Here With Me | Neteyam 💙

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 5

The next morning, Hazel stood in the center of her family's canopy, half-draped in a strip of indigo fabric and judging every single outfit Ayavi had apparently owned.

"Cool, so... every option is just progressively more naked," she muttered, holding up what looked like a very decorative shoelace. "Was modesty not invented here?"

She rifled through the hanging loops of leather, beads, and sheer fabric, praying for at least one item that didn't scream Victoria's Secret: Warrior Princess Edition.

Nothing.

"Maybe I'll just stay in the tent," she muttered. "Live out my days as a feral recluse. Eat moss. Haunt people."

The flap rustled and Esnat entered, balancing a carved wooden bowl in her hands.

The smell hit Hazel first—strong, bitter, like someone had steeped regret and wet bark in hot water.

"Good morning," Esnat said cheerfully, holding out the bowl like an offering. "Your daily medicine."

"My daily poison," Hazel corrected, taking it reluctantly and holding it at arm's length. "Are we sure this isn't actually just lava filtered through tree roots?"

Esnat ignored her dramatics and leaned casually against one of the support beams. "You will never guess what I heard this morning."

Hazel sniffed the bitter drink and immediately gagged. "If this sentence ends with Neteyam being promoted to Chief of Glowering, I don't want it."

Esnat grinned. "No, but close. I was walking past the Olo'eyktan's canopy on my way here and I overheard them arguing."

Hazel perked up. "Ooh, family gossip. Continue."

"They were arguing about what happened yesterday with the Sky People. The incident in the forest with you and the Olo'eyktan's children. He said it's too dangerous to stay here, that they've brought too much attention to the Omaticaya. The Tsakarem agreed. They're thinking of leaving."

Hazel blinked. "Leaving?"

Esnat nodded. "They said something about the Metkayina—Na'vi who live by the sea."

Hazel stared blankly at her for a beat.

Then, slowly, her face lit up.

"Oh my god," she whispered. "He's leaving."

Esnat looked confused. "He who?"

Hazel's grin widened. "Yewaa's favorite tall, broody buzzkill."

"Neteyam?"

"The one and only."

Esnat frowned. "Wait, you are happy about that? I thought you'd be devastated. You used to sob when he didn't look at you during dinner."

Hazel waved a hand. "That was previous me. She had terrible taste and questionable self-worth."

Esnat stared at her like she'd grown a second head. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head harder than we thought?"

Hazel wasn't listening anymore. She was thinking—fast.

If the Sullys were leaving, and they were going to the sea...

The sea.

Where she had drowned.

Where all of this had started.

Maybe—just maybe—if she found the same kind of water, deep and endless and familiar... she could go back.

Back to her real life. Her real family. Her real world.