Chapters 67-68-69

Since I made a mistake by posting chapter 68 yesterday instead of chapter 67, I'm reposting them both and adding a bonus chapter to express my apologies!

Chapter 67 – Damning Evidence

Keanu stepped out of the makeshift interrogation room, his face pale and drawn. 

The wooden door closed behind him with a soft click that echoed in the tense silence of the hallway. 

He leaned against the wall for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

He couldn’t believe the amount of questions, the meticulousness that the two Water Riders from the Academy had applied.

While trying to uncover the secrets surrounding Professor Iakopo, they had almost uncovered his own. 

Keanu had almost ruined his own mission because of Professor Iakopo.

His heart couldn’t stop pounding, especially as he saw Talia pushing herself off the wall and coming in his direction. 

They were all back in the main villa they used as one big dorm. 

Professor Iakopo was being held in its basement after the girl who had attacked Takai had been moved to another cell since she was considered way less of a threat than the man. 

Keanu looked at one of the oil lamps on the wall, wishing for a second he could douse himself and light his troubles away.

Every day, his mission became more and more stressful. 

And he wasn’t making any real progress. 

He coughed the mold from the walls out of his lungs and nodded at Talia, trying to smile at her. 

He was still kind of afraid of what the girl had done for the sake of practicing a new Skill. 

But that couldn’t interfere with his real mission. 

Other students milled about nervously, their whispered conversations creating a constant undercurrent of sound. 

All eyes had momentarily turned to Keanu when he had emerged, probably wondering what questions had been asked, if any new one had surfaced after they had asked the others. 

"How did it go?" Talia asked in a low voice, her blue eyes searching his face for any clue of the outcome in Keanu’s body language.

He ran a hand through his hair. 

"It was... intense," he replied, matching her hushed tone. "They asked about everything - our training sessions, the monsters we encountered, Professor Iakopo's behavior. They also… ask about personal stuff.”

“Personal stuff?” Talia frowned.

“Background, family, and so on and so forth. I don’t think they’ll ask you, though. They know who you are,” Keanu said, almost slipping a frustrated groan in it. 

“They really think he’s a Cultist?” Talia frowned.

“It seems to be the case,” Keanu shrugged. 

Talia furrowed her brow in thought. 

She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a stern voice called out from the doorway.

"Talia Solara," the Water Rider investigator announced. "You're next."

Talia squared her shoulders, exchanging a quick glance with Keanu before walking towards the room. 

As she passed through the doorway, the investigator closed it behind her with a finality that made her heart skip a beat.

The room was small and sparsely furnished, with a single table and three chairs. 

Two Water Riders sat on one side, their faces impassive.

On the other side of the table, to Talia's surprise, sat Mira. 

The older student's presence was unexpected, and Talia couldn't help but wonder about the reason behind it.

"Please, take a seat," one of the Water Riders said, gesturing to the empty chair.

Talia sat down, her back straight and her hands folded in her lap. 

She could feel Mira's eyes on her.

The Water Rider who had spoken, a middle-aged woman with graying hair pulled back in a tight bun, leaned forward. 

"Miss Solara, we're here to gather information about the events that have transpired in Placid City, particularly concerning Professor Iakopo's conduct. Please understand that this is a serious investigation, and we expect nothing but the truth from you."

Talia nodded, her throat suddenly dry. 

"I understand," she managed to say.

The second Water Rider, a younger man with sharp features, spoke next. 

"Let's start from the beginning. Can you describe your interactions with Professor Iakopo?”

“All of them?” Talia was confused. 

“All?” The woman asked back.

“I took the Initiation Test with Professor Iakopo,” Talia said. 

“Let’s start there if you think it’s relevant.”

Talia took a deep breath, organizing her thoughts. 

She was acutely aware of Mira's presence, and in that moment, she made a decision. 

If Mira was here, Talia needed her to believe she was fully behind the arrest of the man as well.

“Professor Iakopo purposefully targeted me from the start. He tried eliminating me twice during the test.”

Talia proceeded to explain what the man had done and the two Water Riders on the other side of the table glanced at each other, taking notes. 

"Professor Iakopo has been... intense," Talia began, choosing her words with care. "I know he's always been a demanding instructor with every student, but since I arrived here, he’s had it out for me. I’ve also barely seen him.” 

Talia said all of this because fully believed that Professor Iakopo was on his to a conviction no matter what.

She fully believed Mira was involved in this, even though she didn’t know whether the two investigators here were on the wrong side as well. 

And if that was the case, she couldn’t appear suspicious.

Not if she wanted to be able to move of her own accord and follow her own plans. 

The female Water Rider nodded, making a note on a piece of paper in front of her. 

"We have been told you visited his quarters when he was away. Did you find anything worth of note?"

“Excuse me?” Talia frowned.

Mira told them, Talia realized, cementing her own understanding of the girl from the Kane Family. 

The female Water Rider leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful. 

"Miss Solara, when you visited the man’s study, did you ever come across anything that might suggest Professor Iakopo was involved in... less than savory activities?"

Talia felt her heart rate increase. 

This was the moment of truth. 

She could feel Mira's gaze boring into her, watching for any sign of deception. 

Taking a deep breath, Talia made her move.

"Actually," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I did find something strange in Professor Iakopo's office."

The room seemed to grow even quieter, if that was possible. Even the sounds from the hallway outside seemed muted.

"Go on," the male Water Rider prompted, leaning forward.

Talia swallowed hard, then continued. 

"I saw a strange red powder on his desk. It looked... it looked like the same substance I saw being used in a summoning ritual back on my home island." 

She paused, letting the implication sink in. 

"The ritual was performed by a Cultist."

The effect of her words was immediate. 

The Water Riders nodded to each other.

"Are you absolutely certain about this, Miss Solara?" the female Water Rider asked, her voice sharp.

Talia nodded solemnly. 

"Yes, I'm certain. I recognized it immediately. I just wasn’t sure whom to tell."

“Well, that’s another piece of damning evidence,” the woman sighed.

Talia looked back quizzically.

“She’s the Kraken Slayer’s daughter,” the male Water Rider said. “If we can’t trust her…”

The woman nodded back, and turned toward Talia.

“You’re trustworthy enough to share something with and you saw it with your own eyes. We’ve found ourselves traces of the same substance in the Professor’s study. There were attempts to conceal it but we are specialized in finding traces like those ones.”

“That is…” Talia let her words trail.

“You can go, for now,” the woman said, rubbing her face. “What a mess.”

Talia stood. 

“It’s been a pleasure meeting you,” the woman said. “I knew your mother. She was the greatest pride of the Academy. We miss heroes like her. Especially in situations like this one.”

Talia attempted a smile, seeing that Mira was still surveilling her every reaction.

“I wish I had met her,” Talia said sheepishly. “Thank you for your service.” 

The older student's expression was unreadable, but there was a glint in her eye that made Talia uneasy. 

She had played her part, hoping to convince Mira of her ignorance while seemingly cooperating with the investigation. 

Now, it was time to have her own investigation. 

***

The two Water Riders hurried behind Mayor Boro, who had his own copy to the mana cuffs of Professor Iakopo, and a shopkeeper who claimed to have found something terrible. 

“If he’s a Cultist,” the male Water Rider said, “why didn’t he fight back? That's why we told Principal Kaimana to send more men. Imagine if he had rebelled.”

“Maybe he still has some honor left,”  the woman replied with a shrug.

“Listen,” the man said, “Iakopo could have killed both of us. This was stupid. I still don’t understand why the Principal didn’t dispatch an Elder to go with us. Or two.”

“You should stop believing all the rumors,” the woman groaned. “Iakopo is not that strong.”

“He used to be a Promised Slayer,” the man rebuked.

“No one’s seen the man fight in two decades,” she replied. “He disappears every now and then but it’s probably because he’s a cultist. Many Promised Slayers became washed-up Water Riders.” 

“Did they?” He said skeptically. “Well, at least we got him in cuffs.”

“We’re here,” the Mayor said with his round face flushed, and he gesticulated wildly as he spoke to the investigators.

The moon hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the abandoned buildings and overgrown lots.

Finally, they had arrived at what appeared to be an old warehouse near the docks. 

The smell of salt and rotting fish was strong here, making them wrinkle their noses in disgust.

Mayor Boro fumbled with a large key, his hands shaking slightly as he unlocked the heavy padlock on the door.

"You have to see this," Boro was saying, his voice carrying down the hallway. "It's worse than we thought. Much worse."

The group hurried past the doors.

They followed the Mayor inside the poorly illuminated building. 

"Prepare yourselves," Lana warned, her voice trembling. "What you're about to see... it's not for the faint of heart."

The door creaked open, and a wave of cold air washed over them, carrying with it a sickly sweet odor that made their stomach turn. 

The Water Riders produced small globes of light, illuminating the interior of the warehouse.

What the two investigators saw made them gasp in horror.

Laid out in neat rows on the floor were dozens of bodies, each covered with a thin white sheet. The outlines of their forms were clearly visible, some distorted in ways that spoke of violent ends.

"By the Deep," one of the Water Riders breathed, his face pale in the ghostly light.

Mayor Boro stepped forward, his voice shaking as he spoke. 

"We... We found them scattered throughout the city. Hidden in abandoned buildings. We brought them here to… we wanted to show them to you before we buried them.”

Lana moved to one of the bodies and gently pulled back the sheet, revealing the face of a young woman. 

Her skin was pale and waxy, her eyes mercifully closed. 

But it was the marks on her neck that drew everyone's attention - angry red lines that seemed to twist and swirl in impossible patterns.

"Space Water," the female Water Rider said, her voice barely above a whisper. "These are the marks of Space Water. I can still feel it, too."

The woman felt her blood run cold. 

Space Water was Professor Iakopo's Affinity, a rare and powerful form of Water Magic. 

She didn’t know anyone else who had mastered it. 

So, if these victims bore the marks of Space Water...

The implications were horrifying.

The male Water Rider turned to Mayor Boro, his face set in grim lines. 

"How long have you known about this?"

Boro wrung his hands, his eyes darting nervously around the room. 

"We... we only just discovered the full extent of it. At first, it was just a few bodies. We thought maybe it was the work of monsters that had escaped the Placid Cave. But then we found more, and we noticed the patterns..."

The Water Riders exchanged a look of grim understanding. 

The male investigator turned to address the group.

"This changes everything," he said, his voice heavy with the weight of what they had discovered. "If these deaths are Professor Iakopo’s doing, then we're dealing with something far more sinister than we initially thought."

“We’ll alert the Academy at once,” the woman said, shaking her head.

Chapter 68 – Resignation

The two Water Riders in charge of the investigation descended some creaky wooden stairs into the damp basement where Professor Iakopo was being held. 

“I can’t believe this,” the guy said. “Him? Do this? Why?” 

“Beats me,” the woman replied, frowning. “Listen, our job is to bring him back to the Academy. The Principal will take care of the rest.”

The air smelled of mold and decay and both, who had arguably gone through worse, felt sick to their stomach.

The evidence was, despite the fact that they partially refused to believe their eyes, pretty damning.

The traces of Space Water over the bodies of the dead couldn’t be faked.

And neither knew even one person who had mastered Space Water other than Professor Iakopo.

So, when they entered the cell, both felt their stomach churn and capsize, threatening to spill its contents on the floor.

The man in front of them had possibly tarnished the honor of the Academy in the most heinous way. 

Iakopo sat slumped against the far wall bound at his wrists and ankles by mana-absorbing cuffs. 

Additional chains criss-crossed his body, each link glowing faintly as it siphoned away any trace of magical energy. 

The Professor was too strong to only use cuffs on him—that was why they had gone the extra mile to make sure he couldn’t get free by accessing his terrifying Affinity. 

The man looked haggard and rattled his chains as he shifted against the wall.

As the investigators approached, Iakopo raised his head, his gaze unfocused and weary. 

The female Water Rider spoke first, her voice cold and professional.

"Professor Iakopo, we've made a disturbing discovery that we need to discuss with you."

Iakopo said nothing, merely watching them with a detached expression.

The male investigator continued.

"We've found bodies, Professor. Dozens of them, hidden throughout the city. They bear the unmistakable marks of Space Water magic."

At this, Iakopo's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of something—shock, disbelief, perhaps even fear—passing across his face. 

He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, seemingly at a loss for words.

"The evidence is damning," the female Water Rider pressed on. "These deaths, combined with the other findings... it's enough to warrant execution. You've stained the honor of all Water Riders with your actions. We’ll bring you in for sentencing tomorrow. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

For a long moment, Iakopo remained silent, his gaze fixed on some unseen point beyond the dank basement walls. 

Then, to the investigators' shock and disgust, he began to laugh. 

It started as a low chuckle, building into a full-bodied laugh that shook his entire frame. 

Tears streamed down his face as he laughed, the sound echoing off the stone walls in a cacophony of madness.

The two Water Riders exchanged uneasy glances. 

The man's laughter, tinged with hysteria and despair, was as good as a confession in their eyes.

"I think we've seen enough," the male investigator muttered, turning towards the stairs.

His partner nodded in agreement, casting one last disgusted look at the still-laughing Iakopo before following her colleague out of the basement.

As the door slammed shut behind them, Iakopo's laughter gradually subsided and the tears dried on his cheeks. 

He leaned his head back against the cold stone wall, his eyes closed in resignation.

"So this is how it ends," he murmured to himself, his voice hoarse. "Is this fate's way of settling the score?"

Confined away in the basement, bound like a feral dog, Iakopo's thoughts turned inward.

The weight of the past was much worse than all the chains that they had draped around his body, than the accusations they were moving toward him.

"I might not be guilty of this," he whispered, his tone tinged with madness, "they might be framing me. But... don't I deserve this? After all these years trying to prove I wasn't responsible... Maybe this is the moment of truth. The moment I finally pay for what I've done."

His mind drifted back to that fateful day two decades ago, to the choice that had haunted him ever since. 

"I should have killed her before then, when I found the bodies the first time," he muttered, his fists clenching despite the restraints. "If I had... none of this would have happened."

As the reality of his situation sank in, Iakopo felt a strange sense of relief wash over him. 

The burden he had carried for so long, the constant struggle to redeem himself, to prove his worth - it all seemed to fall away in the face of this final judgment.

"Maybe this is for the best," he said to the empty room, his voice barely above a whisper. "An end to it all. A chance to finally face the consequences of my actions."

With that thought, Iakopo closed his eyes, surrendering himself to whatever fate awaited him.

***

The talk of Professor Iakopo's arrest spread among the students.

Many still couldn’t believe what they were hearing nor wanted to.

Someone had leaked news about the bodies that had been found by the two investigators and now everyone seemed horrified.

No one wanted to believe Professor Iakopo had done it. 

But the evidence was too strong to be ignored.  

"Listen up, everyone," Mira called out, her voice cutting through the chatter. "I know you all have questions about what's happening with Professor Iakopo. While I can't discuss the details of it, I can tell you this: our mission here in Placid City remains unchanged."

Mira had gathered them in the hall of the villa where they were staying and now raised a hand for silence.

"The expeditions into the Placid Cave will resume shortly after the preliminary verdict on the professor's guilt is reached. I have communicated with the investigators and they agree that just because the Professor might have committed crimes, we’re not to be withdrawn before clearing out the Placid Cave. We don’t want the place to be overrun by monsters and it’s great practice. The investigators have checked the Dungeon and have cleared out some semi-evolved Torpedo Snappers that they think Professor Iakopo had been raising at the end of the Cave.”

Everyone’s eyes went wide.

“We will all go together this time, as one group. We must take care of Placid City and make it safe for its citizens. So, we’ll do one last push together and clear out the normal Torpedo Snappers in the Dungeon."

Talia, standing near the back of the room with Keanu, felt a chill run down her spine at Mira's words. 

She knew they were running out of time to uncover the truth.

Mira's voice took on a harder edge as she continued, "I want to make one thing perfectly clear: those who are unable to use Mana Board will still fail out of the Academy, even though Professor Iakopo has been arrested. As a member of the Kane Family and under the authority our superiors gave me, I will be taking over the course until the Academy finds a suitable replacement for Professor Iakopo."

Talia knew that she needed to act fast if she was going to confirm Iakopo’s innocence and uncover whatever trouble was brewing in Placid City. 

As the meeting dispersed, Talia slipped away from the crowd, making her way back to her small room. 

She closed the door behind her, leaning against it for a moment as she gathered her thoughts.

"It's now or never," she muttered to herself, moving to sit cross-legged on her bed. “I need to prepare.”

Talia closed her eyes, focusing her mind inward to access her Akashic Record.

[Name: Talia]

[Age: 16]

[Class: Lifestealer Lv. 10]

[Rank: Novice]

[Primary Mana Channel (Water): Level 1 {Dormant}]

[Secondary Mana Channel (Blood): Level 5 {Flowing}]

[Secondary Mana Channel (Dark Water): Level 1 {Dormant}]

[Core Skill #1: Blood Siphon Lv. 10]

[Core Skill #2: Hemomancy Lv. 11]

[Core Skill #3: Eyes of the Abyss Lv. 8]

[Auxiliary Skill #1: Missile Swimming Lv. 4]

[Auxiliary Skill #2: Crimson Wisdom Lv. 6]

[Auxiliary Skill #3: Blood Confluence Lv. 3]

[Strength: 20]

[Agility: 4]

[Constitution: 3]

[Intelligence: 1]

[Wisdom: 0]

[Charisma: 0]

[Free Attributes: 0]

[Talent Trees:

·       Bloodborne Warrior

·       Carmine Thunder

·       Sanguine Guardian

·       Hemomantic Artisan (1)

·       Crimson Sage (1)

·       Life Thief

]

[Free Talent Points: 3]

Talia could now see two of her Talent Trees’ paths, Hemomantic Artisan and Crimson Sage.

So, she took a look at the Skills they offered since she had earned two Talent Points by leveling up [Blood Siphon] and [Hemomancy] beyond Level 10. 

She needed to get into the cave, but to do that before her sister arrived in Placid City, she would need to take care of a Boss with several levels on her. 

A suicide mission, she thought bitterly.

Having fought a giant Abyssal Scuttler Boss together with Lani, Talia knew how dangerous those things could be and, more importantly, how resilient.

So, she looked at the options. 

[Hemomantic Artisan:

1. Blood Weaving

2. Arterial Surge

3. Vitality Tap

]

[Crimson Sage:

1. Crimson Meditation

2. Blood Wraith

3. Well of Blood

]

Together with the paths, she could instinctively feel what the Skills did, which was a major upgrade from not having any Talent Point spent in one Tree and going blind, even though these cost two Talent Points each, meaning she could only choose one. 

[Blood Weaving] was the first Skill she checked out and, perhaps, the most interesting she had seen so far. 

It would allow her to control the spilled blood of her enemies.

If Talia had been a Caster, she would have immediately picked such a Skill since it would have allowed her to use the entire battleground to her advantage. 

To understand how stupidly powerful that would have been, it would basically be as if Fiora could summon Sunwater from pretty much any part of the battlefield instead of just her proximity.

[Blood Weaving] definitely sounded like something Talia would definitely reconsider in the future, especially as her reliance on Blood Water would increase. 

[Arterial Surge] allowed to burn her Blood and turn it into Blood Water, essentially allowing her to increase her output manyfold in one burst. 

It made sense that this belonged to the Hemomantic Artisan Talent Tree since it clearly would benefit a Caster more than her. 

[Vitality Tap] was somewhat similar in scope to [Arterial Surge], but instead of burning one’s own blood, it would draw from the spilled blood of enemies and, if paired with [Blood Siphon], from their vitality. 

While enticing, none of these Skills would give her a clear advantage to kill the Slashing Cruster Boss. 

So, she turned to the [Crimson Sage] Talent Tree.

[Crimson Meditation] was pretty straightforward. 

It accelerated Mana regeneration but required it to be stationary while using it. 

[Blood Wraith] summoned a familiar made of Blood Water that would fight alongside Talia.

[Well of Blood] would increase her reserves of Blood Water Attuned Mana. 

Sadly, they were all useless to her as things stood.

And so, she turned toward the Talent Trees that she had not yet unlocked.

[Talent Trees:

·       Bloodborne Warrior

·       Carmine Thunder

·       Sanguine Guardian

·       Life Thief

]

She immediately excluded Life Thief.

Any Charisma-based Skill would do nothing for her as things stood.

And that left three Talent Trees. 

Incidentally, she had three Free Talent Points. 

Chapter 69 – Speed Glyph

Riala had been three years old when their mother had gone to face the Kraken and had never returned since. 

Riala had notes that their mother had left them regarding Skills and Classes—mostly general principles of fighting, nothing extremely specific. 

Yalena had been so consumed with killing the Kraken that hadn’t accumulated not much knowledge of the rest. 

One of the things that her mother had stressed, something that went against the grain of what was commonly taught, was that over-specialization was crippling, especially at lower levels. 

Their mother theory being that the most important thing for  an aspiring Water Rider in their early levels was survivability, not to blast the monsters in the most spectacular way ever. 

Yalena had also left written that unlocking all the Talent Trees as soon as possible gave one the opportunity to change path if they deemed it a good option.

Yalena had started as a physical fighter when she had entered the Academy, only later turning into a full-blown caster—which was the path that Talia’s sister, Riala, was currently going down. 

So, with that kind of advice in mind, she made a quick decision. 

She would spend one Talent Point on each of the three remaining trees: Bloodborne Warrior, Carmine Thunder, and Sanguine Guardian. 

Without allowing herself time to second-guess or pore over the individual paths, she swiftly allocated the points.

A warm sensation spread through her body as the new Skills settled into place. 

Talia closed her eyes, allowing her mind to absorb the information flooding in.

When she opened her eyes again, she focused on examining each new Skill one by one.

[You unlocked the Bloodborne Warrior Talent Tree.]

[New Auxiliary Skill obtained!]

[Bloodbath]

[You unlocked the Carmine Thunder Talent Tree.]

[New Auxiliary Skill obtained!]

[Bloody Tracks]

[You unlocked the Carmine Thunder Talent Tree.]

[New Auxiliary Skill obtained!]

[Blood Fortress]

All three descriptions slowly flowed into her mind and Talia winced.

“Oh, that’s not good,” she cursed to herself.

Somewhat surprisingly, all three Skills had essentially the same effect, but on different Attributes.

[Bloodbath] temporarily increased her Strength based on how much damage she had dealt to monsters. 

[Bloody Tracks] and [Blood Fortress] did the same but for Agility and Constitution.

Talia winced.

“This…”

This hadn’t been a great move.

Talia could probably inflict damage to the Slashing Cruster Boss with Mana Crystallization, but she would have gladly taken a more powerful Skill than the ones she had received to help her out with it. 

Ok, I've got an idea to make this work, she thought. But first, I need to talk to the others. 

***

Talia entered Takai’s room. 

She was hesitant as she approached her friend.

Takai sat on the bed, staring out of the window with a gloomy look in his eyes. 

He barely turned as she entered, offering a weak smile. 

"Hey," Talia said softly. "How are you doing?"

Takai shrugged. "I'm okay."

Talia could see the lie in his slumped shoulders and the dark circles under his eyes. 

She sat down beside him, her voice filled with regret. 

"I'm sorry I haven't been around much. Things have been crazy, but that's no excuse. I should have checked on you sooner—I know that Lilinoe is your sister."

"It's fine," Takai mumbled, barely registering those words, but Talia could hear the hurt in his voice.

She took a deep breath. 

"Takai, I... I hate to ask this of you right now, but I need your help."

Takai looked up, his expression a mix of surprise and resignation. 

"My help?”

“Yes. I need you to put aside whatever it is that your feeling and help me out.” 

“I don't know what I can do. I'm not... I'm not strong like you or the others."

Talia's heart clenched at his words. She reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

"That's not true. You're not weak, idiot. You’ve got your father’s Skill and talent.”

“But my sister—”

“Your sister doesn’t matter,” Talia said. “You’re strong enough for this.”

Takai didn't look convinced, but he didn't pull away. 

Talia continued. 

"I need you to go with Keanu. There's something important that needs to be done, and I trust you two to handle it."

"What is it?" Takai asked, a flicker of curiosity breaking through his melancholy.

Talia hesitated, choosing her words carefully. 

"It's crucial for uncovering the truth about what's happening in Placid City. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. I just need you to trust me on this one. Please, just say yes."

Takai was quiet for a moment, considering her words.

Finally, he looked up, meeting Talia's gaze. 

There was a determination in his eyes that she hadn't seen in days. 

"Okay," he said. "I'll do it. Just tell me what you need."

Talia felt a wave of relief wash over her. She squeezed Takai's shoulder, grateful for his trust and willingness to help despite his own struggles. 

"Thank you. I promise I'll explain all the details after. For now, I need you and Keanu to steal the key to Professor Iakopo’s cuffs and go free him. I know that Mayor Boro has a copy. So…"

***

Talia hesitated outside Fiora's room, her hand about to knock. 

The sound of frustrated groans and muttered curses filtered through the door. 

Talia frowned, wondering what could be going on in there.

Taking a deep breath, she rapped her knuckles against the wood. 

There was a moment of silence, followed by the sound of shuffling feet. 

The door swung open, revealing a disheveled Fiora. 

Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her usually neat blonde hair was a tangled mess.

"Talia," Fiora said, her voice flat. "What do you want?"

"I... Is everything okay?" Talia asked, taken aback by Fiora's appearance.

Fiora let out a harsh laugh. 

"Oh, sure! Everything's okay! Everything's always damn okay!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "Why wouldn't it be? It's not like I'm failing at everything!”

Talia blinked, surprised by the outburst. 

"What are you talking about?” 

Fiora's shoulders slumped. For a moment, it seemed like she might slam the door in Talia's face. 

Instead, she stepped back, gesturing for Talia to enter.

"It's this stupid Speed Glyph," Fiora muttered, almost forgetting her recent animosity towards Talia in her frustration. She waved her hand, and a complex pattern of Mana appeared in the air. "I'm supposed to learn this to enhance my casting speed, but I just can't get it to damn work."

Talia activated her [Eyes of the Abyss], studying the Mana structure of the Glyph that levitated in the middle of the room. 

The intricate patterns swirled and pulsed, revealing their purpose to her enhanced perception.

"Maybe I can help," Talia offered cautiously.

Fiora turned to her, tears welling up in her eyes. 

"Of course you can," she said bitterly. "You always have the answers, don't you? Even though I was the one who actually passed the Academy's test, I'm the one who gets treated like dirt. And you... you can feel like a monster all you want, but your... You know what? Whatever. It doesn’t matter.”

The blonde waved her away, but she could clearly see the hurt in her eyes.  

Talia felt a pang in her chest at Fiora's words. 

Without thinking, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the blonde girl. 

Fiora stiffened for a moment before softening into the embrace, her body shaking.

"I hate you," Fiora mumbled into Talia's shoulder, even as she clung tighter. "I hate how easy everything is for you."

It hasn’t always been, Talia thought, but she avoided pointing out to Fiora. 

She could understand the girl’s pain very well and she chose to just let her friend feel what she was feeling and not disprove it. 

They stood like that for a while, Talia rubbing soothing circles on Fiora's back as the blonde's tears gradually subsided. 

Finally, Fiora pulled away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Show me what you've been doing," Talia said gently.

Fiora nodded, taking a deep breath to compose herself. 

She summoned a globe of Sunwater, then attempted to superimpose the Speed Glyph onto it. 

Talia watched through [Eyes of the Abyss], noticing how the Mana reacted poorly as the Sunwater orb had already solidified its structure.

"I think I see the problem," Talia said. "You've already mastered the structure of the Glyph, but you're trying to apply it after forming the Sunwater. Try summoning the orb through the Speed Glyph instead."

Fiora frowned but nodded. 

She dispelled the current orb and focused, visualizing the Glyph as she called forth her Sunwater. 

This time, the orb that formed hummed with power, visibly vibrating with enhanced energy.

Fiora's eyes widened in disbelief. "It... it worked," she breathed.

[Solar Glyph Mastery has reached Level 5!]

[You learn Solar Glyph - Speed] 

[Solar Glyph - Speed has reached Level 1!]

"That's amazing, Fiora!" Talia exclaimed, genuinely happy for her friend's success.

Fiora stared at the pulsing orb of Sunwater, a mix of emotions playing across her face. 

Finally, she turned to Talia.

"Thank you," she said quietly with contrasting emotions. 

Talia smiled, then took a deep breath. 

"Listen, Fiora... in exchange for this, I need your help with something. Something that might get us both killed."

Fiora snorted. 

"As usual," she said, but there was no real bitterness in her tone.

"We'll need Lilo and Nami too," Talia continued. "If we're going to survive what's about to happen in Placid City, we all need to work together."

Fiora studied Talia for a long moment, then nodded. 

"Alright," she said. "I'm in. What's the plan?"

“Let’s go get Nami and Fiora, first. Without them, it’d be impossible to succeed.” 

***

Mira strode toward the older Moana sister that currently lounged with the Retinue of their Chosen in the common hall. 

The younger Moana sister looked up as Mira approached.

Nami had an instinctual dislike for the girl. 

If it had been up to her, she would have thrown her out in a second. 

Professor Iakopo might have been guilty, but he was part of the Kane Family. 

The minimum Mira should have done was to give the man the benefit of the doubt. 

"Nami," Mira began, her voice carrying a newfound, crisp authority, "I need you to take charge of the students for the upcoming expedition into the Placid Cave. You'll be leading them."

“Excuse me?” Nami frowned. “I have other duties.” 

"I understand your dedication to your sister, Nami, but circumstances have changed. Lilo has been summoned to the Mayor's office by the investigators."

"What?" Nami exclaimed, her composure slipping for a moment. "Why would they need Lilo for that?"

Mira sighed, running a hand through her hair in a rare display of frustration. 

"As the Chosen of the Moana Family, she's required to bear witness to Professor Iakopo's preliminary sentencing. It's a formality, but an important one. The presence of a Chosen adds weight to the proceedings."

“So, have they found more proof?” 

“As I mentioned already,” Mira said with an annoyed tone. “They quickly scouted the Placid Cave to make sure it would be safe for us, finding some half-evolved Torpedo Snappers in the main nest at the end. They killed those and saw that they were too strong to be normal ones considering the last complete clearing had been done only two years ago. They think Professor Iakopo might have also been behind the Catastrophe of twenty years ago himself. You know it involved evolved Torpedo Snappers, Drakes, right?”

Nami's frown deepened.

"So…" she muttered, more to herself than to Mira. 

“So, Professor Iakopo might have been planning to get more Drakes and start another catastrophe in a few years. Maybe those he killed had found out.”

Mira's patience was clearly wearing thin. 

She crossed her arms, her voice taking on a sharper edge. 

"Those are the orders, Nami. I don't have time to debate their merits with you. Your sister will be with the investigators. You think she won’t be safe with them?” 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was likely only a few seconds, Nami nodded reluctantly. 

"Alright," she said, her voice heavy with resignation.

"Noted," Mira said curtly, already turning to leave. "Alert the students. We will leave soon.”

***

Meanwhile, in a basement different from Professor Iakopo’s close to the Mayor’s office, a very different scene was unfolding. 

Apikalia moved silently through the shadows, her footsteps barely disturbing the thick layer of dust that coated the floor. 

In her hand, she clutched a small, ornate key—a gift from Mayor Boro.

There was no guard since the schedule had accidentally been altered. 

With a glance over her shoulder to ensure she wasn't being followed, Apikalia inserted the key into the lock. 

It turned with a satisfying click, and the door swung open.

Lilinoe sat in the center of the small cell, her wrists bound by mana-draining cuffs. 

Despite her captivity, there was a fierce light in her eyes.

"Took you long enough," Lilinoe growled.

Apikalia smirked as she knelt beside her companion, deftly unlocking the restraints. 

"Good things come to those who wait, my dear. And believe me, the wait will be worth it."

As the cuffs fell away, Lilinoe flexed her wrists.

"Finally," Lilinoe breathed, her voice thick with anticipation. She stood, stretching like a cat waking from a long nap. 

She massaged her wrists with a malicious smile on her face.

"Now I can go earn my own Cursed Sword."