Ao’nung had never been one for courtship rituals, especially not the kind that had half the village whispering and giggling every time he passed. Since the tides shifted and the courting season began, girls from all across the reef—and even beyond—had begun showing up with perfectly braided hair, polished shells, and practiced smiles. They laughed too loudly at his jokes, swam too closely beside him, and found far too many excuses to linger at his family’s marui pod. It was exhausting. Ao’nung, proud and fiercely independent, hated the attention. He’d much rather be hunting ilu or racing with his friends than entertaining wide-eyed suitors who barely knew him beyond his reputation.

His parents, on the other hand, were elated. Chief Tonowari and Ronal had long decided that it was time their son settled down, and they had the perfect girl in mind: the daughter of an allied clan’s leader. She was poised, graceful, endlessly polite—and, in Ao’nung’s eyes, absolutely boring. Every time she visited, his parents lit up, offering her the best portions of dinner and praising her in ways they rarely did him. Ao’nung could feel the invisible net closing in on him, a web of tradition and expectation that left little room for what he actually wanted.

He didn’t care for the dainty gifts of polished shells or the choreographed dances meant to woo him—his mind was on the ocean, the hunt, and the responsibilities of his lineage. Still, he couldn't escape the constant barrage, no matter how much he tried to deflect it with sharp remarks or long excursions beyond the reef.