"Mr. Len?"

I jolt awake, eyes snapping open and instantly catching sight of someone leaning over me. Messy purple hair and blue eyes, a brow arched in confusion.

"I-Iann!" I scramble away, only to realize I'm still in the water. He's been kneeling and looking over me? For how long? If my face weren't already warm from the heat, it would've flushed hot as I thank the Abyss the mineral count of the water's high, making it cloudy. "What are you doing here? Actually, no, don't explain right now. Just leave, p-please!"

Iann looks more confused, which confuses me as well. "Okay?" He stands and leaves the room in no real hurry. It's like he doesn't see how strange that was! I'd waste my energy on throwing more of a fit, but I'm distracted by the dull ache of a headache pulsing behind my eyes. I stifle a groan and rub my eyes with my thumb and forefinger before beginning the task of getting out of the bath. After I get my prosthetic back on and both of the towels I brought are wrapped securely around my waist, I cautiously return to the changing room, wringing my hair out as I go.

To my slight dismay, Iann's in the changing room, and he grins a little when he sees me again. "Hey! Uh, sorry if I scared you before? That cool lady with the red hair you're with said you were in here, and she's been waiting for almost an hour. Even if ya didn't leave her, sitting in the springs for that long isn't good for you."

My heart jolts, and guilt floods me. That might explain my headache, though. "Th-then thank you for coming to get me, Iann. But you spoke with Melva?" Iann nods as he starts to lean to the side, as if he's looking around me, wait, no, that's... exactly what he's doing?

"Yeah, I was walking around and ran into her in the hall. Is she your girlfriend?" Before I can give the obvious reply, his eyes light up a little in awe as it becomes clear he's looking over me again. "How are your muscles so big? It's so cool... Was it milk? Aunt Enri said milk helps with things like that."

"Ah, i-it's bones, since milk has calcium. Not muscles." Iann nods enthusiastically, gaze fixed on my arms. "But did Bondrewd ever tell you it was rude to stare at people like this? Especially when they aren't dressed completely?"

Iann's face then falls before he looks panicked, and he looks away. "Is it wrong? I-I'm sorry! Uncle Bon taught me a body's a body since we all have 'em, we all have the same parts more or less. But I guess that's not right?" I'm taken aback with surprise, though he isn't exactly wrong. Really, in purely scientific terms, he's right.

"You're technically not wrong, but my parents taught me it was rude to do that," I say. "And it's also utterly wrong to do that around women unless they said otherwise."

"Oh, okay. I'm sorry again. A-are you mad?"

I shake my head. "I'm not, don't worry. But can you leave me be while I get dressed, please? We can talk more when I'm done, if you want to."

"Yeah..." He turns to leave but pauses, looking down. "Your foot... You have a fake one like Uncle Sciro?" He then stiffens as he rushes from the room. "I'm sorry again!" I watch him go, a little baffled before getting my clothes. Orth has always seemed to have different values to what I grew up with, but I never noticed it until now.

I hurry to get dressed, unconsciously glancing up every so often to make sure I really am alone here. But that makes me wonder even more. Why is Iann here if he seems to be on his own so often? I wouldn't want to see such a curious and enthusiastic boy like him be put into an orphanage, but it still confuses me. But who am I to question the authority of somebody who warrants more respect than me, even if I don't completely trust him?

As I brush my hair out and tie it up, I wonder where my glasses are. I swear I had wrapped them up in the clean shirt I'd brought, but I didn't see them. In fact, my clothes weren't folded the way I'd left them originally. Had Iann or someone else gone through my clothes while I was bathing? Confused and a little concerned, I let my hand on the wall help guide me out to the hallway, calling out Iann's name.

"Yeah, Mr. Len?" Iann steps from around the corner we had to round to get to the changing room. "Do ya need something?"

"Did you happen to see somebody take my glasses? I have an extra pair along with my goggles, but I-I'd like to have both pairs since I have no way to replace them." I can't fully make out Iann's expression, but I can make out his mouth contorting into a frown as he reaches into his pocket and produces... "My glasses! You have them?" I didn't want to think he was the one who had done it, but now I'm hesitant. "So you looked through my things too?"

Iann profusely apologizes as he hands my glasses back. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I-I really am! I just saw them and... took them."

"But why?" I rub my eyes and put my glasses on, now faced with a clearly guilty Iann. "I'm not mad, I'm only asking why."

Still, the boy looks tense as he hesitantly meets my gaze. "I really don't know why. I just take things sometimes, even if they aren't mine. My grandparents hated it when I did that when I was little, but..." He trails off, looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry again!"

"I-it's okay, just don't do it again," I say. Before any more tension can arise, I try to change the topic. "I suppose you're interested in becoming strong like I am? I can perhaps tell you my secrets on the walk back." I try to smile, even though I want to wince from the bad shift in topic. Thankfully, Iann perks up when I say that.

"Yeah, definitely! I've never been outside Idofront, but Uncle Bon and Aunt Enri tell me all the time how dangerous it is outside. All the snow, the cliffs and water, and of course the curse, even though I already know what that's like. Not being strong makes ya pretty useless since that means you can't do much besides talk and think about things."

He's experienced the curse on this layer? I'd be shocked, but then again, this structure has multiple stories. The curse is only inevitable, especially if he wanders as much as he seems to. "You can be just as useful, even if you're not strong," I try to object. "I've known people who were more than valuable, even if they weren't physically strong."

Iann shakes his head. "Nah, this far down you halfta be both strong and smart. How else can you fight off the Frostbite Runners and the Ursafelle?"

I blink, my mind blanking. "The what?"

"The dogs that attacked you," Iann replied plainly. "And the Ursafelle are these bear-like things that live in the trees down here. I don't know much about them since Uncle Bon doesn't have a lot of research on them yet. But I can imagine what they look like since they remind me of the bears back..." He frowns. "I don't wanna say 'home' since I've been here for so long, but I guess where I came from is home?"

"Home is whatever you want to make of it," I say with a shrug. "Honestly, I consider the Abyss as my home at this point, even though I came from across the ocean years ago." I wish that weren't the case, but whether I like it or not, I belong to the Abyss now.

Iann thinks about my words for a moment. "Then... Idofront is my home. But can I ask ya something else? The way you talk sounds like how I do. Are you from that place too?"

"Place? Do you mean Norteva?" I echo, and Iann nods.

"Uncle Bon says he's from there too, but Uncle Sciro and Aunt Enri aren't. Aunt Enri's boring and just says she's from the surface, and that's it." He then frowns in confusion. "Wait, if you're from where I am, why are you here? Can I ask that?"

It's a harmless enough question, so I reply. "Well, it wasn't my decision, but my parents'..." I give him a small explanation of things, stopping at the point when I met Melva. "My parents actually listened to what I said and allowed me to delve. The rest is history."

"Wow... My dad probably wouldn't have let me delve, and my grandparents definitely wouldn't have. They didn't even like me going outside." His hands clench into fists, and again worry strikes me. But then he shakes his head and stuffs his hands in his pockets. "Do your parents know you're down here? Unless they don't care since you're an adult."

I take a breath, letting it out as I say, "Parents should care about you no matter what age you are. I'm sure mine would still care if they could, but... they're dead." Iann's eyes widen before he looks away.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry."

Part of me wants to stop talking, especially when I see the door to my and Melva's room come into view, but something urges me to speak again. I don't want this boy's impression of me to be a bad one, especially since I've done nothing but bring people down for the past year. "It's okay. Well, it isn't, but it's been years since they passed, and I still treasure the time I spent with them. In the end, that's all that matters, isn't it?" I know I'm being a hypocrite for saying that, but I'm relieved when Iann smiles a little. "Also, the key to getting strong is balance." Iann looks confused, and I smile apologetically. "We got far off-track from what I was trying to tell you before about how I became so strong."

Iann's eyes light up as his smile widens. "Ohhhhh yeah! But what do you mean by balance? Is it an exercise?"

"In a sense, it is. You need to be able to balance things like exercise, rest, your normal work, and how much you eat and sleep. Exercise is a must-have, though you should focus on different parts of the body on different days so everything stays equal and you don't exhaust your whole body. Once muscles develop, you need to eat more since your body will take energy from your muscles before your fat, though it needs to be more healthy foods. Like I said, it's a balance."

"That makes sense... even though I don't know how to do any of that," Iann says with a sheepish smile. He then looks hesitant before speaking again. "I know we just met, Mr. Len, but can ya teach me about what you were just talking about? I know I'm annoying, so it's okay if you don't wanna."

Surprise strikes me before hesitation, and I try to hide a frown. Then again, what else would I be doing here besides learning from Bondrewd's research? I've always wanted to leave my experiences behind for people to etch into their minds, though it's unfortunately not my tales of my delves and my discoveries. Still, even if I feel hesitant around children, Iann's hopeful smile warms something in my chest, and I nod. "I'd be happy to teach you. I am going to be doing some learning of my own with your, er, Uncle Bon, but I can make time to teach you. My mentor can give you some advice as well since she was the one who inspired me to work at myself, and she helped train me when I was younger."

Iann smiles hopefully, though he still looks hesitant. "Like I said, Uncle Bon doesn't like it when I walk around like this when he doesn't know, so I can't see you anyways if you're learning stuff from him."

"Then why don't we meet up the day after tomorrow? Or two days from now? My mentor and I will be here for about a month, give or take, so we have time." That's when Iann's smile widens.

"Okay! I always go out to the center balcony after breakfast, so we can meet up there. Just find me when you can. Oh, can your friend come too?"

"If she feels up to it," I say with a shrug. "She needs to be resting her ankle right now before we leave, but I'll ask her." Iann does a small cheer before shoving his hands in his pockets, nodding curtly.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Even I know you shouldn't strain injuries," he says matter-of-factly. I have to stifle a chuckle. Was this how Melva felt when she dealt with me when I was younger? Boundless enthusiasm and curiosity, a deep desire to learn... It makes my heart ache thinking of it, but I can't help but smile still.

"Then it's a date. Ah, well, a plan. I-it's a plan. And like I said, I'll keep us talking a secret." Iann looks relieved when I say that. "Then I'll see you later?"

Iann nods, grinning. "Yep! Bye, Mr. Len!" He waves before hurrying off down the hall, vanishing for what I hope is the remainder of the day. He's more than enthusiastic and seems cheerful for the most part, but these interactions have already exhausted me. Thinking that, I don't know what's more depressing, honestly. I try to shake the feeling and knock on the door to the room before entering. Melva's gone back to reclining on her bed, though she picks apart a ration bar, a bored expression on her face. That expression lightens up a little as a smirk slips onto it.

"An' look who finally decided to show up again," she says. "I thought ya drowned!" She actually looks concerned then. "But really, I was gettin' worried, kid. 'Least it seems like that kid found ya."

"He said he spoke to you while I was washing up?" I ask, and Melva nods.

"My fault for leavin' the door open a bit, but I don't want that thing closed when I'm alone in 'ere. It's... kinda stifling." She tenses, eating a small piece of ration bar. "Still, he saw it open, an' we talked a bit. You're meetin' more than just Sovereigns today, huh? Don't get why the hell a kid's runnin' 'round 'ere, though."

I shrug as I sit down heavily on my bed and lean against the wall. "I don't understand that either... Not only that, he's from my home country as well. He says he's Bondrewd's nephew, even if they have no blood relation."

Melva frowns, arching a brow. "You're really sayin' that in front o' me? Hell, sayin' that yourself?"

I wince and shake my head. "I-I was merely pointing it out, I didn't mean anything by it." Melva looks guilty then.

"Sorry 'bout that. I'm already tense as hell bein' 'ere... But if the kid means somethin' to Bondrewd, I wonder if the kid's seen 'im without the mask, then."

"Who knows? I'm of course curious, but I'm not asking him." My stomach grumbles, and I sigh. "Can you toss me a ration bar?" Melva nods and does so. "For now, we'll have to wait until tomorrow to be able to go anywhere else."

"Ya think I'll be allowed to check this stuff out with ya?"

My brow furrows as I nod. "I'll make sure of it. There's a difference between a private meal and learning vital information. I don't believe you deserve to be left behind in here just because I technically have a white whistle and you don't. It's as simple as pulling out a chair or stool for you to sit on. You're still my mentor, and I'll never not see you as such."

Melva's lips purse before she smiles genuinely. "Thanks, Len... Really."

"We're in this together until the end," I say firmly. "I'm promising you that, and I'll keep it."

The following morning, I'm awoken by a sharp knock on the room's door. Before I can fully wake up and stop her, Melva's hobbling to the door and opening it. I can tell who's there by Melva's tone alone. "Oh, yeah. Thanks, I'll give it to 'im."

"Lord Dawn expects attendance downstairs within the next hour, so don't keep him waiting," Enri says flatly before her footsteps echo down the hall and away from us. Melva collapses back onto the bed, a rolled-up sheet of weathered paper in one hand. "Sorry for the noise, kid. But it looks like we got our map." She unrolls it and takes a look, frowning in confusion. "So it's a map of a section o' this place, not the whole thing. At least I think it is?" She sighs before handing it over to me. "The shrimp was always better with maps."

I take the map and look over it, and Melva seems to be correct. Our room is marked on the map, and there are other rooms marked off on what seems to be a floor above and below us. From what I've observed, the ceilings here seem to be ten feet above the floors, so presumably going a single floor up won't trigger the curse, which I honestly haven't even thought of since we arrived on the Fifth Layer. "Did she say anything about where exactly we're supposed to meet besides 'downstairs'?" Melva sighs, and I try not to grimace. So it's a guessing game? And I thought things would be more organized than this...

"Don't matter to me since I wanna move 'round more, an' yeah, I'll watch my damn ankle," Melva says before I can protest, and I let her have that one. As we leave, I take two ration bars, crunching away at mine as I look at the map. I believe I see a marking on the map indicating a stairwell, and this is proven to be true when we come across an open doorway leading to a darkened staircase, the bulbs in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs faintly illuminating it.

"They really could've just stuck one bulb in 'ere?" Melva asks with an arched brow, and I shrug, gently trying to push past her to go first. "What, ya think I'm gonna fall? 'Cause ya might be right, so be careful, kid."

Our trip down the stairs is a short but nerve-wracking one, and relief floods me when we arrive on the next floor. There's more identical hallways, though the hissing of steam in the pipes isn't as prominent. The light of the bulbs is a little dimmer, and an occasional drop of water seeps through the pipes. A few of Bondrewd's Delvers pass by us, and I try to get their attention, only for them to seemingly ignore us. Umbra Hands, then? They could have at least given us directions, but that doesn't stop me from searching the floor. I end up leaving Melva by the stairs in case we're in the wrong place.

"Hello?" I call out as I look up and down the hallway. "Is anyone down here?" Even though I wanted a reply, I still jump a little when a door opens further down the hall. A black gloved hand seems to usher us on, and a sharp exhale leaves me as Melva and I head for the door.

"Punctual, as I'd hoped." Bondrewd seems to stare at Melva for a moment before looking back at me. "But now that you've arrived, please come in, and mind the counters." I hold the door open for Melva before entering myself, and my eyes widen.

The room is laid out similarly to the examination room Melva and I were patched up in with counters and cabinets lining the walls, though these counters have jars spread across them. They're filled with some kind of liquid as well as... organs. Not only that, but there are various animal pelts along with reassembled skeltons mounted on wooden stands. I stiffen as I lock gazes with a pair of green eyes floating in a nearby jar, and Melva scowls in disgust. Bondrewd shakes his head.

"This is one of our fauna research labs where we focus on the fauna of the Fifth Layer. We can't afford to keep many live specimens here save for a few fish and insects, so we store the organs of the ones we are able to kill while we strip away the bones and skin for further examination." He gestures to the jars and skeletons. "If we have more specimens beyond a few skeletons, we taxidermy the bodies to theorize how they may have functioned. It's the best we can do without more lives being lost."

"Th-that does make sense, though it's more than unsettling." I can't stop staring at the eyes in the jar. They have bar pupils like a goat's, but their shade of green is hauntingly familiar. "What creature do—did—these belong to?"

"Those actually came from a species I call 'Ursafelle.' They dwell in the pine forests on this layer, and they have those pupils to give them greater peripheral vision like a goat, though these creatures are far from being goats. As their name implies, they have bear-like qualities like Norteva's black bears, though they have fully opposable thumbs and dark tails like a lemur's to help them with balance."

My eyes widen as I share looks with Melva. "They have thumbs? Then that explains what my mentor and I were attacked by in the forest the night before we arrived here. S-something with thumbs grabbed my hair, and I'm shocked I was able to get away."

"Consider yourselves lucky, since they know how to move with the curse," Bondrewd says gravely. "The heights of the trees don't affect them, though I'm sure I need to explain what I mean by 'moving with the curse.'"

Melva shakes her head. "Ya don't halfta, we both know. Well, the kid 'ere was the one who told me 'bout it."

"They have organs like Talpiclor and Orb Piercers, don't they? The ones with holes in them. I first learned of it from Ozen when I discovered I could manipulate how a Talpiclor moves in a fight." I shudder at the memory. "We both would have died if it weren't for that..."

"My, my, that is more than impressive." Bondrewed lightly claps his hands together. "Surviving a Talpiclor attack while discovering that vital detail is simply wonderful! And you put yourself down before, Len. You have no need to when you have perception in such a dire situation as what you claim."

Melva gives me a look, and my ears burn as I shrug. "I still don't see the cause for praise, but thank you."

"But you are correct in your observation." Bondrewd gestures to a sketched diagram hanging on the wall displaying a creature similar to the one he described. "Ursafelle have sensory organs located behind their ears, the only bare flesh they have that is exposed to the elements besides their noses and the insides of their ears. These organs are the reason they can climb so quickly, where they then leap from their perches to crush their prey. Otherwise, they swipe and try to grab prey too quick for them to crush. They're not as plentiful on the Sixth Layer, at least within the ancient city, likely due to a lack of trees. They do dwell where nature has reclaimed the city, however."

My brows raise as some confusion strikes me. "How do you know what's on the Sixth Layer?"

Bondrewd is silent for a moment before he responds. "It unfortunately isn't for the reason you may hope for. I've had a few noble Umbra and Praying Hands offer themselves to the vessel over the past few years, and their notes and other findings were brought up afterwards. They're long-dead by this point, but their research has not gone to waste, as every sacrifice hasn't. Their memories will live on in their accomplishment, even if their names are lost to the world."

"And we're gonna be able to know more 'bout that, yeah?" Melva frowns. "Ya told Len he'd be able to learn before we leave for our Last Dive."

"Of course, though I'm still organizing my research and the Relics I've been able to obtain," Bondrewd says. "I'm willing to offer my knowledge, but the Relics will remain in my possession. My Hands and I need everything we can gather to continue our research."

Melva's frown deepens as her tone grows harsher. "You're sayin' we're—" I nudge her, and she stops, though her frown remains.

"We understand, though we'd never steal anything from you in the first place." Not that I would want to instigate anything with anyone, let alone a White Whistle. "But may I ask who exactly are these people you've, er, recruited? The Hands..." A genuine question along with a way to try and pull away from the accusation Melva was about to make. Melva sighs and starts looking around without me.

"They all come from different cuts of a similar cloth. Mercenaries, thieves, assassins, and those who are simply brave and capable enough to offer themselves to research with me. You may call them illegal Delvers, but their contributions have been more than invaluable."

I purse my lips, thinking. Wouldn't a White Whistle have access to guild resources, such as Delver assistants? "I hate to assume this, but do you not trust the guild?"

"Now that's something a bit deeper to delve into, young Sovereign..." From that response, I believe I've said something wrong, but he shakes his head. "It's not so much trust, rather disclosure and seeing eye to eye. In which case, we do not. My procedures follow my own rules, not the guild's. I would need to adhere to their demands if I wished to use what they could offer me, but I have no need to. The status of a White Whistle is all I need, and with it I can forge my own path to the dawn."

"And yet you say I'm smart when you've raised your own legion of sorts. N-not a legion, but—"

"I know what you're saying, and I'll also stick by my claim unless it's proven otherwise." He takes the jar of eyes into his hands, examining it. "The desire for knowledge is immeasurable, the need to know how the Abyss works, and thus how to survive in it." He looks up at me. "We both know of survival, don't we? A land of snow, ice, and rock, where the wind and water are as frigid as the other. Those who are truly exceptional can survive and thrive in such circumstances."

A slight breath escapes me as I smile faintly, more out of relief. "You really are from Norteva... the Tundra Province, I'm guessing? I've heard your accent a few times before my family left."

Bondrewd nods. "As I recognize yours. The Mountain Province is a region I've only seen in recent years. I've dwelled here longer than Norteva, however. The call of the Abyss was too strong to keep me in the north, though I've returned there on occasion to conduct comparative research and business."

"That makes sense. The environment here on the Fifth Layer is quite similar to the Tundra Province's, at least it seems to be that way from what my grandfather told me. I've never been over the mountains. Still, it's like seeing an evolved environment."

"Exactly so. It's wonderful to see somebody else who can see my line of logic," Bondrewd says. Line of logic? Sort of, but I'm not completely sure... "I was wondering if it was the same for you? The Abyss called you here? Though, you still look rather young for what you seem to have gone through."

At that, my smile fades, discomfort creeping back in. I try to keep a straight face, however. "No, my family came to Orth to pursue medical opportunities. I was only twelve then, and I didn't even know the Abyss existed until the boat landed here. That was... almost sixteen years ago by this point, though it feels so much longer."

"Nearly twenty-eight? You still have decades to spare." Bondrewd tilts his head, as if thinking. "I feel I've been down here for... decades by this point, time running away so quickly on the surface. The Immovable and I were appointed around the same time, if I can recall correctly?"

My eyes widen. "You're that old?" I then wince when I realize what I said, and Bondrewd disregards it with a wave of his hand, seeming amused.

"It merely means my mountain of mistakes is higher than many others', but my accomplishments loom over it in exchange. I feel one should hardly have a sense of time in the Abyss, though I know not everyone feels the same way. I have no family or anyone else to depend on besides my Hands; they are long gone. I would have to guess you and your mentor are in a similar situation as me to warrant a Last Dive, unless the Abyss' call is truly too much to bear."

Something in my chest tightens, and I regard Bondrewd with a downcast look. "Th-that's for me and my mentor to know." The White Whistle simply nods and returns to examining the jar.

"Ah, yes. I apologize for overstepping any lines."

"Hey, kid, it's that bird you saw before." Melva's voice surprises me, and I turn to see her looking at a large diagram of the moth-winged bird we saw flying above the water. "What'd ya call it? Ice... Icetrail Glider?" I nod, and she smirks with satisfaction.

"Icetrail Gliders..." Bondrewd repeats the name thoughtfully. "An interesting name. I've called them Tellulepis in my notes, though your name is more poetic, if a tad confusing. Yes, they glide, but they don't displace much wind or create ice."

My face burns as I try to explain. "O-oh, it's more addressing their tail feathers and how they look like trails of ice. It's not that scientific, but I usually come up with names through looks and abilities." Silverswimmer and Bronze Spark are clear examples of this.

"I see..." Bondrewd turns his attention to the diagram. "Creatures such as this fascinate me to no end. The curse impacts our organs, our eyes, lungs, stomachs, brains, though only if we are alive as we ascend. Our consciousnesses tied to our viscera culminate in the curse, and so we suffer it. These creatures all have these organs as well as consciousnesses on a more basic but still existing level, yet they so boldly defy the curse, survive, and persevere. That is what I seek to obtain: a way to weather the curse, or a way to simply shoulder the curse, not have it impact us directly so we can survive. That entails discovering the curse's true nature."

Melva scoffs. "Sounds like you're lookin' to take out all your damn organs if ya wanna get 'round the curse!"

"If only I could, but we would need to be a machine instead of a man by that point." Bondrewd shakes his head. "Even then, the concept is farfetched as is, so I'll have to continue researching alternative avenues."

"Not even ya can with the Relics an' such people said ya have?"

Bondrewd faces Melva, seeming to stare at her for an uncomfortable minute. "I'm not a god or even a demigod, that position may be held for whatever those who practice Abyssal Faith say is true. All we can do is learn to circumvent the unavoidable, or at least manage it. Until we can return from the Sixth Layer with our bodies and minds whole, then we have failed in our perseverance." He places the jar back on the counter, his hand resting on the lid. "I will do everything I can to succeed in that endeavor."