Chapter Five: Sylvia

After sleepless nights among the Urabi in the Gibal, Essiya slips outside to climb the sea-facing mountain. Remembering Soraya’s tale of waterfalls feeding Suhna Sea from Hirun, she searches for proof—and a potential way out if ever needed—while wrestling with guilt, her vows to Jasad, and fear of her uncontrolled magic.

She hears rushing water and, with moonlight breaking through, discovers multiple freshwater streams pouring down the cliffs: proof that Hirun runs beneath the Desert Flats. As she plans to leave, a woman silently appears on nearby ledges, then shifts faces and voices, speaking of “our crown.” Essiya spots Efra above watching but not helping. A male apparition with gold-silver eyes like Essiya’s grabs her wrist and yanks her into the waterfall.

Essiya plummets into Suhna Sea, is battered by waves, and begins to drown. An unfamiliar inner command urges her to wake and warns of a lethal impact against the cliffs. On the edge of blackout, her palm vein flares gold; her magic forms a luminous air-bubble that lets her breathe.

In the bubble’s light, she sees grotesque sea creatures pressing close. Panicking, Essiya tries to expand the bubble to reach the surface or push them back. Instead, her surge of magic bursts the protection, leaving her exposed in the dark water as the chapter ends.