Skymint's POV

  The first breath of sea air felt like a whisper against my skin—cold, but alive. It stirred me from sleep where I lay sprawled across the floorboards of the ship. When I rose, the wood creaked beneath my weight, and my hands found the railing slick with mist. The ocean stretched endlessly before me, waves folding over one another like restless thoughts. The horizon burned gold, bleeding into pink and violet, an uncertain dawn. I couldn’t tell how long I’d been asleep, only that the world had moved on without me.

  A tap on my shoulder drew me from the sea’s lull. I turned to find a slim Polarman standing there, his black, inverted-triangle nose twitching as he studied me. His ears stood wide, his royal-blue scarf tugged by the breeze. More of them loomed behind him—Polarmen in pressed suits, arms crossed, eyes bright with curiosity.

  “We found you sleeping since yesterday noon,” the slim one said. “Didn’t wake you. You looked… exhausted. How did you get here?”

  “I’ve been hiding on this ship before you all came,” I answered quietly.

  “Papa looks handsome today!” a small cub chirped from behind him, round-faced and grinning. “Though his eyes aren’t all blue.”

  “Taiga, he’s not your father,” the slim Polarman said, a hint of patience thinning his tone. Then, to me, “Don’t lie, boy. We secured this ship before we boarded. Still, don’t worry. We’ve no reason to harm you. I know who you are. Let’s talk inside.” He gestured toward the cabin.

  I hesitated, studying their eyes—searching for malice, deceit, anything sharp enough to betray a trap. Nothing. Just curiosity, perhaps pity. Still, being inside seemed safer than standing exposed beneath an open sky that felt too wide to trust.

  The cabin greeted us with warmth and the scent of salt and wood polish. I sank into a cushioned seat, the softness foreign against my tired limbs. The cub, Taiga, was perched nearby, chewing on a tuna sandwich with unbothered joy. My stomach growled in betrayal, but I ignored it. Hunger was easier to endure than misplaced trust. I couldn’t forget—I was still a fugitive.

  The slim Polarman dragged a sofa close and sat opposite me. His ocean-colored eyes were calm, almost gentle, and when he smiled, it felt deliberate, an offering more than a gesture.

  “I’m Frazilo,” he said. “Leader of the Bear Revolution. And you must be Skymint, son of Lady Polarion, the one who exposed the embezzlement in the Polarmen Islands.”

  It sounded strange, hearing my mother’s name dressed in reverence. Lady Polarion. Yet warmth flickered in my chest, faint and fleeting. At least someone remembered her not as a victim, but as a voice that mattered.

  “It’s good to meet you,” I said, the words tasting uncertain. “Especially now, when I’ve no sense of where to go—or why. What were you doing in Glacia?”

  “We attended the Guardian of Polarmen’s Trial,” he said. “To ensure the truth prevailed. He lost his title and won’t see daylight before his sentence ends.”

  “And who leads now?” I asked.

  “No one. The islands stand unguarded. To lead now would be suicide. Felipe’s claws reach too far, too deep. I’d rather remain alive and free than serve as his next puppet.” He leaned forward, his tone softening. “But as one of our kind, you’ll have our protection, if you join us. The Bear Bearers need someone like you.”

  I paused. The offer felt both genuine and rehearsed, like a door that led somewhere dangerous no matter which way it opened. My gaze flicked to his hands, steady and unflinching, and I wondered if he could wield Binder’s Magic. If a single word could ensnare me.

  And above all, I knew one thing:

  he must never learn about Arie's curse.

  "I appreciate your invitation, but I'm not interested in joining." I leaned closer, my voice dropping to a whisper. "There's always the risk that someone in your rebellion would switch sides and turn me in. The bounty on my head is enough to tempt even the loyal ones."

  "If that's all you worry about, you may contribute by showing up in our battle against Felipe’s Wolfmen, first in the Polarmen Islands, then in Glacia. I've heard you're an ice melon fruit user, which is something to be proud of. You could shield lives from being taken away."

  There was something magnetic in his tone, an ember of conviction that could spark warmth even in the coldest soul.

  "I suppose you'll trust me if I give you my trust," he continued. "What happened to you in the Sunstar Kingdom was infuriating for us. It pushed our resolve beyond return. We're attacking three days from now, at sunset, starting on the central island."

  My eyes widened. "That early? How long have you been planning this? I thought you were only after the Guardian of Polarmen’s downfall."

  "Ah, the Bear Revolution book is only one chapter in a greater story," he said, a shadow crossing his face. "We've been active since the crowning of Felipe Viciouso. The seers foresaw that he would bring darkness. Our purpose is to stop him before his claws reach other kingdoms. But the world is blind—our pamphlets unread, our warnings mocked. Even monarchs turned their backs. Sometimes I think fate has already written our ruin, and we are merely walking toward it." His voice faltered with quiet grief. "But I refuse to believe all the Polarmen lost along the way died for nothing."

  I cleared my throat and stood. Eye contact, dangerous ground when facing a Binder’s Magic user. "Expect that I'll be there, Frazilo. But I’ll hide in Finnian while you do your part. Don’t worry about me; I have a hard courage."

  He smiled, and it reached his eyes. "You’re definitely a hard one, Skymint."

  "Papa, are you going away now?" The little cub looked up, sandwich in hand, his round face scrunched in confusion.

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  Frazilo sighed, turning toward him. "Taiga, I told you—he’s not your father. Not your Papa."

  But Taiga ran forward anyway, wrapping his small arms around my leg. His fur brushed against me like a faint memory. Maybe I reminded him of someone he’d once loved.

  "If I may ask," I said, lifting the cub onto my shoulder, "what’s a cub doing in your crew?"

  "He’s from an orphanage on the snowy island," Frazilo replied. "Ate a powerful wind tropical fruit and refused to hand it over. It made him immune to disease, though he still struggles to recognize faces."

  I patted the cub’s head, his hair as soft as snow.

  "We’re near the Finnian Kingdom," one of the suited Polarmen announced.

  "Yay!" Taiga cheered as I set him down, and he bounded toward the deck with unguarded joy.

  Following him outside, I was met by the deep blue expanse—a restless sea broken by jagged rocks that shimmered in the sunlight. The porcelain city of Finnian rose in the distance, gleaming with a deceptive calm, while above it floated the Light Palace, its glass spires reaching hungrily toward the sun.

  "This is where we diverge paths," Frazilo said, raising a hand in farewell. "See you soon, Skymint."

  I nodded, then turned toward the city’s crowded streets, my steps swallowed by the noise of life that waited beyond the harbor.

  ***

  The sun lingered above the hills by the time I finished pitching a tent beside an acacia tree. The task itself had been simple enough, the journey, less so. Climbing the steep plateaus of this kingdom and finding even a sliver of peace felt like a trial in itself. The grass whispered against the cold wind, the hush of it soothing after so many restless days.

  I wanted only a moment’s rest before searching for Caron.

  But the air shifted—thin, charged, tugging faintly at the ends of my hair. My pulse quickened. I scanned the horizon, straining to catch what the silence was hiding. Only my footsteps answered, and the faint thud of my own heartbeat.

  Exhaustion clung to me like frost. Even my fur, damp with cold sweat, felt too light to shield me. My hardened body—the so-called blessing of my Magical Fruit—did little to steady the dread gnawing beneath my ribs. Something was here. Or had followed me.

  Yet in the glare of day, there was nothing—nothing but the scarecrow standing crooked among the brush. Its wooden frame was splintered, its clothes frayed and colorless. Despite its eerie stillness, its presence grounded me. On this abandoned land, even a ghost of human craft felt like safety.

  I caught sight of my own shadow, long and stretched thin behind me, warped by the dying sunlight. Harmless, yes. But it reminded me of the reflection I feared most, the one that twisted when I wasn’t looking.

  I drew a deep breath and turned back toward my shelter.

  “Boo!”

  A voice cut through the quiet. A girl in black stepped from behind the tent, her laughter sharp as glass. Her sky-blue curls waved in the wind like serpents feigning innocence.

  My eyes widened. “Ellie, this isn’t funny. Where were you while I was battling Felipe?”

  She peeled the bandana from her face and twirled it lazily between her fingers. “In the back of Arie’s mind.”

  “No, you weren’t. You planned everything. You led us to that island knowing we’d be caught by the Sunstarian scouts, and you wanted to drive her insane.”

  “Me, or my dear cousin Carrie? Speak plainly, bear-boy.”

  “Don’t pretend to know less than you do,” I snapped. “You wanted to corrupt Arie, to hollow her out until she’d bend to your will once she discovered you existed. I’m not letting that happen. I’d rather die. Our lives are bound, and I’d sooner see her die human than become something she’s not.”

  Ellie set her hands on her hips, a smirk curling her lips. “Look who’s lecturing me. You still think I’m not her? Then you’re walking the wrong path.”

  “I know you’re her dark half,” I said quietly. “But she would never wear the darkness the way you do. Everyone carries both sides, Ellie. I won’t let you break the balance.”

  She chuckled, her gaze shimmering with cruel amusement. “Then tell me, Skymint, why do bad people exist? The ones born to be bad? Because I’m in control now. I am her. No remorse. No pretending otherwise.”

  “Tell me something,” I said, my voice tightening. “Why did you kill Llanova? You promised we’d find him together. If you were really her, you wouldn’t have done it.”

  A flicker of red climbed her cheeks; her jaw tensed. “Because you would have chosen him over me.”

  My teeth clenched. I sank onto the stool beside the tent, pressing a hand to my forehead. The weight of realization sank deep, was this what Arie’s darkness truly was? The side of her that Ellie embodied?

  “That was it?” My voice cracked between disbelief and fury. “You killed him out of jealousy, because you feared being second in someone’s heart? How cruel.”

  She laughed again—light, unrestrained, like a child’s but hollow at the edges. “You really thought I would get jealous over your poor best friend. Actually, it was Arie who was in control the whole time, and I had no idea the Sunstarian scouts would come to the island. Of course, I didn’t want to waste my magic to free us. Instead, I claimed the opportunity of battling in the arena, because it would be so much fun!”

  I raised a brow. “What do you mean? Arie would never kill Llanova.”

  “Sometimes, we make stupid decisions,” she replied, her grin stretching too far to be human. “She thought he was a Dreamer’s Magic user about to cast a spell on you, so she hastily killed him. I only took control of her after you lost her in the pyramid of mummies. Happy now?”

  Her words echoed, gnawing at something inside me. There was something about her—something wrong. I scratched the back of my head, a useless gesture to steady myself. “Where’s Arie? It’s morning, you’re not supposed to be here.”

  She knelt, folding her knees onto the ground like a child at play, and clasped her hands together. “Thank you for reminding me. Good morning, Skymint! Are you hurt? Let me heal you,” she cooed, voice honey-sweet and mocking.

  “Don’t play her like a puppet,” I said flatly.

  She pressed her hands against her chest and let out a breathy laugh. “I’m ashamed that you just realized now. I cast a spell on myself to stay in control forever. I can do anything with my magic. I could alter reality and make people forget. I could give you the worst possible death right now… if I wanted to.”

  Then—pain flickered across her face. She gripped her temples and groaned, the tremor sharp and sudden.

  “Come back, Arie! You’re not her!” I shouted.

  “It’s just a headache,” she hissed, eyes glinting with something manic. “Sleep debts. That’s all. So don’t you dare try bringing her back—or hope she’s fighting me—because I am her.”

  A chill crawled down my spine, slow and deliberate, as if the air itself recoiled from her.

  “Anyway,” she continued, standing as though nothing had happened. A sly smile curled her lips. “You need a disguise in this kingdom. I’ll give you one.”

  “Not your magic, Ellie,” I warned. “You’re already carrying too much.”

  “You’re making me carry you by not abiding by my rules,” she countered. “I’d use even more spells if you get caught by a dozen Finnian guards. So you’d better stay hidden on a new skin.”

  I rose and held up my palms. “I’m not sure anymore if I still want to be with you… after what you’ve done. Whether you were Arie or not.”

  “Transform bear-boy into a human,” she murmured, ignoring me.

  My fur sank beneath my skin, bones shifting under the weight of her spell. The warmth of my body peeled away into something unnervingly fragile—porcelain skin, human. My claws dulled and rounded into soft fingertips. It felt alien, like wearing someone else’s flesh.

  “Well done,” Ellie said, flashing a grin that belonged to no sane creature. “You may now be my partner. In crime, of course.”

  I wondered what I looked like now.

  She took my hand and led me outside, sunlight glaring down as if to judge us both. The air was thin, sharp. We ran together, fingers entwined, until the path broke at a pond shimmering like glass.

  I leaned forward. My reflection blinked back—a young man with white curls framing his face, his brows heavier, more defined. One eye sky, the other mint. Lips faintly tinted rose. The fangs were gone, replaced by a boyish, uncertain smile.

  “How do you feel?” Ellie asked, her reflection rippling beside mine.

  “It’s… amazing,” I said, watching the stranger in the water. “I look like a true young man.”