As Reborn settled in the prey center, she tore into a fresh goat, feeling the energy of the students buzzing all around her, their excited thoughts nearly humming in the air. She couldn't help but smile as she ate—there was something comforting, something right about being back at Jade Mountain, surrounded by curious young minds and familiar faces.

And then, a deep, familiar voice rumbled through her thoughts, as smooth and warm as a fire in winter.

Yes... it's good having you back, my love. I hope you stay for good this time.

Reborn's eyes softened, her heart giving a small, steady pulse of warmth at Darkstalker's words. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting his presence settle over her, a shadowy comfort wrapping around her mind. We'll see, she thought back, a hint of a smirk on her snout. But for now... it does feel good to be home.

Moon was quietly chatting with Qibli nearby, but she couldn't help overhearing the faint echoes of Darkstalker's words resonating in Reborn's mind. A grin spread across her snout as she leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with playful mischief.

"He still loves you, you know," Moon whispered to Reborn, barely containing her amusement.

Reborn paused, her smile faltering for a moment as a mix of emotions flickered across her face. Her brow furrowed, but there was a glint of warmth in her eyes she couldn't quite hide. "Of course he does," she muttered, biting down on her goat leg with an expression caught somewhere between a smirk and a scowl.

Moon and Qibli exchanged a knowing glance, both of them suppressing their laughter.

Winter flicked his wings back, his expression tense. "Well, I, for one, am relieved Peril didn't come back," he said sharply, his voice low but unmistakably cold. "I couldn't possibly sleep with that... that murderer around us."

Moon shot him a look, her eyes narrowing. "Winter, that's not fair. Peril's trying to change. You know that better than anyone."

Winter huffed, glancing away. "Trying or not, fire doesn't just stop burning because you want it to. Some dragons are dangerous by nature. I'd rather she stay far, far away."

Reborn's gaze flickered to Winter, a strange glint in her eye. "Perhaps," she murmured, "but sometimes the fiercest flames can be tempered. And sometimes they burn brightest when they're needed most."

Winter fell silent, his wings twitching as he met Reborn's steady gaze, the weight of her words settling over him like a layer of frost.

Reborn spread her wings wide, casting a shimmering arc of starlight over her winglets. "I'm just happy to be back," she said, her voice calm and steady. "Let's not sour our thoughts with worries or grudges tonight."

The others nodded, and one by one, they moved closer, huddling around her in a warm circle of scales and wings. Reborn wrapped her wings around them, letting their quiet breaths and soft murmurs settle into a comforting rhythm. She felt a deep sense of peace settle over her.

Here, surrounded by her friends and allies, Reborn felt more certain than ever—she was home, and this time, she would stay.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

The next day, Reborn was quietly reading in the library cave with Starlight when she noticed Turtle, one of her winglets, shuffling over with a hesitant expression.

"Um... Reborn?" Turtle murmured, glancing at his talons. "I was wondering if I could... talk to you?"

Reborn looked up from her scroll, giving him a reassuring nod. "Of course. Would you like to go somewhere more private?"

Turtle nodded, relief softening his nervous posture. Reborn smiled, gently nudging Starlight back toward his desk. "I'll be back," she told the blind librarian, who nodded with a calm smile of his own.

With that, she followed Turtle out of the library, curiosity stirring in her mind as they slipped into the quieter tunnels.

Turtle guided Reborn through the glowing corridors of the underwater caves, his scales shimmering like moonlight on water. Each flick of his tail sent ripples through the clear blue depths, the light flickering off jagged rocks and twisting coral. Rebront, her head held high, could feel the unfamiliar weight of the SeaWing culture pressing down on her. She'd met a few of their kind before, but there had never been a need to understand their ways. Fathom had tried to teach her their language, but it had never fully sunk in—her mind was always tangled with the chaos of her own thoughts, caught between worlds.

And Darkstalker... Darkstalker was always there. A shadow lurking in the back of her mind, his voice soft but insistent, teasing her, twisting her heart in ways she couldn't even explain. He knew exactly where her weaknesses were, what strings to pull. He always had.

Turtle sighed deeply, the weight of what he was about to say pressing on his chest. "I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time, since you knew Darkstalker, I take it?" His voice was soft but steady, almost as if he was bracing himself for the words to hit.

Rebront didn't answer right away. She simply stared out at the shimmering ocean, her wings fluttering in an unspoken rhythm. Then, after a long pause, she exhaled, her breath catching in the water. "I knew him well," she murmured, her voice thick with memories. "He was... my mate."

She flicked her wings back, the motion sharp and deliberate, like a physical barrier she was putting between herself and the past. Turtle could see the tension in her movements, the way her body seemed to coil with the weight of the words she'd just spoken. The revelation hung in the water like a shadow, casting ripples in the calm, like a storm just waiting to break.

Turtle hesitated for a moment, then reached into the folds of his scales, pulling out a small, smooth stone. It gleamed softly in the dim light, its surface marked with intricate patterns that seemed to shimmer in a way that was almost... alive. He held it out to her, a little unsure, but his eyes gentle.

Rebront took the stone between her white talons, her gaze curious as she examined the delicate markings. There was something unusual about it—something familiar, yet foreign. She turned it in her claws, the stone cool to the touch, and then, without warning, her mind clicked. Animus touched.

Her gaze snapped up to meet Turtle's, her gray-blue eyes wide with sudden realization. "You're an Animus," she said softly, a slow smile spreading across her face, as if the puzzle pieces were finally falling into place. "You're of Fathom's line, aren't you?"

Turtle looked at her, surprised but pleased. "You figured it out." His smile was small, almost shy, but there was a warmth in his eyes now, a quiet pride. The stone had always been a part of him, a reminder of his heritage, and he hadn't known whether she would understand its significance.

Rebront's smile widened, her wings fluttering lightly. "I should have known," she said, her voice full of affection. "Of course, the way you... feel—the calmness, the connection to the sea." She held the stone up to the light again, as if seeing it for the first time. "It's beautiful. Just like you."

Turtle flushed, his cheeks turning a shade darker than the deep waters around them. "I'm not beautiful," he muttered, looking away. "Not really. I just... I enhance the stone to make my soreness when flying a bit calmer." His tail flicked through the water with a quiet, almost nervous motion, the thick appendage sending ripples across the cave's still surface.

He glanced back at Rebront, his eyes a little uncertain. "I'm not that special, really." His words were heavy, as though he'd said them a thousand times before, as if trying to convince himself more than anyone else. Despite the soft glow of the stone in her talons, Turtle couldn't shake the feeling that he was just... ordinary, caught somewhere between the shadows of his heritage and the ordinary world around him.

Rebront's talons brushed against his, a gentle touch that made Turtle look up, startled. Her eyes were soft, her smile warm, and for the first time, he felt something like acceptance settle into his chest. His green eyes widened, and a rush of warmth spread across his cheeks, the blush deepening beneath the glow of the water.

She leaned in closer, bumping her snout lightly against his in a quiet show of affection. "You're anything but ordinary, Turtle," she said, her voice steady and sincere. "You're an Animus. That takes courage."

Turtle blinked, taken aback by her words. He hadn't expected her to understand, let alone believe in him like this.

Rebront tilted her head thoughtfully, the faintest trace of sadness in her gaze. "Fathom always told me that being an Animus was bad," she continued, her voice quiet but firm. "That he worried for his soul, and for Darkstalker's, but I always believed that one day, Animus would be in a place where they wouldn't be afraid of their own magic."

Her words hung in the water, soft but heavy, as if the weight of the past was finally being lifted. She met his gaze, her expression open and honest. "And I think... maybe that place is now," she added with a soft smile. "Maybe you are the one to show everyone that Animus magic doesn't have to be feared."

Turtle's heart swelled with something he hadn't known he'd been missing. The connection. The belief. The courage to stand with his own strength. Rebront was the first one to see him this way—to see the magic inside him not as a curse, but as a gift.

Rebront's talons gently cupped Turtle's snout, her touch warm and reassuring, yet charged with an energy he hadn't anticipated. His heart skipped a beat as her eyes softened, her presence suddenly feeling more intense, more intimate. The quiet swell of the water around them seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them in a world that felt too small, too close.

Turtle froze, unsure of what to do. His breath caught in his throat, his pulse quickening. The sensation of her touch, so gentle but firm, filled him with a mix of excitement and confusion. Is she... really about to kiss me?

His mind raced, but everything in the water around them seemed to grow still. Time seemed to stretch, and in that moment, all he could focus on was the warmth of her talons, the depth of her gaze, and the fluttering hope that maybe—just maybe—this was something more than a simple gesture. Something deeper.

But even as the question lingered in his mind, he found himself drawn toward her, a quiet surge of courage bubbling up, ready to meet her halfway, if only she would let him. The air between them was thick with unspoken possibilities, and all he could do was wait, heart in his throat, wondering if this was the moment everything would change.

In Rebront's mind, the voice of Darkstalker roared to life, venomous and sharp. Don't you dare cheat on me, Reborn. We were meant to be together! I've SEEN it! His growls echoed through her thoughts, a dark storm cloud of jealousy and possession, suffocating the fragile warmth she had just shared with Turtle.

Her heart twisted, and without thinking, she pulled back from Turtle, the warmth fading from her touch. The moment shattered, like a delicate piece of glass breaking into a thousand pieces.

She gave him a soft, strained smile, but there was a sadness behind her eyes. "You're going to be a great leader one day, Dearest Turtle," she said, her voice gentle but distant, as if she were trying to convince herself of the words as much as him. It was meant to be encouraging, but it felt like a goodbye wrapped in a compliment.

Rebront stood, her wings flicking slightly, and without another word, she turned and swam toward the exit of the underwater cave. The soft glow from the stone in her talons seemed to dim as she swam away, leaving Turtle with a heavy heart, a thousand unspoken questions swirling in his chest.

She left him there, alone in the silent cave, the weight of the moment pressing down on him, the space between them now filled with something too complex to name. Turtle watched her leave, the echo of Darkstalker's growl still ringing in her mind, and wondered if she would ever be free from the shadows of the past.