moment had been terrifying. The hunger that had coursed through her, the overwhelming desire to drain the life force from everything around her... it was a feeling that had horrified her.

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It had been a while since she had last had a real problem with her powers.

But now, even with Keanu telling her that it was fine, that she had simply momentarily lost control, even with Nami and Lilo always complimenting her and envying her Skills, she couldn’t help but feel like the monster everyone on Solara had made her be.

What kind of Skill was that?

Talia knew, at least on an intellectual level, that Skills couldn’t be evil.

[Ravenous Wounds], the Star Glaive’s Skill she had unlocked after pouring the ocean of vitality from her body into the Star Glaive clearly looked powerful, but what really scared her about it was how it had influenced her thoughts.

She had felt genuine hunger, a genuine need to consume Keanu, to take his blood.

Maybe some Skills are inherently evil.

How could it not be evil to consume lives just like that?

How many criminals and monsters would I be able to consume before my appetite would turn toward my friends?

What would they say when, after losing my mind, I would attack them, trying to consume them?

Talia didn’t know.

Or maybe, I just need to master it.

Something was undeniable.

For all she was afraid of turning into the Kraken’s spawn, as they had treated her back on Solara, [Ravenous Wounds] might become her most terrifying weapon if she ever mastered it without falling to its hunger.

It almost got Keanu out, and he only had a small cut…

Maybe she would have to go hunting alone, to seek monsters by herself to test it out, where she could unleash the terrible Skill without worrying about hurting her friends.

She gave one last look at the journal.

“What am I missing here?” Talia muttered, frustration creeping into her voice once more. “There has to be something to unlock this.”

But no matter how hard she searched, the journal remained stubbornly uncooperative.

After what felt like hours of fruitless examination, Talia finally closed the book with a defeated sigh.

* * *

Meanwhile, Takai trudged along the sandy shoreline in another part of Placid City with his shoulders slumped.

He had just emerged from one of the rotations in the Placid Cave. While he had managed to hold his own against the Torpedo Snappers, he couldn't shake the feeling of inadequacy that clung to him like a second skin.

Lilinoe's words echoed in his mind.

“Weak... unworthy... a disappointment.”

His own sister, not much older than him, if at all, had disposed of him as if he had been nothing. He had started thinking that maybe he was on a tear, especially after talking to Principal Kaimana, but now…

Takai kicked at a small pebble, watching it skitter across the sand before being swallowed by an incoming wave.

“Maybe she's right,” he muttered, his voice barely audible over the sound of the sea. “Maybe I am weak. Maybe that's why Dad left.”

The thought of his father brought a fresh wave of confusion and pain.

Takai had spent years imagining what it would be like to meet his father.

Somewhat foolishly, even though he knew that his father was a criminal, he had always wanted to prove himself worthy of the man's legacy.

Sure, the Sword Demon was feared, but with that fear also came reverence.

His sword skills, after all, were legendary.

Even Elder Krakatoa mentioned his father’s incredible swordsmanship.

Takai knew he himself wasn’t anything special, but he had hoped he would have been able to somehow do something that would have given his father a reason to at least talk to him.

But now, faced with Lilinoe almost killing him without barely breaking a sweat, those dreams felt childish and naive. Takai's hand moved unconsciously to his chest, where he could feel the faint pulse of the Heavenly Heart Rending Technique if he paid attention to it.

It was the technique Principal Kaimana had tested him for.

Yet, right when he had thought he would have gained something to make him worthy of his father’s name, all his hopes had been washed away.

He should have never even hoped for it.

Maybe he should have never left Solara.

He probably wouldn’t have left if it hadn’t been for Talia.

“A technique that all it requires is a good heart,” Takai said bitterly, kicking at the sand. “And I can't even use that. What does that say about me?”

Lilo, who had been in his group during the exploration of the Placid Cave, had inherited a Soul Weapon, White Rose.

She was the heir of the Moana Family.

And not just the heir—she was the Chosen, the Promised Slayer.

He had felt such a power behind the girl’s attack during Elder Krakatoa’s class that he knew for sure that if they had ever met in a real fight, he would have been crushed and humiliated.

Just like with Lilinoe.

Maybe his sister could have faced someone of Lilo’s level—not certainly him.

Lilo had destroyed his sword by accident.

That was the difference between them.

The Chosen of the Moana Family was part of a category of people destined to be heroes.

Him?

Takai smiled bitterly.

He was destined to be so weak that his own father didn’t even want to acknowledge his existence.

“What would you think of me now, Dad?” Takai asked at the empty beach, his voice cracking slightly. “Would you be disappointed? Is that why you left Mom and me behind?”

The lack of response from the uncaring Deep only deepened Takai's melancholy. He had felt strong when, aboard Professor Iakopo’s ship, he had used [Silver Mist]. He had felt like he was on his father’s tracks and that he could do better—at least in the good deeds department.

Something that the Heavenly Heart Rending Technique had clearly disproved.

So, with shame washing over him, he continued his solitary walk along the shore.

Lilinoe, his half-sister, the daughter his father had chosen to train, was too strong.

“She's everything I'm not,” Takai murmured. “Strong, talented..."

Professor Iakopo had allowed him to see her after Takai had told him who she was.

But Takai wasn’t sure that had been a great choice.

Takai's steps slowed as he approached a large piece of driftwood half-buried in the sand.

He sank down onto it as the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky orange and pink.

“I don't know what to do,” Takai admitted to the empty air.

Never so much in his life had he felt the need to be loved by a parent he had never met before.

* * *

A Few Days Later

At night, something was going down in the town square in Placid City. A crowd had gathered, but no one could believe what was being said.

At the center of it all stood Professor Iakopo.

He wasn’t acting high and mighty like usual.

He was…

Indignant.

Two Water Riders from the Academy, dressed in crisp uniforms and with grim expressions, flanked the man.

One held a pair of mana-absorbing cuffs that glowed in the night.

“This is ridiculous,” Iakopo growled, his voice carrying across the square. “I demand to know the meaning of this!”

The taller of the two Water Riders stepped forward.

“Professor Iakopo, you are under arrest on suspicion of endangering students, collaborating with Cultists, and gross negligence in your duties as a Water Rider.”

A collective gasp rose from the crowd.

Students who respected and feared Iakopo looked at him in shock.

The locals whispered among themselves.

Professor Iakopo's own face contorted with rage.

“This is absurd! I have protected these people and these useless students! I have trained more good Water Riders than anyone at the Academy! And now, those with shoddy standards, you two pesky nobles want to cuff me?!”

“There’s evidence, Professor. If you’re innocent, we’ll find out soon. But we need to restrain you. It’s protocol.”

“I have killed hundreds of Cultists,” Professor Iakopo said. “Why would I ever ally with them?!”

The second Water Rider moved to place the cuffs on Iakopo's wrists.

“Please don't resist, Professor. We have orders to bring you in for questioning. If these accusations are false, you'll have the opportunity to clear your name. Again, this is just protocol.”

For a moment, it seemed as though Iakopo might lash out.

The air around him shimmered with barely contained energy, and several onlookers took involuntary steps backward.

But then, as quickly as it had come, the fight seemed to drain out of him.

“Fine,” he spat, holding out his wrists. “But know this - you are making a grave mistake. While you waste time with these false accusations, monsters are hiding in Placid City.”

Then, the Mana cuffs clicked into place, sealing away the Professor's access to his magic.