The day flew by, the winter Sun hurriedly circling the sky like prey chased by a predator. Soon, another sunset marked the arrival of the night. For a while, none on the Lady Veronica would see another dusk. As such, those who could, absorbed as much of that magical atmosphere. They tried to burn the warmth of sunlight and the smell of fresh air in their memories. They knew that, where they were going, they would miss both.

"The Fog!" A sailor screamed from the top of the crow's nest. "I see the Wall of Fog!"

After hearing their crewmate's voice, many seamen paused in their tracks and anxiously turned their heads northward. Rall had felt the tension in the air since his arrival on deck. The usually cheerful crew had been eerily quiet, their steps heavier, their work sloppier.

The truth was that, even though every single person on the Lady Veronica knew where the expedition headed, fighting fears so deep-seated was never easy. Since childhood, the people of the northern coast of the Continent had heard of this place. The misty edge behind which was nothing but death and despair.

Their parents had taught them prayers to delay the arrival of the Fog, and it was common practice to recite them every day - so who in their right mind would choose to go in there themselves? That was the reason that Admiral Conrad Alexander Delaux had become such a legend. He was the daring hero who had put the Empire before his safety to ensure that the Second Great War was won. Who would not admire him?

Rall heard a couple of sturdy-looking lizardfolk take in deep breaths. He looked at Tui, her face too contorted in concern.

A voice rose over the tension, coming high from the helm of the three-masted ship.

"Brothers and sisters! Do not fear the clouded wall!" Shouted Conrad, unable to hide the hint of excitement in his voice. "Have I not promised a way through? Have I not told you of the land beyond? All those riches, just waiting for someone to plunder them! If you have forgotten, heed my words once more. The gods are my witnesses when I say that you have no reason to fear!"

Their Captain's words eased a bit of the crew's tension. They remembered why they were here, why they had chosen to follow that man. As for Rall, he shook his head. He makes all those promises, yet it's all on my shoulders...

He felt a comforting touch on his shoulders. Tui stood beside him, trying to mask her doubts under a beautiful smile. "I will be here. I promise."

"This all feels so unreal. If we do not make it-"

"We will," interrupted the mermaid.

"Yes, but if we don't. I want to say I am sorry. That day, at the Opal Palace. I should not have insisted on taking you. Look where you ended up because of me..."

In response, Tui grabbed him by both shoulders and turned him to face her. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't apologize."

"But I-"

She put an index finger on his lips. "You should not apologize. You followed your instincts. Who knows, maybe Ra Ma would have killed me after your escape, or maybe worse..."

"But what about your sister?!" Rall said apologetically.

"She... she will be fine. She is a strong mermaid, surely stronger than me. Would I prefer to be with her to protect her? Sure. But, as I am, I would be able to. Instead, now I have a chance. I will become more powerful, then find a way back to the Floating Isles of Motu Rere and save her. Isn't that similar to your dream? Don't you have to become powerful enough to find the truth about your parents?"

"It's... not that easy," muttered the boy.

"Rall, I have seen you kill an Inquisitor with one spell of light magic. Do you understand that? It should not be possible."

His head lowered, different thoughts entangling in his mind. "..."

"Listen, I don't like echoing that old man's words, but you should not be scared. Your potential is unlimited, don't waste it on useless doubts. And do not try to apologize ever again. My father used to say that if you still have breath to waste in the word 'sorry', you also have enough to do better. Use it as motivation. If you fail here, I die too. Then you will never be able to make it up to me."

He raised his head and crossed eyes with her. They stood there in silence for a while, then he nodded. She nodded back, her smile now brighter.

With the tail of their eyes, the two mages noticed the crew around them react to something. Their gazes moved north in response. It was like a dark cloud was resting on the sea, a colossal giant of mist, sleeping, waiting patiently for its next sortie. It was as if the Fog was breathing, rhythmically expanding and contracting. Thus, the edge looked more like the side of a slithering serpent than an actual wall, going back and forth in slow but persistent waves.

"By the way, I have never asked. Do you see them too?" Said Rall to Tui, pointing at the Fog. Everywhere on the Wall, Rall saw the same spectral hands and maws that he had observed every time he had entered the Fog.

"Do I see what?" Answered the mermaid light mage in confusion.

"The ghosts."

"The ghosts?"

"I guess you don't see them either," he shook his head. "Maybe I am just crazy..."

"What are you talking abou-"

Before she could finish, Conrad approached them. He sported a big smile and the attitude of a proud father. "Are you ready, Rall? There's no backing out now. It's sink or swim."

Rall nodded, moving the conversation about the ghosts to the back of his mind. He and Tui walked to the center of the bridge, a designated spot signaled by a large cross carved on the wooden planks of the deck. The crew got out of their way, silently watching as they sat cross-legged in the middle of the cross. They gave each other one last look, then closed their eyes.

These past days, Rall had tried to maintain a Lighthouse large enough to contain the whole ship. He never succeeded, collapsing in a matter of minutes every time. That is why he and Tui had come up with a solution, though an untested, theoretical one. Their idea was that if Tui were able to synchronize the frequency of her Lighthouse with Rall's, she would be able to supply him with the energy he was missing. And if Conrad had been honest about the Fog parting way around the white dome, then it would be smooth sailing from there.

The Lady Veronica inched closer and closer to the Fog, ignorant of the great danger ahead. "Two miles away!" Shouted the observer from the top of the highest of the three masts.

"Good. Ok, lads. Hoist up the sails, call everyone on the bridge, and make your prayers!" Ordered Conrad. The crew received the order silently. Distracting the light mages now meant sabotaging the whole expedition. And dying, there was that too.

"Through the night and through the mist," Rall and Tui recited in unison. Their voices did not overlap as Tui's incantation felt more like a song of exotic origins than the familiar formula.

"... let those who see our heavenly light seek salvation in our Lighthouse." The two Fairylights lazily danced in the air, drawing circles around the two light mages like a golden and white halo. However, a keen eye would notice that their speeds were not quite the same, soon breaking the illusion as they got closer together.

"...May their souls be at ease under our protection," Rall's voice rose, while Tui's lowered. The two met in a middle tone, and they perfectly fused for the last part of the incantation. "... and we swear under the heavens to bring them peace!"

Two domes of light appeared around the mages, slowly enveloping one another and most of the bridge. Someone from the crew celebrated, others fell on their knees with hands clutched and eyes to the sky.

Nonetheless, Rall and Tui knew that something was wrong. The golden and the white domes were not cooperating, instead fighting for space around intersections. "Shit," muttered Rall.

"We have time for another try," said Tui.

"Right, let's go, fast."

Unbeknownst to the crew, the domes retreated, vanishing as the impact with the Fog was now imminent. They had hoisted the sails, but the momentum of the ship was too great, and all the currents seemed to point north. Someone screamed, others followed. It was panic as someone dashed to lower the anchor and stop the ship. However, the Admiral got in the way, standing steadfast between them and salvation.

"Keep your eyes open this time, and look at me," said Tui, her voice sweeter than the situation would require.

The boy opened his eyes and watched as the mermaid sitting across from him offered her hands. He accepted and joined hands with her. It was like time stopped, their thoughts resonating. Without wasting another word, their lips moved. This time, their voices intertwined perfectly from start to finish, their Fairylights dancing together while comfortably mirroring each other's movements.

"Through the night and through the mist, let those who see our heavenly light seek salvation in our Lighthouse. May their souls be at ease under our protection, and we swear under the heavens to bring them peace!"

The two domes appeared again, this time centered in the middle of the two light mages. The golden Lighthouse remained inside the white one, slowly pushing the latter to become larger and larger.

"It's still not enough!" Said Rall, noticing how his white Lighthouse was not wide enough to cover the entire ship. If they entered the Fog like this, the wood of the hull would quickly decay, sinking the Lady Veronica in the worst place possible.

"We are still not in sync," said Tui. "Rall, you keep shifting your frequency. I can't follow you like this. Calm down. Everything will be fine."

The impact was imminent, and Rall shook his head. "I can't!"

"You can. Calm your breath."

"It's too late," panicked Rall.

Tui sighed, unlocked her legs, and moved to kiss Rall on the cheek.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Completely taken by surprise, his face immediately reddened.

In that instant, Rall's Lighthouse stopped trembling. As the senior light mage, Tui didn't waste her chance. Her golden dome caught up with the white one. The two lights fused, enveloping the Lady Veronica completely. For the first time, Rall experienced what his father called 'constructive interference' through which ten light mages could protect a whole city while a hundred could cover an entire region. When done correctly, the sum was higher than its parts.

From the crew to the officials, to Conrad himself, all held their breaths under the collective Lighthouse, which was white with hues and sparks of brilliant gold.

Seconds later, the dome met the Fog. There was no impact, no crackling, not even a single sound. The Wall opened to accommodate the white light, then closed behind it once it had passed. It was almost... anti-climactic.

Tui sighed. Rall was still shocked by the kiss.

"You like me that much, ha?" Joked the mermaid.

In response, the boy averted his gaze while his face reached a deeper tone of red. "That was a low blow, Tui."

The people on the bridge listened to the two kids talk leisurely, then looked around to see that everyone was safe. The bridge exploded in cheers of joy. They had made it! The legendary Wall that none should pass, they had conquered it like it was nothing!

"What did I say! No reason to fear!" Shouted Conrad with a wide smile plastered on his face. "Ready your pockets lads, soon they'll be overflowing with gold!"

"AYE AYE, CAPTAIN!!!" The crew screamed in concert.