[Scene: Whisper's Light – Dining Cabin, Morning Light]
Ashen sat at the corner of the table, legs folded, a half-eaten bowl of cereal resting in his lap. The milk swayed with each gentle roll of the ship.
Ashen (internal):
So… we're sailing to some island called Quinster.
First thing I heard after waking up.
A mysterious, distress-call island we've never even heard of — sounds about right.
He spooned another bite into his mouth. Chewed.
Ashen (glancing at the galley):
One good thing came out of it though.
Master Madhav's been so busy mapping the route… he didn't have time to cook breakfast.
A blessing in disguise.
He shivered at the memory of last night's seaweed stew.
[Scene: Upper Deck – Mid-Morning]
Rhask and Kael were crouched like warriors in a standoff — fingers locked in an intense thumb war.
Kael's face was a battlefield of focus and grins.
Kael:
"You ever heard of Quinster?"
Rhask (without blinking):
"No. And stop trying to distract me. This is war."
Their thumbs hovered, feinted, retreated — then clashed again like champions of old.
A gull cawed above them. Neither flinched.
[Scene: Below Deck – Training Bay]
Eron and Arjun stood in a quiet corner, warming up slowly — light stretches, no unnecessary movement. Their focus was razor-thin.
Eron (muttering):
"If it's pirates or worse, we won't be able to go all-out."
Arjun (nodding):
"Too risky. One misstep, one injury… and our chances at the main exam are gone."
But their eyes spoke something else.
If a fight came — they would still rise.
Because they weren't alone.
Arjun (calmly):
"Master Madhav's with us."
Eron (grinning faintly):
"Yeah. That man is the emergency plan."
[Scene: Quinster Island – Guildhall of Mossveil]
Yuan — the girl who had cried through the caller shell — lay bloodied, beaten, her body barely moving.
Her face pressed to the cold stone floor.
Two men stood over her, fists raw from the assault. Their knuckles gleamed with sweat and hate.
And then—
"Enough."
The voice carried weight.
A tall man entered — draped in thick ceremonial robes. His presence pulled silence from the air. Leader of the Mossveil Guild.
He approached slowly.
Paused.
Then, without emotion, rubbed the bottom of his boot on Yuan's face like one would clean filth from a sole.
Leader (casual):
"Ah… might've stepped in something filthy on the way in. Hope you don't mind."
Yuan didn't flinch.
But inside?
Her mind howled.
Her ribs burned. Her limbs twitched. Her soul… boiled.
A junior guild member approached.
"Sir, what do we do with her?"
He turned his head slightly.
Leader (coldly):
"Kill her."
A beat.
He raised a finger.
Leader:
"Not now. During the Warm Festival. Publicly. Make it a performance."
He smiled.
Leader (darkly):
"Let them watch her scream. Let them see what happens to those who defy Mossveil."
"Burn her alive. Just like we did to her beloved master."
The words hit Yuan like blades.
She trembled.
A tear escaped.
Then — without warning — she lunged.
Even in chains.
She launched herself at him, screaming with all the rage buried in her chest—
Yuan (screaming):
"MONSTER!"
But the guards slammed her down.
One pinned her wrists. Another pressed her face to the ground.
He looked down at her — not with anger.
With amusement.
Leader:
"Still fire in your eyes, Yuan."
He crouched beside her, whispering close.
Leader (mocking):
"Shame you didn't join us… like your other 'friends' did."
"They knew when to bow."
Yuan closed her eyes.
Blood in her mouth. Stone against her cheek. Chains biting into her wrists.