"Are we there yet?"

"This is the twelfth time you asked."

"When did you start keeping count?"

"After the fifth."

"So that means we're close, right?" Lorel asked, grinning as the sound of his sister sighing came through the earpiece.

"As much as it pains me to say, yes, we are."

"Should I start descending, then?"

"Give it a few minutes." He nodded, despite knowing that Aria couldn't see him. Two hours had already passed since they first set out, and though their location looked no different than anywhere else on the planet, there was no reason to doubt her navigation.

"You're still thinking about those two from earlier."

"How can I not be? If anything, you're the odd one for not sparing it another thought."

"I'm never going to see them again. What point is there in thinking about it?" Lorel paused. "There's something you're not telling me." It was a statement, not a question.

Aria fell silent on the other end.

"You know I hate it when you keep things from me," he said, vaguely annoyed. She was the one who always insisted on transparency, after all.

"I know."

"So?"

"So what?"

"Spill."

She fell silent again, for longer than before.

Lorel followed suit, giving her the necessary time to collect her thoughts. Aria would speak when ready; she was like Loch in that sense- yet another reason the two needed to get rid of whatever inhibitions they had.

"What do you think Svyke has been giving me all these years?" She finally asked.

He thought about it for a moment. "Information."

"About what?"

"Technology."

"What sort of technology?"

"Coral."

"Right. But what sort?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I never thought too much about it." It was like she said: they both had their part to play. Technically speaking, they were both members of Torrent's military, but their talents lay in completely different areas.

"Officially, I aid in the development of new Coral technologies for defense of Torrent. Unofficially, that means..."

"Weapon systems." Lorel's voice came out as a whisper.

"Not quite," Aria responded tersely. "They're not really weapons. They don't cause direct damage, but..."

"But the outcome is the same."

"Pretty much." She paused. "You don't sound too surprised."

"I'm not," he responded slowly. "Some part of me probably knew already. But that doesn't explain why you're still thinking about those two."

"... They're the people who might be affected by it. Seeing them in person is... Strange."

"If it bothers you, you should quit."

Aria responded immediately. "I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"The same reason as you", she answered, her voice quiet. "This is my home. If I can help defend it, then I think I should. And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You're a Tidal."

"Thank you for pointing that out, sister dearest. I would have never realized that otherwise."

Another sigh. "You know what I mean."

Lorel felt his heart beat quicker, just as it had before, but he forced it to steady. "I just... Don't think there's any point in worrying about it," he said, repeating what he told Loch earlier in the day. "Even if I could leave, I wouldn't. It's like you said. If I can help defend it, then I think I should."

"Do you really think you can handle it?" Aria asked quietly.

"... You and I are very different people, sis. I'm sure that I'll be able to handle whatever the future holds. Are you?"

"... I don't know. But that's no reason to hide. Not when I think I can make a difference. I think I would regret that more."

"Alright." Lorel chose not to press it further. Their reasons were much the same, and, more than that, he had no desire to cause his sister unnecessary distress- no matter how much he enjoyed annoying her.

"I'm more worried about you."

"Why?"

"I spend most of my time in a laboratory," Aria answered, her voice flat. "If anything happens, you're going to be on the front lines. Those are two very different things."

"Only one of us is a Tidal, sis."

Silence fell again, for much longer this time.

"And you think that's a good enough reason? To fight?" Her voice suddenly sounded very small. "And maybe die?"

Lorel flinched as his sister's words brought his own worries rushing back. "I think it's a reason," he answered slowly, suddenly glad that Aria wasn't there to look him in the eyes. "I won't know whether it's good enough until it actually happens."

He shook his head in a futile attempt to clear his thoughts. "Are we there yet?"

It took Aria a moment to answer, and he knew she'd also made a conscious choice to stop pressing the matter. "Just about. Descend whenever you're ready."

Thanks, sis.

Lorel turned his attention back to the waters below. He'd still stumbled a number of times over the course of their journey here, but had, at the very least, avoided falling entirely. True mastery would still take some time, but this was a good start.

"What's your current depth?"

"Five hundred meters."

"Target depth today is twenty-five-hundred meters?"

"Correct."

"Wait at current depth before descending any further." Those words were unnecessary; but yet another lesson drilled into them by their parents.

"Waiting."

"Beginning descent."

Lorel closed his eyes released his grasp on the thin layer of water below his feet. A sense of calm washed over him as he sank into the warm ocean of Torrent, chasing away the worries that plagued him on the surface.

He opened his eyes slowly, marveling at the sight that greeted him. It was dark beneath the floating city, but out here, light spilled into the water from every direction, mingling with that of Coral to create an endless tapestry of living light.

Kicking to keep his head just below the surface, he took a breath.

It was no different then breathing air. Lorel let out a sigh of relief. He did this every time- and each was no less nerve-wracking than the last. Aria seemed not to mind, but he hated the idea of diving without the freedom of swimming.

Taking another breath, he reveled in the sense of belonging that being underwater brought. His life lay on the surface, but it was here, down below, that he felt most at peace.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Reaching out, Lorel grabbed hold of invisible currents. This was yet another thing that he found difficult to explain, and yet another source of frustration for Aria. The ocean was a large, powerful thing; he could seize a part of it. Direct it.

The current flowed into being, carrying him down towards Aria's craft. It took nearly ten minutes to reach five hundred meters; he felt the pressure increase, but it was no more than a slight discomfort. His scuffle with Loch had been many times more painful.

Lorel winced as the pale blue-green glow grew stronger. The deeper you went, the denser the Coral, and the brighter it got- just another of the planet's many oddities. He stopped right above Aria's submersible, careful not to catch the craft with his current.

He let it dissipate, swimming to the submersible's front.

"Everything okay?"

He held one thumb up. Of all the many things that technology provided, the ability to speak underwater was not one of them.

"Check in every two-hundred and fifty meters."

Lorel nodded.

Aria's vessel descended, more slowly than before. He followed close behind, watching and feeling for the slightest hint of structural failure. It had never failed in any of their dives, but that was no reason to be careless with her safety. It was one of the many reasons their parents only allowed them to go on these excursions together.

No matter how deep they dove, there was neither flora nor fauna. Neither lasted long on the planet; something that still puzzled scientists and researchers alike. The fact that the planet was made entirely out of distilled water likely played a role- as did the presence of Coral- but there was still no definitive answer. And humans seemed to fare just fine, which only added to the confusion.

It was rather ironic. Coral was the most valuable resource in the universe, but it was Torrent's only resource. Everything else- building materials, electronics, medicine, and so on had to be traded for. That in itself was no real issue, but their dependence on other nations was crippling in many other ways.

"Five hundred meters."

Lorel descended first this time, keeping one watchful eye on his sister's submarine. At this depth, the pressure suit she wore would only protect her for the briefest of moments. It didn't matter how much she trusted her creation- Aria was his only sister.

"Seven-hundred and fifty meters."

The vehicle stopped for longer this time, and though Lorel couldn't see through the submarine's smoky, quartz-like exterior, he knew Aria was hard at work calibrating its many different sensors.

Righting himself, he waved his hand before folding his fingers into a series of signs. All good? Rather than any sort of lesson, sign language had been an outright requirement from their parents.

"All good." Despite the depth, her voice came through the earpiece perfectly fine. "Everything fine on your end?"

No problems here.

"Good. I'll do a full systems check once we reach fifteen hundred meters. It'll take some time. You still have the cells that Svyke gave you?"

Lorel fished them out of his pocket.

"Alright. I don't need a perfect count, but try to remember how long it takes to fill up. I meant to take a look at them beforehand... I can't believe I forgot."

He shrugged. It's been a chaotic day.

"No thanks to you."

I aim to please.

"One thousand meters."

Lorel closed his eyes. This deep, he could feel more than he saw. The ocean itself felt like an extension of his body; perfectly still save for the movement of Aria's submersible and the tiny bits of Coral-infused water that he breathed in. It brought him comfort- just as it had so many times before.

"Twelve hundred and fifty meters."

He opened them. The glow of Coral was nearly blinding, now. He'd been as deep as five thousand meters before; any deeper, and it started to physically hurt. Not for depth or pressure, but the sheer amount of Coral that emanated endlessly from the planet's center.

The deepest dive recorded was nearly ten thousand meters; a record set by an unnamed diver. Lorel would go deeper than that, some day.

"Fifteen hundred meters. Stand by for full system check." Aria paused. "It's going to take some time."

Nodding, Lorel willed another current into being, pulling himself to the top of the vessel's bow. For all the solace of Torrent's warm embrace, his sister's presence was no small comfort. Though they walked different paths, they had remained at each other's side regardless of what came their way- and that was the way it would always be.

"You should start filling up the cells now. The density between here and twenty-five hundred meters won't be that great."

He felt the warm water displace as he reached into his pockets for the small glass cylinders Svyke had given him. Their real name was something far longer and much more complex, but most people simply referred to them as cells; after all, they served a nearly identical purpose and function.

They were smaller than the last few Svyke had given him, but for all of Lorel's distrust, the grizzled spy was certainly good at his job. His age alone was proof of that.

There were three in total; slim glass rods that were barely the length of his index finger. Each was entirely indistinguishable from the rest, and bore a small metal cap on one end. Lorel pried the first off with his hand, unwilling to risk damaging it.

The effect was immediate, if short-lived. The Coral's blue-green glow flickered once, as if the surrounding water had blinked, then came surging back. It happened twice more as he did the same with the remaining cells.

For all of Coral's many uses, this odd property was no doubt its most convenient. It could be stored in glass without fear of accidental ignition. If not for that, their ancestors likely would have had to abandon the planet.

Lorel let the glass rods fall from his hand, turning them in place with a tiny current. He could see the Coral held within; a blue-green haze that crested and undulated, as if mimicking the waves that lapped against the city's artificial shores.

Looks like Svyke was telling the truth. They were less than a fifth full- already a marked improvement from the last few he'd received. Hopefully Aria will be able to reverse-engineer them later. She would figure something out- one way or another.

"Lorel." As if on cue, her voice came through the earpiece.

Immediately, he could tell something was wrong. It was subtle; nothing so pronounced as a panicked voice, but present nonetheless. Stricken by a moment of fear, Lorel grabbed hold of the cells, extending his senses to search for the slightest hint of anything wrong.

He found nothing.

"I'm okay," Aria said hurriedly, no doubt realizing the panic she'd caused him. "No problems here. But... Mom and dad sent a message. I'm forwarding it to you now."

His holo-watch vibrated once, displaying a three-word message: Come back. Now.

Lorel frowned. This was not the first time they'd shirked their responsibilities- and it was unlikely to be the last- but never before had their father demanded a prompt return. Then again, they'd been gone for some time already; this was likely all the leniency he could give them.

But still, Aria's work was crucial. If he was asking them to return immediately, it meant there was something at play.

Is it because we dodged the Tideguard, or because of the two strangers? He shuddered as Loch's words whispered in his ear. I have a bad feeling.

"We should head back," she continued, voice trembling ever so slightly. "Can you help me surface?"

Are you sure that's a good idea? Lorel signed. They'd practiced before, but only ever with smaller crafts- and nothing even remotely shaped like the experimental one she was in now.

"Yes," Aria responded, her voice steadier than it had been just moments ago. "I wanted to put it to the test today either way. Now is as good a time as any."

If you're sure.

"I'll let you know the moment something reads wrong."

Alright.

Pocketing the small glass rods, Lorel pushed himself off the submarine's edge, letting himself fall down below it. This was unnecessary, but it was always easier to use himself as a reference point.

He close his eyes, feeling for the submarine. That was simple enough; where the ocean was soft and supple, Aria's craft was stiff and rigid. And slowly- so, so slowly- Lorel stirred the tides, guiding them under the surface of his sister's vessel and gently guiding them upwards.

Physically speaking, this was no more difficult than any other task. He was a Tidal- the waters of Torrent were his to command. On a technical level, though, raising it was the most challenging thing he'd ever attempted; infinitely more difficult than the stunt he'd pulled against Loch.

Pushing too hard in one spot would flip the submarine. He was sure the vehicle could handle it- Aria wouldn't have suggested it otherwise- but that was hardly reason to needlessly endanger her.

The craft began to rise, cradled by the net of currents that Lorel wove across its smooth surface. He lifted it slowly at first, then faster as he grew more confident.

Aria stayed silent, save for the depth readings as they ascended. Partially not to break his focus, he was sure, but also likely because she was busy recording information about her creation's performance. Some things stayed the same regardless of circumstance.

The inky black vessel broke the surface first. Even from his position some ways down, Lorel felt the disturbance. He waited for the waters to settle before surfacing a few meters away, blinking as the blue-green glow subsided.

"Lorel!"

Aria stood partway out of the hatch. Lorel kicked his way over, pulling himself up onto the wing. "Did they say anything else?"

She shook her head. "Nothing new. I checked."

"Do you think it's because of the Tideguard, or...?" He didn't finish the question.

"I don't know." Aria's unease was apparent. "But if they're telling us to come back early, it must be something serious."

He nodded. "What do you want to do?"

"What else? We go back."

"Dunno. We could always run away."

She glared at him. "To where? There's nowhere to run to."

"So you're saying the problem is just that we have nowhere to hide?"

"What? No, that's not the-" Aria sighed. "Why are you doing this now, of all times?"

Lorel stepped over the wing, hoisting himself up to look his sister in the eye. "Because you're worrying," he said gently. "You still have to pilot this back. Focus."

She scowled. "How are you so calm?"

"I'm not. I'm worried, too." He seated himself on the hatch's lip, twisting to pull his sister into an awkward hug. Her body stiffened, then trembled. "But there's a world of difference between being worried and being anxious. Theres nothing we can do about it right now. Focus on what's right in front of you."

Bit by bit, Aria's trembling subsided. "You're soaking wet," she said, pulling away.

Lorel grinned, then reached over, pinching her shoulder and pulling the water away as a single stream. He did the same with his own clothing, coalescing both streams into a single ball before tossing it back into the ocean. "Feeling better now?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"So? What do you want to do?"

"We..." Aria took an audible breath. "Let's just head back." she said after a pause.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "There's nothing else for us to really do."

"We could probably stay a little while longer. It's not like they have a tracker on us." He paused. "Do they?"

"Not that I know of. But if they were going to track anyone, they'd probably be tracking you."

He laughed. "That's true. I guess I should have asked that before I helped you surface."

"It's not like it would change anything."

"You never know."

Aria arched one eyebrow. "You know you're technically part of the military, right? They're your direct superiors."

"Yeah. Technically. And the risk of being court-martialed is a lot less immediate than the risk of you crashing this thing."

"Crashing into what, exactly?"

"An iceberg?"

"There are no icebergs on this planet."

"First time for everything."

She sighed. "Whatever." And then added, in a smaller voice, "but thank you."

Lorel grinned. "Any time, sis."

"Do you want to help speed up the return journey?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I'd be worried if you were. Why would I be in a rush to get chewed out by dad?"

Aria rolled her eyes, then dropped back down the hatch. Lorel followed suit, unwilling to leave her side- for the time being, at least.

Of course, saying it out loud would earn him a smack. So instead, he chose a different topic. "Did you get the data you needed?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of? That doesn't sound very scientific."

"What I got was in line with what I expected. I can extrapolate the rest." She paused. "Do you even know what I'm looking for?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Why do I even bother?"

"That's a good question."