C H A P T E R    O N E
the breaking point

HOW MUCH pressure does a piece of earth need to survive until it transforms into a jewel? Thousands of pounds—sometimes millions. It also needs to withstand the temperature of the sun itself.

So why had Lato tried to use this metaphor? Did he expect her to survive that level of heat and pressure? Or was he simply hoping she wouldn't know the science behind the phrase?

Reilo huffed as she exited his house, anger prominent on her features as she hoped to find comfort in the waves. She stomped through the village, turquoise eyes set on the shoreline—unfortunately, it seemed not everyone could take a hint.

Three identical faces popped into her field of view like meerkats from their burrows. The triplets all held smiles as they approached her, each one far more excited than the last.

Moa, Noa, and Koa were identical—the only thing separating them from each other being Moa's silver eyes and Koa's light blue clothes. They shared the same length brown hair, light beige complexion, wide grin, and pointed nose.

     The boys were the sons of a water bender and an earth bender, their abilities being split among the three. Unfortunately for Koa, he was the odd one out—his brothers could move the Earth from beneath his feet, and he could only fight back near a water source. The boy was a talented bender, Via teaching him well, but he did not have that same luck with Mik's combat lessons.

     The triplets had become some of her closest friends throughout the years, but now that Lato was speaking nonsense about her getting married—their presence had grown to be less than welcomed.

     Reilo's scowl deepened as she shoved past the trio, hoping they'll take the hint. She didn't have the patience—or sanity—to deal with their painful attempts at flirting. Not today.

     She threw herself to the sand, removing her shoes and letting the water encase her feet. The cool temperature of the sea deeply contrasted the heat of the air, and it brought her comfort. She'd be more than happy to stay in the water until she pruned, for the sea called out to her—taunted her, day by day, to uncover the adventures that her people kept her hidden from.

     "Rei!" A voice echoed across the sand, and she threw herself onto her back with a groan. Do the boys of this village not understand the concept of personal space?

     "Hi." She deadpanned, bright eyes flickering to him for a mere moment before returning to the clear sky above.

     Zun was an earth bending boy with a sienna complexion, his eyes resembling emeralds, his head neatly shaven, and his smile contagious. He was also trying to court the orphaned water bender, but in a much more tolerable way than the triplets.

     The boy pursed his lips to the side at the sight of her sour mood, taking it upon himself to lie on the sand a couple feet from her and watch the sky silently. That's something she'd deeply appreciated about Zun—he knew how to read a room.

     "You're not here to ask me to be your date to your sisters wedding again, are you?" She asked, her tone a mixture of irritation and amusement. Her eyes remained on the blue abyss above them, his soft chuckle reaching her ears.

     "No, no." He assured, his smile dancing graciously back to his lips. "I learned from last time."

     Reilo smirked, glancing over at him. "You needed that shower—"

     "I had just taken one—"

     She snorted, shrugging her shoulders innocently as her gaze fell back to the sky. "Could've fooled me."

     Zun chuckled in response, a comfortable silence blanketing them alongside the heated air and gentle whisper of the ocean. He turned to her, still smiling, with a glimmer of concern in his eyes. "What happened with the Chief?"

     Reilo rolled her eyes, groaning slightly as she moved to sit up. Placing her arms on her knees, her tattoos contrasting the tanned skin, she frowned. "He gave me a deadline."

     The boys eyes widened at this, his posture straightening as he sat up—as if he'd heard her incorrectly. "What?"

     She simply nodded, a deep breath entering her lungs—the air was salty, a welcomed mist of the ocean accompanying it. "Yeah... I have three days, or he's choosing for me—and we all know who that will be."

     Zun glared over his shoulder at the Chief's home. "Devri."

Reilo nodded, the boy's name pulling a scowl onto her face. Out of the five boys that wanted to wed her, Devri was by far the most insufferable. With his cocky smile, his sense of superiority—does he forget that the village is run by democracy? He wasn't the Chief's son when they were friends in their childhood, and he more than likely wouldn't become Chief when his father died—the only people of the village that liked him were the airheaded girls that were none the wiser to his self-righteousness, and the elderly who fell for his charm.

The water bender sighed, resting her chin upon her tattooed arms. "I don't want to get married, yet, Zun..." She admitted, her voice a mere whisper, "I want to travel—I want to live my life before I dedicate it to another."

He nodded in understanding, being well aware of her thirst for adventure—the entire island knew about it, and very few approved.

With a small smile, he nudged her elbow. "I know just how to cheer you up."

She looked at him, puzzled, as he held his hand out to help her up. Taking it, she followed him back into the village, nearly cackling at the various expressions of jealousy on the triplets faces. "Where are we going?"

"Mik and Via's class is about to start!"

That definitely brought a smile upon her face. She loved training with the two—her time spent in the training yard held the only taste of freedom she'd ever gotten.

The duo ran through the gates, the triplets behind them, and the rest of the class already stood before the instructors.

Reilo released Zun's hand, bowing to the earth and water benders apologetically. "I'm sorry we're late, it was my fault."

Via smirked at her favorite student, a twinkle in her eye as the girl stood. The woman motioned to the four boys behind her, "Their tardiness is always your fault, Dear."

The ravenette groaned, though a playful smile etched onto her lips. She had grown to view the water bender as a sort-of mother figure—she understood the weight that Chief Lato had placed upon Reilo's shoulders. The traditional betrothal necklace fastened around her throat confirming that.

Reilo was glad she was born and raised in Nettai no Mura—for the tales she'd heard from the woman about the Northern Water Tribe mortified her.

     She still couldn't comprehend it. Why weren't the women treated as equals up North? Surely it wasn't like that in all the nations—right?

     As the class began, the students had chosen their sparring partners. Via and Mik had created a system—each pair was made up of a water bender and an earth bender. It made their demonstrations easier to follow, seeing as the two instructors were part of that pairing themselves.

     Today, Reilo was paired with Noa—much to her displeasure. To her right, Zun was paired with Devri. Left, Koa and Moa. Behind Noa, Kai with Lin. And behind her, Dio with Ping. All even matches—well, aside from Koa and Moa, of course.

     Via's voice echoed through the yard, a proud smile at their eagerness. "Young benders! Separate from your pairs."

     The girl frowned, glancing disappointedly at Noa—she'd always loved to show him up. The brunette chuckled, well aware of her competitive streak, before they both turned to their instructors.

     Mik chuckled heartily, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Today, boys and girls, will be your final class of the summer. Therefore, Via and I decided to... spice things up a bit!"

     Reilo raised a brow at this, narrowing her eyes at the mischievous pair. They were amazing teachers, yes... but spirits, was Chief Lato foolish for believing they'd be stoic instructors.

     Via smiled brightly, blue eyes landing on her favorite water bender—not that she would ever say it aloud. "Today we're going to be group sparring—Earth benders and water benders."

     "Take it as... a slight war simulation!" Mik announced with a grin, his hand stroking his beard. He turned to Via, smile morphing into a smirk. "We'll go easy on you, V."

     The woman cackled at this, preparing her stance without a step missed. "We'll try not to drown you."

     In moments, the training yard was divided—various shades of green and blue standing opposite of each other with their powerful instructors by their sides.

     "Don't severely injur anyone!" The teachers announced in unison, their voices blending together across the yard.

Reilo's heart pounded with excitement as she sized up her opponents across the training field. Today's sparring session had been long awaited. She stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her fellow waterbenders—Koa, Devri, Kai, Dio, and Via—each one focused and ready, water pulled from the pond shimmering at their hands. Across from them, the earthbenders gathered: Zun, Noa, Moa, Ping, Lin, and Mik. Their instructors exchanged nods, their expressions playful and filled with respect.

At Via's signal, the sparring match erupted into action. Earth flew from one side of the yard, while waves of water surged in response, creating a storm of clashing elements. Reilo leapt gracefully, dodging a boulder launched by Moa, and retaliated with a powerful stream of water that disoriented him just long enough for her to dash forward. With a swift, controlled strike, she knocked him back, and he landed on the ground with a defeated yet awe-filled expression.

Nearby, Noa attempted to flank her, stomping his foot to raise a barrier of earth between them. Reilo spun, manipulating her water to flow around the barrier and catch him off guard. The boy staggered, his guard down, and Reilo took her chance, a swift kick sending him to the ground. Both Noa and Moa lay there, smiling up at her with admiration, clearly impressed by her undeniable skill. Reilo blew them both a quick kiss, which made them blush as they admitted defeat.

As she turned, she shot a glance at Zun, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Better keep up, rock boy," she called, shifting into her stance as she prepared to face her best opponent.

"We'll see about that, puddle girl!"

Before she could even respond, she felt the familiar tremor of his earthbending beneath her feet. She sprang out of the way, landing lightly and rolling into a defensive stance. "You know, Z, you're gonna have to try harder than that," she taunted, raising a brow.

"Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't want to ruin your big moment," he replied, grinning as he launched a larger boulder her way.

The two friends launched into a heated yet playful duel, each trying to throw the other off with quips and jabs between attacks. At one point, Reilo shot a stream of water that forced Zun to dodge, her voice ringing out with a laugh. "How's that for a puddle girl?"

He countered by sending a wave of earth back at her, chuckling. "Not bad! But I thought waterbenders were supposed to go with the flow, not crash and burn."

Their banter carried them through the rest of the match, drawing the attention of everyone else in the yard, who gradually stood from the ground and stopped their sparring to watch the intense yet lighthearted duel unfold. Each attack seemed to be met with an equally clever counter, the momentum shifting constantly between them.

When the instructors finally called it a draw, Zun reached out a hand, grinning as he helped her steady herself. "Good match, puddle girl. Almost had me."

Reilo chuckled, nudging his shoulder. "You wish, Z. Next time, you're going down."

The two shared a laugh, the tension of their conversation on the shore falling deaf upon their ears.

Reilo smirked, walking over to help two of the triplets back to their feet. "Gotta be quicker than that, boys."

Noa chuckled, a hand awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "You're tellin' me... is it possible to be cut by water?"

She shrugged, amused. "With enough speed, yeah. Why? I rough you up too much?"

Moa chimed into the conversation, a lazy grin on his lips as Koa approached his brothers. "I think I speak for all three of us when I say—you can rough us up anytime."

Koa smacked his brother's shoulder, while Noa swatted him upside the head. The middle triplet jumped, looking to them with wide, confused eyes. "What?"

"Yeah," she awkwardly muttered, her tone quickly falling sarcastic upon their ears. "As fun as that sounds—I think I'm busy on... whatever day you had in mind."

As she turned to walk away, she heard Moa's voice echo from behind her. "That's okay! I'll workshop it!"

Koa's voice quickly followed after. "Sorry about him, Rei!"

"See you later?" The third brother, Noa, asked from afar. Reilo simply responded with a wave, making her way over to a smiling Via.

The woman greeted her with pride, blue eyes glistening with joy from the display of waterbending she'd just witnessed. "Reilo! You did amazing today!"

"Thank you, Via," she chuckled. "Is there anything I need to work on?"

Via's black and silver hair swayed as she laughed, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "Darling, with skills of that level, I believe you'll become a master in no time."

Reilo beamed at this, her turquoise eyes widening in excitement. The respect and love she held for the woman before her was mirrored in her dedication to better her skills—her dedication to listening and understanding her faults. So to hear her say those words brought on a level of joy she'd never thought was possible.

"Thank you!" She squealed, her wild black waves swaying violently as she quickly embraced the waterbender. The force of the hug had knocked her back, but Via quickly recovered and returned the gesture.

The woman chuckled, gently stroking the wild waves beneath her palm. "No, my dear. Thank you for being such a brilliant student."

≈

That night, most of Nettai no Mura were attending the wedding of Zun's sister, Aio. The village was empty, gathered in the freshly cleaned training yard to watch the ceremonial connection of two souls.

Reilo watched from her roof, the small rope ladder cascading over the edge. Her knees held against her chest, tears burning her ducts with the threat of falling—even though she was alone, she couldn't allow herself to cry. Not when such a heavy decision was ricocheting through her skull.

The wedding was beautiful, from what she could tell, but the Chief's daunting threat of choosing her betrothed for her haunted her mind—plaguing her heart, and preventing any appreciation for the beautiful event before her.

She wasn't his to give away—she wasn't anyone's. Why did he believe he had a right to marry her off to his son, just because she was orphaned and Devri took a liking to her when they were children?

Devri didn't like her—he definitely didn't love her—he was just blinded by what he couldn't have. That was it, it had to be. And now that he might just get what he wants... the thought was nauseating.

Her mind wandered to the others—the triplets, Zun. She loved all of them dearly, but not romantically. She found them all attractive, yes, but could never think of them... like that.

Reilo's fight against her ducts was short lived, as a shaky cry crackled from her throat. She didn't know what she was going to do, who she was going to choose—if she was going to choose at all.

"Is that my future wife up there?" An obnoxious voice rang through the night, startling her and causing her to furiously wipe her tears.

Her eyes peered over the rope ladder, narrowing when they met the blue gaze of the chief's son—Devri.

Quickly, she yanked the ladder from his reach, leaving him stranded on solid ground. He chuckled at her, looking to the roof with a humorous gaze. "Still avoiding me, huh?"

"Piss off, Devri."

"Come on, Rei." He sighed, "Don't be like that—"

"Don't even try to play Mr. Nice Guy." She snapped, glaring harder at him from above. "We both know this is what you wanted."

Devri sighed again, sitting criss-crossed on the ground as he continued to look up at her. "I knew you, remember? Before everything changed."

Reilo scoffed, crossing her arms. "Before you changed."

"I didn't ask for my father to be elected Chief!"

"And I didn't ask to be abandoned by my so-called friend after my parents died!" She yelled, tattoos glowing slightly at her rage. They faded back to their muted black when she calmed, hurt flickering through her eyes. "Just... leave me alone."

The blue eyed boy shook his head, finding his cuticles quite interesting all of a sudden. "Rei... I didn't mean to abandon you. You know that, don't you?"

He took her silence as a 'no'.

"Look... I can ask my father to leave you be, if that's what you'd like." Devri continued, shoulders deflating. "I just... I don't know. Those jokes your mother used to make about how we were going to marry each other just kind of stuck with me."

"Why?" Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper lost upon the wind. He'd almost missed it. "Why are you so determined for this to be the outcome?"

He chuckled sadly, "Isn't it obvious?" Reilo shook her head, eyes finding the stars above them as he continued. "I've always wanted it to be you, Rei... but I'll talk to my father. So you don't do something reckless like run away."

That made her ears perk up, the solution being in front of her eyes all along. She glanced briefly to the trees behind her home, where vines distantly shielded the hundred-year-old boats that their founders had arrived in. Sure, they desperately needed repairs, but they were her ticket off of this island.

"Who's to stop your father from trying again?" She called over the edge, meeting his gaze for the first time since he'd arrived. "You know how stubborn that man is."

Devri chuckled at that fact, well aware of Chief Lato's flaws. "Then I'll talk to him again. I don't care if I have to talk to him until he's senile—anything to keep you in Nettai no Mura."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Rei." He laughed, "You've talked about wanting to go on adventures since we were little! I'm not stupid!"

Reilo couldn't stop the smile that etched onto her lips, as much as she wanted to. She was relieved that Devri was too far to decipher the look in her eyes, the same look that had gotten her into trouble in the past. "Thank you, Dev."

He stood to his feet, sending a small smile her way. "Don't, Rei. I owe you that much."

As she watched his blueish-black hair and pale complexion vanish into the night, joining the festivities of the wedding reception, her eyes drifted once more to the ragged boats.

"Thank you." She whispered again, quickly sliding down the ladder and sprinting through the jungle.

She wondered why she hadn't thought of this sooner. The village had been too afraid to let anyone leave for decades—a century, even! It's not like they'd send a search party out for her.

As the girl halted at the ancient boats, a joyful laugh echoed from her throat—these repairs were definitely doable. The sight settled her anxious soul, concreting her decision and making it final.

Reilo was going to get out of Nettai no Mura—and there was absolutely nothing Chief Lato could do about it.