Riala’s eyes narrowed as she saw Mira turn maliciously towards Talia and Fiora at the far end of the cave.

The two younger girls looked exhausted and battered, clearly no match for Mira’s power.

A surge of protective instinct rushed through Riala as she realized Mira’s intent.

Her hands shot out, and instantly, an even thicker barrier of Star Water materialized between Mira and the girls.

The translucent wall sparkled like a starry night.

But that didn’t deter the Kane Family’s scion, who threw a massive Azure Lightning Water spear at the barrier.

The cave shook so strongly that several gigantic stalactites detached from the ceiling and fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Riala stood tall, unfazed by Mira’s display of power.

“Talia! Fiora!” she called out, her voice carrying easily across the cavern. “I need you two to leave. Now.”

The problem was that Talia and Fiora were on the other end of the cave and only the mysterious passaged carved into it would lead them away from the fight that was about to go down here.

“Don’t worry about me,” Riala shouted. “I’ll handle this. You both need to get to safety so I can fight without holding back.”

Fiora nodded, understanding the situation. She grabbed Talia’s arm and started pulling her towards the tunnel entrance.

“Come on,” the blonde said, holding her side, “your sister knows what she’s doing.”

Talia hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“Okay, but be careful!”

As the girls made their way to the tunnel, Riala called out one last instruction.

“Don’t go too far into the tunnel! It could be dangerous. Just get out of sight and wait. I’ll come find you when I’m done here.”

With the girls safely out of harm’s way, Riala turned her full attention to Mira.

The Kane Family member was seething with rage, her Azure Lightning Water crackling around her like a furious storm.

“You think you can beat me?” Mira taunted, her voice dripping with disdain. “I’m the pride of the Kane Family. You’re nothing compared to me!”

Riala remained calm, her Star Water flowing around her in gentle waves.

“We’ll see about that,” she replied coolly.

Mira let out a frustrated yell and launched herself at Riala, fully covered in lightning.

* * *

Talia and Fiora hurried down the dark stairway.

“How did your sister even get here so fast?” Fiora asked, her breath coming in short gasps as they ran.

“I sent a message to her…” Talia sighed, stopping for a moment to listen to the vibrations created by the fight between her sister and Mira.

Talia wasn’t sure how strong Mira was, but she knew she was a fifth-year student. Which meant she must have had several levels over Riala.

However, Riala was the only fourth-year student of this year, and probably many generations, that had been named Champion of a School despite not being in her last year at the Academy.

“When did you do that?” Fiora frowned.

“I told her it was an emergency and to come here as fast as she could—I used a code we used to have as children for when adults knew we were stealing fruits from their huts that meant that danger was close.”

“Hm,” was Fiora’s only response as the blonde stopped with her back to the rocky wall of the corridor. “My Mana is coming back, finally.”

“Good,” Talia said, looking back at where they came from.

Then, before they could go any further, she frowned.

“Wait,” Talia said, grabbing Fiora’s arm. She closed her eyes and activated [Eyes of the Abyss], her special ability to sense mana and detect nearby threats.

As her awareness expanded, she felt... something.

It wasn’t a monster, but a familiar sensation she couldn’t quite place.

“What is it?” Fiora asked, her voice tense. “Do you see any monsters?”

Talia shook her head. “No monsters, but there’s something down there. Something... important.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Fiora frowned. “Your sister said not to go too far. Maybe we should head back.”

“I know, but...” Talia bit her lip, torn between following Riala’s instructions and investigating the strange feeling. “This could be important. I don’t sense people or monsters anyway.”

Fiora hesitated, clearly unsure. Finally, she sighed. “Okay, but let’s be quick. And careful.”

They continued down the stairs, moving slower now, alert for any sign of danger.

The passage led them deeper underground.

Talia kept [Eyes of the Abyss] active, following the strange sensation like a compass needle pointing north.

After what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, they emerged into a large, circular chamber.

In the center stood an ancient stone well.

Talia approached it cautiously, peering down into its depths.

To her surprise, it was completely dry.

“It’s empty,” she said.

But as she placed her hand on the well’s edge, she felt something.

A vibration, barely noticeable, but definitely there.

And with it came a surge of that familiar sensation - stronger now, almost overwhelming.

“What is this?” Fiora said, peering down the well with a frown on her face.

“I think this is it,” Talia said, frowning. “I saw a vision of my mother looking for this thing. I believe it’s called the Dark Water Well. My mom mentioned that.”

“Dark Water?” Fiora frowned.

She had, of course, learned about Talia’s accident with Elder Kahua, but she hadn’t inquired about it at all. Nor did she know what vision Talia was talking about.

“So, you can you actually use Dark Water?” The blonde asked.

Talia shook her head in the semi-darkness of the chamber.

“No. I… I don’t know how I even managed to access it the first time.”

“Mh,” Fiora raised her eyebrows. “I… I’m sorry about the Boss, by the way.”

“What?” Talia frowned.

“If I had gotten different Skills, I might have been able to dodge… I went with Ra Mage because I thought it… nothing. Actually, I just didn’t want to listen to your advice.”

“Oh.”

“It’s frustrating, really,” Fiora said, looking up at Talia and meeting the girl’s shining blue eyes. “Things seem to work out for you no matter what. I’m… envious. Part of me hates you for it. But… I should have listened.”

“I should have listened when Elder Krakatoa told me not to take Professor Iakopo’s class if it’s any consolation,” Talia said with a half-smile. “I wouldn’t be here, and maybe…”

“The only reason we might all survive is because you thought the Professor was innocent,” Fiora stated matter-of-factly. “In fact, why don’t you just shut up about it? I hate you when you do this. You did something good. Stop bashing yourself.”

“I—”

“No, really,” Fiora said, frowning. “It’s unpleasant. You are unpleasant when you do this. You did great. Just… be less of a prick.”

“I’ll try,” Talia said hesitantly. “And… thanks.”

“I hope you fall and die on our way back,” Fiora said, looking at the corridor that went back up but also further down. “Where do you think that goes anyway?”

“No idea—”

Talia was cut off by a series of screams coming exactly from down there.

Talia’s eyes widened in horror as realization struck.

“The students! With all those Torpedo Snappers released, they could be in serious danger! This must lead to the end of the Placid Cave! The students had to channel their Mana Boards today! Damn it! Nami and Lilo are down there!”

Talia looked expectantly to the corridor, hoping Riala would materialize there.

However, her sister was probably still busy fighting off Mira.

“We need to help!” Talia suddenly said.

Fiora looked tired and hesitant, but the blonde nodded her head.

“Or get ourselves killed,” Fiora commented as she walked toward the passage.

But before they could move, a hissing sound filled the chamber.

Green, noxious fumes began pouring from cracks in the walls and floor, quickly filling the air.

“Cover your mouth!” Talia shouted, pulling her shirt up over her nose.

Fiora did the same, coughing as the acrid smoke burned her throat.

Through the thickening haze, a figure appeared in the chamber’s entrance.

It was a girl, tall and willowy, wearing a long black dress.

Her skin was unnaturally pale, almost glowing in the dim light.

A wicked smile played across her lips as she surveyed the scene before her.

“Well, well,” the newcomer said, her voice high and mocking. “What do we have here? Two little rats scurrying where they don’t belong.”

Talia and Fiora backed away, pressing themselves against the far wall of the chamber.

“Who are you?” Talia said, frowning. She looked like that Apikalia that Keanu had seen. “Stand back!”

The girl’s creepy laughter echoed off the stone walls.

“Oh, isn’t that cute? The little rat thinks she can make demands.” Her eyes, dark and cold, fixed on Talia. “I am Apikalia, and what I want... well, that’s really none of your concern.”

“You’re a Cultist,” Talia said through gritted teeth, feeling the noxious fume making her head lighter. “You’re done. You’re about to be stopped.”

Apikalia’s smile widened, showing teeth that seemed just a bit too sharp.

“Stop us? Oh, you poor, naive children. You have no idea what’s really going on here, do you?”

She spread her arms wide, gesturing to the well and the chamber around them.

“This is just the beginning. Soon, the power of the Dark Water Well will be ours again, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do about it.”

As she spoke, the green fumes grew thicker, swirling around Apikalia like a living thing.

Talia felt her head start to spin, her vision blurring at the edges.

Beside her, Fiora swayed on her feet, clearly affected by the noxious gas as well.

“Now then,” Apikalia said, taking a step towards them. “What shall I do with you two? See, I have an idea—”

Before she could continue, several jets of Sunwater sprung forth from Fiora’s hands, acting like a tidal wave that pushed some of the gas away and almost hit Apikalia.

The girl summoned a gas-made barrier that was, however, almost fully consumed by the attack and frowned at Fiora.

“Talia,” Fiora said with her jaw clenched. “Go down—help them out. Use whatever power you have—Dark Water, the creepy one you mentioned—I don’t care. Don’t let the students die. Look out for Agalei if you can.”

“Fiora, I can’t let you, I—”

Fiora silenced Talia with a quick, icy glance.

“I’m not about to die here. Just go. I’ll take care of this and be right behind you. If there’s anything we can do to help the students survive, you’re the one capable of it.”

Talia gritted her teeth, thinking it would be a foolish move to leave Fiora alone, but she also knew that the Torpedo Snappers would most likely overwhelm the students if Professor Iakopo didn’t get there on time.

She could either leave Fiora here, trusting that she was strong enough to deal with Apikalia on her own, or barrel down the dark passage and try to reach the students and help them out.

Talia hesitated for a moment, torn between staying with Fiora and helping the students.

Finally, with a nod to her friend, she dashed towards the dark passage leading down.

“Be careful!” she called over her shoulder as she disappeared into the shadows.

Apikalia hadn’t stopped Talia for some reason, but Fiora didn’t have the time to worry about this behavior since the gas was gathering in the chamber once again, holding off her position for now.

“Well, well,” Apikalia purred, “aren’t you the brave one? Staying behind to face me all alone.”

“You’re about to die,” Fiora said, raising a hand with a globe of Sunwater over it. “And it’s going to hurt. A lot.”