The wind was calmer the next morning.
After the strange surge of power the day before, the island seemed unusually quiet. The waves moved gently across the shore, and the sky was clear again.
Thalren woke up earlier than usual.
His body still felt sore, but his mind was restless.
The memory of what had happened yesterday kept repeating in his head.
The glowing crystal.
The water exploding around him.
And the enormous eyes he had seen in the darkness beneath the depths.
He sat outside the cabin, staring at the necklace in his hand.
The crystal looked normal again.
Silent.
Almost harmless.
Yet Thalren knew that was not the truth.
Kael stepped out of the cabin a few minutes later.
"You're awake early," the old man said.
Thalren nodded.
"I couldn't sleep much."
Kael walked over and sat on a wooden crate near the door.
"That usually happens after someone touches power for the first time."
Thalren looked at him.
"You already knew something like that would happen, didn't you?"
Kael shrugged.
"I expected something."
"But not that much."
The boy lowered his eyes slightly.
"I lost control."
Kael shook his head.
"No."
Thalren looked up again.
"You didn't lose control."
"You simply don't have it yet."
The old man stood and stretched his arms.
"That's the difference."
He pointed toward the beach.
"Come. Today we start fixing that."
They walked toward the open sand.
The air smelled of salt, and the steady rhythm of the waves filled the quiet morning.
Kael drew a circle in the sand using a stick.
"Stand inside this."
Thalren stepped into the circle.
"What is this for?"
Kael tossed him the wooden sword.
"Balance."
Before Thalren could ask anything else, Kael picked up another stick and suddenly swung it toward him.
Thalren barely blocked the strike.
"Hey!"
Kael attacked again.
"Focus."
The boy quickly adjusted his stance.
Another strike came from the side.
Then another.
Kael's movements were fast and unpredictable.
Each attack forced Thalren to react quickly.
But there was a rule.
He could not step outside the circle.
Every time he moved too far, Kael stopped and pointed at the sand.
"Stay inside."
The training continued for hours.
Thalren's arms burned.
Sweat dripped down his face.
But slowly, his movements became smoother.
More controlled.
More precise.
Kael noticed immediately.
"You're starting to think before you move."
Thalren blocked another strike.
"That's the point of training, right?"
Kael smirked slightly.
"Yes."
He stepped back.
"Now try using the relic."
Thalren hesitated.
"What if it happens again?"
Kael crossed his arms.
"Then you learn from it."
The boy took a deep breath.
He closed his eyes.
The warmth inside the crystal slowly returned.
Faint.
Steady.
Like a distant heartbeat.
He raised the sword.
This time he didn't force the power.
He simply focused on the feeling inside his chest.
When he swung the blade—
The crystal glowed softly.
A thin ribbon of water followed the motion of the sword.
Not explosive.
Not wild.
Just controlled.
The water moved through the air and splashed gently onto the sand.
Thalren stared in surprise.
"That felt… different."
Kael nodded with approval.
"Because you didn't force it."
The old man pointed toward the waves.
"Power like that is not something you command."
"It's something you move with."
Thalren looked at the water quietly.
Move with it.
The phrase stayed in his mind.
Kael continued speaking.
"The deeper the sea, the calmer it becomes."
Thalren blinked.
"What?"
"The surface is chaotic," Kael explained.
"Waves crash. Storms rage. Everything moves wildly."
He pointed toward the horizon.
"But the deeper you go…"
"Everything becomes still."
Thalren slowly understood.
"So if I want to control this power…"
"You must become calm enough to handle it," Kael finished.
The boy nodded slowly.
For the rest of the morning they continued training.
This time the power inside the crystal appeared several times.
Small currents of water followed Thalren's movements.
Nothing large.
Nothing dangerous.
But each attempt became more stable.
More natural.
When the sun reached the middle of the sky, Kael finally raised his hand.
"That's enough for today."
Thalren sat down in the sand, breathing heavily.
But there was a small smile on his face.
"This feels better than yesterday."
Kael nodded.
"You're improving."
The boy looked out toward the endless water.
"You said earlier that the deeper parts are calm."
Kael nodded once.
"Yes."
Thalren tightened his grip on the crystal necklace.
"Then someday…"
"I want to reach that depth."
Kael watched him carefully.
There was no hesitation in the boy's voice.
Only determination.
The old man looked toward the distant horizon.
Far beyond the island.
Far beyond anything Thalren could see.
The depths held many secrets.
Creatures that ruled the deep.
Kings that controlled powerful currents.
And something even older.
Something ancient.
Kael turned back to the boy.
"Then keep training."
Thalren stood up again without complaint.
The waves continued their steady rhythm against the shore.
And somewhere in the silent darkness far below the surface…
Something enormous was still watching.