A month has passed since Eska fell into that hole.
She walks beside Oblea, her steps heavy, her gaze fixed on the forest floor, lips pressed together in something close to a pout. The quiet stretches between them, thick with unspoken frustration.
Oblea breaks the silence first. "What's wrong?"
Eska glances up at her, a slight frown breaking through. "I don't even know Marina... Why do I have to go? I think what you're teaching me is enough."
Oblea smiles, shaking her head. "It might be enough for the forest, Eska. But there is so much more out there you don't know. Things even I don't know." She turns her gaze forward, her voice steady. "She's going to teach you things I can't teach you."
Eska lets out a small, angry hum, crossing her arms tight against her chest.
Oblea laughs, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her in. "Oh, stop fussing, you little baby. It's just like going to school. Every kid in the city does it." She gives her a playful shake. "You're fussing now, but you're going to love it."
They reach Marina's cave, though not through the entrance Eska remembers.
The path winds through a narrow, dark passage. The flickering glow of distant torches barely cuts through the gloom until the passage finally opens into the main room.
Bookshelves line the walls, packed with worn tomes and loose pages. Chairs are scattered about, some neatly arranged, others left as if their occupants had just stepped away. Braziers smolder with a steady glow, casting long shadows against the cave's pillars, where torches burn in their iron sconces.
At the center, Marina stands, a book in her one remaining hand.
Eska flinches. Her breath catches as she takes in Marina's massive frame—towering, imposing.
The missing arm, the empty space where an eye should be, the deep scars running across her features. The unnatural shape of her entire body.
She swallows hard, glancing at Oblea, but her mother is already moving forward. Without hesitation, she steps up to Marina and embraces her, the warmth of the gesture so natural, so unafraid, that Eska almost doubts what she's seeing.
Oblea's hands settling gently on Eska's shoulders as she leans in, whispering, "It's alright. I won't let anything happen to you, ok?"
Eska nods slowly, but her gaze flickers back to Marina. The unease doesn't leave, but she forces herself to step forward.
Marina turns toward her, closing her book. "Ah, the new student." She smiles, almost impossibly gentle.
Then, she looks at Oblea, who lets out a sigh. "I'll be waiting outside."
Eska's gaze snaps to her mother, her eyes wide in shock. She's leaving her here?
Oblea meets her stare and gives her a reassuring look. "It's okay, Eska. I know it's scary, but it will be okay." She turns and walks out without hesitation.
Eska stiffens, her heart hammering as she slowly turns back to Marina.
The woman leans down slightly, tilting her head. "How about we start with something simple? I'll show you how to read, maybe some math." She beckons her to follow and turns.
As she moves, her tail shifts, long and sinuous, curling against the stone floor.
Eska catches sight of it. Her stomach twists. Instinct kicks in before reason—she takes several steps back, her arms wrapping around her chest, as if trying to hold herself together.
Marina turns back, blinking in slight confusion. "I didn't take you for a scaredy cat." Her smile shifts, more amused now.
"No."
Marina's expression drops slightly.
"No!" Eska's voice cracks as she shouts, her eyes squeezing shut. Then, without thinking, she bolts in the opposite direction.
She doesn't even make it to the entrance before she sees Marina already there.
"Honey, that's—"
Eska skids to a stop, changes direction, and bolts toward another door. She slams it open, sprinting through the dim hallway.
Another room comes into view—books, more piles of them stacked high. She barely has time to register it before spotting Marina to the side, waving at her with that same smile.
Eska startles and pivots, running in the opposite direction.
Again. And again.
Every hallway, every door, every turn—Marina is already there. No matter how fast she runs, no matter how she twists through the corridors, she can't shake her. She keeps finding herself in different rooms, different spaces—but Marina is always waiting.
Then, she spots it—a corridor with light at the end. Daylight.
She doesn't think. She just runs.
Her feet pound against the stone as she makes a break for it. This time, somehow, she makes it out.
She gasps for breath and turns back toward the cave, but—it isn't there.
Just jagged rock.
She spins, ready to run again and there is Marina, waiting for her.
The forest. She knows the forest. She can lose her there.
She pushes forward, darting between trees, leaping over roots and tangled brush. But no matter where she turns, Marina is there.
Eska keeps running until she reaches a cliff. Her breath comes in sharp, ragged gasps. She whips her head around, searching for another escape.
There is nowhere to go.
Behind her, Marina's voice. "Eska?"
She lowers herself to the ground, arms wrapping around her knees.
"No!" she shouts, her voice raw. "Just leave us alone!"
Marina's heavy steps slowly close in. She stops just beside Eska before shifting slightly, lowering herself to sit on the ground. A few seconds pass in silence before she finally speaks.
"I haven't been out of that cave in centuries. I had forgotten how the forest even looked like."
Eska doesn't move. She keeps her face buried inside her arms, blocking out the world, blocking her out.
Marina's voice comes again, calm, gentle. "I know I look scary. Like something you should run from without questioning it." She lets out a soft chuckle. "Your mom tried to fight me to get to you when I found you."
Eska peeks through her arms.
"She's pretty tough, I've got to say. Not many people can assess a situation like that so fast. I'd say you have a pretty good teacher."
Eska quickly hides her face again. Her voice comes out muffled. "Then why do I need you for?"
Marina chuckles again, her tone light. "Did you know the stars you see at night are just like the sun you see every day?"
Eska flinches.
"The light from the moon is actually the sun reflecting off it from the other side of the entiiiire planet."
Eska peeks out again, curiosity tugging at her despite herself.
"And the ocean? Imagine a forest, but instead of trees, there's nothing but water all around. How about mountains that stretch beyond even the clouds."
Eska lifts her head slightly, her brows furrowed in frustration.
Marina turns toward her, offering a small, gentle smile. "Your mom wants this for you. She wants you to know all sorts of things. Not just because she wants you to learn random facts about the world, but because she wants you to understand it."
She holds Eska's gaze. "It's a difficult world, Eska. Your mom has told you as much. Especially for someone with your unique talents. Talents that others want to see erased."
Eska tenses. The words sit heavy in her chest. Her voice comes out softer now. "The church..."
Marina nods. "Exactly. Your mom has already given up so much for you. I believe this is a great way to give back. And who knows, maybe one day you'll be able to learn magic yourself."
Eska stiffens. Magic. The word grips her, pulling at something deep inside. Curiosity. Longing.
She tries to keep her expression neutral, but the thought burrows in, impossible to ignore. Could she really learn it?
Her breath quickens. A slight tremor runs through her fingers. She forces them still, tightening her grip around her arms. She shouldn't care. She shouldn't want this.
But she does.
And that frustrates her more than anything.
Her chest tightens as she struggles to push the feeling down, to bury the spark of eagerness before it shows. But it's already too late.
Her toes wiggle in her boots as she looks to the side.
"I can... probably learn a few things..." she mutters. She pauses, taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly.
"If it'll help Mom..."