The moon hung high over the sea, silver and endless. The tide whispered against the sand, retreating and returning, retreating and returning, like the breath of some vast, unseen giant. Rowan sat alone at the edge of the surf, his knees pulled up, his arms draped loosely around them. Midg bobbed lazily in the shallow water beside him, tail flicking smugly every time a wave lapped against Rowan's boots.
The night should have been peaceful. The air was cool and sharp, the stars spilled across the heavens in their thousands, and the soft lantern-glow from the village cast the sand in honey-colored light. And yet Rowan's chest felt tight.
Mira was already learning to sense currents and fish through Todd. Lyra had grown stronger every day with Bounty's endurance. Even Callen, after weeks of frustration, had finally awakened his abilities. Darin had awakened long before that, and his movements already carried the weight of a man chosen by the sea.
And Rowan? He still stumbled through Taichii forms like a drunken crab, still gasped when he forgot he could breathe underwater, still felt as though he was a child among giants.
Midg spun a little circle around his boot, smug as ever. "Don't look at me like that," Rowan muttered. "This isn't funny."
"You brood too much," came a voice behind him.
Rowan turned, startled. Luna stood just beyond the edge of the surf, the moonlight catching in her wild curls and her emerald eyes. The night painted her bronze skin with silver.
"Do I?" Rowan asked, his voice awkward.
"Yes." A faint smile touched her lips. "Come. Walk with me. The tide is kinder at night."
Rowan blinked, heart stuttering. For a moment he wondered if he'd imagined it, but then she turned and began to walk, not waiting to see if he would follow. Midg flicked his tail as if to say well, go on then. Rowan scrambled to his feet.
---
They walked in silence at first, side by side along the shoreline. The tide pools glowed with soft blue light, bioluminescent plankton sparkling with every step. The cliffs rose dark and jagged against the sky, waves crashing below. Rowan tried not to stare at Luna, though the moonlight in her emerald eyes made it impossible.
She seemed perfectly at home here, as though the sea itself had shaped her. Rowan wondered if he would ever look that natural anywhere.
At last Luna tilted her head, her voice soft. "You carry others in your eyes when you look at the sea. Who are they?"
Rowan stopped. His throat felt tight. For a moment, he thought about brushing it off — but the words came anyway, spilling like a tide he couldn't hold back.
"There's Brenner…" Rowan laughed under his breath. "He pretends he's carved from stone. Always barking orders, always grumbling. But once, back in Wraithborn, after a fight… someone made a joke about his cooking. He laughed so hard he cried. I'd never seen him like that. I miss that laugh."
He walked a few steps, the sand crunching beneath his boots. "And Ari… steady as the tide. There was a night when everything was falling apart, everyone shouting, snapping. Ari didn't raise her voice. She just… spoke. Calm. Firm. And somehow, it was like the storm passed. She always knew how to hold us together."
Rowan's voice softened. "Then there's Ashwyn. Old man, sharp as salt air. He nagged me more than anyone, never let me slip past training. Once, I tried to sneak away at dawn — he caught me and made me run laps until my legs nearly gave out. I cursed him the whole time, but later… later I realized he was right. I still hear him in my head, telling me not to cut corners. I can't escape him, even here."
He hesitated, then his tone dropped lower. "Nyx… she doesn't talk much. But once, after Brenner was hurt, I couldn't sleep. I sat by the fire all night. She didn't say a word — just sat with me. And somehow, that silence meant more than anything anyone else could've said."
Rowan drew in a breath, his chest tight. "And oh — I can't forget Toren. Too trusting for his own good. Once, he gave half his rations to a child who'd been stealing from us. We all scolded him — but the look on his face, like he'd saved the whole world, not just one kid… I can't forget that. He still sees good where the rest of us stopped looking."
Rowan stopped walking, staring out at the glowing tide pool at his feet. His voice lowered to a whisper. "They weren't just comrades. They're my family. And gods… I miss them."
---
For a long moment, neither spoke. Only the sea answered, its endless breath rushing and retreating.
When Rowan finally looked at Luna, her expression was softer than he had ever seen it. The playful sharpness was gone, replaced by something deep, something knowing. Her emerald eyes caught the starlight and held it.
"You miss them," she said quietly.
"Every day."
She stepped closer, her shoulder brushing his. Her voice was low, almost tender. "The tide does not carry all things away, Rowan. It carries them apart… and together again. One day, you will find them on the shore once more."
Rowan swallowed. The ache in his chest eased, though it did not vanish. He wanted to thank her, but the words caught.
They sat together on a flat rock above a glowing pool. For a while, neither spoke. The waves hushed against the shore, Midg circled smugly below, and the night stretched quiet and endless.
Rowan fiddled with a shell, turning it in his hands, procrastinating the silence. His heart hammered too loudly. Luna seemed content, watching the tide as if she had all the time in the world.
Finally, she turned her head. Emerald eyes met his. For a breath, neither moved. Then Rowan leaned closer — or perhaps she did.
Their lips met, soft and uncertain at first, then certain enough. The sea hushed around them, the stars bearing silent witness.
When they pulled apart, Luna's smile returned, playful once more. "You flail less when you're quiet."
Rowan laughed under his breath, his face hot. Midg flicked smugly below the water, as if mocking him, but Rowan didn't care. For the first time since leaving Wraithborn, he didn't feel alone.
---
Back at camp, the others were already settling into their shelters. Rowan tried to look normal, tried to walk without stumbling.
Lyra caught his eye. One brow rose. The faintest smirk tugged at her lips.
Rowan's stomach dropped. "What?" he whispered.
"You can't hide anything from me," she murmured.
Rowan groaned softly, dragging a hand down his face.
---
That night, as he lay awake, Rowan overheard voices from the Islanders by the fire. Their tones were hushed, worried.
"The outer islands' crops are failing," one said.
"Fish are growing scarce," whispered another. "Whole shoals gone overnight."
"The tides are changing." said another
Rowan stared into the dark, frowning. The peace of the past weeks suddenly felt fragile, like glass about to crack.