“You kidnapped a girl!?” Celeste yelled. James’s mind rattled from the intensity of her voice. The girl, still unconscious, was laying on the floor of the platform. “We are putting her back right now!”

“No! Celeste, I can explain. There was a fire and it was spreading through the forest. She wasn’t safe down there,” James pleaded.

“Fire!? Forest!? What are you even talking about?” Celeste demanded.

“Look at me,” James said, gripping her shoulders and staring into her eyes. “I will tell you everything, but right now we have to get her to our room.” Celeste hesitated for a moment and then sighed in aggravation.

“And then what? You know we are going to have to tell Captain Shamran about her eventually, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll…” James’s voice trailed off as he noticed something over Celeste’s shoulder. The Divers were ascending the central ship’s ladder. He rushed to the railing’s edge to get a better look. He had nearly forgotten that they had been down there in the fire, as well. He felt a surge of relief that they had made it out, seemingly unharmed. James squinted his eyes. Were they carrying crates? Had they taken them down with them? To collect scrap metal, perhaps? James shrugged and was about to turn away when he spotted something. The clouds weren’t the same shade of white as normal. The smoke from the fire below had mixed with them and turned the clouds a heavy gray. James recognized this. He had seen it several times before, each time during the Divers’ ascents.

Suddenly, it all clicked. The Divers. Their purpose. Their weapons. The ashen clouds. The Divers knew that life existed beneath the clouds. They had known for a long time. James felt a surge of nausea rise in his stomach. They didn’t scavenge what was left of the previous societies. They scavenged the societies that existed now. Celeste appeared beside him.

“Seems like they made it out alright,” she said.

Words seemed to seize in James’s throat. “We can’t take her to Shamran,” he said in a despondent voice. His eyes still stared at the ashen colored cloud in disbelief.

“Why not?” Celeste asked, raising an eyebrow. When she looked at her brother’s face, she grew concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“I… I think we’re the bad guys.” James turned before she could ask any more questions. “Come on. Let’s get her to our room.”

After a lot of grunting and lifting, the two found themselves in their room. They laid the girl down on the ground. The rope was no longer tied around her. They had left it below next to the now empty spool that had once contained the majority of James’s rope.

“Alright. Start talking,” Celeste said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot.

James groaned internally. Exhausted didn’t even begin to explain how he felt, but he started talking anyway. He told her everything that had happened and even explained his suspicions of the Divers. When he finished, Celeste looked as drained as if she had gone below the clouds herself. She even muttered some of the cook’s language to herself when James had finished.

“This is difficult to believe,” Celeste said with a sigh.

“I know. To think that we’ve been pillaging villages to survive.”

“No not that,” Celeste said with a wave of the hand. “That makes sense. Whisps might look like clouds, but I doubt they’re made from anything we’ve gathered above the clouds. I always wondered how a rotting world could have the ingredients to make something so delicious. No, I was talking about the beast that spoke to you. Are you sure you didn’t hallucinate that part from breathing in too much smoke?”

“Believe me. It happened,” James said with a shiver. The image of the beast was hard to hold in his mind. It was just too big. The mere thought of him put a weight on his shoulders, though it wasn’t altogether an uncomfortable one. Celeste moved to the table.

“Describe it for me,” she said, grabbing a drawing utensil. Celeste drew, in impressive detail, the beast that James described. It lacked its weight but aesthetically James thought it was a decent representation.

“Yup, that’s it,” he said. Celeste tapped her lip while inspecting the drawing.

“Who can we trust?” she finally said.

“What do you mean?” James asked. Celeste looked at him.

“Who knows what’s beneath the clouds? Does it just stop with the Divers? Does Captain Shamran know? Do the Cooks? What if Bron and Jarl both already know about this? Who can we turn to for help?”

James paled. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I think it’s obvious that Shamran knows, but besides that I’m not sure.”

James sunk down into one of the chairs that lined the perimeter of the table and buried his head in his hands. This was getting far too complicated for them to handle alone. They needed help. He just didn’t know from who. His mind wandered, looking for an answer. A flash of violet eyes occupied his mind before quickly shifting to those of the beast’s—a void of white. He peered into them, wanting to understand their depths, and fell asleep.

He awoke several hours later with a jolt. Confusion hit his mind before clarity as he tried to figure out where he was. Had he made it back up the ladder? Was he still in the glowing forest? James’s blurry vision rested on Celeste, who sat across from him drawing. He became vaguely aware that a blanket had been draped around him.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. Celeste waved her hand.

“If you’re sorry, then go get us some food. I haven’t eaten all day,” Celeste said, gripping her stomach. James nodded and yawned at the same time.

“The girl…,” he said, suddenly remembering her.

“She’s fine. Still asleep, but fine,” Celeste said, pointing to the corner of the room.

The girl laid on the ground swaddled in blankets. James let his eyes drift to the window where the last shimmers of the day’s light were fading away. He leaned back, stretched, and then stood up,

“Alright. I’ll go get us some food. You stay here and watch her.”

James made for the exit, shooting one more glance at the sleeping girl before leaving. It didn’t take him long to reach the kitchen. He had more than enough thoughts to preoccupy his mind on the way there. When he opened the door to the dining area, he was met with the sound of laughter and discussion. The meal was in full swing. James eyed the table to see what the meal was. A stew of some sort. The cooks made it from time to time. As far as James knew it was made primarily from potatoes, which he had been told were the only vegetable that could grow beneath the clouds. He now knew that had been a lie, but did the cooks know that?

James eyed Jarl, who sat at the counter staring off into the distance. The weight that Celeste said he always carried seemed more prevalent now than it did before. James looked back at the tables filled with smiling people. Their happy emotions seemed in direct contrast to the events that were currently transpiring beneath the clouds. He wanted to be mad at them for it but found that he couldn’t. He, after all, had been one of them a mere day ago.

James saw a flicker of eyes and found himself looking at Zeke. James found it strange how weak those eyes were. The weight that they used to have seemed as light as a jesper’s feather now. James sighed and looked away. Zeke was nothing more than a nuisance compared to the other problems he faced. James walked up to the kitchen door, not bothering to stealth his way in. Jarl didn’t make any move to stop him but spoke just before James reached the door.

“I hear we will be stationed here for a few days,” Jarl said, still staring into the distance. “They mentioned something about finding more supplies than they could bring at once, but that explanation didn’t feel right to me. Do you know why we’re staying here?” Jarl asked.

James paled and immediately felt cold sweat start to trickle down his skin. “W-why would I know anything about that. I didn’t even know we were staying here.”

James did his best to steady his voice but could tell that some of the panic had slipped out. Jarl finally met James’s gaze. He held it for a few moments before looking away again.

“No reason. You just always seem to be sneaking off into places that you shouldn’t be. I was simply curious if you had made a recent trip to the central ship and overheard anything. It seems I was mistaken. Carry on and get your food, Jameson.”

Feeling panicked and uncomfortable, James simply nodded and rushed into the kitchen. The heat of the cooks’ fires hit him in a wave, sending his mind back to the burning building he barely escaped from. He shook the feeling away and looked for Bron. He found the burly man stirring a pot on one of the counters. James rushed over to him. The looks from the other cooks put him off more than usual as he approached. How many of them knew that a fire was burning away a forest beneath them? Some? All? None? James eventually reached Bron, who rolled his eyes at him.

“How many times do I need to tell you to order your food at the counter like everyone else?” Bron said.

When James didn’t reply, he let out a sigh and started making a dish for him and Celeste. James thought about asking for a third, but immediately knew it would be suspicious. True, just because they were staying stationed here didn’t mean they knew someone from below had been smuggled onto the ship, but James still didn’t want to chance it. A hand on his shoulder jolted him back to reality. “Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you, Jameson,” Bron said leaning down. He pulled James’s jacket open, making the inside pocket accessible. Bron lifted up a whisp and tucked it in the pocket. “Heard about Zeke’s bullying. Vile child. Well, he’ll turn around someday. Most do. Anyway, keep that tucked away until you get to your room. I assume it was the whisp that he was after. I’ve caught him myself sneaking in here trying to steal one or two.” Bron sighed. “He’s not the only one. Even the adults try to get more when they have the chance. They just taste so blasted good.”

James considered that. “Why do they taste so good? What are they made of?” James asked. Bron eyed him for a few seconds before smiling.

“Is young Jameson thinking of becoming a cook when he’s older. I’m sure your sister would love that. All the whisps in the world.” Bron chuckled. “It’s quite simple,” he said, waving James over to his counter. “You just take this powder.” Bron gestured to a large mound of beige powder. “Add a moderate amount of water and add a heaping of this fine material.” He then pointed at a second mound, this one white and almost crystal in structure. “Taste a pinch of it,” Bron encouraged. James did, and his taste buds ignited with the sweetness of the white powder. “Incredible, isn’t it?” Bron said with a tinge of pride in his voice. James nodded vigorously.

“But… where does it all come from?” James asked. Bron gave him a curious expression.

“Well, we get the water from the clouds—you know this right—we lower the bucket and it collects the moisture from the clouds.”

“And what about the powders?” James pressed.

“Ah. We get those from the Divers’ runs. That’s why whisps are such a rare commodity. Incredible what the old societies left around for us to find, isn’t it?”

“Y-yes. Incredible,” James said, feeling sick. “Well, thank you for the food. I should be getting back now.” James turned and fled for his food. He had only gotten a few steps when Bron’s voice boomed behind him.

“Jameson!” Bron took a few steps towards James and brought his face down to his level. His expression was stern. “Care to explain?” James froze. Did he know? Could Bron tell that he knew more existed beneath the clouds than everyone thought?

“E-explain what?” James croaked.

Bron rolled his eyes and slapped him on the leg. “Why you are tracking blood soaked clothes into the kitchen!” Bron growled.

James relaxed, looking down at his pants leg which was red from old blood. The relief must have shown on his face because Bron’s expression darkened.

“This isn’t something to take lightly, boy. Dirt I can handle, but I won’t let you back here if your clothes are soaked with blood. Take your food, eat, and get changed,” Bron said, waving him away.

James nodded several times and gave a quick apology before picking up the two bowls of food and scurrying out of the kitchen. He quickly passed Jarl, giving him a sideways glance. He was still looking off into the distance, as if seeing something that others could not.

An involuntary sigh escaped James’s mouth when he had fully exited the room. The laughter and discussion only existing now as faint murmurs. James leaned against the wall for a moment, thinking about both of his conversations. He desperately wanted someone that he could trust. Jarl seemed suspiciously aware of everything, yet James couldn’t exactly fault him for that. He was always suspiciously aware of things. But could he be trusted? James wasn’t sure. The look in the man’s eyes told him he couldn’t be, a feeling that Celeste shared. Bron on the other hand might be someone he could rely on. Though, he was also the most likely person to be aware of the world beneath the clouds as he needed to cook with the materials scavenged from it.

James continued his circular contemplations as he descended to his and Celeste’s room. As he came to his floor, loud voices shook him from his thoughts. People were arguing. With a growing sense of foreboding, James hurried to his room.

As he had feared, the commotion was coming from his room. James peered left and right down the hall and thanked the winds that no one was investigating the noise. Their hallway was much more desolate than others, but people still lived on their floor, and the two voices he heard were carrying far. James pried the door open and was met with two flustered girls. Both of their heads snapped towards him and for a moment James thought he was staring into the beast’s eyes again.

“What’s wrong?” James asked, immediately realizing how foolish that question was.

The girl that he had brought from beneath the clouds gave him a scalding expression. “What’s wrong!?” she said. “You took me from my home!”

James had to admit, that was a pretty good reason to be upset. Upon closer inspection, James could see that she was crying. He would probably be too, if he were in her position. To go from a scene of chaos to waking up in a strange place, it couldn’t be easy.

“I had to,” James said, trying to calm the situation. “The fires… They were consuming everything.”

A look of realization washed over the girl’s face. “The fires…” she said, her voice becoming distant. James could almost feel her pain as the memories came rushing back to her. Her face drooped and her knees buckled, sending her to the floor. She cast her gaze down to her hands and became very silent.

“My mother… She didn’t make it, did she?” the girl said quietly. James tensed. What she said was true, but just because it was true didn’t make it any easier to say. “It’s alright. I know.”

James followed her gaze to her fingernails, which could be seen faintly glowing even in the light of the room. He didn’t know what it meant, but by the way the glowing of the forest had disappeared and then reappeared from her body, he knew it meant something. He thought, briefly, of just leaving her to her sadness, but he had already decided not to run from this—to not run from the decision he had made. He walked forward, setting the food on the table and kneeling in front of the girl.

“I… don’t think she made it. A piece of the ceiling fell down on us, separating you and me from your mother. I carried you out of the building—”

“And left my mother behind,” the girl finished. She didn’t say it directly, but she didn’t have to; the accusation was there.

“He saved your life!” Celeste said. “You should be kissing his feet!”

James could tell that she was still worked up from their previous argument.

“I never asked to be saved!” the girl said defiantly.

James cringed at the volume of their voices, noticing that he had not shut the door upon entering the room. He quickly trotted over and peered out into the hallway. He thought he saw the faintest bit of movement at the end of the corridor, but a flicker from the light that hung at the end of the hall convinced him it was only a shadow. When nothing else stirred in the hall, he shut the door, and then promptly bonked Celeste on the head. Not hard by any means. Only at the strength they normally used when bonking each other on the head, which happened commonly enough. She rubbed her head and glared at him.

“Please, just eat,” he said.

She looked at him and then sighed through gritted teeth, sitting down and taking one of the bowls. She muttered something under her breath that he couldn’t hear. James paid it no mind and instead directed his attention at the girl.

“What’s your name?” he asked. She shot him an expression that was part anger and part suspicion but said nothing. “My name is James, and this is Celeste.” He gestured to Celeste, who sat rolling her eyes and not eating. The girl looked at him and Celeste and wiped the wetness from her face.

“Well, James. What do you want from me?” she said in an emotionless voice. James cocked a confused eyebrow and turned to Celeste, hoping for clarity. She only shrugged, not looking up from the stew that she wasn’t eating. “You’ve never taken one of us before. Why now? Why me? Is it because I’m the heir of Kodama’s will? What do you want from me?”

James put his hands up, exasperated at the amount of questions. “Kodama’s will? What the—no, I brought you up here to save you from the fires,” James said.

The look the girl returned made it clear that she didn’t believe him.

“Why do you do what you do… taking from others who have so little to give?”

Finally, it clicked. She saw no difference between him and the Divers. In her eyes, there was no difference between him and the men who had started the fire that killed her mother. She assumed that the acts of the Divers were the acts of the whole fleet. In a way, they were, since they all benefited from the Divers’ actions.

“We didn’t know,” James said. “I’m not sure how many people do know what the Divers do when they descend below the clouds, but me and Celeste didn’t know. I’m sorry. I’m ashamed and I’m sorry.” James felt an unbearable sense of shame deep in the pit of his stomach. He had idolized these men—idolized them. He had even wanted to become one. Guilt filled him at the thought of it, as if he were just as guilty as the ones who had started the fire that roared beneath them. He needed to make this right in his own mind for his own sake. “It won’t solve much, but you can punch me if it will make you feel better.”

The girl didn’t even hesitate. She stood up and close-fist punched him directly in the face. James was reminded, painfully, of how strong she was. He hit the metal floor, falling backwards. Celeste had already tackled the girl by the time James had hit the ground. The two wrestled on the ground, furiously trying to hurt each other. In a moment of strange clarity, James realized how stupid he had been. He had been trying to deescalate things and had let his own self-loathing bring all the tension back to the surface. He groaned, pulling himself into a sitting position and rubbing his face where he was hit. After what felt like an eternity, his senses started to kick back in, and he became overly aware of the two figures rolling around on the ground in front of him. He scurried over them, swaying slightly, and managed to pry them apart. Neither looked too harmed from the scuffle. A scrape here and there, but nothing serious. The two stood, facing each other. The girl eventually shook her head and turned towards the door.

“I’m leaving,” she said, starting to walk towards the door. James reached out and caught her hand.

“You can’t. It’s too dangerous,” he said.

She quickly ripped her hand free of his. Then she raised it and showed her backhand to him. “As long as I have this,” she said, shaking her fingernails about. “Then, I need to be on the ground.”

She turned to leave. James tried to reach for her again but was stopped by Celeste.

“Let her go,” Celeste said. “Maybe if we’re lucky she’ll run right into a Diver.”

The girl froze, and James immediately feared a round two of their fighting. He quickly realized, however, that her gaze was directed down onto the table, not back at Celeste.

“What is this?” she asked. James crept forward to look at what she was pointing at. It was the picture Celeste had drawn of the beast.

“It’s what greeted me in the forest. It told me to take you with me,” James said. She dragged her fingers over the image and James could see contemplation on her face. “Will you stay? Please? We’ll leave tonight, once everyone has fallen asleep. Alright?” The girl hesitated and then slowly nodded.

“Kiri,” she said. James gave her a confused look. “My name. It’s Kiri.”