The docks were cloaked in mist when Rio and I arrived, the first pale light of dawn just beginning to paint the horizon. The salty air was sharp and cold, biting at my skin as we approached the meeting point.

Vale stood near the edge of the water, her sharp gray eyes scanning the horizon. Harris was a few steps behind her, leaning casually against a stack of crates, but the way his hand hovered near his sidearm gave away his tension.

“Glad you made it,” Vale said as we approached, her voice calm but laced with urgency.

“You didn’t leave much room for choice,” I said, holding up the note.

Rio stayed quiet beside me, her gaze darting between Vale and Harris as if she were trying to read the unspoken tension between them.

“What’s this about?” I asked.

Vale didn’t answer right away. Instead, she motioned for us to follow her down the dock. “I’m done preparing,” she said simply.

Her words hung heavy in the air as we followed her, Harris bringing up the rear.

“What exactly does that mean?” I pressed.

“It means,” Vale said, glancing over her shoulder, “we’re ready to take the next step.”

She stopped at a section of the dock that seemed unremarkable—just a row of weathered planks over dark, rippling water. But then she reached down, her fingers finding a hidden latch. With a faint click, a section of the dock slid aside, revealing a narrow staircase descending into darkness.

Rio raised an eyebrow. “Secret tunnels? Seriously?”

“Would you expect anything less?” Vale said, smirking faintly.

Without another word, she led the way down. The staircase was steep, the air growing cooler and damper with every step. Rio followed close behind me.

At the bottom of the stairs, the tunnel opened into a wide, high-ceilinged chamber lit by rows of glowing blue lights embedded in the walls. The walls themselves were smooth and metallic, a stark contrast to the rough stone of the stairs.

And at the far end of the chamber sat a submarine.

It was sleek and futuristic, its dark surface gleaming under the soft blue light. The shape reminded me of a shark, streamlined and deadly, with a pair of fins jutting out from either side.

Rio let out a low whistle. “Well, that’s... something.”

Harris smirked faintly. “Not bad, huh?”

Vale led us to the entrance, a circular hatch that slid open with a quiet hiss. “Come on,” she said, motioning for us to follow.

Inside, the submarine was just as high-tech as its exterior. The walls were lined with monitors displaying streams of data, maps, and energy readings. The air hummed with the faint sound of machinery, and the space was surprisingly spacious, with enough room for a small crew to move around comfortably.

“This is where you’ve been hiding out?” I asked, taking it all in.

“Yes,” Vale said, settling into a chair near one of the main consoles. “But this is more than just a hideout. It’s our next step.”

She tapped a few keys on the console, and the monitors lit up with a series of maps and charts.

“What are we looking at?” Rio asked, leaning over my shoulder.

“The Rift Control Agency’s tracking systems,” Vale said. “I’ve been hacking into their network for weeks now, rerouting their data streams and feeding them false information.”

Harris grinned. “She’s leading them on a wild goose chase while we get the real data.”

“Yes,” Vale said. “The Agency relies on predictive algorithms to pinpoint where rift entities will appear. I’ve adjusted the system to give them false locations while sending the real data here.”

“And you think this will work?” Rio asked skeptically.

Rio leaned back, crossing her arms. “So what’s the plan? We wait here until the next entity shows up and hope for the best?”

“Not quite,” Vale said, glancing at the monitors. “I’ve already located the next manifestation site. It’s remote—far from any major population centers. The Agency will never notice.”

“Are we really ready for this?” I asked quietly.

Vale met my gaze, her gray eyes steady. “We have to be,” she said. “This is our chance to change everything.”

The next day, Vale sat at the main console, her sharp gray eyes focused on the data streaming across the screen. Harris was nearby, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his usual scowl firmly in place. Rio lounged in a chair at the back of the room, her fiery red hair catching the light as she tapped idly on the armrest.

“How close are we?” I asked, glancing at Vale.

“About fifteen minutes out,” she said, not looking up from her screen.

“Do we have a plan for when we get there?” I asked.

Vale’s fingers danced over the keyboard. “We send you out, and you’ll try to form a bond with the entity,” she said.

“And if it doesn't work?” Rio asked, having walked up behind us during the conversation.

Vale didn’t respond immediately, her focus still on the console. “We’ll handle it,” she said finally.

Rio raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further.

I moved closer to Vale, lowering my voice. “What about the logistics of actually getting to the site?” I asked. “We can’t just roll into the nearest harbor with a submarine.”

Vale smirked faintly, still not looking up. “Who said anything about parking?”

I frowned, confused. “Wait—how are we supposed to get to the island then?”

Vale turned to me, her smirk widening. “Watch and learn,” she said, pressing a series of keys on the console.

The hum of the submarine deepened, a low, resonant vibration that sent a shiver through the deck. The lights dimmed briefly, then shifted to a brighter, cooler hue.

“What’s happening?” Rio asked, sitting up straighter.

“Hold on,” Vale said, her tone calm but commanding.

The submarine jolted slightly, and then the sensation of movement changed. It was subtle at first—a slight lift, as if the floor beneath us had become lighter. Then it became unmistakable: we were rising.

“What the—” I started, gripping the edge of the console as the submarine began to ascend.

Rio jumped to her feet, her wide eyes darting around the room. “It can fly!”

“Surprise,” Vale said, her smirk turning into a full grin.

Harris chuckled, the sound low and amused. “You should see your faces.”

Through the small observation window, I could see the water falling away below us, the submarine breaking the surface and continuing to rise into the air. The sleek, shark-like shape of the vessel began to shift, panels retracting and rearranging as wings extended from the sides. The once-submarine was now unmistakably an airship, its design as futuristic and sleek as its underwater form.

“How—” I started, my mind reeling.

Vale glanced at me, her expression calm but clearly enjoying my shock. “You didn’t think I’d design a one-trick vehicle, did you?”

“This is insane,” Rio muttered, gripping the back of a chair as the airship leveled out.

“Welcome to the future,” Harris said with a smirk.

A few minutes later, the island that the entity was predicted to appear on stretched out below us, its lush greenery and rocky shores bathed in the soft glow of the rising sun.

“We’ll land on the plateau near the forest,” Vale said, adjusting the controls.

I stared out the window, my heart racing as the airship began its descent.

“This better not end in a crash,” Rio muttered.

“It won’t,” Vale said confidently.

As the airship settled onto the plateau with a gentle thud, I couldn’t help but marvel at the technology that had brought us here. But the awe was quickly overshadowed by a familiar knot of tension in my chest.

This was it. We were here.

The airship’s hum faded into silence as we gathered around the console. The plateau stretched out beyond the observation window, a flat expanse of rock bordered by dense forest. The early morning light gave the scene an almost serene quality.

“Alright, we’re going to try to replicate the conditions that led to Rio’s stabilization,” she explained. “That means we try creating a bond between the entity and someone in this world.”

“Let me guess,” I said. “That ‘someone’ is me.”

“I did say we were trying to replicate the exact conditions of Rio’s stabilization” Vale said, her tone matter-of-fact.

“Lucky me,” I muttered.

“Don’t worry,” Harris said, his voice laced with sarcasm. “I’ll be nearby to pick up the pieces when it all goes wrong.”

Vale shot him a look but didn’t comment.

I turned back to Vale. “So, what’s the plan? I just... walk up to it and start chatting?”

“More or less,” she said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small, sleek device. “Here.”

She handed it to me, the weight of it familiar in my hand.

“Another communicator?” I asked.

“Yes,” she explained. “If you need advice on how to handle the situation—or if you need backup—contact us.”

“Got it,” I said, slipping the device into my pocket.

“And remember,” Vale added, her tone serious, “the goal is to bond with the entity. Try to understand it, connect with it. If things go south, Harris will step in, but we want to avoid that if possible.”

I nodded, the weight of her words settling over me.

“Good,” Vale said, turning back to the console. “We’ll monitor the situation from here. Be careful.”

“No pressure,” I said, forcing a weak smile.

As I prepared to head out, Rio approached me, her arms crossed and her expression guarded.

“Be careful out there. Don’t let this thing take your kindness as weakness,” she said abruptly.

I paused, frowning. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She shrugged, her tone casual. “I’m just saying. It’s dangerous.”

“Like you?” I teased, raising an eyebrow.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn’t rise to the bait. “I’m serious, Ben. Just... don’t let your guard down.”

I studied her for a moment, the tension in her shoulders and the way she avoided meeting my gaze. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was really going on.

“You’re jealous,” I said, a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth.

“What?” she said, her voice rising slightly. “No, I’m not.”

“You are,” I said, crossing my arms. “You’re worried I’m going to like this entity more than you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she muttered, though her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink.

I leaned closer, my grin widening. “It’s okay, Rio. I promise, no one could replace you.”

“Shut up,” she said, shoving me lightly.

Her reaction only made me laugh.

“Just... be careful, okay?” she said, her tone softer now.

I nodded, my smile fading as the seriousness of the situation returned. “I will,” I said.

With that, I stepped out of the airship, the wind from the storm wrapping around me as I headed toward the forest.

I moved carefully, my steps light as I approached the clearing marked on the map Vale had shown me.

When I reached the clearing, I stopped, my breath catching in my throat.

She was there.

The entity stood at the center of the clearing, her figure ethereal and otherworldly. Her white hair shimmered faintly in the soft morning light, falling in loose waves past her shoulders. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and her sharp gray eyes scanned the surroundings with a detached, almost vacant expression. She wore a simple, flowing dress that seemed to ripple like water.

“Vale,” I whispered into the communicator, my voice barely audible.

“We see her,” Vale’s voice crackled softly in response. “I’m running a picture of her through the system to see if there’s any data on her… and it would appear she’s not in the database.”

“Great,” I muttered. “Any advice?”

“Talk to her,” Vale said, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

“Fantastic suggestion,” I said sarcastically.

I took a deep breath, stepping out into the clearing. The entity’s eyes shifted to me, her expression unreadable.

“Hi,” I said, raising a hand in a small wave. “I’m Ben.”

She didn’t respond, her gaze flicking over me briefly before returning to some distant point beyond the clearing.

“Okay,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “Not much of a talker, huh?”

Still no response.

I glanced back at the communicator. “Vale, she’s not exactly chatty. What do I do?”

“Keep trying,” Vale said.

“Right,” I muttered.

I turned back to the entity, trying to ignore the way her unblinking stare made my skin prickle. “So... you’re new here, huh?” I said, forcing a small smile. “Me too, kind of. I mean, I’ve never been to this island before.”

She tilted her head slightly, her expression still unreadable.

“Do you have a name?” I asked, trying a different approach.

For the first time, she reacted. She shook her head slowly, her white hair shifting with the motion.

“No name,” I said, more to myself than to her. “Well, that won’t do. Everyone needs a name.”

She blinked, her head tilting the other way as if she were considering my words.

“How about...” I trailed off, studying her. The way her hair shimmered and the soft, almost misty quality of her presence reminded me of the fog that often rolled over the island in the mornings.

“Misty,” I said finally. “How about Misty?”

Her gray eyes flicked to mine, and though her expression didn’t change, there was something in her gaze that felt like acknowledgment.

“Misty it is,” I said with a small nod. “Nice to meet you, Misty.”

She didn’t respond, but her gaze lingered on me for a moment longer before drifting back to the trees.

I crouched down a few feet away, trying to seem less imposing. “So, Misty,” I said, my tone light. “What brings you here? Just passing through, or...?”

Her silence stretched on, but I kept talking, filling the air with words in the hope that something might reach her. I told her about the island, about how quiet and peaceful it could be when there weren’t storms tearing through it. I talked about Rio and Vale and Harris, though I avoided mentioning the Rift Control Agency or the reason we were really here.

Misty didn’t react much, but I thought I saw her head tilt slightly when I mentioned the ocean.