[Scene: Whisper's Light — Sailing back to Brevia, 10 hours after the battle]
The waves were calm.
The deck was not.
Solis exercised—staring at the sea like it had personally offended him.
His expression?
Stormy.
Not the cool kind.
The brooding, something-ate-my-lunch kind.
Just below, in the med-bay corner, Kael and Rhask lay passed out on a shared bed—bandaged and breathing, mouths open like babies.
Eron, kneeling, had both hands glowing a soft blue, gently healing the injuries.
Beside him sat Arjun, legs crossed, a half-peeled orange resting on his knee.
Eron glanced toward the stairs.
Then leaned in and whispered.
"Hey… why's Solis so pissed?"
Arjun didn't answer immediately.
He wiped a streak of sweat off his forehead, let out a slow exhale—
and smiled. That knowing, slightly embarrassed kind.
"Well... he was proud of beating Ryven solo but…"
Eron blinked.
"But?"
Arjun looked down at the orange in his hand.
"After seeing Ryven's bounty… yeah. That's why."
[Flashback – 9 hours earlier, aboard Ryven's main ship]
Bloodstains still painted the broken deck.
Arjun stood beside the helm, dialing a thick black shell.
A marine answered. Tinny, irritated voice.
"Marines. Who's calling?"
Arjun cleared his throat.
"Arjun of Whisper's Light. We've taken down Ryven and his fleet. Requesting bounty verification and reward confirmation."
A pause.
"…We'll be there in six hours."
"Copy that. Just curious—what's the bounty on Ryven again?"
A few muffled clicks.
Then the number came.
"Nine hundred ninety-nine thousand Qalistas. Exactly."
Arjun lowered the shell.
Face neutral.
[Back to Present – Med Bay]
Eron's brow furrowed.
"…Wait. Ryven was under a million?"
Arjun raised a finger.
"Exactly."
Eron blinked again.
"Dang. I get it why Solis is pissed."
Arjun laughed softly.
"Yeah, Solis didn't take that well."
"He was expecting something like 2 million. 3 million."
"Turns out... it was just a sub-boss."
Eron shrugged.
"Still got more treasure than any marine paycheck."
Arjun nodded.
"It's not about the money."
"To the world, bounty means power. And if it took everything he had to beat someone under a million…"
He trailed off.
[Scene: Upper Deck — Just before sunrise]
Solis wasn't resting.
His shirt was off. Bruises bloomed across his chest and arms like war medals. Bandages clung to his ribs. His face was damp with sweat.
But he kept going.
Sit-ups.
One after another.
Fists clenched.
Breath tight.
"One thousand and one."
"One thousand and two."
"One thousand and three…"
Muscles screaming.
Back stinging.
Still moving.
No cheering. No spotlight. No one watching.
Just the sky above.
And the weight in his chest.
[Internal – Solis]
"I have to get stronger."
"For Whisper's Light."
"For myself."
"And for—"
His eyes lifted to the stars.
Wide.
Silent.
Like he was making a wish.
For something distant.
Scene: Brevia – Ashen's House – Midnight]
The town slept.
The breeze rolled in off the cliffs. Peaceful. Uneventful.
Except for one room.
One mind.
Ashen's.
He lay sprawled across his mattress, limbs tangled in the sheets, sweat glistening off his skin like dew.
His breathing?
Ragged.
Like he was running.
But he wasn't awake.
Inside his head—
> Darkness. A swirl of stars. A pressure like diving into deep water.
Then—
Voices.
A hundred voices whispering in unison.
> "The seven holy crystals…"
> "The seven holy crystals…"
> "The seven holy crystals…"
Faster. Louder. Overlapping.
Like a storm building behind his eyes.
Suddenly—
He screamed.
And woke up.