Morning broke, and every high-ranking Sea Folk who had witnessed yesterday’s spectacle gathered to see the duel between Rein and Queen Allura. The match was set in the massive garden behind the palace, the designated stage already prepped and surrounded by guards, shields on standby in case things went sideways.
Queen Allura, however, had arrived an hour earlier. She waited serenely on a chair while sipping tea, wearing only a casual dress.
Rein and Laira were the last to arrive.
The pressure hit Rein the moment she stepped onto the stage. This was her first duel, and it was against one of the most powerful people in the world. The counselors and advisers kept their glares fixed on her, judging her every move, but Rein didn’t let them break her focus or resolve.
The queen finally rose from her chair and glided onto the stage. She was graceful and noble, as always, but a distinct excitement was obvious on her face. “Welcome, Rein. I hope you had a good rest last night,” Queen Allura said the moment she reached the platform.
“I did, thanks to Laira,” Rein responded, her expression serious and focused.
“I see… then make sure you give it your all. After all, your future is at stake,” Queen Allura taunted, a slight, challenging smile playing on her lips.
Rein remained calm and utterly focused. “Don’t worry, when it comes to magic, I always give it my all,” she countered with honest determination.
Before the official start, a guard approached Rein on the stage and returned her magic staff. Rein had assumed she lost it, but it had been in their custody all along. The moment Rein held her staff, a powerful surge of mana gathered around her, shocking everyone present.
No one had expected a human to be capable of such a feat, having completely underestimated her. But Queen Allura was different, she accepted the duel because she knew Rein was special from the start.
Overcome with excitement, Queen Allura immediately initiated an attack before the announcer could even speak. She cast multiple Aqua Bullets at Rein, causing a thick smoke cloud upon impact.
“R-Rein!” Laira shrieked with worry.
Thick smoke covered the stage, obscuring the result. Everyone watching assumed Rein had been instantly defeated by a single attack. But as the smoke dispersed, Rein appeared completely unscathed. She had managed to create a water barrier just in time.
Queen Allura’s eyes sparkled. Someone who could actually fight back had finally appeared. Since becoming queen and the Chosen One, she had grown bored with a life where no one dared to challenge or oppose her. That is about to change right now.
“That’s the spirit, Rein! Show me what a human witch from the surface can do!” She called out, vibrating with excitement.
Rein launched her counterattack. The moment she dispelled her water barrier, she bombarded the queen with the same spell.
[Water Magic: Aqua Bullet]
Queen Allura cast her own Aqua Bullets to shoot down Rein’s attack. Both released the exact same number of projectiles, resulting in a perfect cancellation of each other’s spells.
“Let’s see who runs out of juice first,” Queen Allura taunted playfully.
Initially, they were perfectly matched, but as the exchange dragged on, Queen Allura started gaining a slight edge. The moment she found an opening, she stopped her current offensive spell and channeled her energy into a much bigger, stronger attack.
[Water Magic: Aqua Cannon]
She conjured a gigantic ball of water and launched it at Rein. The attack was so devastatingly powerful that it left a massive crater on the stage upon impact. Rein, however, managed to dodge the attack by quickly creating a water bubble underneath her. She popped it, using the force to propel herself high into the air.
Queen Allura was in the middle of preparing another spell when she noticed water droplets falling onto her dress. This immediately caught her attention, and she looked up. Towering directly above her was a colossal glacier. Rein had been secretly preparing the spell while they were exchanging Aqua Bullet blows. Before the queen could finish channeling her spell, Rein unleashed the attack, dropping the huge glacier directly onto her.
The glacier shattered upon impact, creating a second, even thicker cloud of smoke on the stage. Everyone watching gasped, assuming Queen Allura had been struck.
Rein landed on the ground after her aerial maneuver. She focused intently on the dispersing smoke, watching every angle where the Queen might attack or appear.
Before the smoke could even clear, a spinning circular blade made of water came hurtling toward Rein. It was too fast for her to cast a defensive spell, so she instantly dove to her right to dodge. She evaded the hit, but only just barely. The tip of the water blade sliced her shoulder, drawing blood. To stop the bleed, she quickly froze the open wound with ice magic. She was still recovering when the queen followed up with another attack.
Rein thought she was still a safe distance away, but to her shock, Queen Allura was suddenly mere feet in front of her. Rein quickly questioned how the Queen had closed the gap so fast. Thanks to her incredibly observant eyes, she spotted tiny bubbles and trails of ice coming from the queen's feet. She realized that this was how the queen had dodged the glacier and how she was able to move with such insane agility.
As soon as the queen closed the distance, she conjured a massive hammer made of pure ice and swung it, aiming to smash Rein like a nail. Rein managed to create a water barrier just in time, but it shattered the instant the ice hammer connected. The impact was so strong it created a visible shockwave that everyone felt, and the platform Rein was standing on cracked under the force.
Rein knew she stood no chance against Queen Allura at close range. Thinking quickly, she created a thick chunk of ice and violently propelled the queen away, desperate to regain distance.
Rein’s spell left a huge, jagged chunk of ice embedded in the stage and successfully pushed the queen back. Yet, the queen didn't have a single scratch. In fact, she simply stood perfectly still, balanced on the tip of the huge chunk of ice Rein created, seemingly just to intimidate her and emphasize the immense power gap between them.
Huff Huff
Rein was already exhausted from simultaneously channeling spells, but the queen hadn't even broken a sweat. The difference between them was staggering, but Rein’s conviction and resolve didn’t waver. If anything, she was more determined than ever.
“Don’t give up on me yet, Rein. We haven’t even gotten to the best part,” Queen Allura said, her voice brimming with excitement.
With the distance now established, Rein quickly gathered more mana around her, preparing to launch an even more powerful attack. Queen Allura noticed the buildup and instantly rushed the attack again. She increased her agility by creating water jets underneath her feet, leaving the familiar bubbles and ice trails, and used the huge ice chunk as a launching platform.
Rein once again created a water barrier for defense, but Queen Allura was ready for this move. Instead of aiming magic projectiles, she created a flexible water whip and wrapped it tightly around the water barrier. With a powerful motion, she flung Rein hundreds of meters off the stage.
Rein went flying, only stopping abruptly when she slammed into a massive concrete wall surrounding the palace. The wall was destroyed on impact, and the shattered water barrier fell to the ground alongside the debris. Rein suffered bruises and minor broken bones, but nothing severe.
Rein didn’t even have enough time to recover, but she could already feel Queen Allura’s powerful presence closing in rapidly. She had been thrown hundreds of meters away, yet the queen managed to catch up in mere seconds. Rein was exhausted and at her wits’ end, but she still had one ace up her sleeve. She immediately struggled to her feet to face the queen again. Despite all her injuries, her resolve and determination were unbreakable.
The queen’s footsteps grew louder. “Just admit defeat and you won’t get hurt anymore. But I guess that’s not what you want, is it?” Queen Allura asked menacingly as she emerged from the shadows of the destroyed wall.
“I will never admit defeat,” Rein responded with total conviction.
“Good. Because I’d be very disappointed if you did,” Queen Allura said, a thrill running through her voice. She immediately conjured another offensive spell.
[Ice Magic: Spear Frost]
She created multiple spears made of ice, but before she could launch them, Rein managed to create a thick mist to impair the queen’s vision and conceal her exact location. Even with her vision blocked, the queen launched her ice spears toward where she estimated Rein was standing. The force of her attack immediately dispersed the mist, but instead of finding Rein defeated on the ground, she saw multiple copies of her scattered all across the field.
[Mist Magic: Mirror Mirage]
Rein had created multiple illusions of herself to distract the queen. Each of her mist illusions ran in different directions to confuse Queen Allura even further.
Instead of being intimidated, the queen merely smirked. “It doesn’t matter how many of you there are. I’ll just have to attack them all at once,” Queen Allura declared coolly.
She created another set of ice spears and launched them, aiming for every single copy of Rein. Even though the illusions were moving, Queen Allura’s accuracy was spot on. She assumed one of them had to be the real body, but to her surprise, all of them vanished, they were all illusions.
For the first time in the duel, the queen felt a flicker of nervousness. She had no idea where the real Rein could be hiding. She tried locating Rein by feeling her magical presence, but it was already too late: Rein had managed to sneak directly behind her. Queen Allura was utterly shocked. It should have been impossible for Rein to sneak up on her in such a short period of time. But upon spinning around, she noticed the familiar bubbles and ice trails forming underneath Rein’s feet and instantly realized how she did it.
“I-impossible! How could you copy such a complicated spell just by seeing it the first time?” Queen Allura exclaimed in genuine shock.
“I guess I’m just blessed with good eyesight,” Rein retorted with a touch of sarcasm.
Queen Allura quickly created a water barrier to defend against Rein’s inevitable spell, but it proved ineffective. Rein pointed her staff toward the queen and cast a new spell.
[Light Magic: Extinguishing Ray]
Rein shot a ray of light directly at Queen Allura, completely bypassing her water barrier. After a long, brutal fight, Rein had finally landed a hit. The queen, caught entirely off guard by the use of a different type of magic, was stunned. Rein’s attack managed to graze the queen’s cheek, ear, and hair. Rein purposely missed the vital spots, sticking to the duel’s goal of forcing a concession.
No one had ever taught Rein Light Magic, but her previous fight with Rom, one of the Featherlight's elite guards, allowed her to understand its magical composition and instantly copy it. She was a true magical prodigy. She also cleverly used the fact that the spell completely bypasses water magic defenses, turning the queen’s natural advantage against her.
The queen immediately leaped away to gain distance, temporarily patching the minor wounds she received by freezing them with ice magic. Instead of being overcome with fear, Queen Allura’s excitement was amplified even more. “You just never cease to surprise me, Rein. I knew the moment I laid eyes on you that you’re special,” she complimented, her voice sincere.
She then extended a hand toward Rein, offering a once-in-a-lifetime deal. “Why don’t you stay here instead and become my one and only apprentice? I can teach you everything and make you the greatest witch anyone has ever seen. With me by your side, I promise to give you the world.”
Rein fixed her composure and didn’t hesitate to answer. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to refuse your offer, Queen Allura. I already found my world, my family, and I’d do anything to get back to them,” she answered wholeheartedly.
Queen Allura retracted her hand, disappointment clearly washing over her face. “Don’t make me laugh! Family? You don’t need them at all! In fact, family is what will hold you back and turn on you! Families are the reason why you’ll never achieve your dreams!” She responded with a hint of deep anger and regret.
It was the first time Rein had sensed such profound vulnerability in the queen. Her words carried deep, heavy feelings. “I see now… so that’s why I’m feeling such deep emotions when I look into your eyes,” Rein sympathized. “Is that also the reason why you completely avoid and ignore your daughter’s wishes? Because you never got to live yours?”
Rein’s question struck home. Her words left the queen frozen in shock. Different emotions surged within her, but ultimately, pure anger and hatred won out. The air around her suddenly grew heavy, and her normally pure magical presence became tainted by her negative emotions.
“Don’t act like you know me at all!” Queen Allura snarled fiercely.
Naia, the Titan, immediately materialized, trying to talk sense into the queen and calm her down. “M-my queen, please calm down. If you release too much magical presence, things might get out of hand!” Naia warned nervously.
“Silence! You are only allowed to talk when I tell you to!” The queen snapped harshly.
Rein immediately adopted a defensive stance, knowing that things were about to get seriously dangerous.
The queen resumed the duel by unleashing a brutal attack, summoning sharp Ice Spikes from underneath the ground. Rein wanted to reassess the situation by gaining distance, so she dodged the spikes by creating water jets underneath her feet, increasing her speed to fly away.
The queen chased her, doing the exact same thing.
The two raced across the palace grounds, exchanging spells and blows. Their magical clash created massive destruction and loud tremors that could be felt all across Lazuli. They were evenly matched in speed and power for a short time, but as the chase wore on, Rein quickly fell behind due to exhaustion. She was struggling immensely because Queen Allura’s attacks had become significantly stronger and heavier after their emotional exchange. It didn’t take long before Rein was cornered and backed against a wall.
“No more running. Let’s end this once and for all!” Queen Allura declared, readying her final attack.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Rein responded, bracing herself.
Queen Allura conjured a monstrous chunk of ice, the size of a full-grown whale, shaped into a gigantic spike. Rein, on the other hand, gathered as much mana as she could around her, preparing the ultimate magic that had once defeated the evil head witch, Helen.
The queen launched her colossal ice spell at Rein. Rein was about to cast her ultimate counter-spell when Laira suddenly appeared around a corner nearby. Laira knew things had become too serious, she had stepped up to try and stop the fight for good.
“Please, stop! No more of this nonsense fight, Mother! At least once in your life, listen to me!” She screamed, tears and snot streaming down her face.
Rein and Queen Allura had no intention of stopping, but then something happened that changed everything. A crystal chandelier directly above Laira, damaged earlier by their spell exchange, couldn’t hold on any longer and suddenly fell. Laira was too slow to notice, and she didn't have the speed or ability to dodge.
The world seemed to slow down for Rein as she watched Laira plummet into mortal danger. Rein instantly dispelled her ultimate magic at the last second and instead prioritized protecting Laira by casting a powerful water barrier around her. Rein managed to save Laira’s life, but at the cost of her own safety. She didn’t have the time or strength left to defend herself from the colossal ice spike hurtling directly toward her.
Thankfully, Queen Allura witnessed the entire scene and instantly realized the gravity of the situation. With her precise control of her power, she managed to stop her massive spell before it reached Rein. The attack froze in mid-air, and Queen Allura dispelled it, causing the gigantic ice spike to vanish. The ice had been mere centimeters away from Rein. If Queen Allura hadn’t stopped it, Rein would have been instantly obliterated. Queen Allura stood in shock, realizing she had nearly ended the life of the very person who had just saved her daughter.
Huff Huff
After confirming Laira's safety, Rein dispelled the water barrier. Immediately afterward, her legs gave out from sheer exhaustion. Laira, having seen Rein’s sacrifice, rushed to her side.
Rein lay on the ground, and Laira carefully lifted her head and placed it on her lap.
“Why did you do that! A-are you crazy? You could have died!” Laira cried out angrily, her worry and concern plastered all over her face.
“You saved my life too, remember? Let’s just say we’re even now, tee-hee,” Rein responded genuinely, forcing a weak smile.
“You really are crazy, aren’t you?” Laira said, smiling through her tears as she wiped her eyes.
While they were talking, a massive seaquake suddenly occurred out of nowhere, followed by a loud, monstrous scream. They knew something was terribly wrong, and their duel was instantly put on hold. Queen Allura rushed out of the castle to see what was happening. Laira, carrying Rein over her shoulder, followed to check the situation as well.
Upon arriving outside, they saw people scattered everywhere, panicking. Outside the enormous dome protecting Lazuli, a massive kraken, half the size of the entire city, was wreaking havoc. It was trying to destroy the dome, repeatedly smashing it with its enormous tentacles. The Kraken was terrifying: unbelievably huge, with dark, rough skin covered in small spikes.
Chaos erupted across the city due to the kraken’s sudden appearance. Upon seeing their queen, the counselors and advisers immediately gathered around her to relay the current situation.
“M-my queen, how is this possible? The kraken isn’t supposed to wake up for another decade!” One of the advisers pointed out, completely hysterical.
“The Kraken is highly sensitive to strong magical presence. Our duel must have awoken the beast from its deep slumber, and now it’s confused and enraged,” Queen Allura assessed.
“What do we do, my queen? If this keeps up, Lazuli will be in danger! If that beast destroys the dome, the sea water will rush in and destroy all the houses and structures!” One of the counselors shrieked in panic.
Queen Allura was overwhelmed by everything unfolding at once, but even amidst the chaos, she remained perfectly calm and composed to set an example for her people. Using her voice and powerful presence, she managed to calm everyone who was gripped by fear and panic. “Listen, my people! I will not let anything happen to our home! I will deal with the beast myself, but in the meantime, focus on evacuating all of our citizens to a safe place!” She instructed with grace and complete finesse.
Everyone who heard the queen’s command instantly felt their confidence surge. They had complete faith in her power. Without hesitation, everyone followed her instructions, rushing back into the city to help evacuate their citizens as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Queen Allura prepared herself to face the kraken head-on. She was confident she could defeat an enormous creature like the kraken with her power as a Chosen One, but her core fear was that using her full power near Lazuli would shatter the dome. Her own strength might become the cause of her city’s destruction, not the kraken.
The magical dome was ancient, designed to protect the city from the crushing sea pressure and repel threats. It could only withstand a certain amount of force before shattering, which would allow the ocean to rush in and destroy everything. The Queen knew she had to prevent this at all costs.
Even under immense pressure, Queen Allura maintained a clear mind and formulated a plan. She needed to grab the kraken's attention and lure it as far away from the city as possible. Once she had sufficient distance, she could safely unleash her powers as Chosen one to defeat it without causing casualties in Lazuli.
The dome already had visible cracks from the kraken’s earlier attacks, and she couldn't risk the force of her magic causing further damage. Time was running out, leaving her no choice but to commit to the risky plan.
Queen Allura was about to leave when Rein suddenly approached her, offering assistance. Rein had noticed how dire the situation was. “Please, let me assist you.”
“I cannot accept your offer. This is my kingdom, and it is my sole responsibility to protect it,” Queen Allura firmly stated.
She left immediately before Rein could argue further. She froze the moisture in the air, creating a rapidly ascending staircase of ice that led out towards the kraken’s location. The moment she neared the creature, Queen Allura created multiple chunks of giant ice and hurled them at the kraken to get its attention.
“Over here, you overgrown octopus!” Queen Allura yelled, successfully irritating the kraken and drawing its attack away from the dome and onto her. She passed through the dome and swam away as fast as she could to lure the kraken further from the city. Her plan worked, and the Kraken followed her. Sea Folks are naturally fast swimmers, which allowed the queen to easily outpace the kraken despite its enormous size.
Even though Rein had been turned down, she refused to give up and searched for ways she could help. Everything around her was in shambles, but the growing crack on the dome stood out the most. The fissure was expanding little by little, and Rein realized that if nothing was done, the dome would be destroyed even without the kraken’s help.
“Laira, I-I have to do something. I just can’t sit here and watch your home get destroyed,” Rein said, her voice heavy with determination.
“Are you out of your mind?!? You’re already exhausted! What can you possibly do in your current state?” Laira responded, horrified.
“I know you’ve already done so much for me, but I need your help again. I can’t move my legs right now. Please help me get close to the dome. If I can analyze its magic composition, I might be able to recreate the spell and repair the cracks,” Rein explained, her determination absolute.
“Are you sure about this? That dome is an ancient spell created by our ancestors. Even my mother can’t recreate it,” Laira cautioned.
“I still have to try. Please, Laira, you’re the only one I can ask,” Rein begged.
“Ugh… you know I can’t say no to you, right?” Laira sighed, but her tone was genuinely warm and supportive. She carefully lifted Rein onto her back and used the ice staircase Queen Allura had created earlier to reach the dome. It took time, but as soon as they reached the barrier, Rein immediately placed her hands on the dome and began analyzing its complex magic composition.
Rein was sweating heavily. This was the most complicated spell she had ever encountered. She grasped the initial composition, but the deeper she delved, the harder it became until she hit an impenetrable wall.
“N-no, t-this can’t be. This can’t be the end!” Rein shouted in frustrated despair. She continued her analysis, but no matter how hard she focused, she couldn’t connect the final pieces.
Frustration and self-doubt completely overtook her.
Laira watched Rein’s fierce struggle and dedication, and it inspired her. She might be bad at magic, but her voice was her strength. “The Rein I know is stubborn and never gives up easily. I know you can do this. Believe in yourself the way the people around you believe in you,” Laira assured her.
Pouring her whole heart into the moment, Laira started singing softly and beautifully to calm Rein's mind. Hearing her song, all negative thoughts vanished. Rein’s mind felt clear, as if she were resting in a peaceful field of flowers.
With Laira's help, Rein resumed analyzing the dome, but this time, her determination was even stronger. Her mind was so clear that she felt like she had entered a trance. Slowly, all the missing pieces of the puzzle emerged, and finally, she successfully analyzed the dome’s magic composition completely.
“I got it!” Rein shouted triumphantly.
“Tee-hee, I knew you could,” Laira responded with complete trust.
Rein immediately gathered all the mana she could get, ready to start repairing the cracks in the dome.
While this was happening, Queen Allura was successful in luring the kraken to a safe distance. She was about to call upon Naia, the Titan of Sea, when the kraken suddenly shifted its attention back to Lazuli. The kraken was highly sensitive to strong magical presence, and it had felt Rein’s powerful mana surge from miles away, drawing it back to the city.
Queen Allura’s plan was compromised.
“N-no!” She shouted in panic. She swam back as fast as she could, chasing the kraken and attempting to regain its attention by attacking it with spells, but they were ineffective. It didn’t take long before the kraken arrived back at Lazuli.
Everyone saw the colossal kraken about to smash into the dome, causing widespread panic. Their hearts pounded as they faced a life-ending threat. Queen Allura, swimming frantically behind the beast, was the most panicked of all, watching her city and people about to be destroyed before her eyes.
“Oh God, Oh god, it’s coming back! Hurry up!” Laira yelled, panicking beside Rein.
Even with the enormous threat looming, Rein didn’t falter and maintained total focus. She kept gathering massive amounts of mana, pushing past exhaustion, until she had enough power to repair the cracks in the dome.
Rein was ready to cast the enormous spell at any moment, but before she did, she shouted something that snapped the queen back to reality. “Queen Allura! No more holding back!”
Queen Allura met Rein’s eyes, which were full of hope and pure determination, and she instantly understood the intent behind her words. Rein’s voice brought her back to her composure. “You really never cease to amaze me,” she said, a huge, genuine smile breaking through her fear.
“Naia, Titan of Sea and Tranquility… heed your queen’s command. ‘Soul Merge!’”
“Your wish is my command,” Naia responded, his voice elegant. He entered Queen Allura’s heart, and the transformation into their awakened state began.
Everything fell still. Then, without warning, a soft pulse of azure light radiated from her chest.
The water around her shimmered, trembling in response. Her long, dark blue hair began to rise and shift, extending like flowing ink through the water, glowing faintly with woven strands of silver.
A second, more powerful pulse erupted. Her simple dress disintegrated into mist and in its place, a new form materialized: long, flowing garments of sheer azure fabric, layered like shells beneath the ocean floor. Her natural crystalline scales gleamed brighter, refracting the light around her. The fins behind her hands and feet sharpened, glowing with an ethereal edge.
As the transformation reached its peak, the sea around her lit up in a soft blue glow, waves circling her in a spiraling vortex.
Then, her eyes opened, bright and glowing with the fury and grace of the tide.
Unlike the other Chosen Ones, Queen Allura had full control over her awakened form due to extensive formal training. Her already vast amount of power and mana skyrocketed, making her a true magical goddess. She wasted no time, betting everything on her trust in Rein.
[Water Magic: Rising Vortex]
With her magic, Queen Allura summoned an immensely powerful whirlpool, larger than the kraken itself. The colossal vortex was so overwhelming that it sent the kraken spinning all the way down to the deepest part of the sea, with no hope of ever emerging again.
Queen Allura’s spell caused the cracks in the dome to expand dramatically, but before it could shatter and destroy the city, Rein recreated the enormous spell used to create the original dome and repaired all the cracks simultaneously, making the barrier look brand new again. Rein only managed to pull off such an impossible feat because Lazuli was so incredibly rich in mana.
With their combined strength, Lazuli and its people were finally safe. Queen Allura immediately detransformed and swam back inside the dome. Laira rushed to carry Rein back to the palace. Rein was utterly exhausted and on the verge of passing out from channeling such a massive spell. She collapsed to the ground, her head resting on Laira’s lap.
Queen Allura approached her and deeply bowed her head. “Not only did you save my daughter’s life, but also my people and my Kingdom. You have my deepest gratitude.”
Instead of getting angry that their queen bowed to a mere human, the counselors, advisers, guards, attendants, maids, and citizens all bowed their heads toward Rein as well, showing their profound gratitude.
Rein was deeply happy that she was able to help them. She then remembered that her duel against the queen hadn’t technically ended, but she didn’t have the strength to continue. “Queen Allura, I’m sorry, but can we resume our duel next time?” She asked weakly.
“No need, Rein. I admit defeat,” Queen Allura responded genuinely, her voice soft.
“Tee-hee, is that so? I-I’m gl-” Before Rein could finish her sentence, she finally passed out from exhaustion.
While Rein slept, Lazuli began its rehabilitation. It took days to fix all the damage caused by the duel and the kraken’s attack.
Five days passed, and Rein finally woke up from her deep slumber.
“Welcome back, Rein,” Laira greeted, sitting on the bed beside her, having waited for her to wake up.
“I’m back,” Rein responded happily.
“Come with me. My mother is waiting for you. She has something important to say,” Laira informed her.
Rein agreed without asking why. After she ate and bathed, she proceeded to the location Laira had told her. She found the Queen sitting on a bench made from a giant shell, sipping tea and reading a book. She was on a balcony covered with white flowing curtains, overlooking a full view of Lazuli.
Queen Allura didn’t even need to turn around to know Rein was nearby. “Come sit with me,” she offered gently.
Rein felt awkward at first, but she eventually sat beside the Queen.
“Tea?” Queen Allura offered.
“I’d love to,” Rein responded. She was still pouring tea into her cup when Queen Allura opened the conversation.
“You know… what you said to me during our duel still lingers in my thoughts. You were right about me. I wasn’t able to live my dream because of my family, and I hated them for it. I never wanted to be a queen, and I never asked to be a chosen one, but I had no choice because my family insisted. I grew bitter and resentful of my bloodline because of it. If not for our duel, I wouldn’t have realized that I’ve already been doing the exact same thing to my one and only daughter. Her hatred toward me probably already hit the breaking point,” Queen Allura confessed. Her words felt heavy, but deeply genuine.
“Queen Allura, Laira never hated you. All she ever wanted was to be listened to. She just wanted her voice to reach you because she knows that, just like her, you’re hurting too,” Rein assured her.
The Queen smiled gently after hearing what Rein said. “I know. I realize that now. Thank you for telling me, Rein,” Queen Allura responded sincerely.
“I’m glad you finally came to that realization, Queen Allura,” Rein responded.
“Of course, it would be embarrassing if I didn’t. I’m a grown-up, after all,” Queen Allura said with a hint of dry sarcasm. She then shifted the conversation. “Because you won our duel, I promise to uphold our agreement. A Queen’s promise is absolute so tell me, Rein, what is it that you wish for?” She asked.
Rein considered the request seriously, but only one powerful wish came to mind. “Queen Allura, please grant Laira’s wish of one day becoming a singer and performer on the surface,” she said, without a trace of regret.
Queen Allura was shocked by the request. She had been absolutely certain Rein would wish for her assistance to stop the great catastrophe, but the wish had nothing to do with it. The Queen couldn’t help but laugh out loud, amazed by how interesting and unpredictable Rein was.
“You just keep on surprising me day after day,” Queen Allura said happily. “You’re right. The cycle of hatred and loneliness must end right here, right now. Rein, I grant Laira, my daughter, the opportunity to chase her dream,” she confirmed.
“Tee-hee, thank you, Queen Allura.”
“I can’t promise you that I’ll be able to work together with the other Chosen Ones, but I promise you this: in the next solar eclipse, when the great catastrophe strikes, I swear on my life that I will lend you my strength to help stop the Titans,” Queen Allura assured her, her tone grave and sincere.
“Tee-hee, that’s more than enough,” Rein responded happily.
“You know, there’s still a lot of time before the next solar eclipse. My offer still stands. While my people are preparing for the great catastrophe, I can take you under my wing and teach you how to be more efficient in magic. You are already an exceptional witch, but there’s always room for improvement. What do you say?” Queen Allura offered, giving Rein a sincere, powerful opportunity.
Rein longed to see her family again, but she knew they would reunite one day. She decided to take the opportunity of a lifetime: to be trained by a Chosen One herself. “I’m honored to accept your offer,” she responded wholeheartedly.
Even separated from her family, Rein had successfully persuaded a Chosen One into helping their cause. They were now one crucial step closer to uniting the Chosen Ones and stopping the impending catastrophe.
