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--- Honolulu, Hawaii, United States ---

Date: July 16, 2026

With the calm, relaxing breeze of the Pacific Ocean flowing through the hotel room, Sharpe looked toward the ceiling, reflecting on recent events. It had been so long since he had left Philadelphia since he was deployed on the other side of the gate; he couldn't even remember the last time he'd gotten away from the duty of a soldier. However, he was with his own family, but he wished he was in better moods.

With the refreshing, gentle wind being surprisingly comfortable, thanks to Hawaii's lack of humidity, it was one of many reasons why so many people rush to vacation there. For Sharpe, while not a navy man, he always enjoyed the smell of the pacific. That or being forced to live it with the number of times he passed through Hawaii during his deployments.

"Still awake?'

Looming over, his wife Sarah laid there with only a thin sheet covering her beautiful body. "Nothing. Just thinking?"

"That is my job," Sarah said with a yawn. "What are you thinking about at this hour? I thought you would be sleeping soundly with your beautiful wife cuddled up beside you." Sharpe replied, "I prefer the real thing, " with a kiss on Sarah's forehead."

After receiving a light poke on his bare chest and listening to a flirting insult about being a naughty man, Sharpe continued, "But I am worried about Lelei."

"You mean, turning into you?" Sarah pointed out. "That has crossed my mind."

Once Sharpe's deployment at Rondel was finished, his wife informed him about how Lelei had been struggling to deal with Cato's death. Then being rejected by Soredin’s school(1) had sunk into a near depressive state. He knew where this would lead to.

---

The beating hot rays poured onto the beach's surface, and the combination of a chilly breeze sweeping through the Pacific Ocean's air created such an unreal experience. The combination of the two different temperatures had created a near-perfect feeling on Lelei's bare skin, finally understanding why so many females loved to sunbathe.

To Lelei's surprise, the weather had helped her body relax after the difficult time at Rondel, even though it had done little to reduce the pain of losing her first adoptive father, Cato El Altestan. The only hotter thing than the Earth-sun called Sol is the fire deep within her heart. The desire for revenge.

"Hey, sis," Selina said as she approached. "Come on and play with us. I think it will be cool if you do your water magic in the ocean. It will be one heck of a splash fight."

"I don't want to, Selina," Lelei replied. "I just want to sit here, okay?"

Not enjoying the response, Selina boiled up with annoyance as she grabbed her older sister's arm and said. "Come on! You have been sitting here for two days."

Lelei then raised her palm in front of Selina and magically generated a tiny repulsive force, slightly pushing Selina away, and gave a warning glare. While she had not literally sat here for two days, both times they had come to the beach, she refused to join Selina, and Rory in their fun. All she wanted to do was sulk, just sitting here and staring out at the endless Pacific.

"You realize that was rude?"

Knowing that voice, Lelei crossed her arms and mumbled, "I know, but I want to be left alone."

Hearing Sharpe had sat down, Lelei knew that he would talk, which was the last thing she wanted to do right now. "Look, I know what you are going to say, but I just want to be left alone."

"I did not know your abilities included mind-reading," Sharpe replied. Looking in the general direction Lelei was looking at.

After stating that, a long silence hovered between the two, which bothered Lelei. The awkwardness forced her to think about what was going on in Sharpe's head. He most likely wanted to talk about Cato, that seeking revenge was terrible, and she should remember the good times. That she should carry on the spirit of her loved one and move on.

Tired of the silence, Lelei looked toward Sharpe with much fire in her tone and said, "I don't want to move on. I want to punish those who took him from me. Who destroyed my home and took away the man I considered as a father before you."

To Lelei's annoyance, Sharpe did not respond. All he did was take a drink from his soda and lookout.

For as long as Lelei had known him, she could not recall a time when he was left speechless. He always had a plan, sometimes a plan within a plan. She knew he was not sitting there for no reason, and it was driving her crazy as her mind raced to figure out what he was plotting.

Looking back to the endless ocean, Lelei mumbled, "just tell me what you want to say."

He leaned back after taking a long drink. Sharpe maintained his stare as he watched Selina and Rory play with other children in the water. He finally replied, "You are not entirely wrong. Sarah wanted me to come down here and tell you exactly what you said."

How he said that slightly confused Lelei, as the wording was carefully chosen. He told Sarah and did not, including himself, catch her off guard. While looking out, she glanced toward him to listen closer.

"That is Sarah for you, soft-hearted," Sharpe continued. "If Rory was here, she would lecture you not to succumb to the hatred that you are experiencing now. That was what she did with me when we first met. That seeking revenge would ultimately lead you towards the path of Palapon, and following his path would lead you to destruction."

"Like that prick of an elf, Lord Lashin," Lelei added.

"Yup, that bastard is a good example of when you let revenge consume you," Sharpe agreed. "With Tuka, well. She probably would just have a bath with you just to relax. Some spiritual thing, so you got to ask her."

Still trying to follow what was being said, Lelei directly looked at Sharpe and asked, "And you?"

Taking another long drink, finishing the soda, Sharpe said, "you are completely right to feel how you are feeling right now. It is what makes you Human Lelei."

"After everything we've been through, I am surprised you said that," Lelei said.

"There still isn't a day I don't think of that Mexican family, where I don't imagine what they did to my two buddies," Sharpe said. "If I had the chance right now, I would kill that bastard for what he did. Saying anything else would be a lie."

"Are you saying that it is okay that I want to kill all of Darlko?" Lelei asked, surprised by Sharpe's response. The more she thought about his failed mission in Mexico and her experience with Sofia, the more she understood the meaning behind his words.

"The only thing I am worried about, Lelei, is that you will sell yourself out to go on a revenge spree," Sharpe said. "Rory was right about one thing, the worst thing you can do is to allow it to control you."

"Then what do I do?" Lelei asked.

He reached around Lelei and pulled her in close, letting her head lay on Sharpe's shoulders; he answered, "Live with it. There will be a day when they have to answer for what they have done. You can have your revenge, but you have to wait for life to present it. Live your life, be thankful for what you still have, and be ready."

"And don't forget kid, you don't have to do any of this alone. The enemy isn't, so you shouldn't either. You know, we are a family; it is okay to rely on us. If you ever need anything, we'll be there right alongside you every step of the way."

Taking a deep breath, Lelei wiped tears from her eyes. "Thank you, dad." She replied with much emotion. She sat there, holding him for a while until the tears finally dried. “I… I think I am going to apologize to Selina."

"Don't let me keep you, then," Sharpe said before removing his arm as Lelei stood up. "But later, you and I will have a chat about recklessly using your magic on your sister."

"Uhh…" Lelei muttered before turning her gaze from him to her sisters and hurriedly moved over to them.