The forest was screaming. Not out loud, but I could feel it through the soles of my feet—a restless, twitching energy that usually meant trouble was coming. Ever since we lost Neteyam, the world felt… louder. More dangerous.

"Yo, Lo’ak, slow down! You’re gonna leave Spider in the dust," Aonung’s voice drifted from behind me.

I didn't stop. I didn't even turn around. "Then tell him to move his feet. We’re scouting the perimeter, not taking a damn stroll through the reef."

I was on edge. The rumors of the Ash People—the 'Varang'—were spreading, and the last thing I needed was my sisters and my friends getting caught in a crossfire. Kiri was unusually quiet, lagging back and staring at the trees like she was listening to a heartbeat I couldn't hear.

Suddenly, a massive crack ripped through the air—like the sky itself was splitting open. A shockwave hit me, smelling like burnt ozone and something sweet, like crushed nectar.

"Get down!" I yelled, pulling my bow and spinning toward the sound.

I crashed through a thicket of ferns, ready to put an arrow through whatever RDA tech just landed. But when I broke into the clearing, I nearly tripped over my own feet. My heart did a weird, violent thud against my ribs.

"What the hell..." I whispered.

In the middle of a circle of scorched earth sat a girl. A human. But she wasn't one of the demons I was used to fighting. She was small—so small—and completely naked, curled up on the moss like she’d just been born into the world. Her skin was pale and soft, looking like it would bruise if I even breathed on her too hard.

"Lo'ak? What is—" Spider stopped dead behind me, his jaw dropping. "Is she... dead?"

"She’s breathing, look," I muttered, my eyes locked on her. I stepped closer, my tail lashing nervously.

I waited for her to start choking. I waited for her skin to turn blue and her lungs to fail because there wasn't a mask in sight. But she just lay there, her chest rising and falling in a slow, deep rhythm. She was breathing our air like it was nothing. It was impossible. It was a miracle. Or a curse.

I knelt down beside her, the heat from her body radiating against my skin. Up close, she was... beautiful. Not 'human' beautiful, but something else entirely. She looked like a secret Eywa had been keeping from us.

"She’s a spy," Aonung hissed, though he stayed back. "Lo'ak, don't touch her. We need to go get your father."

"She’s not a spy, Aonung. Look at her. She doesn't even know where she is," I snapped, my voice coming out rougher than I intended. I felt this sudden, irrational surge of protectiveness. I wasn't letting the hunters get to her. I wasn't letting the RDA find her.

I reached out, my large hand trembling just a little as I brushed a stray hair away from her face. Her skin was warm.

"Hey," I said softly, my voice dropping to a low vibrate. I leaned in, my golden eyes scanning her every feature, mesmerized by the way she looked in the dappled forest light. "Wake up. Come on, princess. Tell me your name."