High above the crashing waves and jagged cliffs of the Cerulean Maw sat the fortress of the Rabid Sea—a monstrous, spiraling tower of bone-white stone and living coral that hummed with ancient Aether. Storms circled it constantly, yet never touched its apex, as though the sky itself bowed in fear.
At the heart of this fortress, in a massive chamber lined with mirrors of ocean glass and murals of past conquests, sat Shoei Akechi, Number 3 of the World 5, on his throne.
He lounged casually, one leg slung over the arm of the coral-crafted seat, robes loose and soaked with mist. His long black hair clung to his bare shoulders, and water constantly dripped from his fingertips. His eyes—twin whirlpools of abyssal blue—stared unblinking into a swirling projection of Aether-infused liquid, forming a clear image of Kai Sol mid-sparring against Rhea.
A slow smirk crept across Shoei's lips.
"Well now…" His voice was like a tide breaking gently against the shore—calm, alluring, but dangerous.
From the shadows behind him, one of his lieutenants, a shark-toothed man named Vek, stepped forward and bowed. "You've been watching him for days now, my Lord. Do you see something… promising?"
Shoei didn't answer immediately. He raised a hand, and the water-image shifted, replaying the moment Kai first declared his lineage.
"I… am the son of Kaien Sol!"
That moment. That spark. That eruption of Raw Aether. Shoei could still feel the residual pressure across dimensions.
"A child born of war and betrayal," Shoei said softly, eyes narrowing. "The last living heir of Kaien Sol. And the boy wields Raw Aether as if it were instinct."
He leaned forward, the swirling orb glowing brighter in response.
"Zerath will want him dead. Jin will want him recruited. Fen already failed to destroy him."
Shoei chuckled.
"And I…? I think I want to watch him burn brighter. Just a little longer."
Vek frowned. "You could crush him now, Lord Akechi. Snap him before he grows."
Shoei's expression sharpened, but not with anger—amusement.
"Crush a bud before it blooms? No, Vek. You don't prune a storm. You ride it. You let it grow… and see what it becomes."
He stood from the throne, letting water drip from his limbs as he walked barefoot across the chamber. The orb followed him like a loyal pet, still replaying Kai and Lysander training together.
"The Fracture War killed legends," Shoei said quietly. "Now the world is starved of stories, of real power, of chaos worth remembering."
He pressed a finger against the water-orb.
"I want to see if this boy—this Kai Sol—can make the world bleed again."
Vek hesitated, then asked, "What about the Sacred Eclipse shards he's attracting? He's already linked to two. If he keeps growing—"
Shoei raised his hand. "Let him. Let the boy gather the shards. If he's destined to become the eye of the storm… then I'll be the sea that drowns everything around him."
He turned, smiling wickedly. "Besides, I owe Kaien Sol a proper rematch. The son will carry the father's debts."
Shoei stepped toward the balcony of his tower, gazing out over the endless ocean that roared with madness and unseen horrors. Lightning forked in the sky, but the Rabid Sea's king only laughed.
"Gather your eyes," he told Vek. "I want Kai Sol watched. Every breath. Every battle. If he falters, if he falls, we'll know. But if he rises…"
His grin widened.
"I'll be waiting."
And as the thunder cracked across the sea, the tides shifted ever so slightly, as though the world itself felt Shoei's interest settle like a harpoon in Kai's chest.