“Milord,” Saikai said, “I assure you that the young Yalena doesn’t bite. I inquired with her Professors. She seems to be the brightest talent besides yours, too. Despite her humble origins, she might be a good match for your rebellious streak, especially if you wanted to give your father a heart attack since he already took it upon himself to propose suitable girls for your future union.”

“Shaker,” a teenage, second-year student Iakopo said, using the affectionate name from his childhood for his butler, “First, I would love nothing more than to make my father angry. Second, however, I don’t think I should go talk to her. She never talks to anyone.”

“Milord,” Saikai smirked, “women are to be courted. Men chase, women rebuff them away.”

Iakopo frowned, his cheeks flushing slightly.

“Court her? Shaker, I’m not... I mean, I don’t even know her.”

Saikai’s eyes twinkled with amusement.

“And how do you propose to get to know her if you never speak to her, milord? Besides, I’ve seen how you look at her during training sessions.”

The young Kane heir sputtered his face now a deep shade of red.

“I don’t look at her! I’m just... observing her technique. For academic purposes.”

“Of course, milord,” Saikai replied, his tone making clear he didn’t believe a word. “And I’m sure her remarkable beauty has nothing to do with your... academic interest.”

Iakopo groaned, burying his face in his hands as he sat at one of the tables of the Academy library.

“Is it that obvious?”

Saikai’s expression softened.

He placed a comforting hand on Iakopo’s shoulder.

“Only to those who know you well, milord. And there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Miss Yalena is indeed a remarkable young woman.”

Iakopo sighed, lowering his hands.

“But she’s so... intimidating. The way she wields Star Water is like nothing I’ve ever seen. And she’s always so focused, so serious. What could someone like her possibly see in me?”

“Milord,” Saikai said firmly, “you are selling yourself far too short. You are Iakopo Kane, heir to one of the most prestigious families in the Academy. Your mastery of Space Water at such a young age is unprecedented. And, if I may be so bold, you are not without your own charms.”

Iakopo looked up at his faithful servant, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. “You really think so?”

Saikai nodded. “I know so, milord. Now, shall we devise a plan to properly introduce yourself to Miss Yalena?”

A small smile tugged at the corners of Iakopo’s mouth. “Alright, Shaker. What did you have in mind?”

* * *

The teen Iakopo had to find a moment where he wasn’t bothered by his older sister or his cousins in order to approach Yalena.

His loyal butler had devised quite an ingenious plan, in fact.

Iakopo took a deep breath, steeling his nerves as he approached the library.

Saikai’s plan was simple yet clever: he had arranged for a rare book on Star Water techniques to be “misplaced” in a secluded corner of the Academy library.

Now, all Iakopo had to do was casually mention its whereabouts to Yalena.

As he entered the library, he spotted her immediately.

Yalena sat alone at a table near the window, her white hair gleaming in the afternoon sunlight.

She was surrounded by stacks of books, her brow furrowed in concentration as she pored over an ancient tome.

Iakopo’s heart raced as he approached her table.

“Excuse me,” he said, his voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Excuse me, Miss Yalena?”

She looked up, her piercing purple eyes meeting his.

For a moment, Iakopo forgot how to breathe.

“Yes?” Yalena asked, her tone neutral but not unfriendly.

Iakopo swallowed hard.

“I, uh, couldn’t help but notice you’re studying Star Water techniques. I actually came across an interesting book on advanced Star Water manipulation the other day. It’s not in its usual place, but I could show you where it is if you’re interested.”

Yalena’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of interest passing across her face.

“Really? That would be quite helpful, actually. I’ve been looking for new resources.”

Relief washed over Iakopo.

“Great! It’s just over here in the Eastern Archipelago section. Follow me.”

As they walked between the towering bookshelves, Iakopo silently thanked Saikai for his meticulous planning.

They reached the secluded corner where the book had been planted, and Iakopo carefully pulled it from the shelf.

“Here it is,” he said, handing it to Yalena. “‘Advanced Applications of Star Water in Combat and Healing’ by Master Kanaloa. It’s pretty rare, from what I understand.”

Yalena’s eyes lit up as she took the book, her fingers tracing the embossed title.

“This is incredible. I’ve been searching for this text for months. I didn’t even know the Academy had a copy! How did you know it was here?”

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Iakopo rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish smile on his face.

“Oh, you know, I just stumbled across it while doing some research of my own. Space Water and Star Water have some interesting parallels, so I… cross-referenced it in my studies.”

The reality was that Iakopo had Saikai obtain a copy from the Kane Family’s personal library.

This book would have never been otherwise found in the Academy.

Yalena looked at him with newfound interest.

“You study Space Water? That’s fascinating. I’ve always been curious about it.”

Iakopo’s heart soared.

This was his chance.

“Well, if you’d like, maybe we could study together sometime? I could share what I know about Space Water, and you could teach me more about Star Water. It could be... mutually beneficial.”

A small smile played at the corners of Yalena’s lips.

“I’d like that. I’m Yalena Solara, by the way. You’re from the Kane Family, right?”

Iakopo nodded eagerly, trying to contain his excitement.

“Yes, I’m Iakopo Kane.”

“I’d like to talk more then, Iakopo Kane. Thank you for showing me this book and... for the offer. Let’s meet here again tomorrow afternoon?”

As Yalena walked away with the book tucked under her arm, Iakopo leaned against a bookshelf, a goofy grin spreading across his face.

He couldn’t wait to tell Saikai that his plan had worked perfectly.

* * *

Twenty Years Prior

After the infamous Placid City Catastrophe

The sun wept pale rays on the horizon as it was about to set.

The shadows on the deck of Iakopo’s ship seemed much longer and deeper than they had any right to be.

The sky shifted from orange to purple, but the fading light did nothing to lift the weight of despair.

The wooden planks of the ship were soaked with the blood of the corpses they had brought and covered with blankets.

Iakopo Kane knelt amid the wreckage, head bowed.

His clothes were ripped and soaked with blood—his own mingled with that of others.

Dirt and tears streaked his face.

Around him lay the bodies of those who had fought beside him: his older sister Hi’iaka, his loyal companions, and countless others who had believed in him and joined his galleon on this expedition, including the many first-year students who had all died while trying to help out the citizens of Placid City.

Iakopo’s hands trembled as he reached out to touch his sister’s face, her skin already growing cold.

Hi’iaka, his Shield, his protector since childhood.

Now, she lay still, her eyes closed, her face still distorted by the pain, the terrible magic that had killed her.

“I should have done something,” Iakopo whispered, his voice hoarse from hours of shouting the same phrase. “I should have done something!”

The words echoed across the empty deck, unanswered save for the gentle lapping of waves against the ship’s hull.

The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by Iakopo’s ragged breathing and the occasional creak of wood.

Standing a respectful distance away, Saikai watched his master with a heavy heart.

The young butler’s usually impeccable appearance was disheveled, his uniform stained and torn.

Yet despite his own exhaustion and grief, Saikai’s focus remained on Iakopo, his master.

As hours passed, Saikai attended to what he could.

He gathered the surviving crew, steadied the ship, and ensured those still alive had food and water.

But his eyes kept drifting back to Iakopo, worry deepening with each glance.

Morning came. Iakopo remained kneeling, eyes bloodshot, shadows dark beneath them. The bodies lay around him, silent reminders of their defeat.

Saikai approached cautiously, carrying a flask of water and some stale bread. “Milord, please,” he said softly. “You need to eat. Drink some water, at least.”

The butler handed Iakopo a canteen.

Iakopo’s eyes were red and sunken.

Saikai approached cautiously, a bowl of water and some bread in his hands.

“Milord,” he said softly, putting a hand over the man’s shoulder.

But Iakopo gave no sign that he had heard.

His gaze remained fixed on his sister’s face, his parched lips opening and closing, still in disbelief.

“I should have done something,” he mouthed over and over again.

The day passed in much the same manner as the one before.

Saikai had overseen the preparations to leave the island and arrange transportation for those who had survived by communicating with the Academy.

Thankfully, the harlot that had reduced his master in these conditions hadn’t shown her face.

Saikai had briefly inquired about her whereabouts, and it had appeared that Yalena had already departed from Placid City.

* * *

Saikai did his best to tend to Iakopo, offering food and water that went untouched.

The surviving crew members moved about their duties in hushed tones, casting worried glances at their leader as the third night fell.

At that point, Saikai made a difficult decision.

With gentle efficiency, he organized the crew to prepare the bodies of the fallen for their final journey home.

They worked through the night, cleaning and wrapping each body with care and respect.

By the time the sun rose on the third day, the deck had been cleared of all signs of the battle.

The fallen had been tucked away in the ship’s storage, ready to be returned to their families.

All except for Hi’iaka, who remained where she had been deposited after the battle, her brother still kneeling beside her.

Saikai looked at his master.

His skin was pale, and his lips cracked and dry. Something had to be done, but what?

Then, a memory surfaced in Saikai’s mind.

Years ago, Iakopo had once mentioned how uptight and formal Saikai could be.

It had been said in jest, of course, but the loyal butler was at his wit’s end.

He would have done just about anything to break through his master’s grief-stricken stupor.

Taking a deep breath, Saikai straightened his posture and adopted a gruff grimace.

When he spoke, his voice was loud and harsh, a far cry from his usual refined tones.

“Alright, you bilge-sucking swabs!” he bellowed, startling the crew members nearby.

He cleared his voice, adjusting his accent to better reflect the kind of unsavory men they had met through the years at sea.

“Get your sorry hides in gear! We’ve got a ship to sail, and I’ll be damned if we’re going to float here like a bunch of lazy sea cucumbers!”

The sailors exchanged confused glances, unused to hearing such language from the normally proper butler.

But Saikai wasn’t done.

“You there!” he shouted, pointing at a bewildered deckhand. “What are you gawking at? Get to scrubbing that deck before I use your face as a mop!”

His words had the desired effect.

The crew, shocked out of their somber mood, began to move with renewed purpose.

But more importantly, Iakopo’s head had lifted slightly, a flicker of confusion breaking through his grief.

Encouraged, Saikai continued his act.

He stomped across the deck, barking orders in his newfound pirate-like accent.

“Hoist those sails, you landlubbing excuses for sailors! I want this ship moving before the barnacles decide to make us their permanent home!”

As he neared Iakopo, Saikai’s voice softened slightly, though he maintained his gruff demeanor.

“And you, sir,” he said, addressing Iakopo directly, “it’s time to get on your feet. The dead have been honored, but the living needs their captain.”

For a long moment, Iakopo stared at Saikai, disbelief warring with grief in his eyes. Then, slowly, he spoke.

“Saikai...” he said, his voice cracking from disuse. “What are you doing?”

Saikai cocked his head to the side, feigning confusion.

“Saikai?” he repeated, exaggerating his accent. “Who’s that? I’m Shaker, Professor. And right now, we need to get this ship moving. The dead won’t rest easy until we’ve brought them home.”

Iakopo blinked, a spark of life returning to his eyes.

“Shaker?” he repeated, the childhood nickname stirring old memories. “But... why are you talking like that?”

“Like what, Professor?” Saikai - now Shaker - replied with a crooked grin. “This is how a proper sailor talks. Now, are you going to sit there all day, or are you going to help me get this floating tub back to port?”

For a moment, it seemed as though Iakopo might retreat back into his grief.

But then, to Shaker’s immense relief, a ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of Iakopo’s mouth from the ridiculous behavior of his stiff butler.

“You sound ridiculous,” he said softly.

Shaker’s grin widened.

“Aye, that I might,” he agreed. “But it got you talking, didn’t it? Now come on, Professor. We’ve got work to do.”

With a gentleness that belied his new accent, Shaker extended a hand to Iakopo.

After a moment’s hesitation, Iakopo grasped it, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

He swayed slightly, weak from his long vigil, but Shaker’s steady grip on his arm kept him upright.

As Iakopo took his first unsteady steps away from the place where he had knelt for two days, Shaker felt a glimmer of hope.

Iakopo was finally moving and speaking.

This was a start.

“That’s it, Professor,” Shaker encouraged, his newly-minted gruff voice carrying a note of warmth. “One step at a time. We’ll get through this together, like always.”