In the sudden silence, Vihaan's whimper was deafening.
She scrambled away from her mother, her small frame trembling as she pressed herself against the base of the dais, her ears flat, her tail wrapped so tightly around herself that she looked like a silver-and-white ball of terrified fur.
"Mommy!" The word came out as a squeak, barely audible, but Amaris heard it.
The queen moved without thinking, sweeping her daughter into her arms and pressing the child's face against her shoulder. "It's okay," she murmured, her voice steady even as her heart hammered against her ribs. "It's okay, sweetheart. I've got you."
But Vihaan was already crying, her small body shaking with great, shuddering sobs that she couldn't quite suppress. Her hands clutched her mother's neck, and Amaris felt the fine tremors running through the child's frame.
Nadir had gone still—completely, unnaturally still. His restless energy had vanished, replaced by something colder, more focused. He didn't look at his sister. He didn't look at his parents. His eyes were fixed on Iris, who had collapsed forward, her massive frame doubled over, her hands pressed to her chest.
"Are you—" Acco was at Iris's side before anyone else could move, her lean cheetah frame crouched low, her dark eyes scanning the oracle's face. "Are you alright?"
Iris nodded, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "Yes, yes, I am—" She coughed, a wet, hacking sound that made Acco wince. "I just need a moment."
Acco's hand found Iris's shoulder, steadying her. "Take your time."
Volt descended from the throne in three swift strides, his silver-grey form crossing the room with a speed that belied his age. He knelt beside Iris, his hazel eyes searching her face.
"What did you see?" His voice was quiet, but there was steel beneath the calm. "Tell me everything."
Iris looked up, meeting his gaze. For a long moment, she said nothing. Her eyes scanned the room—taking in Volt's stern expression, Amaris's protective embrace of the sobbing Vihaan, Nadir's frozen watchfulness, Nyx's hand still on his shield, Acco's protective crouch, Hagan's hand on his saber hilt.
Then she looked away.
"I saw the island sinking," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Not drowning—sinking. Like something was pulling it down from beneath."
She looked out the window, her gaze distant, unfocused. "And we have company coming."
Volt's jaw tightened. "Company?"
Iris turned back to face him, and there was something in her eyes—something ancient and weary, the weight of visions that could not be un-seen. "They will bring devastation to this island. Fire and water and death, all wrapped in the shape of a single vessel."
Vihaan's crying intensified, her small hands tightening on her mother's neck. Amaris held her closer, her spotted coat darkening further as she rocked the child gently, murmuring soft reassurances that didn't quite mask the worry in her eyes.
Nyx stepped forward, his bulk casting a long shadow across the floor. "What do you mean by company?" His voice was low, measured, the voice of a man who had assessed threats for so long that he'd forgotten how to feel fear. "Do you know how many? When will they arrive?"
Iris shook her head slowly. "They're already on their way. A single vessel. They travel under the water."
Nadir's brow furrowed. "Under the water? How is that possible?"
Hagan's hand finally fell from his saber hilt. He ran his fingers through his mane again, a nervous gesture that was almost absurd given the tension in the room. "It's called a submarine, my prince," he said, his voice gentle, almost apologetic. "A vessel designed to travel beneath the waves."
Nadir's eyes went wide, not with fear, but with a terrible, burning curiosity. "That exists? That's—that's incredible." He caught himself, his ears flattening as he glanced at his father. "I mean, that's terrifying. Obviously."
Nyx ignored the exchange. His dark eyes were fixed on Iris, his brow furrowed as he stroked his chin. "We won't see them coming, then. Not until they surface."
Acco straightened, her tail lashing behind her. "Should we increase patrols? Add more guards to the docks? I can have the Senshimin ready within the hour."
Everyone turned as Volt raised his hand, palm open, a gesture that demanded attention without needing to speak.
"Let's not throw the island into a panic," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Not yet."
Nyx's eyes narrowed. "What are you suggesting, sire?"
Volt met his gaze, unflinching. "Regardless of their means of travel, there's only one way on or off this island."
Hagan nodded slowly. "Because of the barrier reef." His hazel eyes went thoughtful. "The Eopolis Reef surrounds the entire island, save for the Spice Path. Any vessel—surface or submarine—must navigate through the one channel."
"Exactly." Volt rose to his feet, brushing the dust from his knees. "I want to know more before we send troops into action and incite unnecessary fear. Besides"—his tail flicked with something that might have been amusement—"if they aren't Minks, they'll be hard to miss. A submarine surfacing in Symphoria Harbor isn't exactly subtle."
Nyx grunted, his jaw tight. "True. But I'd still like to put the Senshimin on high alert. And—"
Volt nodded, anticipating his general's next words. "And keep an eye on Amos Baboto. If he gets wind of this before we have a clear picture, it could escalate quickly."
At the mention of the self-proclaimed Prophet, Amaris's darkening coat deepened further. Her hand tightened on Vihaan's shoulder, drawing the child closer. "That man is a viper," she said, her voice cold. "If he suspects we're concerned about anything, he'll twist it to his advantage."
Iris, who had finally managed to compose herself, leaned back in her chair, her massive frame sagging with exhaustion. She tapped her chin, her head tilting slightly, as if listening to something the rest of them couldn't hear.
"Is there anything more you can tell us?" Amaris asked, her voice softening as she looked at the oracle. "Anything at all?"
Iris considered the question for a long moment, her brow furrowing. Then her head tilted further, her third eye flickering faintly.
"I hear the winds of change, your highness," she said, her voice carrying that distant, dreamlike quality again. "They say my sister is coming to find what she seeks."
Nadir's tail lashed with frustration. "What about the island sinking?" He stepped forward, his long legs carrying him closer to Iris. "You said the island was sinking!"
Iris met the young prince's gaze, and something in her expression softened. She had always had a soft spot for Nadir—he reminded her of herself, in a way. So restless. So hungry for answers that might not even exist.
"Do not worry, young prince," she said, her voice gentle. "Everyone on the island are strong swimmers."
It was such an absurd thing to say, so perfectly in character for Iris, that Acco actually laughed—a sharp, surprised sound that cut through the tension like a blade.
"Iris," Acco said, her voice flat, "did you just tell the crown prince of Ushirika not to worry about the island sinking because everyone can swim?"
Iris nodded, utterly sincere. "Yes. That is what I said."
"You can't swim!" Acco's voice rose incredulously. "I've seen you fall in the harbor! You sink like a—like a—"
"Like a very heavy hippo," Iris finished, nodding sagely. "Yes, I am aware. But the young prince can swim, can't he?"
Vihaan, who had finally stopped crying, lifted her head from her mother's shoulder. Her pale blue eyes were red-rimmed, her cheeks streaked with tears. "I don't want to go swimming," she said, her voice small and wavering. "I don't like the water. It's cold and it makes my fur sticky and—"
"Then you'll have to use a boat!" Iris beamed, as if this solved everything.
Nyx's patience, which had been fraying since the moment the crystal ball exploded, finally snapped.
"Is there anything we can do," he asked, his voice flat, "to keep the island from sinking?"
Iris met his gaze, and for a moment, the whimsy faded from her expression. Her third eye pulsed once, a faint flicker of lavender.
"General, I am not entirely certain that it was the island I saw."
The room went very, very quiet.
Iris looked past him, out the window, her gaze distant and unfocused. "But an end is eminent. And this island may not survive."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
Hagan, who had been unnervingly silent throughout the exchange, finally spoke. His voice was soft, almost hesitant, as if he was afraid of what he might say.
"When you say the island may not survive," he began, "what exactly do you mean?"
Iris blinked, returning to the present. She looked at Hagan, her expression shifting to something almost sad.
"I mean," she said carefully, "that Ushirika may not be what it was. The Cradle of Dawn, the Spice Path, the Great Rift—all of it may be unrecognizable by the time this is over."
She paused, her broad face wrinkling with thought.
"I cannot see clearly what will remain. The vision was too bright. Too loud. The drums were so very loud."
Nadir, who had been fidgeting with barely concealed impatience, finally burst.
"That's it? That's all you can tell us? 'The island might sink and we might not survive'?" He threw his hands up, his tail lashing. "That's not helpful! That's—that's just terrifying!"
Volt placed a steadying hand on his son's shoulder. "Nadir."
"No, Father!" Nadir pulled away, his blue-gold eyes blazing. "Iris has been having visions for years, and they're always vague and useless and—"
"Nadir." Volt's voice was quiet, but there was iron beneath it. "That's enough."
Nadir's mouth snapped shut. His ears flattened against his skull, and for a moment, he looked less like a rebellious prince and more like a frightened child.
"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I just—I don't understand. Why can't she just tell us what's going to happen?"
Iris, who had been listening to the exchange with an expression of mild curiosity, tilted her head.
"Because the future is not a straight line," she said. "It is a river with a thousand branches. Every choice, every moment, every breath changes the current. I can see where the river is flowing, but I cannot see which branch it will take."
She paused, her third eye flickering.
"Unless you would like me to predict your future, young prince? I could tell you what you will have for breakfast tomorrow."
Nadir stared at her. "That's not—that's not the same thing at all."
"Are you sure? Because I saw you eating a very large fish." Iris's eyes sparkled with mischief. "A very tasty fish. I believe it was caught in the Eopolis Reef. The coral was—"
"Iris." Acco's voice cut through the oracle's rambling like a blade. "Focus."
Iris blinked, her expression shifting back to something resembling professionalism. "Right. Yes. Focus. So sorry."
She straightened in her chair, her massive frame groaning with the effort.
"Here is what I can tell you," she said, her voice low and serious. "There is a vessel coming. It will surface in Symphoria Harbor. The people on that vessel will bring destruction to this island. They will be looking for something. Something that has been hidden here for a very long time."
Her eyes found Volt's.
"Something that may not be ready to be found."
Volt's expression didn't change, but his tail flicked once—sharp, leftward, the tell that Amaris had learned to watch for decades ago.
"Thank you, Iris," he said, his voice steady. "That will be all."
Iris blinked, looking vaguely disappointed that the conversation was over. "Oh. Well. Alright then. I suppose I should go clean up my crystal ball. Or what's left of it. It was a very nice crystal ball. Very smooth. Very round."
She lumbered to her feet, her bulk swaying as she gathered the fragments of her shattered orb.
"I'm sure I can find another one," she muttered. "The Eclipse Bazaar has a very nice selection of—"
"Acco." Volt's voice cut through the rambling. "Please escort Iris to her quarters. Make sure she has everything she needs."
Acco nodded, her ears twitching with barely concealed relief at being given an excuse to leave. "Yes, sire."
She took Iris by the arm, guiding the massive oracle toward the door with practiced ease.
"Come on, you disaster," she muttered. "Let's get you some tea."
"I would prefer a large fish," Iris said, her voice carrying over her shoulder. "The drums were very loud and I am very hungry and—"
The door closed behind them, muffling the rest of her rambling.
In the sudden silence, the remaining occupants of the throne room exchanged glances.
Nyx was the first to speak. "My king, with all due respect, we need to take this seriously. If the oracle's vision is accurate—"
"It's always accurate." Volt's voice was quiet, measured. "Iris may be unpredictable, but her visions have never been wrong."
Amaris shifted, her spotted coat slowly returning to its normal grey-brown as she settled Vihaan more comfortably against her hip. "She said the guardians are reunited. And the Hitosume will exact their vengeance."
Nadir frowned. "The Hitosume? What are the—"
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