The Atlantean tour concluded as Kida led them back into the heart of the city: the town square. Surrounded by spiraling towers and sweeping bridges, the square sat at the center of a network of aqueducts, where tranquil canals flowed like veins carrying the lifeblood of Atlantis. Sunlight refracted through the Heart of Atlantis high above, casting brilliant, rippling hues across the waters. It was as if the entire square was submerged in liquid gemstones.
Helios stopped at the edge of one of the canals, peering down as the currents passed beneath translucent bridges. He turned to Kida with a warm, disarming smile. "Princess, since we're here and the water flows freely, would you mind if we continued your magic lesson? It's good practice to try in new environments."
Kida blinked in surprise before her lips curved into a faint smile. "You are persistent, aren't you, wanderer?"
"I prefer dedicated. I made a promise to you, and I intend to do my best to teach you," Helios quipped lightly, earning a small huff of amusement from Kida. "The water here is already filled with mana or magical energy. It should respond better if you ask."
Kida looked thoughtful before nodding. "Very well. Let's see if I can match your earlier display."
Helios gestured for her to stand by the canal. "This time, try forming the water into a shape that isn't a sphere. A ribbon, perhaps. Something that flows and twists."
Kida exhaled slowly, closing her eyes. The turquoise glow of the canal's waters flickered faintly in her palms as she concentrated. For a moment, the water rippled unnaturally, rising and spiraling into the air. It twisted, but the shape dissolved mid-formation, splashing harmlessly back into the canal with a soft hiss.
Helios chuckled. "Not bad for a second attempt."
"I failed," Kida said bluntly, her tone bordering on self-reproach.
"Not at all," Helios corrected gently. "Magic isn't about forcing—it's about communing with nature. You've already got the touch; you just need to practice until the water dances willingly."
Skuld folded her arms, watching with quiet interest. "I noticed this when you first taught me, but you have a strange way of teaching," she murmured.
"Strange but effective," Helios replied with a grin. "Let me demonstrate."
He stepped closer to the canal, raising his hand. With a flick of his fingers, water surged upwards, twisting and curling in elegant arcs. Slowly, he shaped the streams into a shimmering school of fish—each one crafted from liquid, darting through the air as though swimming in an unseen current.
The Atlantean children nearby gasped and pointed excitedly, their bright eyes following the water-fish as they wove patterns above the canal. One small child stretched out a hand, and a tiny water-fish brushed against her fingers, bursting into harmless droplets that sparkled like stardust before reforming.
Skuld glanced at the delighted children, her lips curving into a soft smile. She lifted her hand and whispered, "Light."
Golden orbs bloomed around the canal, drifting gently in the air. As they passed through Helios's water-fish, the light refracted into rainbows, casting rippling prisms across the square. The scene became an ethereal spectacle of color and motion, like a living tapestry of magic.
The adults, drawn by the children's laughter, began to gather as well, their expressions softening from guarded suspicion to wonder. Even the Atlantean guards, tense with spears in hand, found themselves relaxing as the lights reflected in their eyes.
One of the younger children clapped her hands in glee. "They're so pretty!"
Helios knelt to her level, conjuring a small stream of water that looped into a dancing dolphin shape. "Would you like to name her?" he asked with a conspiratorial wink.
The girl beamed. "Luma!"
"Luma it is," Helios said, releasing the dolphin, which spiraled upward in a graceful arc before diving playfully through Skuld's orbs of light.
Skuld watched the interaction, then gently added more orbs, some of them pulsing faintly in pastel hues. "I suppose I can lend a hand in your little performance."
"You're too kind," Helios murmured with mock reverence. "We're an unstoppable duo."
Kurai stood slightly apart, arms crossed, her eyes half-lidded as she observed silently. When a stray orb drifted close, she flicked a finger and snuffed it out with a thread of darkness, earning a sharp glare from Skuld.
"Do try not to ruin the moment," Skuld said tersely.
"I'm simply ensuring your magic doesn't get out of hand," Kurai replied coolly.
Helios straightened, turning slightly to glance back at Kurai. "If you're so bored, maybe conjure something yourself. Or do shadows lack the artistry of light and water?"
For a brief moment, Kurai's lips twitched in what might have been amusement—or irritation. She turned her gaze away, offering no reply.
Kida, who had watched the whole exchange in contemplative silence, finally spoke. "Your magic is… different from ours. But beautiful." She reached out cautiously, as if testing the air where the water-fish swam. "Perhaps there is something to learn from wanderers after all."
Helios inclined his head respectfully. "And perhaps there is something we can learn from Atlantis. Exchange always goes both ways."
Kida's eyes flicked to Kurai. "If all your companions share that sentiment."
Helios followed her gaze but said nothing, his smile enigmatic.
The sunless sky above shimmered faintly as the Heart of Atlantis pulsed with gentle energy, as though approving of the spectacle below.