Something slowly drifted upwards in a lightless expanse.
'Ouch... How long... how long have we been swimming for now?'
The figure tightly held the small Seakin close to itself while clutching the circular Reveric in one hand, the Reveric wasn't glowing anymore.
Its other hand was pressed against its head, which was loosely wrapped in a transparent material, a red shade slowly leaking out of it.
It kept going for a moment, then stopped and removed the sharp Reveric whose handle it had been holding in its mouth. A large amount of blood spilled out immediately.
Some of it fell on the small Seakin, making it turn its gaze towards its wounded companion, whose form was faintly lit by the rectangular Reveric on its hand.
Blood flowed from the sides of its mouth, and a large amount leaked from its head, slowly mixing with the surrounding water.
The translucent bag it had been carrying was extremely tattered and hanging in pieces across its back.
The ascender was huffing loudly, a small burst of blood leaving its mouth each time it huffed.
It kept glancing around the dark expanse with a tired, pale, and lifeless expression.
The Seakin stared at that weary face and let out soft squeaks as it clung tighter to the figure's chest.
A faint, forced smile crossed the wanderer's lips.
"I'm fine... you just focus on telling me if you see something coming towards us, okay?" it said weakly.
The small Seakin looked at it again and quickly nodded a few times before turning to scan the surroundings.
The figure watched for a moment, then wiped the blood off its face and put the Sharp Reveric back in its mouth.
'Though not by much, it seems to have better vision here than me... How does it even understand what I'm saying without a Link?'
It stared at the Seakin briefly before tiredly beginning to ascend again.
They kept ascending for some time. The Seakin didn't notice anything dangerous, and the wanderer steadily kept moving upwards.
But as they continued, its condition worsened.
Blood constantly flowed from its head, and soon it had to stop ascending, struggling to remain conscious.
'My vision is getting blurry...'
It tried to fight off the fatigue but couldn't.
Slowly, its body started to sink, pushed down by the weight of the water.
The small Seakin, now free from its grip, looked at the drifting figure and started squeaking loudly.
It bit the tattered bag and tried to pull the bag and the figure along with it.
The ascender looked at the Seakin's desperate effort but couldn't move on its own, sinking even further into the depths.
'Damn it... Why now?... I should be in the Twilight Reach since this Reveric started to glow again...'
Its gaze fell on the rectangular Reveric tightly wrapped to its hand.
'Just a little more... If only I could go on for a little longer, I—'
The small Seakin suddenly started squeaking even louder, its movements turned erratic as it stared into the distance with wide eyes.
The figure turned its gaze towards the same direction.
Complete darkness.
There was nothing, just the crushing dark that swallowed all light.
It rubbed the circular Reveric in its hand and weakly pressed it between both palms.
Suddenly, a large burst of light erupted from the circular Reveric, illuminating a wide portion of the surroundings. The glow was far brighter in the Twilight Reach than it had been in the Eclipsed Reach.
The light rippled through the water, and for a moment, the silence thickened and pressed against everything around.
Then the Seakin's gaze locked forward. The figure followed it... and froze.
A massive hole resembling a mouth — lined with countless black teeth the size of the figure, was slowly opening, leading into something darker than the surrounding darkness.
The mouth moved closer, emitting a low, distorted rumble that made the water tremble.
"Ahhhh! No!"
A weak scream escaped its mouth; it had grown too frail to shout properly.
It tried to move, to swim away, but its limbs refused to obey its command.
'No...'
It took one last look at the creature... and closed its eyes, too terrified to watch its fate unfold.
...
'Crack!'
A thunderous noise erupted through the water, shaking it violently.
The figure opened its eyes... and found no creature in sight.
"Huh..."
The monstrous mouth had vanished, as if the darkness had swallowed it whole.
The waters fell silent once more, as though they had devoured their own echo.
The wanderer held its breath, staring into the emptiness.
...
Then, a reddish smoke drifted into the glowing waters, moving slowly toward the ascender.
'What's that... It's red... wait... can it be?'
The wanderer's vision flickered, its consciousness slipping, but it kept its gaze fixed on the smoke inching closer.
...
The crimson mist began to twist and condense until a humanoid shape stepped out of it and started moving towards the ascender.
Its eyes softened, and a faint, relieved smile crossed its face.
'Mrs. Solayn...'
It blacked out.
•••
Solayn moved towards the figure and grabbed its hand, stopping it from sinking deeper into the water.
"Hey, Revran... Revran?"
Solayn scanned his body.
Blood streamed from his mouth and smeared across his pale face. A deep wound on his head had turned a large part of his long hair crimson.
He was unconscious.
She slowly pulled Revran closer and hugged him tightly, her body trembling slightly.
Then she pressed one hand over his head wound — a crimson liquid flowed from her palm and spread over his body, wrapping him in a faint red glow.
'All his organs are functioning, and his Life Auralis is still flowing through him... He should be f-fine... Yeah... he'll be fine.'
Solayn was still holding Revran in her arms when she heard faint squeaks coming from near him.
Only then did Solayn notice the small Seakin biting her hand and trying to pull Revran away from her.
She blinked in confusion, watching the tiny creature struggle and bite her hand. The struggle went on for a while before her expression shifted to mild annoyance, and she caught the Seakin in her grasp.
The creature started squeaking even louder, making noises that further irritated Solayn.
'How is something this small even alive in the lower part of the Twilight Reach? Is it a Mixed-Breed?'
She took a closer look at the little Seakin, which was now squirming in her hand.
'Hmm... it is kind of cute. Did Revran pick it up somewhere? Well... I should take it with me, in case he wants it.'
Solayn took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. A faint glow now shimmered in her azure eyes.
['Hey, Ailayne, I found him.'] Solayn thought in her head.
[('You did ?')] Something whispered in her mind.
['Yes, come to me now']
[('...Okay, I'll be right there.')]
Solayn took the circular Reveric from Revran's hand and rubbed it between her palms.
It instantly began glowing, but far brighter than before. The light spread through the darkness in wide ripples.
She left the glowing Reveric beside her and turned back to Revran, gently holding him again.
...
For a time, everything was silent. Then, a deep rumble echoed in the distance, followed by a sound of something slicing through the water at high speed.
A moment later, the massive head of a creature broke into the illuminated expanse. Its face was a blend of pink and red fading to pale white toward its chin. It stared at Solayn with bright azure eyes.
A low series of sounds erupted from the creature as a reddish hue covered its head, and in an instant, the creature's entire form disappeared.
The waters went still again.
Then, a humanoid figure with long, deep red hair and azure eyes stepped into the light. Her pale skin carried a soft pinkish tone.
Ailayne moved closer to Solayn, her gaze immediately shifting to Revran. She now stood beside Solayn, worry etched across her face.
"Is he injured? How severe is it?" she asked, her voice filled with concern, as she gently touched Revran's head.
"He has a few wounds here and there, but he should be fine." Solayn replied.
Ailayne sighed in relief, then glanced at the small Seakin still squeaking in Solayn's grasp.
"Who's that cute little Seakin in your hand?"
Solayn looked at it with a weary expression and sighed.
"It's something I found near Revran. Looks like a Mixed-Breed to me. Let's take it with us — he might want it."
Ailayne carefully took the Seakin from her hand and examined it closely.
The little creature looked up at her with wide, hopeful eyes and began letting out soft, heart-melting squeaks.
Ailayne studied it for a moment longer, then smiled softly.
"Sure. Let's take it with us."
***
Revran woke up.
He stayed wrapped in a red blanket for a while, staring at the ceiling before sitting up straight on the bed and taking a look around.
A white desk stood beside the bed with a vase engraved with mystical patterns. It was filled with water and flowers of different shades.
Inside the vase, tiny, colorful fish-like creatures swam gracefully, glowing faintly.
Several books and sketches of various kinds of Seakins were scattered across the table.
A large, dark window could be seen near the huge bed he was sitting on.
On the white walls of the room hung a large picture frame — it showed Solayn, Ailayne, two black-haired girls standing in the middle, and a black-haired man standing behind them.
'Seems like Mrs. Solayn rescued me… But did she really have to put me in Ailariya's room though?' Revran made an annoyed expression.
He got up from the bed and stepped onto a red and white carpet.
Then a sudden pain hit him and he grabbed his head.
'Ouch! Did Mrs. Solayn not heal me?'
Revran stood still for a moment, holding his head, then slowly made his way towards the open double doors and exited the room.
Outside was a spacious area with a round transparent glass table at the center, surrounded by several brown Loungers.
Behind them stood a large glass tank, its clear water shimmering as small Seakins swam within. Several white, spherical Reverics were floating around the place, but Revran didn't pay them any attention.
His gaze was fixed on a black-haired woman half-reclined on a lounger with one hand on her head, staring at him with piercing black eyes.
'Damn… I'm dead, aren't I?'
Solayn kept staring at Revran for some time. Revran stood frozen, not daring to move.
"Why don't you come here and sit on a lounger, Revran?" Solayn spoke in a cold tone.
Revran hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked over and sat on the lounger across from her.
After a moment, Solayn sat upright.
"Can you explain what you were doing in the lower parts of the third zone?"
The words cut through the silence. Revran looked at her with fearful eyes, unable to speak.
This went on for a while before the air around them started growing heavier, it felt harder to breathe as Solayn's hair turned deep red, her eyes started glowing azure, and her pale skin gained a faint pink hue.
"Speak up." she said coldly.
Revran stared at her for a moment, then finally spoke in a cautious, trembling voice.
"I… was looking f-for any Stemoras or resources I c-could sell in the Bayspire Market."
…
Solayn's gaze remained fixed on him, her face slowly turning red with anger.
"You were searching for scraps to sell in the depths of the Twilight Reach?!"
The air grew even heavier, making it harder for Revran to breathe, his heart pounding.
"Fine! I get it! You were searching for Stemoras and other resources to sell for money! But did you really have to go that deep into the third zone for it?!"
Her voice rose, filled with fury, her every word seemed to linger in the air, making Revran's whole body shake.
"And what kind of desperate need could a nine-year-old have for so much money? Can you please explain to me!"
Her voice grew louder and sharper, each word pressing harder against him.
Revran's trembling increased.
'How… How do I explain it to her? I can't tell her why I need so much money…'
He looked down for a while, then lifted his gaze towards Solayn's eyes. Taking a shaky breath, he finally spoke, his voice faint but steady.
"I… I c-can't tell you why I need so much money."
...
Solayn tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable.
The air grew heavier again, almost choking him. Revran kept his gaze fixed on the table in front of him, too afraid to meet her eyes.
This silence lasted for several tense moments.
Solayn let out a deep sigh.
She drew a deep breath, then placed both hands on her head and pressed down firmly.
She stayed that way for a while, then looked at Revran again. Slowly, her hair faded back to black, her eyes returned from azure to deep black, and the air lightened.
Solayn slowly moved towards Revran and sat beside him.
She then gently placed her hand on his head, softly rubbing the wound before pulling him into a hug.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered, her voice low and trembling.
Revran froze, then slowly turned towards her.
"I shouldn't have shouted at you. I just… don't understand why you would put yourself in such danger just to earn a little." her voice carried sadness and guilt.
"If you needed Rivens so badly, you could've just asked me for some… Why did you take such a huge risk?"
She met Revran's gaze for a moment.
He watched her quietly as her expression shifted between anger and sorrow.
Then she turned her gaze away.
"Are we not close enough for you to ask me for such things?" she muttered in a soft voice.
Revran looked at her, unsure how to respond. They sat in silence for a while, until he finally opened his mouth.
"Mrs. Solayn… I—"
"Well… let's talk about this later." Solayn cut him off gently.
"More importantly, tell me, do you know anything about that small Seakin swimming in the tank?"
Revran blinked and turned towards the water tank.
The little Seakin he had rescued from the Eclipsed Reach was swimming happily, darting around and chasing smaller creatures as if nothing had happened.
'Oh… Thankfully, she rescued it too.'
He turned back to Solayn, an awkward expression forming on his face.
"That's… a Seakin I found in the middle parts of the Twilight Reach. I took it with me when heading deeper. I think it's a Mixed-Breed."
Solayn smiled softly.
"Yeah… I thought so too. It's a good thing you took it with you. Even if it's a Mixed-Breed, belonging to the Twilight Reach itself should ensure it becoming strong when it grows up."
Her voice was pleasant now; warm and calming, even. Completely different from before.
Revran gave her an awkward smile, scratching his wounded head, then winced and grabbed it with both hands.
'Ouch… Why did I even do that?'
Solayn let out a soft chuckle, then looked at the Seakin again, before turning back to Revran with a wide, beautiful smile.
"You want to form a Link with it?"