In a shadowy room, where the shadows restlessly beat like a heart at rest, a light clicked on. It shone on a large ironwood table, long and sturdy. Various tatau, some so ancient they were barely visible, were carved into the thick bark of the table and preserved under a veneer of glossy resin. An unseen door opened and footsteps announce the entrance of 7 people, each one odder than the next.

They each approached and arranged themselves behind a high-backed chair, dark clothes blending in with the shadowy interior of the room and making them seem like a group of floating heads.

The sharp clicking of a pair of platform shoes announce the arrival of the one they were waiting for. Without acknowledging the rest of the group, the figure approached and took their seat, sliding the heavy chair about noisily. The soft overhead light revealed it to be a young woman, barely in her teens and probably closer to being a child. Her shoulder length hair hugged her face, a couple strands sticking up defiantly in response to the tropical heat outside the arena. Just like the others she wore a smart black uniform, one only used by Faifekau and higher ranking members of the Conglomerate. Under the right light one would be able to see the intricately stitched number sewn into the shirt, giving it the properties of an optical illusion. As she shifted about, adjusting herself until she found the most comfortable sitting position, the soft light revealed the stealthily hidden 5 sewn into her luxurious blouse.

“Sit, sit,” the young woman waved her hand absently. Her voice carried much more gravity than one would expect from such a young face. She spoke with an implied maturity. The other members took their seats, their secretly embroidered shirts shining and revealing the encoded numbers.

“Welcome, kainga. It’s been a long time since we’ve convened. It’s so good to see all your wonderful faces!”

The other members groaned, a few slapped their faces as they cringed.

“Big sister, please,” one of the members spoke up. An older woman with a soft, willowy voice. “It hasn’t been that long and you know how much it hurts us when you talk that way.”

The young woman giggled, covering her mouth with a dainty hand as her shoulders shook mischievously. Her eyes remained shadowed, making the rest of her face seem like a mask on display.

“You all wound me,” her voice took on a girlish pout. “Whenever I’m away from you guys, I get so lonely. It’s so boring when I don’t get to mess with you old fogies.”

She smiled as her clear, pupiless eyes were finally revealed. Streaks of mana darted back and forth, illuminating the already bright sclera. She turned her gaze, raking it over the already disturbed members as she smiled wickedly. She reveled in the minute shivering, the caught breaths, the pained, stifled gasps.

“Come on, we have work to do. I can’t mess with you oldies all day. Now stop shaking like lonely shades and get your minds right,” a muffled, bass-filled clap rang out from her small hands. Shadowy bubbles grew out of the smooth surface of the table, one in front of each member of the Kainga. They all disappeared with a loud pop, revealing various tablets and files.

“First on the agenda, the Advent,” the young woman said as she slid a finger across the surface of the tablet lying before her. “Second, the intruders and visitors that were reported and the damage incurred on their respective arrivals. Third, the prospective candidates who we’ve identified as the possible vessels. And lastly, how to ensure that the Tu’i won’t get what they’ve been hoping for.”

“The final ship should be arriving soon,” a hooded member with a strange, electronic voice spoke up. “Some of the candidates on the ship are also heavily favored. They come with backing from various outside orgs as well as a few being blessed by the young foreigners.”

“Nothing unusual,” a motherly member spoke up. “They always try to interfere.”

“Yes, they do, but some of them come bearing the blessing of the One and the Three.”

“That makes little difference here,” an elderly gentleman waved his hand as he sunk into the comfortable cushioning of the high-backed chair. “They crossed the boundary and lost all claim to anything from out there.”

“Yeah, yeah,” another woman waved his comment away. “We know how it works. But you’re forgetting the Tu’i and their propensity to cause mischief. All we can do is support, it would be better for us to just allow the blessings and let the cards fall how they may.”

“I’ve decided,” the young woman slid individual files to each member. “You will all account for these candidates. We will identify if any of them are the vessel for the 12th and proceed from there. Blessings or not, the Advent moves forward. Nothing can or will stop it from occurring.”

The rest of the Kainga nodded, accepting the finality in the young woman’s statement. They took some time to look over the files of their assigned candidates, some making faces at the pictures and others losing interest right off the bat.

“Moving on, how many Faifekau did we lose?”

“5, ma’am,” a large member answered, his hulking frame nearly unable to fit in the luxurious seat. “The intruders have been sequestered away in some spare housing and will be provided for until the commencement of the tournament. Taha sent a message with detailed instructions.”

The rest of the members shuddered at the mention of the evil little Tu’i. They were all well aware of his history and his activities on the island.

“And the visitors?”

“Nima himself visited them. He wasn’t very forthcoming with details and ordered gag and destruction orders on any and all information regarding them,” the older woman answered, shuffling some papers nervously. “In fact, he placed the restrictions himself.”

“Hoi,” the young woman sighed, closing her eyes and relieving the members of the pressure of having her disconcerting gaze turned on them. “He always does this. Let it stand. Don’t want any of you or members accidentally dying because you guys snooped into the wrong people. Did he say how many of them there were?”

“He did not, ma’am.”

“Well, we’ll find out soon enough. Since they’ve already moved to handle those, we’ll just have to account for replacing the lost Faifekau through the tournament. Make sure you all pick carefully. Moving on, possible vessels. Anyone have any leads?”

“I have one, ma’am,” the youngest member in attendance, barring the young woman leading the meeting, raised their hand like they were in school.

“Go ahead kid,” the young woman nodded at him, smirking as he nervously lowered his arm.

“There are these two siblings I’ve been observing. They have some potential to be the vessel and the bond is strong enough to usher in the wound when the Advent occurs. They’ve also been getting trained by Wha, seems she took a liking to them as well. And even had an encounter with ‘Ekolu. So the signs are there.”

“Hmm, are they on this list that you’ve all received?”

“Yes, ma’am. I believe they are. Their ID’s are 715 and 1202.”

“I have them here, ma’am,” answered the elderly member, sliding the file sitting in front of him towards the young woman.

She looked the file over, odd eyes darting back and forth.

“Interesting. Old man, take over and keep an eye on them.”

“I believe I have a good prospect too,” the hooded member spoke up, sliding his file over. “I’m sure you were already aware of them. A group from the One who were here well before the announcement. They arrived with blessings and seem to have picked up more. The one at the head is ID 78710 but he insists everyone calls him Father. But one of the junior members of their group is much more interesting.”

The young woman glowered as she looked over the file, causing the other members to recoil.

“Would be interesting if we took on another foreigner. Continue monitoring. Let me know if they happen to meet with any of the other One and Three groups that should be arriving. Any other candidates?”

The rest of the members shook their heads, looking over the files sitting before them.

“All right, onto the last problem. Are you all aware of why Nima personally sent Taha to intercept the intruders?”

Again, they shook their heads, eyes averted as they avoided her gaze.

“Because he thinks that they’ll be able to kill him.”

The air was sucked out of the room. Some of the members had the color drained from their faces.

The young woman started laughing, voice high and childish. “You’re all so stupid. Of course they won’t be able to kill him.”

The members let out a collective sigh, a few rubbing their aching sides as they sucked in air.

“But he’ll try to figure out a way. So, we’ll have to be vigilant. I think the visitors are more of a threat than the intruders. But, we never know. Especially with that little shit Taha being allowed out of the Domain. It’s best we all be prepared for the worst. Especially those of us who are enthralled to Nima.”

Each member fidgeted, the soft overhead light revealing the hidden stitching on their uniforms. 5 out of the 8 members of the Kainga had the number 5 woven into the patterns of their uniform.

---

The pair of large wooden doors swung open, spewing an eerie dark mist. The members of the Kainga shuffled out, feet hidden by the shadowy tendrils. They each gave a perfunctory bow of the head as they passed Camarin, standing with her back straight and hands lightly clasped by her waist. None dared make eye contact as they all hurried away from the meeting room.

Camarin smiled as she stared down the young woman who hadn’t exited the room, barely noticing the insignificant presences that were hurrying away from her.

The young woman hopped up and sat on the edge of the table, landing softly like the air had cushioned her descent. She waved, smiling wide and beckoning for the tall woman to enter.

With a thud and a click the doors shut behind Camarin. A hiss issued from the small crevices around the door as a dark mist tumbled out.

“Big sister!” Camarin tip-toed toward the young woman, tapping her heels with giddy as she approached. She flung her arms forward, wrapping them around the young woman as she nestled her head under her chin.

“Little Marin, you’re too big for all this,” the young woman chided, her voice old and motherly. She stroked Camarin’s hair nonetheless, smiling softly as she planted a kiss on the other woman’s bare forehead. “Come on, you’re too heavy. Get small and sit next to me. Don’t wanna break the table or ‘Ekolu will lose his shit.”

Camarin hopped up next to the young woman, body transitioning into a slightly older version of the one she’d taken when she was with Nima. She slid under the other young woman’s arm, smiling and kicking her feet excitedly. Soon enough, they were both kicking their feet, swinging back and forth at the same time.

“So,” the older young woman began, resting her chin on Camarin’s head. “What brings you to my corner of the island?”

“Papa says it’s time for Wanu to come back,” Camarin answered, lips popped out in a pout as she made her voice higher and more childish. “So he sent me to come get you.”

Wanu chuckled as she pressed a finger behind Camarin’s ear, turning the younger girl's face up towards hers. Their gazes met, mana scurrying back and forth along her pupiless eyes.

“Let me see what he really said,” Wanu muttered, eyelids narrowing as various hidden tatau lit up all over her face. They twisted and turned before congregating on the corners of each eye. A glob of mana, thick and wobbly, pushed itself onto the all-white sclera of her eyes, coagulating before settling where her pupils and irises should have been. The pools of mana focused, much like how your eyes do when you open them after a long night's sleep, dilating and retracting a couple times before settling.

Wanu’s eyes fluttered wide open as a layer of mana settled over her head. It looked like a filmy shadow, slick and disgusting, reminiscent of an amniotic sac without the life giving fluid.

A flood of images and messages, hidden deep in Camarin’s subconscious by Nima, pushed their way into Wanu’s understanding.

Camarin’s eyes rolled back into her head as small tendrils of shadowy mana, tinged with blue essence, coiled into her head and forcibly transferred everything.

Both women let out a low, keening groan. Their faces lost all expression, becoming little more than placid doll masks.

The soft light overhead flickered. Once. Twice. Then a gloom fell on the spacious room, engulfing the two women as the transfer ended.