- K A L I - A L I -

My feet stop suddenly as I look out to the balcony. I had come here to think, but it seems I'm not the only one with that thought. My eyes widen slightly as I see my father leaning against the railing. His hands are clasped together, the Kamar glowing faintly from his wrist. He stands slightly hunched over, staring out at the morning sky of the capital city.

"Dad?" I ask timidly, unsure of myself. His head twitches back slightly, then turns slowly. His eyes lock with mine from his peripheral.

"Kali," he responds, the exhaustion creeping out of his voice for all to see. He turns back, squinting slightly as the sun rises higher.

My heart skips as I try to walk towards the balcony. Not even two days ago, I stood here, telling myself I would wear that damn relic at whatever the cost. Shuma was buried in scrolls, Alebi was locked in a catacomb of her own guilt and impending revelation, and Klen... was mixing shots, hiding a secret so big the entire family could be blown apart by it.

The secret I couldn't keep. The truth that somewhere, deep down, maybe I always knew. I catch my feet stepping forward with apprehension, unsure if Shuma wants me to join him. I hadn't known what to expect when I told him about my mother's betrayal. The sheer silence and despair on his face made me cry almost immediately. He only said two things last night:

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sorry."

My arms grab onto the railing, and my eyes focus on the horizon as well. The wind kicks up briefly, blowing past my neck as I exhale. Our worlds have ended in this now-cramped palace, and yet the world moves on. The sun rises, the city bustles, the wind blows. I watch whitecaps on the Caspian Sea as I remember my words when he left the bar.

"Me too."

"I-" Shuma says, a hitch in his throat as he tries to speak. The devastation hits me hard as I try to focus; I've never seen my Dad like this. "Thank you for telling me, Kali."

I hold back a tear as his words land on me. "Y- you deserved the truth," I stammer quietly.

We stand in silence as the quiet understanding engulfs us both. I had wished a couple of times last night that I'd never found the lockbox at Alar. I thought I'd feel good finding the truth; after all the lies and chaos, the truth would surely fix everything. Instead, I blew up my family. In a way, too, it's all my fault - Mom wouldn't have lied if I never existed... but it's not. I never asked for any of this, and yet I was the carrier of the worst possible knowledge.

"Kali," Shuma says quietly as his jaw tightens. "Your mother has been removed from the court."

My eyes widen in fear as I look at him. He still looks out to the sea, with calm and resolve painted on his face from that line. "R-removed?" I stutter, utterly shocked.

"Don't worry, she's safe," Shuma clarifies, ridding a bit of my anxiety. Still, I stand frozen in disbelief - this is a conversation I'm having. "She's just left the palace. I'm not sure where she went, to be honest with you."

"She-" I mutter, crushed in a strange way. I hate what she did. She ruined everything. But still, she's my Mom.

"She never said goodbye."

Shuma hangs his head, the Kamar dimming in accordance with his spirit. "She told me she hurts everything she touches. She wanted to spare you any more grief."

That line bursts the dam wide open, tears streaming down my cheeks like an avalanche. The sun in the distance blurs as my vision suffers. My breath hitches as I shiver in defeat. I feel arms wrap around me, a warm embrace that melts the devastation more than I thought it could.

"What," I stammer, anger trying to flare up again from the detail. But I can't. Not now. I close my eyes tightly, trying to control my breathing. Slow, deliberate... this doesn't define you. "What happens now?" My voice strains, desperately trying to change the subject.

Shuma exhales, nodding his head. "I'm... I'm not sure, Kali. Heal... somehow."

"Yeah," I sigh, trying to let my body take control over my breathing again. "I'm sorry... Dad." I realize after it comes out that's not even true anymore. Alebi robbed me even of that.

Shuma turns and lays a hand on my shoulder. "Kali, I don't care what the blood says. You are my daughter. Nothing will change that."

The smile that crosses my face feels so foreign that it shocks me. "I... thank you, Dad."

"This, though," he points to his wrist, the Kamar still glowing its signature yellow-orange hue. "Through no fault of your own, this is no longer your legacy."

I already knew it, but hearing it come from his mouth felt like the death of a dream. Ever since Suri had been exiled, that bracelet was what my life had been leading to. I'm too emotionally spent to mourn it a second time.

"I understand," I state quietly, the acceptance feeling like a punch in the gut as I steady myself. "I need to fix this."

"Kali, you've been through so much," Shuma sighs, looking at me with understanding. "You should rest."

"I need to find my brother."

The sentence seems to surprise Shuma, knocking his train of thought off the rails. His concern morphs to apprehension in real time as I look back at the city. "Kali..."

"I'm not inheriting a throne," I continue, trying my best to rationalize it. "...but I am inheriting a responsibility. I found the truth, and now I need to fix this family. Even if I can't bring him back, I can tell him that I'm sorry."

Shuma shifts, exhaling as he mulls it over in his mind. I can practically feel the war waging in his mind as I stand silent.

"You're not an Ali by blood," he sighs, furrowing his brow as he turns to look at me. Pride beams in his face. "But what you just said... you're raised as one. That's who we are... we stand tall. We don't back down."

He reaches inside his regal vest, fishing around in a pocket, and eventually reveals a small compass. My eyes squint in curiosity as he reaches for my hand. I extend it naturally, and he places it in my hands before wrapping my fingers around it.

"This is the Compass of the Kamar," he states confidently. "It was made by my great, great, great-grandfather. It points to the Kamar - always. Wherever you go, whatever you do... You will always have a home here."

For the first time in a week of pain, sorrow, and destruction of everything I knew, a strange feeling surges through my body - hope. Maybe this is what change feels like.

"Dad... thank you," I manage, my voice hitching as I attempt not to cry again, this time in joy.

"Just be safe, Kali," he reassures, and I see a hint of worry flash in his face. "And if you find Suri... when you do... tell him I'm sorry, too."

- S U R I - A L I -

"Ain't it my favorite guest?" I hear the door open. The sound of stepping boots fills the room, echoing off every wall and drowning the faint city sounds outside. The voice, even if I've only heard it a few times, is instantly recognizable. I watch as a chair is pulled up in front of me, and Barr sits down. His hands are clasped together, watching me like the sunrise over the sea.

"I want to make this clear," I mutter, staring at him with cold eyes. "I don't like you. Not one bit."

He leans back a bit, confused. "Yeah... I kind of gathered that."

"But," I frown, looking down at my lap. "I hate them. They banished me. They defamed me. They ruined me for years."

I look back up, seeing Barr raise an eyebrow. My nails dig into my palm as I focus on the memory of that night. The memory of the first years in Tripoli. I knew no one, had no family, and had to build everything I had from scratch. I never had a childhood because I grew up at 13.

"I'll work with you," I offer, holding my head high as I watch surprise wash over Barr's rather stoic body. "Under one condition."

His jaw tightens. "What is it?"

"Kali is unharmed," I say, my voice deep and raspy as it comes out. Barr blinks, tapping his feet a bit as he tries to study me for any cracks. "I need to set the truth straight."

"Y'know what," Barr mulls, nodding his head. "It's a deal."

I raise an eyebrow, studying his body for any tell of deceit. Years on the street had taught me to believe no one on the surface... but I can't find anything. "That easy?" I question, my tone indicating I don't believe him.

"That easy," he responds quickly. "Kali can't even wield the Kamar. It's not like it's leaving an heir on the table."

The matter-of-fact logic both worries and reassures me at the same time. He's not doing it for the right reasons, he's doing it for his reasons... which means he's probably truthful. "Deal," I state flatly, nodding.

Barr reaches his hand out, hanging in the air for a moment. I reach mine out apprehensively, taking it and shaking firmly. Barr stands up, sets the chair down, and walks towards the door. "We'll leave soon, then. I'm glad I can help with the redemption, Suri."

I nod as he walks out, lying back in my chair. I've chosen who I am... and I hope he doesn't see the actual choice I've made.