When the ship finally reached calm waters, Jiro and Alet were allowed to climb up to the top deck to see the weather. The gray skies spanned above the sails as the breeze blew on their backs. In the distance, behind the ship, the sea continued to roil in storm and darkness. But ahead, a haze of land blocked the horizon. Jiro stood at the rails anticipating the nearing shore and observing the rising peaks of the far mountains. And as the ship docked at the southern port of Adar, an unexpected sense of relief came over him.

It was a miracle that Jiro and Alet had survived the sea. It was a miracle that he had found her in the furious waters of the Wari Strait. He could still sense the feel of her fingers, her hands, herself reaching out for him. He could still sense her as she pressed her forehead to his chest, finding reassurance in his hold, the touch of her waist and her back, and how she'd trembled with fear. After that night, he hadn't been able to sleep, guarding her as she rested, and he knew that she hadn't slept too.

A perception of safety washed over him as soon as they stepped on land in the small fishing port in Adar. A few huts with bamboo frames, nipa roofs, and capiz window panes gathered around the docks. It felt minute compared to the cities in the south; Kimracka, Biran, and Kata.

They weren't in the north yet, but it reminded him of his home and his simple life in Aradack. A life he could never return to. A life he had run away from.

Jiro shook the burdensome thought away and stepped on the boardwalk to Alet, who was patting the nyx's head. The animal didn't look well and lost its appetite after the voyage. Its head bowed to the ground, too heavy for its shoulders.

"It's alright. You're back on land." Alet gently tugged on its reins. The nyx followed her as she led it away from the busy docks. "Let's get out of here and find some grass for her to eat."

"It'll be a day's ride on the road from here before we reach the mountain pass of Adar," Jiro remembered the way from his father's map, thankful that the storm hadn't ruined it.

"We can't ride her yet." Alet towed the nyx toward some fish stalls.

They hadn't spoken about the night she had almost drowned. She hadn't shown him she wanted to talk about it, and she'd been distant for the rest of their time at sea.

"We can head to Atamack for the night," Jiro suggested to Alet. As he watched her back, he wondered if he should have offered the conversation to ask her thoughts, but he didn't know how. He didn't know what to tell her.

"No." Alet glanced over her shoulder, her blue eye tired and dull. "We keep moving. No more side trips."

Jiro felt a pang with her words. The way she'd said them was heavy. She was right, though. If they stayed in one place for too long, they could run into trouble again. They had been lucky before. Even after their encounter with Mariko, they were still alive.

They came to a grassy field outside the fishing port and allowed the nyx to rest. It slowly found its strength, and by late afternoon, its appetite returned.

Alet gathered leaves and shrubs and allowed the nyx to feed off her hand as Jiro watched her. Her hair swayed with the soft breeze, and now and then, he caught glimpses of her green eye. When she finished, she let the nyx roam free and came to where Jiro stood under a tree.

She'd caught him watching her, and she held his gaze as she neared him. A sudden longing overcame Jiro, and he held his breath until she was only a step away, releasing the air from his lungs with a heavy sigh.

"What?" Alet asked, coming to stand beside him in the shade.

"You like animals?"

They both faced the field, watching the nyx that prowled among the grass.

"I like this one." Alet pointed.

"It likes you too." Jiro turned his head to her. And I like you too, he wanted to admit, but he only smiled at the realization, wondering if she felt the same way about him. "You like children too," he said instead.

Alet nodded. "Maybe because they remind me of what I used to be, especially the ones without parents." She sounded bitter and broken even when her voice came out cold and emotionless.

The Alet he'd met in Kimracka had seemed strong. A girl who wore a mask of confidence. A girl who stood with her head held high. And a girl who snorted at him, making him feel awkward and silly. That girl's mask had been lifted off. Her barriers were taken down. Whatever happened in Kata had somehow changed her.

The Alet who stood beside him now was a confused girl, one who was in pain, and he felt the weight of her suffering in his heart.

"What happened in Kata?" Jiro asked without thinking twice before he could stop himself or take back the words. "You remembered something during the show of the lights in the sky, didn't you?"

Alet didn't speak. She pressed her lips together and continued to watch the nyx.

Jiro turned himself to her so that his whole body faced her. "I don't like seeing you this way." He wanted to reach out, touch her, and make her look at him, but he only stood there and waited for an answer.

"I'm afraid of myself," Alet whispered so softly that the breeze almost took away her words. Something shimmered in her blue eye, but she blinked, and it was gone in an instant. A cold veil replaced all the emotions on her face.

"What do you mean?" Jiro said.

Without answering, she returned to the nyx in the field. Pretending she'd heard nothing, she didn't even look back.

Jiro wanted to grab her, but he fisted his hands at his sides and held himself. What was he supposed to tell her? He didn't truly know her, and there had been moments when he feared her too. Moments when she unleashed the Maharlika inside of her. And now, with those circular metals on her nape and head, he knew she could be something more frightening. Yet somehow, no part of him believed it.

He wished he could make whatever that was causing her pain go away. He wanted to make things better for her. But again, he didn't know how, so he only stood there, staring at her back as she walked out of their conversation.

The wind blew, and the cold pricked at his skin. He stood there, watching as Alet took the reins of the nyx. The creature nuzzled her neck, and a saddened smile formed over her lips.

✧

They traveled through the night on the main road and made their way to the entry of the mountain pass by morning. They'd decided to stop by a river to rest and fill their canteens. It was beside a hill carved with rice terraces, the giant steps sloping over its foot in gentle curves.

Exhausted, Jiro wanted to fall on the ground and sleep beside this view, but they couldn't spare the morning light. They needed to keep moving. But he allowed himself to rest, sitting on the damp soil on the river's shore. He removed his boots, feeling the dirt under his feet. He rubbed the tiredness from his eyes and looked at Alet, who had dipped into the water.

She had removed her boots and rolled up the legs of her pants to wash up. The water only came up to her knees where she stood. They both hadn't slept since the stormy night on the ship, but she didn't look as tired as Jiro felt.

"Are you hungry?" He called for her.

She raked her wet fingers through her hair and brushed it away from her face. "No," she said, looking at him with her two-colored eyes. "But you should eat."

Jiro shrugged and got up to walk to the nyx, where he rummaged in his rattan bag for food. He found a pack of smoked herring and fished it out.

"You should eat too," he said as he walked back toward the shore, holding the bundle of fish in one hand.

Again, Alet looked at him from the water, hair still tucked behind her ears. He stared at her, and his breath caught at the realization that their gazes locked. He was about to smile when she frowned, and suddenly, she sprinted to him.

"Jiro!" Alet shouted, her eyes widening as she rushed to him, but the stream dragged on her legs.

An explosion rang in his ears, and pain shot through his shoulder blade. Jiro fell to the ground, dropping the pack from his hand.

Alet charged to his aid, standing beside him in a protective stance. When Jiro twisted with a painful grunt, he looked up and saw her back to him. She faced someone, but he couldn't see the person from this angle.

"Step aside." Jiro knew who spoke—Shoka's voice.

Pushing himself a little higher from the ground, Jiro leaned on his good shoulder and strained to look. Shoka stood beside his brother, Hako, and he held a rifle, muzzle pointed to Alet.

Skies! Shoka shot me. Jiro thought of the throbbing on his back. Blood seeped from his wound and soaked his vest. He couldn't move half of his body. The pain paralyzed him.

"Just kill her," Hako said to Shoka, standing on bare feet. The two of them wore their zarok vests and armbands with feathers. Silver eyes focused on Alet. Their stances were of Maharlika's—warriors ready to pounce.

"We don't want to kill you," Shoka said to Alet, ignoring his brother. "But we will if you don't step aside."

Alet hissed at them, and a chill crept under Jiro's skin. By now, he was almost familiar with it, and he knew as he'd always known that Alet caused the stir in the air.

"Alet." For a moment, Jiro feared, and she flinched at the sound of her name, but she didn't turn to look at him.

"Step aside," Shoka said again, and he gripped the rifle tighter, aiming for her chest.

"No, wait," Jiro pleaded. He didn't fear the power emanating from Alet. He feared for her. The gun pointed at her.

Hako pulled his kampit from its sheath, the blue handle glinting with the early light. He raised the weapon to Alet, threatening her.

"I don't want to kill you," Alet responded, returning Shoka's words. Her voice was calm. Something about it made Jiro shiver. How could she not be afraid when she was staring at the barrel of a gun? "But I have to," she added, and Jiro's eyes widened.

Alet began to move. Shoka pulled the trigger once, twice, and shots rang in the air.

Jiro screamed, but Alet moved too fast, almost as if she knew which way to duck and dodge. Bending her knees, she sidestepped and dashed forward, kicking herself into motion.

Jiro recognized the maneuver. It was the same movements he had done every time he created a Lift before he flew. And for a moment, he imagined her shooting herself above the trees.

Barely touching the ground, Alet looked like she was flying. Only the tips of her toes scraped the grass. Water dripped from the edges of her folded trousers as another gunshot fired at her. She feigned to the side again and then ran forward, closing the distance between herself and the boys.

Alet reached out her hand, aiming to grab the rifle from Shoka, but Hako jumped in front of her, slicing the air with his knife. The edge of the blade almost grazed her face, but she leaned back. Hako attacked her with furious but skilled jabs. Each one only inched from her skin. She took a step back. Both of their movements were precise.

Jiro watched in awe as he pushed himself higher to lean on one side of his back. Pain exploded through half of his body when he exerted his muscles. He needed to stop the bleeding from his wound before he could bleed to death, but he kept his eyes on the fight.

Shoka tried to aim the gun at Alet, but Hako kept moving toward her, blocking his shot. They were both too fast and unpredictable, and the younger brother grunted with frustration.

Alet glanced at Shoka, and Jiro thought he saw a faint smile on her face. Her hair was swept away by her movements, revealing both of her eyes that had an unnatural calmness. She reached out to Hako and caught his wrist, the arm holding the knife. When she twisted, he growled a sharp pain and dropped the weapon. She grabbed it with her free hand, and she moved like she was dancing, swift and trained. With the blade in her grasp, she struck.

Jab. Jab. Jab.

Two for the guts.

One for the heart.

Jiro only saw the lightness of her movements. It looked like she chided Hako with punches, but when the boy looked down at his chest, blood bubbled on the bare skin beneath his vest, red and wet. Then as though it was not enough, Alet swept the sharp end of the blade under Hako's chin.

"No!" Shoka screamed, watching the dark line form on his brother's neck. He pulled the trigger again and again as Hako fell over his front, landing on the ground, unmoving.

Jiro gaped, opening his mouth wide but nothing came from him. He was too stunned, and he couldn't process what had happened. Blood pooled beneath Hako's body, staining the grass.

Bullets flew in the air as Alet feigned. For each shot, she dodged and dashed toward Shoka, who had started to sob. His hands trembled, but he continued to aim and shoot. He screamed his brother's name and cursed at the girl who killed him. "I'll kill you! Puta!"

Shoka shot at Alet in a frenzy, running his ammunition to dry, but before the last bullet blew out of the shaft, Alet had reached him. She grabbed the rifle, gripping the long shaft with both hands and shoving it into Shoka's chest. He stumbled back as she pulled the gun from his grasp, and she flipped it over so the stock and trigger landed in her hand.

"Alet!" Jiro finally found his voice, his call begging.

Frozen, Shoka stood there, raising his hands in surrender as Alet pointed the gun to his heart. For a moment, she paused.

Jiro breathed out a nervous relief. It's over—

A gunshot was fired, and Shoka fell to his knees. The boy clutched his chest, blood gurgling from his lips as he completely dropped over his front as his brother had.

A sound came from Jiro's lips, a sort of whimper at first. He stared at the bodies of Hako and Shoka. Dead.

And then he screamed.

.