Bramble Beach, on the west coast of Halo Island, gathered fame not only through one of its iconic monsters, the Fly-Squirrel. It also has the reputation for being one of the most beautiful places on Halo Island. Intermediate parties train here, and at four skills each, I think our party is ready to see the ocean.

"It's only fitting," Princess says. "We're on an island for a reason. Why have we never hung out at the beach before? I'd say we see what all of this beauty is about."

I set my hand on her forearm, knowing about her experience of almost drowning. She gives me an imperceptible nod, as if assuring me that she can handle the sight of the water again.

To reach the beach, we can either use a scroll or take a train that runs directly to the area. We decide to opt for the train, which will take us there in two hours. I try not to show that it will be my first time riding a train. Even as Callena turns to a pinpoint and the rush of the outdoor sights overwhelm me, I try to keep my focus on the car itself—packed with adventurers either ready to hunt or enjoy the famous attraction nearby, the Sapphire Sauna Outpost.

A bit dizzy, I wake up Mist who has somehow managed to fall asleep. He stirs awake and follows the crowd outside. He's learned to ignore the stares, but not without proudly flaunting his tail as if to say, Yes, I'm a dragon. What do you have to say about it?

The "bramble" part of Bramble Beach surrounds the train station. I recognize them and their blackberries, but I push them to the back of my mind. My gathering days are over, and now I have to set my eyes on more.

The sun bares down on my shoulders, but it makes Mist's scales gleam, as if showing off the mystical power that he holds within. I admire the sapphire undertones that glow along with the emerald. He certainly has an alignment with the sun, with the way he's learning to summon fire.

"That way!" Princess announces, pointing to where the sea meets the horizon. We make our way through the bramble, and eventually my feet find the sand.

I withhold my tears. I've never seen the seaside before, and this combination of soft granules of sand beneath my shoes, along with the scent of salt and the reflection on the sunlight on the rippling ocean... I could drink it in every day.

The crowd disperses to various parts of the beach, probably to their favorite hunting zones. More lost, our party wanders for a while. Bramble Beach stretches in either direction for miles, and along with the Fly-Squirrels, a few seashell-like monsters also haunt the grounds. We have to keep our eye out for danger, but I've already learned to accustom myself to the presence of monsters.

I bend down and feel the sand, watching as it falls through my fingertips. I smile a little to myself, then continue to follow my party members to where the bank bends away from the train station. We reach a level area, good for hunting. And the nearest other party stands their ground a good hundred feet away.

As I spin the staff in my hand, treasuring the feeling of the enchanted metal, I watch the bramble. A shift in the bramble tells me to prepare myself. In fact, my whole party falls into basic positioning. We wait, and I imagine that we even breathe in and out in sync. Mist, who took to the skies, lets out a warning screech.

A Fly-Squirrel emerges from the bramble. With reddish eyes and the wingspan of a Featherpig, I know it could rip me apart if it implants its teeth into me. It blends in with the sand, colored tan, and the sweet juice of blackberries stains its mouth. Its muscles ripple as it draws near, swooping in toward Avery.

Mist unleashes his fire, which engulfs the wings of the Fly-Squirrel. In turn, Avery's able to use her fourth skill, Pierce, excellent for the finishing blow of any single monster.

More Fly-Squirrels gather, taking to the skies. They are no match for Mist's speed, so they forfeit him and end up targeting us instead. Juno uses Poison, which unleashes a deadly venom into the veins of a monster, leaving them weakened and easy pickings. Princess uses Boost, which raises her speed dramatically. She draws arrows as easily as picking up pebbles, cocking her bow so quickly that she can shoot multiple times before a Fly-Squirrel even dares to swoop towards her.

With Mist's fire and his occasional bite, we make easy work of the Fly-Squirrels. It was an adjustment to include Mist in our formation, but he covers our heads without getting in the way, and he senses me, his imprinter, to know where he should avoid flying.

"Hold," I say. I manage to freeze a Fly-Squirrel as Avery and Juno target its wings, with a Slash and a Cross. Princess pierces its heart with a Shot, and the monster blows away in the beach breeze as a scattering of dust, leaving a core at our feet.

"We should unlock our fifth skills in no time," I say. "We didn't have to worry at all whether these monsters would be too advanced for us."

"Hunting while enjoying a killer view," Juno says, using his forearm to wipe away the sweat on his temple. "Who would've thought?"

"Don't get too comfortable," Avery warns.

And I should've known. Once the comfort sets in, it's ripe for a disaster to happen. I turn around as Mist lets out another warning screech.

Emerging from the ocean, is a monster I have no name for. Its body resembles a mutated seashell, and its claws are like a crab's but flexible like an octopus. With eyes like opals and a size of ten whole Fly-Squirrels, I know that we've stumbled upon a mutated monster. A sign that Blossom World is changing. A tie to the Voice that we heard, the warnings that we read in the newspaper.

The beast shakes off the water from its hideous shell, colored like a blood infection over pale skin. It raises its claws, a warning to its want, its need to rip us apart.

Something is different about this monster. All monsters have a bloodthirst, but something sinister awakens when it locks its eyes onto me. It runs as quick as a galloping horse, leaping up to chop off my neck.

Avery jumps in with a Bolster. Just barely, she manages to deflect the monster from its path.

The Blood Shell. I imagine that would be a fitting name for such a beast.

Mist lands on top of the Blood Shell's helmeted head, much to my fear. What if the monster crushes Mist with its claws? Mist bites down, but the shell's hardness doesn't give way. When the monster bucks upward, Mist falls off and tumbles in the sand.

The nearby parties must've noticed the mutated monster. They rush in, adding their forces to the left and right of the monster. Unfortunately, the ocean blocks off its rear.

My Hold does nothing, scattering off the side of the Blood Shell like a mere annoyance. It bares down on me, reaching at me with two claws. For a second, I lose all my fighting instinct.

Juno jumps back and tries to defend, and in an instant the monster shoves him away. Part of the claw catches against his arm, and I see blood. Again, he came to my rescue. Again, I showed just how useless of a mage I am.

One of the parties nearby is advanced. A mage hits the Blood Shell with a Radiance, while the other members combo a Vanish from the rogue, a Preciousmetal from the archer, and a Crushing from the warrior. The combo would be enough to finish off some bosses. For the mutated monster, it easily succumbs.

I head to Juno and uncap a health potion for him, which he eagerly drinks up despite hating the taste. Some of the bleeding stops, but Princess uses her first aid kid to wrap up the rest of the wound.

"So the rumors are true..." Avery says, also leaning down with us.

As the parties disperse, I wonder whether the appearance of the Blood Shell is newsworthy anymore. Has a party come across such a monster before?

"You didn't have to defend me again," I tell Juno.

With pain contorting his face, he forces himself to stand. "And watch you bleed instead?"

I don't have the heart to tell him that I'd prefer that, no matter if the claw sank into both of my arms. It looks like having a mythic staff helps me, but not enough. Not to the level that I need.

My party and I decide that we should call it a day, so we head to the Sapphire Sauna Outpost before taking the train back to Callena. "This will make all our training worth it," Princess says. "I heard that this sauna has healing properties. And we'll be glowing from the inside out."

Mist, who has kept his tail between his legs this whole time, probably thought that he was a failure for not vanishing the Blood Shell himself. Sorry, Hope. I feel as though I wouldn't enjoy a sauna.

Through the bramble, we pass the train station and go down a well-lit path that has the warmth of wards surrounding it. About five minutes of walking later, we stumble upon a cabin-like building that rises two stories tall. "You guys are on the bottom," Princess says. "Avery and I will be on the second floor!"

Mist stays outside and closes his eyes, curling up with his tail and leaning against the signpost to the sauna. He mopes, probably thinking about the ways that he could've helped out more in the fight. My heart hurts for him too. I have to tell him later that he did an admirable job as a dragon only a few months old.

We enter the smoky building. I can barely see from all the steam that gathers from every corner of the room. I follow Juno. We change into towels and head into one of the relaxation rooms. Much to my relief, the people here rather keep themselves covered—different from the baths in Kara and Callena. I sit back and let the steam relax my nerves.

It looks like we've been trapped inside a cloud. I can barely see a few feet in front of me. But from what I do manage to see, the Sapphire Sauna Outpost looks constructed from a medium colored type of wood. Pits in the floor hold hot stones, and water occasionally drips on top to create more steam.

There are other rooms, but Juno and I stay in the main one for the most part. I steal glances at his wound. I know the potion will help it recover quickly, but I can't stop thinking about the what-if. What if the claw ended up piercing his heart instead? No potion would help that type of fatal wound.

The thoughts choke me, and I can't stop smelling the sea even though the air's infused with essential oils like lavender and peppermint. I tell Juno that I'll head to one of the private rooms, just for a couple of minutes.

I stand up and wade through the steam, opening the first room that claims to have double the healing benefits. As I'm hit with a cooler sort of air, I close the door behind me and sit down.

Not before noticing that someone else sits on the single bench. I quickly bow, muttering an apology, and I turn around to exit and find another room.

"You don't have to apologize," he says.

I turn around. The first thing that strikes me is his beauty. In the squarish room with no windows, he stands out like a painting. Slightly tanned skin, platinum hair, and eyes like deep pools of water. He has a lithe body like Juno, but something about him exceeds human beauty. Even the way he holds himself reminds me of Mist, like something deep within him separates himself from a normal human.

"I've been watching you for quite some time, Hope," he says.

I tremble, losing myself in the depth of his eyes. Something in me tells me to sit down, to draw closer to this... being. I end up taking the far side of the bench. He smiles just barely, like a cat, then reveals more of his power. The fog of the room mixes with his aura, turning a barely-there shade of lilac.

"Who are you?" I say.

He pauses, as if deciding I'm worthy. Of him revealing himself to me. "I am the goddess' brother, although I am very tired of being compared to her."

"Wha—" I choke, narrowly avoiding a coughing fit. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sure that you heard me very clearly," he says, his voice like silk and honey. "I come here because like I said, I've been watching you. It seems that the goddess has favor on you, for whatever reason. And that makes me uneasy. She's been locked away for so long.... Don't you think that Blossom World deserves to find out about me instead?"

I stay silent, too shocked to fully witness my meeting with the brother god. Even though I want to doubt him, I cannot ignore his aura. It reminds me of a boss, but inverted. He could kill me in one blow if he wanted to, I know.

He sweeps his hair back, reminding me of an angel in the way the moisture on his skin glistens, like silver. He looks only a few years older than me, but if what he says is true, he is old as time itself. He was there when the goddess took up war against humans.

"Why—" I say. "Why?" Why me, why now? Why reveal himself when he was comfortable in remaining a secret for all this time?

"I have had a change of heart," he says. "I thought that this world needs a little shaking up. And although I do not want to be worshiped, I want to avenge my sister. I was never very close to her, but I do miss her at times. I want the whole world to understand that they do not have control over these monsters. They are weaker than they realize."

Still not fully understanding, I say, "I don't quite get why you appeared still."

He gives me a little smile, that almost looks kind. "You don't have to understand fully just yet. I came here to offer you something. Devotion to me, for power that you could've never imagined."

I withhold a gasp. I remember my helplessness at the Headhunter's appearance, to the recent event at the beach with the Blood Shell. I recall the Following stealing Mist, the way it felt like the whole ground would collapse under me—I had no true control.

The brother god regards me as his body straightens underneath his towel. "What do you have to say?"

Devotion to him? The brother god? If he is truly the goddess' counterpart, he shouldn't have bad wishes for me. Part of me knows that he will disappear if I say no, and possibly never show up to me again. "What does that mean?" I ask.

"I will keep part of your soul," he says. "Don't worry, it's not as scary as it seems."

I gulp, losing myself in the smoothness of his tone, like music, the harp's singing. "I'll do it," I say. "You'll have my devotion, if you give me as much power as I please."

He smiles wide. He reaches out, touching my shoulder with a hand that feels like a cloud. He fades away into the mist, his aura also leaving. The room feels entirely empty without him, but the brief conversation haunts me long after I head outside to meet Juno again. 

Hi again! How do you feel about the big things happening in this chapter? 

I'm a bit anxious for Hope. But I'm interested to hear what you have to say. Also, what is your current favorite genre? Romantasy is having a bit of a moment right now, and I'm just starting to get into it. But I'm a sucker for fantasy, sci-fi, and contemporary romance. 

I appreciate you greatly!