Night fell over Aquaunia, but the darkness held no dominion here. The island ignited with the warm luminescence of thousands of glowing stones embedded in lamp posts and hanging from storefronts. While many residents shut their doors against the cool sea breeze, the nightlife pulsed in the harbor district where bars poured ale and food stalls smoked with the scent of grilled squid.

  In the quiet room atop the hill, Zareth slept heavily. The day’s labour in the rice paddies had drained him more than any battle. In the adjacent room, Luv Mishane breathed softly in her sleep. Down the hall, Luv Stinger snored with a rhythmic, thunderous rattle that shook the floorboards like a ship in a storm.

  However, in Lil Sinbad’s room, the sheets were cool and the pillow sat vacant. The window stood ajar.

  Outside, in the shadow of a large banyan tree, two figures crouched in the dark.

  "What took you so long?"

  Kenta whispered the question aggressively. He was a boy of thirteen with messy brown hair and goggles strapped to his forehead. Beside him stood his twin sister, Kelise. She wore a dark tunic and kept her black hair braided tight against her scalp.

  Lil Sinbad dropped from a low branch and landed silently in the grass. He held his flight stick in one hand.

  "Sorry. Grandpa Stinger was restless. I had to wait until he started sawing logs."

  He looked around the empty clearing. "Where are the others? Didn't Jiro and Sam promise to come?"

  Kenta scoffed and kicked a pebble. "They chickened out. Said their moms would kill them. Only the elite squad remains for tonight's mission."

  Kelise crossed her arms. "Speaking of moms, won't your guardians be upset? That scary grandpa of yours has a heavy hand."

  "They are fast asleep," Sinbad smirked. His tail was twitching with excitement. "I'll be back before they even wake up. Besides, this isn't my first midnight rodeo."

  "True enough," Kenta agreed. He twisted the handle of his stick.

  Snap!

  The yellow canvas wings unfurled. "Then let's get going. I think the party has already started."

  Kenta ran to the edge of the hill and leaped.

  Whoosh!

  The wind caught him instantly. Kelise followed, and Sinbad brought up the rear. They soared into the night sky like three silent bats.

  They circled above the Governor’s estate like vultures. Below them, the sprawling mansion glowed with lights. Guards patrolled the perimeter, but their formation was loose. Aquaunia had known peace for too long, and their discipline showed cracks.

  Sniff. Sniff.

  "Whoa. Smell that?"

  Sinbad whispered over the wind. The aroma of roasting fish wafted up to them.

  "That's the Prismfin Tuna. Smells okay, but Big Sis could cook it better. She uses a special spice blend that makes the meat sing."

  Kenta rolled his eyes as he banked left. "You are too obsessed with your sister's cooking, Sinbad. Focus on the mission."

  "It's not an obsession if it's true!" Sinbad argued.

  "Quiet, both of you," Kelise hissed. She pointed downward. "Look there."

  A group of people moved through the main gate. They were escorted to the island by Victor Quark’s sailors, but they dressed differently. They wore long robes and carried themselves with a rigid, military posture.

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  "Those must be the outsiders," Kelise speculated. "The ones Captain Quark brought from the mainland. I heard there are Priests among them."

  "Priests?" Sinbad tilted his head.

  The word intrigued them. They had never met a Priest before. Sinbad knew his Papa was one, but Zareth was tight-lipped about his past, and the Imprint of Knowledge in Sinbad’s brain contained facts about geography and math, not the secrets of The Convent.

  "That's why we are here," Kenta signalled for a landing. "We spy, we learn, we profit."

  They aimed for the flat roof of the main banquet hall. A single guard leaned against a chimney and smoked a pipe.

  They hovered in a silent circle, waiting.

  Finally, the guard yawned, tapped his pipe out, and walked toward the roof access door to relieve himself.

  "Now!"

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  The three brats landed softly on the slate tiles. They scurried into the shadows like rats.

  Kenta briefed them in a huddle. "Okay. An important meeting is taking place tonight. Supposedly, it's about the fate of our island. If we learn their secrets, we can sell the information to the market gossipmongers for a hefty bag of coins."

  Sinbad’s eyes lit up. "I'm in."

  Kelise frowned. "This feels dangerous. What if we’re found out?"

  "Don't be a baby," Kenta chided. "Follow me."

  They found a maintenance hatch and slipped inside. They navigated the rafters and avoided the bustling kitchen staff and the patrolling house guards. They moved with the silent confidence of children who knew they shouldn't be there.

  They reached a high balcony that overlooked the grand banquet hall. The vantage point was perfect, but it was exposed.

  Sinbad whispered, "We can't just lean over the rail. They'll see us."

  "That's why I brought this." Kelise pulled a shimmering, silvery fabric from her pack.

  "It's a Chameleon Cloth. I 'borrowed' it from dad's workshop. It has the Way of the Chameleon Imprint grafted into the fibers. If we hide under it, we blend into the surroundings."

  "Awesome!" Sinbad whispered.

  They huddled together and threw the cloth over their heads. To anyone looking up, the balcony appeared empty, merging perfectly with the wall behind it.

  Below, the hall buzzed with tension.

  At the head of a long mahogany table sat the Governor.

  Barov Earl Karsteen was a striking figure. He was thirty-two years old, the youngest Governor in the island's history. He possessed a manly build that filled out his green and white-striped suit. His skin was a rich brown, his hair a cropped shock of yellow, and he had thick, cherry-coloured lips set in a stern but welcoming expression. He radiated an air of opulence and authority born of his academic exploits overseas and his years as a sailor.

  Barov stood and raised a crystal goblet.

  "Welcome to Aquaunia. I thank you, esteemed guests, for making the dangerous journey across the Weather Veil. We are honored."

  In response, a woman stood up on the opposite side of the table.

  She was a sight to behold. She had long, flowing purple hair and a figure that demanded attention. She wore a tight-fitting lab coat over a formal dress.

  "The honor is ours, Governor Karsteen." Her voice was smooth, confident, and carried a hint of dangerous intelligence. "I am Lillian Liemmech, Head of the Gospel Tech 8th Division. The Convent has assigned us to this task, and we are eager to begin construction."

  Under the Chameleon Cloth, Sinbad nudged Kenta. "She's pretty."

  "Shh!"

  Lillian gestured to the group of stoic men and women seated beside her.

  "Allow me to introduce my protection detail. The Convent takes the safety of its engineers very seriously."

  She pointed to a young man sitting to her right. He had piercing blue eyes and silver hair that caught the chandelier light. He wore pristine white priestly garments, and pinned to his chest was a golden badge with the number 19.

  "This is Provost Yohan Creed. He leads the Apostolic Church assigned to our unit."

  Yohan stood and bowed respectfully. He looked older than his years, his face hardened by battles that the islanders could only imagine.

  Yohan said calmly, "Governor, my Apostles and I will do our utmost to ensure everyone's safety during this project. We have lost good men to get here, and we will not let their sacrifice be in vain."

  He gestured to the warriors beside him.

  "This is Apostle Fennalin."

  A tall, muscular woman with golden hair waved casually. Her priestly vestments struggled to contain her bulky chest, and several servers nearly dropped their trays as they walked past her.

  "Apostle Runiar," Yohan continued.

  A man with elaborate, steel-black hair nodded stoically.

  "And Apostles Dillon, Krevloj, and Heimdol."

  Three other men stood in unison and saluted. They looked tough, but their uniforms showed signs of recent repairs.

  This unit was previously known as Church Number Fifteen, a powerhouse squad led by the indomitable Provost Lamar. However, following the catastrophic battle in Nesbeth where Lamar fell to the Beast Tumor and other Apostles were lost, their strength had waned. The Convent had demoted them in the rankings to Number Nineteen. Now, with only six members remaining, they were a shadow of their former glory, yet they still possessed enough power to act as the shield for a Gospel Tech Division.

  Under the cloth, Sinbad stared down at Yohan Creed.

  'A Provost... is he and elite Priest like Papa used to be? But Papa seems way scarier than that pretty boy.'

  Below, the pleasantries ended, and the servants brought out the roasted Prismfin Tuna. The smell of the fish filled the hall, masking the scent of the three spies hiding near the balcony. But the tension in the room remained thick. The deal between Aquaunia and the Convent was about to begin, and unknown to them all, a pair of red eyes watched from the dark.