NOVPUBAtlana was more than shocked.
She had come intending to play the part of a wounded wanderer, cautious but confident.
Even with her immense belief in her immunity to foreign energies, she had declined the terrifying enemy's offer to heal her directly. Instead, she fabricated an excuse as she was unsure of what he truly was and what he was truly capable of.
But then, he had pulled out fruits.
Purple-gold, radiating waves of such pure energy that her very existence reacted instinctively, her pores opening- her Essence trembling as if every part of her craved them.
He had claimed they were treasures he found filled with pure Primordial and Evolutius Energy. And to her disbelief... he wasn't lying.
The energy was untainted. Raw. Unfathomable.
Coupled with her own power and confidence, and the insatiable pull her body felt toward the fruits… she had taken a bite. It wasn't just survival—it was information gathering. Tactical.
And then..
Holy stars.
Her existence shuddered.
The starlight that coursed through her very blood flared like wildfire. It surged with a yearning so fierce it echoed outward, a pulse of energy rippling from her body so violently that the sky above flickered, and then opened.
From the havens, a brilliant stream of starlight descended.
The largest she had felt since awakening from her Long Slumber.
…!
Panic flared in her chest. Her power was rising, exploding, on a terrifying scale. The descending light wasn't just entering her bloodstream. It was fusing into her bones. If she had more of these fruits… she could return fully to Celestbone.
She would be unstoppable.
And this human- this enemy... held such treasures casually in his grasp. Was he empowered by some forbidden relic? Was he truly as human as he appeared?
Atlana's thoughts raced as she confirmed that the purple-gold energies swirling from the Primordium Evolutius Fruit were genuine. Nothing more than sacred Aeonic fruits with pure energy.
After confirming that, she didn't hesitate.
She consumed the remaining two.
Whole.
BOOM!
Power exploded from her. A storm of brilliance surged through her body. Words couldn't capture what she felt, what she became in that moment.
And amidst this transformation, she vowed that beyond all else, she had to obtain more of these fruits. If she could secure a dozen for her tribe… they would break free of their chains. Their power would return faster than ever before.
Bathed in starlight, her figure shone with a radiant glow of blue and gold. She felt invincible. With light flooding her bones, her confidence soared. The human before her could not possibly threaten her.
She turned to him once more and asked, her tone graceful, almost reverent.
"I am in your debt for allowing me such treasures that healed and strengthened me. Would it be acceptable for me to take shelter in your home until the threat pursuing me has passed?"
She needed to learn more. Whatever was hidden in that floating landmass, something was disturbing the Heart of the Sea itself.
To her surprise, he nodded after a pause, waving a hand toward the distant floating land in the skies.
"Let's hurry, then."
Atlana blinked, surprised by how agreeable he was.
She did a final scan of her Essence. The waves of purple and gold were settling within her, flooding her with power. Nothing felt off.
So she followed.
No fighting. No resistance. She would walk into the stronghold of her enemy, learn everything she needed… and return to her people with knowledge and power beyond imagining.
"By the way, you are…?"
Her gaze swept him from head to toe. His posture, his poise—it reminded her of the young Human Kings and Lords she had once glimpsed in the distant past before her Slumber.
Power and grace radiated from every part of him.
If he were Atlantian, he'd be a prime candidate for a mate.
And yet the man didn't even glance back as they arrived at the glowing ring of blue waters that parted to make a path. His voice, low and commanding, echoed through the air.
"King Primal. The King of these lands, and of all who enter them."
…!
King Primal.
The name seared itself into her memory as they stepped through the barrier into the floating Kingdom.
"I am Atlana," she offered softly. "Since waking, I've been lost, directionless. I believe I was drawn here while fleeing… because of the sea's energy surrounding this land. It called to me. Can you tell me what I'm seeing? The sea around this place… and the sea above…"
Her words faded as they passed the outer defenses and stepped into true wonder.
She pointed at the floating sea in Neon's skies, utterly mesmerized.
What was this place that could make even the Heart of the Sea tremble?
The human king responded calmly, with weight behind every word.
"You are looking at the Heart of Thalassara, bearing the memory and power of the Thalassarian Lineage, those blessed and guarded by endless Star Seas."
…!
His voice held majesty, mystery, and command. They stepped deeper into lands filled with glowing Sacred Pools of Thalassara, and Princess Atlana stared in silent awe.
No wonder the Heart of the Sea was threatened.
Even from a distance, these waters… they called to her. Whispered to her.
And then, heat.
From afar, a fiery pulse surged, and Atlana turned to see a woman flying toward them, a blazing comet of fury. She soared beside King Primal, her eyes burning with contempt as they locked onto Atlana.
"And who the hell is this?"
With her brows arched and beauty as sharp as her tongue, the woman radiated royal strength. Even Atlana paused, stunned at the striking presence of this human woman, more radiant than herself.
And in that moment, Atlana swore.
She would uncover everything before her mission ended.
Or so she believed.
For even now, within her body pulsing with golden and purple energy, an unseen force stirred.
Spores.
They had spread silently, deeply, invisibly, coiling through every part of her existence.
And soon… they would awaken!
