(Akilah's pov)
Cold.
That was the first thing I felt.
Not the biting cold of winter nor the icy sting of mountain winds.
This cold was… weightless.
It wrapped around me like silk, slipping beneath my skin until every inch of my body tingled.
I tried to open my eyes, the pain blooming behind my eyes immediately.
A dull ache pulsed through my skull as memories crashed back into me in scattered fragments.
The forest.
The pendant.
The shadow.
Those crimson eyes.
I sucked in a sharp breath and bolted upright.
Water rippled in every direction.
I froze.
"…What?"
My voice echoed into endless darkness.
I stared beneath me.
Instead of earth, I was kneeling in ankle-deep water so clear it looked like polished glass. Every tiny movement sent glowing ripples racing across its surface before they vanished into the darkness beyond.
There was no shoreline.
No trees.
No sky.
Only an endless sea stretching in every direction beneath a black void.
My heartbeat quickened.
Slowly, I pushed myself onto my feet.
The water remained perfectly calm despite my movements.
"Taylor?"
Silence answered me.
I turned in a slow circle.
"Darien?"
Nothing.
A knot formed in my stomach.
"Kael?"
Only my own voice returned.
I swallowed.
"This isn't funny."
No answer.
The darkness surrounding me seemed alive, swallowing every sound before it could travel very far.
Instinctively, I began walking.
Each step sent silver-blue rings dancing across the water before disappearing into the abyss.
There had to be an end.
There had to be something.
Minutes passed.
Or maybe hours.
Time felt meaningless in this place.
The scenery never changed.
Nothing existed except darkness…
…and water.
A soft glow suddenly flickered behind me.
I stopped.
The light pulsed once.
Then again.
Turning carefully, I followed the glow until I reached a patch of water glowing beneath the surface.
A tiny fish drifted gracefully beneath the water.
Its scales shimmered with brilliant shades of sapphire and silver, each movement scattering delicate streaks of light through the darkness.
It was breathtaking.
"I've never seen anything like you," I whispered, crouching down to its level.
The fish circled lazily before swimming closer.
Its bright blue eyes seemed… intelligent.
Almost curious.
It rose until its small head broke the surface.
For several seconds we simply stared at one another.
A smile tugged at my lips.
"Hello."
Carefully, I lowered my hand toward the water.
The fish remained perfectly still.
Just as my fingertips were about to touch its glowing scales—
Splash!
Cold water struck my face, causing me to gasp.
The fish darted away in a flash of blue light.
I wiped my eyes, laughing despite myself.
"Well… that's one way to greet someone."
"She enjoys playing tricks."
The unfamiliar voice echoed softly behind me.
Every muscle in my body tensed.
I spun around.
A woman stood several paces away.
Or at least…
I thought she was a woman.
Long white robes flowed effortlessly around her, untouched by wind.
Golden threads shimmered through the silk like liquid sunlight.
Her silver hair drifted weightlessly around her shoulders.
Yet no matter how hard I tried…
I couldn't see her face.
Brilliant moonlight radiated from it, making it impossible to distinguish her features.
The water beneath her feet glowed with every step she took.
She stopped several feet away.
The tiny fish swam happily around her ankles before disappearing beneath the water again.
"You think she's beautiful."
It wasn't a question.
I nodded slowly.
"She is."
"I had found her stuck between places. The poor thing was lonely, so I brought her here. She represents hope."
My brows furrowed.
"What?"
"No matter how vast darkness becomes…" the figure continued."…hope always finds light."
Silence settled between us.
Then realization struck.
"Who… are you?"
The woman regarded me quietly.
"I have been called many names."
Her voice carried no arrogance but still held a certain authority.
"Guardian."
"Mother."
"The Silver Light."
"The Watcher Beyond the Moon."
"I am the Moon Goddess."
For a heartbeat…
I simply stared.
Then I laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was impossible.
"I'm sorry," I managed between nervous laughs. "I think I hit my head harder than I realized."
The woman didn't react.
My laughter slowly faded.
The realization settled over me with startling clarity.
She was serious.
My eyes widened.
"Oh."
Heat rushed into my face.
"Oh."
I immediately dropped to one knee, lowering my head.
"I… I deeply apologize, Goddess."
A soft chuckle drifted through the darkness.
"Rise, child."
I obeyed at once.
Embarrassment burned in my cheeks.
"I didn't realize—"
"I know."
She stepped closer.
"You have never stood before me."
I nodded quickly.
"That is true."
For several moments neither of us spoke.
Finally, I gathered enough courage to ask the question lingering in my mind.
"Where am I?"
The Goddess looked out across the endless water.
"This place has many names."
She extended a graceful hand.
"Some know it as the Sea Between Dreams."
"The place where memories drift before they become stars."
"Others call it the Silent Tide."
"A realm that exists between the waking world… and the unseen one."
Her gaze returned to me.
"You are neither asleep nor truly awake."
The explanation somehow answered everything…
…and nothing.
I glanced around once more.
"So this place isn't real?"
"It is as real as your soul."
My breath caught.
I wasn't entirely sure what that meant.
But I believed her.
Somehow…
I believed every word.
"If I'm here…"
I hesitated.
"…then why did you bring me?"
The Goddess was silent for several heartbeats.
"I did not."
I frowned.
"What?"
"You were brought here."
"I was?"
She inclined her head.
"You were summoned."
Confusion washed over me.
"I don't understand."
"You called for me."
I blinked.
"No, I didn't."
"You did not."
Now I was completely lost. Did I summon, did I not summon?
"But another part of you did."
My heart skipped.
"Another… part?"
The Goddess nodded once.
"Vespera."
Everything inside me froze.
"…Vee?"
The name left my lips as little more than a whisper.
The Moon Goddess inclined her head.
"She has always been able to reach me."
I stared at her in disbelief.
"That isn't possible."
"It is."
"But…" I shook my head. "Vespera never told me."
"Not everything is meant to be spoken."
A ripple spread across the water between us, distorting the reflections beneath our feet.
"Some gifts reveal themselves only when the time is right."
I frowned.
"So… my cat summoned you; that doesn't make any sense. I don't even worship you."
"She reached through the bond that ties the light and the darkness together." The Goddess's voice remained gentle.
"She sensed that your soul had been separated from your body."
A chill crept down my spine.
"Separated?"
"You stand before me in spirit."
Instinctively, I looked down at my hands.
They looked normal.
Solid.
Real.
"So… my body is still in the forest?"
"It is."
My thoughts immediately raced to the others.
Taylor.
Darien.
Kael.
"They're probably terrified."
"They refused to leave you."
The answer surprised me.
"They stayed?"
"They carried you until dawn."
My chest tightened.
"They believed you would awaken."
I smiled faintly.
"They're good people."
"Even Kael?" I asked.
"Especially Kael."
"Haa, if anything, I believe he is enjoying this; he probably wished for me to never wake up."
She neither confirmed nor denied it.
"Your journey has already begun."
"My journey?"
"The path chosen for you long before your birth."
My stomach twisted.
"I don't understand."
"You are not meant to."
The Goddess extended one graceful hand.
The water before us shimmered.
Dark mist slowly rose from its surface.
At first it was only smoke.
Then…
It began to move.
My breathing caught.
Red eyes opened within the darkness.
I stumbled backwards.
"The shadow…"
"It found you."
"It attacked me," I said. "Why is it after me?"
The Goddess remained silent.
The silence itself became my answer.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" I asked.
"Not yet," She replied.
Frustration bubbled inside me.
"How am I supposed to stop something when I don't even know what it is?"
"You are asking the wrong question."
I frowned.
"What should I be asking?"
She looked directly at me.
"Why did it recognize you?"
My blood ran cold.
"I… don't know."
Her voice echoed softly across the water.
"You do."
A sharp pain pulsed through my chest.
Fragments of the creature's voice replayed inside my mind.
You hide yourself.
Shift.
Accept what you are.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
"It knew things."
"It knew your fears."
"It knew exactly where to strike."
I swallowed.
"What was it?"
The Goddess slowly raised her hand toward the dark mist.
The creature dissolved instantly, scattering into countless black fragments.
"It is only a fragment."
"A fragment?"
"Of something far older."
"Far darker."
"And has become more impatient."
The last words settled over me like frost.
"It has begun to awaken."
The Goddess looked toward the endless darkness beyond us.
"Long ago, a great evil was sealed away."
"Not destroyed."
"Only imprisoned."
I felt my heartbeat quicken.
"The seal weakens with every passing century."
"And now…"
Her voice grew quieter.
"Cracks have begun to appear."
The water beneath my feet trembled gently.
"The shadows you see are merely pieces."
"They search."
"They observe."
"They tempt."
"They feed."
"The pendant you carry gave way for it to find your weak spots. It feeds on your memories. Pain leaves the deepest imprint upon a soul." She said.
"The fragment exploited that weakness."
"So it wasn't trying to kill me?"
"No."
Her answer surprised me.
"It desired something far more valuable."
My pulse pounded inside my ears.
"What?"
"It wished to know whether your spirit would surrender."
I stared at her.
"If I had…"
The Goddess's silence answered once again.
Goosebumps spread across my arms.
She stepped closer.
"You resisted."
"Barely."
"But you resisted."
She cupped her hands together.
When she opened them, a luminous pearl rested in her palm.
Unlike any pearl I had ever seen, its surface shimmered with swirling silver patterns that resembled moonlight dancing across a calm ocean.
She placed it gently into my hand.
The moment my fingers closed around it, warmth spread through my entire body.
"What is it?"
"A guide. It will show you what you're seeking," she said.
I frowned.
"I don't understand."
"You will."
She closed my fingers around the pearl.
Then, in a voice that sounded more like a song than spoken words.
'When silver skies kiss silent tides,
Seek not the surface where reflections hide.
Only the heart that dares to sink below
Will find the truth the waters choose to show.'
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"It is the answers you have been looking for," she replied.
"Answered to what?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she reached forward. Placing her gentle hand against my shoulder.
And then all she pushed me.
I gasped as the world vanished beneath me.
The water swallowed me whole.
I sank deeper.
And deeper.
Above me, the tiny fish shone brighter than the glow of the moon.
Its light became the only thing I could see.
I reached toward it—
Then everything dissolved into brilliant white.
I gasped.
Air rushed painfully into my lungs as though I had been underwater for hours. My chest heaved with each breath while the pounding inside my head slowly began to fade.
I blinked several times before my vision finally cleared.
I tried to move but felt the weight of something covering me. I looked down to see that I was covered by a jacket.
I looked up to see towering trees stretched toward the brilliant blue sky, their emerald leaves swaying gently in the breeze. Sunlight filtered through the branches, scattering golden patches across the forest floor.
Groaning softly, I pushed myself upright.
The jacket slipped from my shoulders and pooled around my waist.
I glanced around the clearing.
A small campfire crackled a few feet away, sending thin streams of smoke into the sky.
On the opposite side of the fire, Taylor and Darien were asleep against a fallen log. Judging by the way they were sitting, neither of them had intended to fall asleep. Exhaustion must have simply claimed them.
My heart softened.
They had stayed.
Just like the Moon Goddess had said.
A rustling sound came from behind me.
I turned.
Kael emerged from between the trees carrying an armful of firewood.
He slowed the instant his eyes landed on me.
For the briefest heartbeat, something flashed across his face.
Relief.
It vanished so quickly I almost convinced myself I'd imagined it.
"You're finally awake."
His voice was as composed as ever.
He crossed the clearing before dropping the wood beside the fire with a dull thud.
The noise startled Darien awake.
He blinked rapidly before his gaze found me.
"…Akilah?"
His eyes widened.
"Taylor!"
He shook Taylor's shoulder repeatedly.
Taylor jerked awake with a confused mumble.
"What happened?"
Taylor followed Darien's gaze.
The moment he saw me sitting up, every trace of sleep disappeared from his face.
"Akilah!"
He hurried across the clearing and wrapped me in a hug so tight it nearly stole my breath.
"I was starting to think you were trying to break the academy record for longest nap."
Despite everything that had happened, I laughed.
"I'm sorry."
He pulled back just enough to study my face.
"Are you alright?"
I nodded.
"I think so."
"You collapsed, but luckily Kael caught you before you hit the ground," Taylor said.
I looked at Kael, astonished that he was the one to catch me.
"Looks like he is finally warming up to you; he even carried you the whole way." Taylor continued.
It seems like I've missed a whole chapter. He stood beside the fire, feeding another piece of wood into the flames. He hadn't said another word.
The orange light danced across his features, softening the sharp lines of his face.
He looked tired.
When he sensed me watching him, he lifted his eyes.
Our gazes met.
There was no anger.
No mockery.
Only an unreadable expression I couldn't quite place.
Then he looked away.
The invisible wall between us returned.
My mind wandered back to what the moon goddess had said. How he especially is a good person. I honestly found that hard to believe.
"You wouldn't wake up."
I looked back at Taylor, his expression becoming more serious.
"We tried everything."
Darien folded his arms.
"You scared us."
Guilt settled heavily in my chest.
"I'm sorry."
"No." Taylor shook his head immediately.
"Don't apologize."
"We were just worried."
His words warmed something inside me.
Taylor finally released me completely.
"Can you stand?"
"I think so."
He offered his hand.
I accepted it and slowly rose to my feet.
My legs trembled slightly before steadying.
Darien let out a relieved sigh.
"What happened?" he asked.
"You were unconscious for hours."
"The pendant must've shown you something terrible."
The question made my chest tighten.
Images from my childhood flickered through my mind.
I lowered my eyes.
"It showed me a past, a past I wished to never relive.
Taylor looked at me carefully.
"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."
Part of me wanted to leave it there.
To bury everything again.
That would have been easier.
Safer.
But another part of me…
The part that had stood before the Moon Goddess…
Was tired of pretending those memories hadn't shaped me.
I lowered myself onto a nearby log.
"When I was little…"
My fingers twisted together in my lap.
"I wasn't like everyone else."
A bitter smile touched my lips.
"I tried so hard."
"I trained harder than most children my age."
"I practiced until my hands bled."
"I stayed awake perfecting every move, while everyone else slept."
I laughed quietly.
"It never seemed to matter."
"My brothers always learned faster."
"They were stronger."
"Braver."
"They made everything look effortless."
I stared into the fire.
"I was always the one who fell behind. To mess everything up. To become a great disappointment," I said.
"My father…"
The words caught in my throat.
"He loved me."
I believed that.
"I still believe that."
"But…"
I swallowed.
"He expected greatness."
"And every time I failed…"
"I convinced myself I'd disappointed him."
The fire crackled softly.
"I remember watching him praise my brothers after training."
A small smile crossed my face.
"They deserved it."
"They worked incredibly hard."
I looked down at my hands.
"I just kept wondering when he'd look at me the same way."
My voice grew quieter.
"It never felt enough."
"The more I failed… the more distant he became. That led to everyone else overlooking me. If my own father could barely recognize me, then why else would the rest of the kingdom?" I stated.
"I started believing them."
Silence settled over the clearing.
"I don't believe them," Taylor said.
"Yeah, well, believing in them is what shaped me today. I'm not the same fragile girl anymore, and as I got older, everyone started to see it. They all wanted to be around me, but I would never forget how they treated me, so Nadira became one of my only friends cause she was the only one who ever accepted me for who I was," I finished.
Taylor smiled gently. "I've known you for a short time." He continued, "but you're one of the bravest people I've met."
Darien nodded in agreement. Kael just continued to look at me.
Emotion tightened my throat.
"Thank you."
It meant more than he probably realized.
Determined to lighten the mood, I cleared my throat dramatically.
"Now…"
I reached for my backpack.
"Who's hungry?"
Taylor blinked.
"I thought we could go hunt something. Maybe a rabbit; they are easier to catch."
I gagged at the thought of hunting down a cute, innocent bunny.
"No."
I unzipped my bag.
"You are absolutely not making me eat a rabbit."
Darien laughed.
"What did you bring?"
I began pulling out packets one after another.
Dried Felinaran fruit.
Pretzels.
Sun-shaped butter biscuits.
Mixed nuts.
Dried berries.
"See, I knew she was good for the team," Taylor said as he stared at the treats I brought.
"I'm always prepared."
I tossed a packet of dried berries toward Darien.
He caught it effortlessly.
Taylor received the biscuits.
I picked up the pretzels. For a second, I hesitated before holding them out toward Kael.
"You can have these."
He looked at the packet. Then at me. Without a word, he accepted them, muttering a small thank you.
I rolled my eyes and opened my own packet of dried fruit.
For several peaceful minutes, the only sounds were crackling firewood and rustling wrappers.
The quiet wasn't awkward.
It was comforting.
Taylor checked the timer strapped to his wrist.
His relaxed expression immediately disappeared.
"We've got ten hours left."
Darien sighed.
"We've already lost too much time."
His gaze settled on the pendant lying beside the fire.
"If only we knew exactly what kind of enchantment we're dealing with."
He tossed it lightly toward Kael.
Kael caught it with one hand.
He turned the ruby over thoughtfully, running his thumb across the intricate gold engravings wrapped around its edges.
His expression sharpened.
"I've seen markings like these before."
Taylor looked up.
"You have?"
Kael nodded.
"They belong to the Sirens."
"The sea dwellers?" Darien asked.
"The very same."
Kael held the pendant closer to the firelight.
"The gold isn't decoration."
"It's a binding script."
His finger traced the delicate patterns.
"Sirens were masters of memory magic."
"They believed memories carried pieces of the soul."
"So when someone important died…"
"They preserved fragments of those memories inside enchanted pearls, gemstones, and pendants."
My heart skipped.
"To remember them?"
Kael nodded.
"At first."
His gaze darkened.
"But over time…"
"The magic changed."
"The relics began feeding on emotion."
"The stronger the memory…"
"The stronger the enchantment became."
Taylor frowned.
"So every person who wears this…"
"…is forced to relive memories powerful enough to sustain it."
"Exactly."
I instinctively reached toward the pearl hidden safely inside my pocket.
The Moon Goddess's words echoed through my mind.
When silver skies kiss silent tides…
My breathing slowed.
"…Seek not the surface where reflections hide…"
I whispered without thinking.
Kael looked up immediately.
"What did you say?"
I repeated the verse, this time loud enough for everyone to hear.
'When silver skies kiss silent tides,
Seek not the surface where reflections hide.
Only the heart that dares to sink below
Will find the truth the waters choose to show.'
When I finished, Taylor frowned thoughtfully.
"That's… beautiful."
Darien tilted his head.
"It sounds like a riddle."
"It is."
Three pairs of eyes turned toward me.
I hesitated.
"I heard a voice while I was unconscious."
Not a complete lie.
"It told me those words."
"And said I'd find what I seek."
Kael's expression remained unreadable.
"You didn't recognize the voice?"
"No."
I lowered my eyes.
Not because I wanted to lie…
But because I wasn't ready to explain that I'd stood before the Moon Goddess herself.
Taylor repeated part of the riddle quietly.
"'Seek not the surface…'"
Darien looked toward the trees.
"Water."
Kael turned the pendant over once more.
"No."
He looked toward the narrow stream flowing beyond the clearing.
"Not just water."
His blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"We're looking in the wrong place."
For the first time since entering this forest, hope flickered between us.
The answer was close.
We simply had to learn where to look.
Maybe being a part of Kael's team wasn't such a bad thing after all.