Chapter Fourteen: New Horizons

They took their time heading back to Okeanos, enjoying the sights illuminated by the late afternoon sun along the way.

At a vibrant reef, they admired the natural city of fish and were entranced by the critters zipping in and out of their homes. When Beatrice sensed a pod of dolphins, the spirits joined them for a swim, and they laughed at the sight of Sebastian trying to herd them like sheep. At a drop-off, they sat at the edge for ages; Malia stared into the dark unknown, silently wondering what wonders out there were waiting to be discovered.

The team leader had similar dreams, and Malia wanted to find the truth for them—for herself.

As they neared Okeanos, they stopped by the fading island they took Sebastian to when they first met. Thankfully, the dog had since learned to stay in contact with the water, and Malia and Beatrice only had to watch him sprint along the shoreline, his ears flopping with every bound.

The women were silent at first, simply basking in the light of the setting sun as the water washed over their legs. With the sound of the sea, the warmth of the sunlight, and Beatrice's presence beside her, Malia knew that this was what peace was supposed to feel like.

Maybe she didn't have to be chasing a goal every second of her life. Maybe there was nothing wrong with taking a break. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to simply enjoy life.

"Thank you," Malia whispered. "For this. I guess I forgot why I love science."

"So you do love it." Beatrice smiled when Malia met her warm gaze. "I hoped that was the case—that your drive was more than just what your family wanted."

Malia's chuckle was short and slightly bitter. "I guess if they really got what they wanted, I'd be a doctor."

With a sigh, she began to run her hand through the sand between them. "I guess I always loved science. I just lost that passion when I was so focused on trying to get the results they wanted. They wanted success; I wanted knowledge." Her shrug was heavy. "I hoped I could get both."

They fell into silence. As Malia buried her hand in the cool, damp sand, Beatrice ran her own gently through the shallow water.

"When you... go back to land, what will you do?" Beatrice asked quietly.

It took a moment for Malia to answer. "I don't know anymore. I want to live for myself, but I don't know if I can handle that—their disappointment in me. I hope I can; I want to."

"You can," Beatrice said, and her voice was so confident that Malia had to raise her gaze. "I believe you will."

"Would you want to go back?" Malia blurted out. "With me?"

Immediately, Beatrice's eyes went wide before quickly turning to the water between them.

"Sorry," Malia hurriedly said. "I shouldn't have asked. You have a life here, and... I'm sorry."

Malia wanted to hide in embarrassment over her crass question, but one glance at Beatrice showed that she was pondering her next words carefully. That was enough to convince Malia to stay.

"No, don't be," Beatrice eventually said. "It's just... My memories of the people on land weren't as pleasant as yours might have been. The people of my time... They weren't as accepting of me as you are. Of me... and the people that I loved."

It was Malia's turn for her eyes to widen, but Beatrice didn't seem to notice as she released a disheartened chuckle.

"To be fair, I probably should not have had an affair with the wife of a government official." Beatrice shrugged before turning her gaze to the horizon. "Alas, that's what happened. And here we are."

In the following silence, Beatrice continued to stare into the distance; Malia's mind was reeling with the revelation. So much so, that she wasn't prepared for the news that followed.

"They had her stab me," Beatrice whispered, her voice aching at the memory. "To prove where her loyalties were. To prove that I was nothing more to her than a way to satisfy her 'sinful curiosities.'"

Suddenly, Malia remembered the agony in her gut when she felt Beatrice's energy. Only then did she realize the resulting burn she felt in her eyes was not just from the physical pain.

Still, Beatrice continued. "They didn't realize I was still alive when they dumped my body in the ocean. Even if they did, I doubt they would have cared. They would have liked to see me suffer before death."

Beatrice released a long sigh, and when she turned back to Malia, her blue eyes were brighter than ever.

"And that's why I lived. I lived because I couldn't stand the thought of giving them the satisfaction that they killed me—that they destroyed not only my body, but my soul, my heart. Because as guilty as they tried to make me feel about my desires, all I wanted was my own happiness."

At that moment, the spark in Beatrice's eyes and the fire in her words were enough to light something within Malia that she thought she had lost long ago.

"And you found it," Malia whispered, entranced by the feeling within her.

With those words, the burn in Beatrice's gaze dimmed before turning to the waters.

"To be honest, I think I may have forgotten about that over the years," Beatrice said softly. "Maybe a couple centuries ago, give or take. The ocean may have given me a second chance at life, but all I was doing was going through the motions; I wasn't truly living."

Before Malia could worry that she would never see that fire within Beatrice again, the woman looked up at her with a warm smile.

"Seeing your passionate determination towards a goal..." Her smile grew. "It inspired me. It made me wonder if I'm truly alive if I'm not fighting for what I believe in—if I'm not fighting for myself."

And then, the spark in her eyes returned.

"That's what I want to do from now on; I want to fight for myself. And I don't know where that journey will lead, whether it be here or on land, but I suppose I'll find out." Beatrice chuckled. "I'm excited to do so, in fact."

Malia couldn't help it; the sight of Beatrice's fiery determination and soothing spirit left Malia wanting more. Her remaining ounce of self-control only went into effect when her hand was inches from Beatrice's, and from there, all she could do was plant her palm in the sand.

Of course, the abrupt movement caught Beatrice's eyes. For several seconds, they watched each other, and the only sounds between them were their soft breaths, the gentle waves, and Malia's racing heart.

And then, when the tide turned in, Beatrice's hand flowed with it.

As soon as her palm brushed Malia's skin, a rush of warmth came with it, and Malia's awe transformed into a smile.

"And I'm excited for you," Malia said, hoping she could properly convey how true that was.

When Beatrice's expression mirrored her own, Malia knew she had succeeded.

"Thank you," Beatrice whispered, her voice as warm as her touch.

And it remained so, even as the salty breeze brushed by, and even as the cool water rushed over their fingers. Nothing on land nor in the sea could chill the warmth of Beatrice's hand, or the warmth that filled Malia's heart.

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