Revran stared at Solayn, his head tilting slightly as confusion washed over his face.
"You mean like right now?"
Solayn's smile widened, she tilted her head and her hair shifted with the motion.
"Yeah, right this instant."
Solayn met Revran's gaze, her eyes fixed on him.
"So tell me, do you want to form a Link with it?"
…
Revran stayed silent for a while, quietly staring at Solayn's serene and charming expression.
"But doesn't one need to go through a procedure to form a Link with a Seakin, even if it's from the first zone?"
Solayn's smile slowly faded. She glanced at the creature Revran had rescued in the Eclipsed Reach.
"You're right. Even if someone wants to form a Link with a Seakin from the Radiant Waters, they have to go through a lot of crap to do so."
Her expression shifted to slight anger. She gently rose and slowly started walking towards the glass tank.
Solayn gently touched the surface of the glass tank; crimson threads slowly emerged from her fingers. They crept towards the small Seakin and wrapped around it.
In the next instant, the Seakin was in Solayn's arms and the threads vanished.
Startled, the Seakin looked around in bewilderment, then met Solayn's gaze. As if terrified, it wriggled and flailed, trying to escape her grasp.
Solayn regarded it with an annoyed expression, then let out a soft sigh. A small smile touched her lips as she began walking back towards Revran.
"But we can skip all that for your Link. Besides, I don't think you'd want to go through all the steps, right?"
Revran stared at her, frozen as she stopped before him. The Seakin noticed Revran and leapt from Solayn's hands into his. He caught it hastily.
He studied the creature which was now glaring at Solayn with fierce eyes. Solayn quietly giggled, then looked back at Revran.
"So, what do you say? You want to become a Bonded?"
Revran hesitated, turning his gaze to the Seakin in his hands.
"Oh, if you want to go through all the procedures and be a good kid in front of everyone, that's fine too! Though I wouldn't recommend it."
Her tone had changed completely, now being sarcastic and approachable.
Revran didn't reply immediately and continued staring at the Seakin.
'Forming a Link without all the procedures would be nice… Besides, I don't want the Oceros Observatory's researchers finding out about this Seakin.'
'But I'm sure this would cause Mrs. Solayn a lot of problems. Adding this to everything else I've caused her… it could even tarnish her reputation.'
Revran kept staring at the Seakin and didn't utter a word for a long while.
"Hey, you don't have to overthink this."
Solayn's voice pulled him away from his thoughts.
"If you're worried that you forming a Link like this would cause problems for anyone, it won't."
Revran's gaze moved towards Solayn.
"People from prestigious Bonded families have been receiving exclusive treatment for as long as I can remember; they don't face repercussions for it, right?"
She sat beside him.
"Besides, even if I didn't want you to, you ventured into the depths of the Twilight Reach at the mere age of nine. That's nearly unheard of. You've done something exceptional — far more than any kid from a prestigious family."
Her expression hardened, her voice now stern.
"The City of Marivel has always favored those who prove their worth through extraordinary deeds. You've done what almost no one else has. They'll have to make an exception for you."
Revran stared at Solayn, unsure how to respond. His gaze drifted back to the Seakin, which now watched him with wide eyes.
'Mrs. Solayn… why are you always like this…?'
Solayn gently placed her hand on his head, prompting him to meet her gaze.
"I promise it won't cause anyone problems. So tell me, do you want to form a Link with that Seakin... right now?"
Revran stared at Solayn, unable to find a reply. He'd been like this with her since he was a toddler. Finally, a few words escaped his mouth:
"S-sure…"
Solayn's expression lit up with joy and she hugged him tightly.
"Good choice! Let's go to the Aevoria Academy right now to form your Lin—"
"Let me help with that."
Before she could finish, a voice cut her off.
Both Revran and Solayn turned towards the sound.
A woman with red hair and a soft pinkish skin tone stood at the entrance of Solayn's house.
Ailayne started moving towards them.
***
"It's rare to see Avyshore so quiet, isn't it?"
Ailayne spoke in a joyous tone while gently rubbing the back of the small Seakin's head with her fingers.
The Seakin was sound asleep, the sound of its quiet breathing barely audible.
Revran looked at Ailayne, then turned his gaze to his surroundings.
The soft sounds of Reveris' water hitting the shore mixed with the cool breeze drifted in from the sea. A few large Seakins could be seen swimming playfully, with several people standing nearby.
On the Avyshore itself, more people laughed and talked among themselves.
Though there were many other noises along the shore, it felt unusually quiet to Ailayne and Revran compared to other days.
'Well, today's the debut of Drifters as professional Bondeds, so everyone's probably gone to watch.'
Revran turned back to Ailayne.
"Yeah, it's pretty quiet today."
As they walked, Revran noticed people gently bowing and offering small smiles as Ailayne passed by them.
A sad expression formed on Revran's face as he lowered his gaze to the sandy ground.
'Both Mrs. Solayn and Ms. Ailayne are so respected… Is it really alright for me to form a Link this way?'
"Hey, Revran."
Ailayne's voice pulled him away from his thoughts. He looked up at her, the sadness still clear on his face.
Ailayne met his gaze with a soft smile, her fingers still gently rubbing the Seakin's head.
"Just so you know, even if you form a
Link without going through the standard procedure, it won't affect Solayn in any way."
A cool breeze passed by, making Revran's long hair sway as he continued staring at Ailayne with a troubled expression.
"That's why I wanted to go with you to the Aevoria Academy to form your Link."
A crimson thread slowly slipped from Ailayne's fingertips and gently tied the strands of Revran's hair together.
"Besides, I don't really have the best reputation among Bondeds anyways, so it wouldn't change much for me."
Ailayne lightly touched Revran's wounded head. Her smile faltered for a moment as she noticed the injury, then returned, wider than before.
"Alright, let's stop talking about complicated Link formation procedure and Bonded stuff. We have a much more serious problem right now."
Revran looked at Ailayne with a confused expression.
'Something more serious than breaking the rules of Link formation?'
"What's the problem?"
Ailayne glanced at the sleeping Seakin, then bent slightly to meet Revran at eye level.
She gently held the Seakin from its sides and immediately brought it closer to Revran's face, startling him.
"This is the problem!" she said cheerfully.
Revran stepped back slightly, now staring at Ailayne in confusion... again.
"Since you'll be living with it for a long time, we need to give it a name. It's only been a few hours since I've met this Seakin, and I'm already tired of calling it 'it.' "
Ailayne carefully handed the Seakin to Revran. He took it gently, making sure not to wake it.
Revran then looked at Ailayne, a smile slowly forming on his lips as he let out a quiet giggle.
"Ms. Ailayne, you're one of the most powerful Bondeds in Marivel, sooo... how are you still this childish?"
Revran spoke with a light, delightful tone, something he hadn't done in a long time.
Ailayne's smile slowly vanished. She stood up from the sandy surface and began walking ahead, scoffing softly.
Revran laughed a little and quickened his pace to catch up.
"Ms. Ailayne, I didn't mean that in a bad way."
Ailayne continued staring out at the Reveris' waves, ignoring Revran.
"Oh, of course. I'm sure you didn't, considering you say that every time we talk, right?"
Revran's smile widened.
"Ms. Ailayne, when I say that you act childish, I'm not making fun of you! It's just that most powerful Bondeds are always serious, but you're different. That makes you unique and stand out from them, and I really like that!"
A small smile returned to Ailayne's face.
"Yeah, I know. Now let's think about a name for the Seakin. You've wanted to form a Link for a long time, so I'm sure you've thought of something."
Revran looked down at the Seakin in his arms, then back at Ailayne.
"Well… even though I planned to form a Link, I never really thought about names—"
They continued talking as they walked, the small Seakin occasionally woke up before falling back asleep almost instantly.
After a while, Ailayne stopped and turned to Revran.
"We're here." she spoke in a soft voice.
Revran followed her gaze and looked ahead.
A little distance away stood a massive structure that stretched across the entire width of Avyshore and extended deep into the Reveris.
Its sheer size dwarfed even the giant Seakins swimming nearby, making them look small in comparison.
The structure was completely white, seemingly forged from a hard substance. Its form was uneven in many places, giving it a mystical and natural appearance.
Large sections of the structure were left open, sealed with transparent bluish-white glass that allowed sunlight to enter and offered faint glimpses of the interior.
Every uneven surface was adorned with azure-colored crystalline formations, lending the academy an oceanic feel.
On the Reveris side, a translucent glimmering barrier stretched behind the academy, carved with intricate, glowing patterns that shimmered faintly across its surface.
On top of the structure floated a translucent blue screen, projecting the words 'SeaSeekers'. Azure crystals circled it endlessly while their shapes shifted constantly.
At the front stood a grand entrance: a white gate carved with deep purple patterns and adorned with azure crystals at its peak.
'Oh, we already reached the Aevoria Academy?'
Revran stared at the Aevoria Academy for a moment.
"Let's go inside," Ailayne said in a calm and gentle voice.
Ailayne slowly took Revran's hand and began walking towards the entrance of the Aevoria Academy.
After reaching the entrance, Revran only then noticed a guard standing in front of the white gate.
He wore a white uniform made from a smooth and faintly shining fabric, decorated with intricate azure crystalline patterns.
The guard looked at Ailayne, who was standing a little distance away, and bent slightly.
"Lady Ailayne, what brings you to the Aevoria Academy? Shouldn't you be at the Azure Ascendent Arena for the Drifters' Debut?"
Ailayne gave the guard a small smile.
"Yeah, I would've loved to be at the Arena for the Drifters' Debut." Ailayne slightly tilted her head sideways.
"But it just so happened that Revran found a Seakin to form a Link with, so here I am. I'll definitely be heading to the Arena after he completes forming his Link."
A small smile appeared on the guard's face as Ailayne finished speaking. He swiftly shifted his gaze to Revran and scanned the Seakin in his hands.
"Revran, is that the Seakin you'll be forming a Link with? It looks cute. Did you find it yourself?"
Revran turned his gaze away from the guard, trying to control the smile forming on his face.
"Yes, sir…"
The guard's smile widened upon hearing Revran's response.
"Revran… congratulations. It's been so long since you started searching for a Seakin. You should quickly form a Link with it."
The guard then turned towards Ailayne, an awkward expression forming on his face.
"Lady Ailayne… if you would allow me to, I can quickly prepare all the necessary paperwork and begin the procedure to form a Link. And if you wouldn't mind… may I take Revran with me to do so? I promise I won't interfere."
Ailayne stared at the guard's expression for a moment, then giggled softly.
"Sure, I'll be tagging along, though. Also, you don't need to prepare any paperwork or start the procedure. Revran will be forming his Link without all that."
The guard stared at Ailayne.
"I'm sorry, but would you mind if I ask what you mean by that?"
Ailayne began moving inside the Academy while still holding Revran's hand.
"I won't, but not right now. I'll explain it while Revran is forming his Link, okay?"
***
"Are you really alright? Your injuries seem severe…" the guard said in a worried tone, gently touching Revran's forehead.
Revran gave the guard a cheerful smile.
"I'm fine, Mr. Aiden. You don't have to worry. Besides, I'm sure Mrs. Solayn will heal me soon enough."
Aiden smiled and gently rubbed Revran's injured forehead again.
"Well, if you say so. But make sure to take good care of yourself after forming a Link, alright? I'll issue you a few days leave from the Academy."
"Yes, sir. Thank you," Revran said, bowing slightly.
Revran then turned towards Ailayne, who had been watching him talk with Aiden for quite some time.
Ailayne slowly walked up to Revran, bent down, and hugged him tightly.
"Make sure you don't mess up the Ravspire Rite, okay? Solayn will definitely kill you if you do."
Revran giggled softly.
"Sure."
Revran then turned to face a huge black circular door leading into a dark room.
He looked down at the Seakin in his arms, which was now awake and staring back at him.
Taking a deep breath, Revran stepped forward and entered the room.
•••
Revran scanned the dark room he had just entered.
The sound of waves could be faintly heard from the sides of the room, and the floor felt coarse and sandy, like the Avyshore.
'It really does resemble a beach.' Revran sighed.
He began moving towards the direction of the waves. After a while, he felt water reach the lower part of his legs, brushing against his wounds.
"Ouch..."
Revran slowly bent down into the Reveris water, resting on both knees. He held the small Seakin close to his chest and closed his eyes.
…
A few moments passed.
At first, the water's movements rigidly increased at an alarming rate. Then, slowly, the sound of the waves diminished before vanishing completely.
'It should be any moment now…'
More moments passed.
For some time, nothing happened. Then, a blurry, twisted script displayed itself within Revran's mind.
A slight expression of discomfort appeared on his face as his grip on the Seakin tightened.
Revran began reading the blurry script aloud as accurately as possible.
As he continued, the room filled with the sounds of drifting water and sharp screeching.
Revran felt something sharp brush against his face before moving downward towards his chest.
Then, the script in his mind suddenly vanished, halting his recitation.
The moment it did, the screechings intensified, and Revran felt as though something had pierced his chest.
His body began to tremble, but he didn't utter a word. He didn't scream. He didn't move.
He remained kneeling on the ground.
After a few tense moments that felt like an eternity, the blurry script returned to his mind, accompanied by the screeching sounds drawing closer, as though they now originated directly in front of him.
Revran ignored everything else and hastily resumed reading the script in a low, breaking voice. The small Seakin remained completely silent, making no sound at all.
Soon, the script vanished once more — but this time, the unsettling drifting of water and the screeching stopped with it.
For some time, Revran did not move, his body shivering uncontrollably.
Then, slowly, he opened his eyes and looked around the room.
It was now fully visible, illuminated by the glow of the water in which Revran was kneeling.
Revran rose from the water and stared towards what should have been sandy ground.
But, there was no sand to be found.
Instead, the floor was made of a dark, hard, oceanic substance.
He looked down at the Seakin. Its eyes were closed, and it appeared to be asleep. Though, there was something different.
Something unsettling...
Revran couldn't feel its body move the way it had while sleeping during their journey to the Aevoria Academy.
It had blacked out.
Revran gazed at it for a moment before turning back towards the glowing waves of Reveris.
They were completely still, utterly silent.
He bent down onto the dark ground near the Reveris water and gently placed the small Seakin beside him.
Revran then took a long, deep breath, slowly lifted one finger to his mouth, and tore a small piece of the fingertip apart.
"Ahh…"
He watched the blood drip from his finger, then sighed.
'Okay… now time for the Ravspire Crest,
please be quick.'
Revran slowly placed his finger against the dark surface and began drawing a circle with his blood.
The result was rigid and uneven, the lining of the circle being thick in some places, thin in others.
Revran didn't seem to care.
He began drawing a spiral from the circumference of the circle towards its center. Once there, he let his finger bleed for a while, allowing a large area to pool with blood.
He then looked towards the entrance of the room.
It had disappeared.
In its place stood a black-colored table, etched with circular, intricate patterns resembling the Crest Revran had drawn, carved into every part of its surface.
On top of the table lay two different kinds of Stremoras, arranged in large quantities.
Revran stood up and slowly walked towards the table.
As he did, tears began pouring from his eyes at a rapid pace, but he didn't react.
After reaching the table, he stared at the Stremoras.
One had a thin bluish-green stem that extended into greenish-yellow leaves shaped like fins. The leaves constantly shifted, trying to move closer together, as if attempting to merge.
The other was purple and spiral-shaped. A blue glow flowed within it, spiraling inward before disappearing at the center.
'Fynasyn Mergweed's stem and Spirarel Coilroots' leaf, huh…'
Revran scratched his head, then picked up the Spirarel Coilroots' leaf and plucked a fin-shaped leaf from the Fynasyn Mergweed's stem.
He pressed one of the Stremoras against each cheek, allowing them to absorb his tears.
'Why do they make us use these two specific Stremoras when it's widely accepted that any Stremora from the first and second Zones can be used for Link Formation?'
Revran forced his thoughts to settle.
He turned around, took a deep breath, and looked at the Ravspire Crest near the Reveris water.
He began walking towards it.
As he walked, the tears gradually stopped —replaced by blood flowing from his eyes.
Revran did not stop.
When he reached the Crest, he noticed that the Crest had changed.
The circular shape was broken and distorted. Blood had spilled beyond its boundaries, and in the direction of the Reveris water, a ravaged, distorted crown had formed along the Crest's circumference.
Revran glanced at the glowing Reveris water.
It remained perfectly still, completely silent.
After a moment, he turned his gaze back to the Crest.
He removed the Stremoras from his face, which were now stained crimson, and slowly placed the fin-shaped Stremora upon the crown and the spiral-shaped one at the center of the distorted spiral.
After a moment, the Stremoras began to glow faintly.
Revran picked up the unconscious Seakin and placed it carefully on top of the Crest.
He took a deep breath, then brought another finger to his mouth and ripped a small part of the fingertip apart.
"Ouch..." He grunted.
Revran walked towards the glowing Reveris water and scooped up a little in his other hand.
After returning to the Crest, he let a few drops of blood from his freshly torn fingertip fall onto the small Seakin.
Then, he dripped the Reveris water onto his new wound.
The moment he did, the blood stopped flowing, replaced by faintly glowing, silk-like threads.
Revran watched in awe as a large number of threads poured from his fingertips, forgetting the pain entirely.
'Life Aquaris threads...'
He stared at the threads for a moment, then bent down, pressing his wounded fingertip against the Seakin.
At first, the threads were still, then they began moving as if alive, scattering across the Crest before slowly gathering over the Seakin.
They lingered for a moment, as if hesitant—slowly drifting across the Seakin's body before beginning to seep into it.
The instant they did, more threads surged from Revran's body, making his vision turn blurry.
'Damn, so fast...'
The flow of the threads seeping into the Seakin's body intensified, and Revran's dizziness worsened.
Soon, he collapsed beside the Seakin.
***
"Huh... Where am I?"
Revran looked around.
Complete darkness surrounded him, nothing was visible.
Then a shrieking sound, like something enormous moving, pierced his ears. He turned towards it.
Absolute Silence.
Nothing could be seen in the darkness.
Then, faint squeaks started coming from the direction of the earlier shriek.
Through the darkness, Revran saw a small Seakin, the only thing visible to him, its faint squeaks barely audible as it struggled to move.
'It's you...'
The Seakin drew close and swam through him.
Revran watched as it tried to navigate the dark expanse, its squeaks faint but persistent.
In that moment, he felt as if he were witnessing another life he had never lived —something he had experienced but couldn't clearly remember — as the small Seakin.
He felt all of its fear. All of its pain. All of its hunger...
'So this is what Reverisic Murmurs feel like...'
The Seakin struggled against the vast darkness, drifting helplessly as movements of larger beings around it carried it along.
It swam upwards, hunger gnawing at it relentlessly.
Then a light appeared, a bright beacon amidst the pitch-black expanse...
Revran recognized its true identity instantly.
As the Seakin hurried towards the light, its fear ebbed, replaced by a new emotion it hadn't felt since the start of the Murmurs:
Hope.
The Seakin pressed on, but the light seemed to continue retreating beyond its reach.
Its pace quickened, its fears surging in response as the light continued to move away from it...
After some time, the light stopped retreating, and the Seakin finally reached it.
Revran then saw someone he knew quite intimately, much more than even his Seakin's self — his own self.
As he watched both of his selves meet, his vision distorted.
Everything, the two selves, the darkness, the light, collapsed upon him...
Revran felt as though all the screechings, all the voices of every Seakin in the Reveris, and Reveris itself had forced themselves into his mind.
He clutched his head tightly, so tightly that his fingers pierced his skull, burrowing deep into his mind.
Revran didn't notice. Revran didn't care, continuing to push them deeper and deeper until everything fell silent.
He was huffing loudly, looking around frantically, only now realizing that blood was oozing out from his head.
The silence lingered for a moment, then a voice reached him — a faint one, yet heavier than everything he had felt before.
And he couldn't bear it.
"Stop! Please... Stop... Ahhhhhhh!"
The voice did not cease, it only grew louder, intensifying his pain.
Rev–Revr—Revran felt his mind slip away.
His consciousness was slowly being taken by something he couldn't comprehend.
In that moment, he did the only thing possible:
He ripped his head out.
***
Revran awoke in a dark room.
Slowly, he got to his feet and surveyed his surroundings.
The Reveris water no longer glowed, and the floor felt coarse and sandy again.
His fingertips no longer hurt, but he ignored them, along with everything around him, and began looking around cautiously, as if searching for someone.
Then, he found a small Seakin that was now awake and staring at him, squeaking softly.
Its neck bore an intricate pattern resembling Revran's hair, colored like the dark expanse he had just left.
Revran moved towards the Seakin, picked it up, and began towards the entrance of the dark room.
...