The sea returned to normal.
But Thalren didn't.
He stood at the shore long after the Sea King had disappeared, staring at the horizon as if it might return at any moment.
The waves moved.
The wind blew.
Everything looked the same.
Yet nothing felt the same.
"…A Sea King," he whispered.
The words still didn't feel real.
Behind him, Kael remained silent.
That alone told Thalren something was different.
Kael always had answers.
But this time—
He was choosing not to speak.
Thalren turned.
"You knew something like that could appear, didn't you?"
Kael didn't deny it.
"…Yes."
Thalren's eyes narrowed.
"And you didn't tell me."
Kael met his gaze calmly.
"If I told you everything…"
"…you wouldn't grow."
The answer irritated him.
But he couldn't argue with it.
Still—
"That thing spoke to me," Thalren said.
Kael's expression shifted slightly.
"…I know."
Thalren froze.
"You know?"
Kael nodded.
"A Sea King doesn't speak to just anyone."
The weight of those words settled in.
"…Then why me?"
Silence.
The wind passed between them.
Thalren stepped closer.
"You know the answer, don't you?"
Kael looked at him.
For a brief moment—
Something conflicted appeared in his eyes.
Then it disappeared.
"…Not yet."
The words were calm.
But they weren't the truth.
Thalren could feel it.
"You're lying."
Kael didn't react.
"I'm waiting."
Thalren clenched his fists.
"For what?"
Kael turned away, looking toward the sea.
"For the moment you're ready to hear it."
Frustration rose inside Thalren.
"That's not your decision!"
Kael's voice cut through instantly.
"It is."
Silence.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Thalren looked away.
His chest tightened.
He hated this feeling.
Not weakness.
Not fear.
But being kept in the dark.
"…Fine," he said quietly.
Kael didn't respond.
---
The rest of the day passed in tension.
Training resumed.
But it felt different now.
Every strike.
Every movement.
Carried frustration behind it.
Thalren attacked harder than usual.
Faster.
Stronger.
But less controlled.
Kael blocked every strike.
Effortlessly.
"Calm down," he said.
Thalren swung again.
"I am calm."
"You're not."
Another clash.
Wood struck wood.
"You're letting emotion control you."
Thalren gritted his teeth.
"Then maybe I need that!"
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"No."
He moved.
Faster than before.
His strike hit Thalren's arm and knocked the sword away.
The weapon fell into the sand.
Thalren froze.
Kael stepped closer.
"Power without control is weakness."
The words hit deeper than before.
Thalren looked down.
His breathing was uneven.
"…Then what am I supposed to do?"
Kael's voice softened slightly.
"Focus."
"On what?" Thalren asked.
Kael tapped his chest.
"On yourself."
The boy closed his eyes.
For a moment, everything went quiet.
The frustration.
The anger.
The questions.
They were still there.
But he stopped chasing them.
Instead—
He focused on the one thing he could control.
His breath.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
The warmth in the crystal returned.
Steady.
Calm.
The same feeling from the water training.
The same stillness.
Thalren opened his eyes.
Different.
Clearer.
He stepped forward.
Picked up the sword.
Raised it.
This time—
No anger.
No rush.
Just movement.
He swung.
The crystal glowed.
A clean arc of water followed.
Smooth.
Controlled.
Kael blocked it.
But nodded slightly.
"Better."
Thalren didn't smile.
But he understood.
---
As night fell, the island grew quiet again.
Thalren sat alone near the shore.
The moonlight reflected across the water.
"…Not ready," he murmured.
The Sea King's words echoed in his mind.
It wasn't insulting.
It wasn't mocking.
It was truth.
That was what made it heavier.
He clenched the crystal necklace.
"…Then I'll become ready."
The words were quiet.
But firm.
The wind moved gently across the ocean.
The waves followed their endless rhythm.
Far beyond the island…
Something massive moved through the darkness.
Not attacking.
Not approaching.
Just existing.
Waiting.
And somewhere deep within that endless abyss…
The same ancient presence lingered.
Because this time—
It hadn't just seen the boy.
It had judged him.
And decided—
Not yet.