"Stop!" Camiel's hand held her shoulder. She turned around abruptly. Hyon limped to them.

"He fell in the sea... he's drowning... I can't..." the girl sobbed.

"Can you not get into trouble for five minutes? I'm not asking for much," grumbled the master. "Just enough time to have a drink of wine or eat a bite." The stone on the staff illuminated, and a deep sound rang out that left Marmorel stunned. Hyon stepped on a crate, and a rope of light shot out from the Seorite. The movements were like those of a fisherman casting a line into the sea. The energy coiled around the boy's hand, the only part of his body still above water.

The master jerked the staff, and Fez was lifted out of the water and suspended in mid-air, at the mercy of the wind. "What a nice tuna!" he chuckled.

Fez fell onto the ship's deck and writhed in pain, his face contorted. Marmorel and Camiel rushed to his aid. Fez spat and coughed until he regained his composure. The warrior from Meliro approached them but then turned around and leaped into the air, slicing through another cannonball.

Marmorel reached out and touched Fez's chest, brushing him lightly and shaking him slightly. "How are you?" she asked. He didn't say anything. She clenched her jaw and shook him harder. "Answer me!" she shouted.

"I-I'm alive," he said, "I'm alive..." He clung to her.

Hyon looked at Camiel. "Cora has regenerated all the stones outside. This time we got lucky." He frowned and pointed his staff at the ship carrying Captain Vega. Even though the Hozman archer had turned the prow into a sieve, the pale officer was still there.

"He's not giving up, is he?" Hyon exclaimed, his expression fierce.

The Kharzanian soldiers on the tail ship dragged a large wheeled grappling hook and positioned it over the bow. Three battle armors emerged from below deck.

"They want to board," Camiel yelled.

Hyon raised his chin and scratched his head with the staff. "They can even decide to dance in those tin cans, but they certainly won't board this ship."

The large metal harpoon pierced the waves that separated the boats. A new deep sound was heard, the sound of a large brass structure struck by a mace. The vibration momentarily halted the rain around them.

The Kharzanian weapon impacted against a wall of energy protecting the stern. The noise was so loud that even the Hozman warriors regained consciousness. The metal bent in half, shattered into a thousand pieces, and the fragments fell into the sea. For the first time, the smile disappeared from Vega's face.

"Well... it seems like the right moment," Hyon grinned. He straightened his dress, but by now he was soaked from head to toe as well. Under the gaze of Marmorel and Fez, he went behind the main mast and looked up at the sail, rubbing his chin. He took three Seorite stones from his pocket and bounced them on his hand. He took a few steps back. "Let's hope it doesn't tear," he said. The staff emitted a large blue cloud. The sail swelled even more than it already was, a colorful wind that forced the structure to its limit. The strange blue vapor also emanated from the three stones, and Hyon's necklace of ropes filled with colored buds.

The Hozman ship picked up speed to the point that the bow lifted. Marmorel grabbed onto Camiel just in time, but others less fortunate ended up upside down.

"Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure entertaining you," Hyon shouted. He made a slight bow in the direction of the enemies, as they looked on with gaping mouths and guns still in their hands.

Marmorel squinted against the opposing wind and stayed with Fez clinging to Camiel. The quickest way to avoid going overboard.

The Kharzanian cannons fired and fired again, but Meliro's ship was now faster than theirs, and the shots fell behind a restless sea.

An entire night went by since their escape from Amanastre, Elidana and Marmorel took turns taking care of Cora. He had stopped wriggling already for a few hours, although the temperature did not seem to drop. Aran entered the room and sat with his hands clasped, his eyes on his friend. "How is he?" he asked in a low voice.

Marmorel shrugged. "I don't know..." she replied. "But he's not waking up."

Elidana pointed at Aran and said, "So, did you find out anything? What did they tell you?"

"I asked Camiel for an explanation," Aran snorted, "but he wouldn't tell me what really happened in Amanastre and... well... you saw what happened last night. He was destroying everything and then nothing. Calm as if he were sleeping." He looked contrite.

"Camiel saved our lives, we must not forget that," said Elidana. "Rather, how long until we reach Ragoon?"

"From the crew members, I heard we have less than three days left," the boy replied. He gestured to Elidana to put Cora on his side. Marmorel looked over.

Elidana moved him gently but as soon as she took her hands off, Cora jerked.

"It's the same symbol as the flags of this ship, it's very similar to the emblem of Hozma," Aran said.

"I noticed it too. I don't understand where it came from," added Elidana.

"Maybe it was Camiel? He's also a Hozman," suggested Marmorel.

"No, I don't think so. Why would he do that?" shrugged Aran. "It seemed like a nightmare... he was surrounded by light and it was hot, like we were standing in front of a huge bonfire. I thought he would really sink the ship."

Cora tensed up and relaxed immediately after.

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. "How is our patient doing?" asked Hyon, approaching Cora.

"He's still sleeping," replied Elidana.

"Now, can you tell us what you did to him?" asked Aran. "We're not playing around."

"I'm certainly not hiding behind my staff! And I believe it's only right to keep you informed. But I prefer that he informs you of his own secrets," said Hyon, feeling Cora's forehead and checking his pulse. "If this show were to repeat on this ship, the only thing left for us to do is sprinkle ourselves with pepper and rosemary to be more appetizing to the fish!"

"Will he survive?" asked Elidana, hands clasped together.

Hyon lifted his chin. "I really think so!" he looked at the boy. "Mhmm..." he whispered. He approached Cora and gave him two powerful slaps in the face. "Wake up, the worst is over!" he shouted.

Elidana sprang forward, between the old man and her friend, and avoided a third slap that was already in motion. Cora opened his eyes, breathing heavily. The awakening must not have been very pleasant.

He glanced at Hyon and began to tremble. He sat up and dragged himself further back. "Keep this madman away from me!" he yelled.

The door burst open and Camiel and Fez rushed in.

Hyon put a hand on Elidana's shoulder and moved her aside. "Come on, the sun is already high in the sky! And relax because there is nothing to fear," he said cheerfully.

Camiel closed his eyes and exhaled softly.

Cora went back and forth between the gazes of his friends. "Whatever he did to me, I ask him to never do it again, my head is pounding," he barked.

Aran handed him the upper part of a Hozman tunic and he put it on. For a moment, the Aletar Sun was visible to everyone.

"If you don't want to talk, we accept your choice," murmured Elidana.

Cora cleared his throat. "You have the right to know..." he finally admitted. Now, Marmorel was waiting with her ears wide open and she knew that Elidana, Fez, and Aran were also eager to hear more.

With some input from Camiel and Hyon, Cora recounted the events that had happened since Lud's accident: the regenerated Seorite on the train, the symbol on his back, and the explosion of light from Amanastre. It was a story full of doubts and suppositions, interrupted by brief moments in which Cora sent fearful glances to one or another member of the group. At the last pause, no reassuring look, no physical contact, no word of encouragement was enough to make him continue. The fear in his eyes was even stronger. Camiel finished the story with what had happened at the Ducal Palace.

"How do you regenerate the Seorite?" Fez asked.

"I don't know."

"It seems like you do it completely unconsciously, even the knowledge of the Lost Language I don't think is due to your personal learning," said Hyon. "Since I had proof of Camiel's words, I thought taking you to my mentor was the best choice. The children of Dormin are the highest exponents in the study of ancient glyphs throughout the continent, as well as the most suited to understanding what is happening to you."

"Is Dremis safe?" Cora asked, looking upset.

Hyon nodded. "You reacted to the presence of the Cec systems and yesterday those ships were bringing you to exasperation. You won't find even one of those Kharzanian devices in Laeth."

Camiel approached him and put a hand on his shoulder.

Aran also looked at Cora, staring at him for a brief moment. "Why didn't you tell us right away?" he yelled. "Why did you keep us in the dark?"

"You wouldn't have understood. I was scared."

"Scared of what?" Elidana asked. "Did you think we would leave you alone?"

Cora sank his head between his shoulders. "Well..."

Camiel and Hyon got up. "Lunch will be delayed by a few hours, Iak's men are still repairing the ship," said the latter, before leaving the room.

There was a long silence. Cora collapsed with his face in his hands. "It's my fault..."

Aran pushed him. "Do you really think it was your fault? I thought you weren't that stupid..." he growled.

"But..."

"As Hyon said, we're all in this together, the same way. You weren't alone when you slipped my mother's necklace between the roots of the Great Jalme or when you left for the Grand Prix."

Cora looked away. "Actually..." He reached into his pants pocket, then startled and turned to Elidana. "The metal plate!" He felt his chest, hips, pants, and even his head.

Aran and Fez exchanged a perplexed look, and Marmorel sent an equal one to Elidana. The latter nodded, reached Cora, and put a piece of metal and a crumpled photograph in his hand.

Cora breathed a sigh of relief and opened the picture, which portrayed a small group of Kharzanian soldiers.

"You look so much like him," Fez whispered. Aran studied Cora for a moment and returned to the photograph.

"Maybe he's my father," Cora said. "I searched for information in Edel and found out that this man was in the army."

"Did you know?" Marmorel asked Elidana. She closed her mouth. Aran advanced, surpassing the girls. "What does it mean?" he asked Cora.

"It means that I'm the son of a Kharzanian..."

"And with that?" Aran continued. "What's the problem?"

"I thought that you..."

"Well, you thought wrong," Aran interrupted. "I know you, Cora. We all know you. Having a Kharzanian parent doesn't make you an assassin or a benefactor."

Elidana squeezed his hand, and Fez sat at the foot of the bed, looking at the ceiling.

"No more secrets," added Aran.

"No more secrets," Cora replied with a peaceful smile.

"Do we have to expect anything else?" Fez asked. "I don't know... Can you cook the roast with your hands?"

Aran and Cora looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Seriously? In a moment like this, you think about food?" The young Allet breathed in. "We could have all died!"

Fez snorted. "I almost drowned," he replied. "Nervousness stimulates my appetite."

Cora chuckled, and Aran put a hand in front of his eyes. "Let's try to arrive at our destination safe and sound."

Marmorel shook her head silently. She got up and left.

For her, now, everything has become clearer. The cause of every misfortune, albeit unaware, was in the room she had just left behind.