"Master?"

A tall man stood there before him, standing like a guard. His eyes were completely covered by a blindfold, and his white hair was too messy.

"Go back." The man said to the monster. His voice was calm, yet it echoed with authority.

And just those two simple words made the Krakken, which had been poised to strike, now recoil. It hesitated, lowering its massive form back into the sea. With one last angry thrash, the guardian disappeared beneath the surface of the water, leaving only ripples behind.

Shiera watched in shock, her body still hurting, as the man turned to her.

"Why are you here, princess?" The man asked. His tone was emotionless, yet somehow, piercing.

Shiera groaned, still trying to push herself to her feet, pain shooting through her limbs. The sword in her hand trembled.

"Master… I'm here…" She paused to catch her breath and then said, "I'm here to complete the unfinished training." Her words were shaky, but there was no mistaking the resolve in her voice.

The man tilted his head slightly, sensing the energy around her.

"You are not ready," he said, his blindfolded gaze seemingly piercing right through her. "You are not my disciple. Leave."

Shiera stared at him. "How… how am I not ready, master?" she asked in a firm voice, her determination unwavering. "I have reached Tier-8 at the age of 17, achieving mastery in sword techniques, and I came here on my own. You said that when I gain the reason to finish the training and come on my own, you will teach me."

The blindfolded man stood still for a moment, but then said. "If you are ready, you could have gone past the guardian. The fact that you couldn't do it shows that you are not ready." His voice was firm and reeked of finality.

Shiera clenched her fists, still standing as best as she could, her gaze never leaving his.

"The guardian… is a demigod-level beast, Master," she argued, though her voice was weakening. "How could I get past it? But I tried my best to injure its eye. That's got to be something, right?"

The man's expression remained unchanged, but his next words cut through the air like a blade.

"It didn't use the power of a demigod, Princess," he said, his tone cold and dismissive. "Had it used its powers, you would die without being able to come a thousand foot distance to it. And judging by how you are using such a lame excuse shows that you are not ready."

Shiera's breath caught in her throat. She had truly thought that her battle with the Krakken would be her ultimate test. But the man's words rang in her mind like a bell, shattering her confidence.

She could only stay silent and had her head hung down.

But a moment later…

"When you can find me on this island, I'll teach you again," the blind man said, a finality in his voice. "Try to come past it and land on my abode, Princess."

And with that, he turned on his heel, his figure dissipating into the air, like a shadow melting into the darkness.

Shiera stood there alone. The water settled around her, and the faint sound of the wind brushing through the trees on the island.

And she had a hope on her face. Tightening her grip on the sword's handle, she muttered. "I will not give up."

Seven Days Later — The Mayan Island;

After ten days of flying through the skies, making brief stops on various uncharted islands—some lush, some barren, some eerily silent—Kael and Mia finally reached the distant landmass known as the Mayan Island.

The skies above were cloudless when they approached, the ocean below a mirror reflecting the sun.

As Ignis soared through the final stretch, the thick canopy of dense green jungle came into view, broken occasionally by towering stone ziggurats and angular temples that pierced the treetops. Shiera explained everything about the Mayan Island to her brother.

The Mayan Island was as vast as a small kingdom, its interior thick with tangled wilderness, but it was not uninhabited.

Four major villages thrived within its green heart.

Chaal'ya — The Village of Stone Voices

Built around the base of a massive sunstone pyramid, Chaal'ya was the spiritual heart of the island. Its people were astronomer-priests, star-watchers who charted celestial movements with frightening accuracy.

Their priests wore robes of dyed crimson, marked by black tattoos that told the date of their birth, death, and omens tied to their fate.

Chaal'yan rituals often involved sky sacrifices, like incense, feathers, and fermented fruit set ablaze to speak with the heavens.

2. Ixkulan — The Village of Jade and Blood

Nestled between jungle cliffs and stone terraces, Ixkulan was a warrior village where combat and ritual bloodletting were part of daily life. The villagers believed the gods demanded small life sacrifices to maintain cosmic balance. Warriors adorned themselves with obsidian blades, jaguar pelts, and jade piercings embedded into their faces.

Once a year, a grand festival called The Heartbeat of Itzamna was held in their sun plaza—a combat trial where champions fought to the first blood, symbolizing the sacrifice of divine essence.

Their warriors were well-trained in both martial combat and divine rites, sworn to protect the island's sacred boundaries from "sky invaders."

3. Nal'bey — The Village of Seeds and Shadows

Hidden in the valley plains, Nal'bey was the agricultural lifeline of the island. These were earthbound mystics who worshipped Chaac, the mystical rain god, and performed dances before carved stone frogs and maize idols. Every home had a spirit garden, with offerings of tamales, fermented chocolate, and fruit laid out for ancestral spirits.

The villagers of Nal'bey were pacifists by nature, but their shamans were rumored to possess potent earth magic—seedbinding, where a planted seed could bloom into vines or trees within moments.

4. Ek'tal — The Village of Eternal Dusk

Built on the edge of a volcanic ravine, Ek'tal was a mysterious village few visited willingly. The people here painted their faces in white and black, and spoke in half-whispers.

Ek'tal villagers claimed to be the descendants of the "true Maya—the original race that inhabited this island and established this tiny independent region."

Their existence was tolerated by the other villages, though with unease. Still, when omens or plagues appeared, it was to Ek'tal's Seers that even the proud warriors of Ixkulan turned.

At the center of the island was a massive crater lake known as Xibalbe'lun—the "Mouth of the Underworld"—said to be where the first god bled into the world and birthed time itself. This place was worshipped by all four villages as a sacred site and was tightly guarded at all times, forbidden for visitors.

*

Kael had never known peace like this. For two full days, he wandered the vibrant streets and jungle pathways of Yuxkaan, one of the four sacred villages of Mayan Island.

It was a place that hummed with life—stone courtyards filled with dancers, vivid murals of gods painted on lime-plastered walls, and an endless rhythm of drums echoing from the temple at the village's center.

Mia, having visited before, served as his enthusiastic tour guide. She knew every corner of Yuxkaan.

Children waved at her as she passed, elders bowed in recognition, and merchants offered her fruits and dyed fabrics for free. She wore no pride on her face, but Kael could tell—she was revered here.

That afternoon, they were invited to the home of the village chief, a lean, weathered man named Chaktun. His skin bore deep ritual scars, and his face was painted with golden lines to mark his priestly bloodline.

When he saw Mia, he almost knelt down, but Mia stopped him.

"Mia of the Silver Fang," Chaktun said with reverence, "Slayer of the Hundred Bandits, Guardian of the Night Storm. The gods still speak of that night."

Kael, listening quietly, glanced at Mia. She shifted uncomfortably and smiled, clearly embarrassed.

Chaktun had housed them in his own estate—a tiered stone building surrounded by flowering vines and adorned with obsidian carvings.

That evening, after the ceremonial meal and gift-giving, Kael and Mia quietly slipped away in the name of walking around and made their way toward the village harbor, nestled on the southern bay.

Reaching the edge of the dock, Mia said, "Okay, the last time I sensed the beast was around here. Let me check if it is still there."

Kael nodded.

Standing at the edge of the dock, Mia then closed her eyes

She expanded her senses—her body tense, lips drawn into a thin line.

Suddenly….

Cough! A sharp splatter of blood hit the dock.

"Mia!" Kael rushed to her, catching her before she stumbled.

She wiped the blood from her lips with a shaking hand. "I'm alright," she said hoarsely, her eyes wide with alarm. "But… I sensed something. A pair of eyes watching me from deep, far beneath the water. That thing… it wasn't just powerful—it was ancient."

Kael held her close. "What did you sense?"

Mia's voice dropped. "It's a demigod-tier beast. Might even be the Leviathan, the mother beast of the spawn we are looking for."

Kael's face turned serious.