Kael leads the procession on contact beach, the Antarctikans and Moss following, the tidemouth militia maintaining a watchful distance.Sūrya steps off the gangway, her foot sinking into wet sand, her hand reaches out as uncertainty flickers across her face.Old Sekani stands on the beach, seaweed blanket wrapped around him, face uplifted, tears streaming down his weathered cheeks.Kael reaches out to Sūrya, who stands wide-eyed on the warm sand, the vast sea and sky stretching behind them.Two sets of footprints lead from the waterline, one wide and uneven, the other narrow and precise, stretching toward the city.Moss stands tall, amber eyes gleaming, as Kael faces him, her scarred arm steady, the misty breakwater a distant backdrop.Sūrya's right foot sinks into the dark wet sand, her left hand reaching out as if grasping for balance, the Antarctic delegation trailing behind.Sūrya leads the twelve Antarctikans down the gangway, their silver-gray forms precise against the dawn-lit beach.Sūrya walks barefoot on the wet sand, hands clasped, eyes locked on Kael, the delegation a rigid formation behind her.Kael leads the procession through Tidemouth's streets, her scarred arm visible, with Sūrya composed behind and Moss trailing, the militia forming a tight, watchful escort.
