Shuperti was swimming through the sea, bursting with excitement.
In the east of the Empire, far from the Pashayen Estate, a land of abundance and luck where the sun first kisses the horizon, a boy opened his eyes.
His long lashes fluttered, revealing eyes of a deep, intoxicating purple. The vast constellations swirling within them sparked with a brilliance that made “gem-like” feel like an insult. Reading the truths of the expansive universe—that was the duty and the blessing of the Laksimon bloodline.
After reading the day’s stars, a melodic voice escaped his lips.
“You’ve finally returned.”
The girl he had searched for, for so long, had returned to the place where he lived and breathed.
“Grow up quickly.”
The Laksimon bloodline possessed a singular, terrifying ability: they could sense their destined partner. Whether they were born or dead, reincarnated or lost, nearby or half a world away—he could even discern the moment their paths would finally intersect.
So, he waited. It was boring, but bearable. He knew exactly when they would meet.
*‘There are so many things I want to show you.’*
A flock of golden paper cranes fluttered around the boy as he offered a gentle smile. It was an ethereal, artistic sight, perfectly harmonizing with his platinum blonde beauty.
But as the moment passed, a whisper like a sigh escaped him.
“Still, I want to see you, after all.”
The Law of Causality did not permit it; should he break the rules, the burden he would shoulder would only grow heavier.
Did that matter?
The boy’s personality had been forged that way from the start. His gaze softening, he made his resolution.
“I’m coming to meet you.”
The voice was clear, absolute, and impossible to stop.
***
“Pahya! That was so fun!”
After our ride with the dolphins, I poked my head above the surface where we had arrived at a cave.
“I wanna do it again!”
Since I couldn’t breathe underwater, Grandpa Head of House had made air bubbles for me. It had been amazing. Lina really needed to try this!
“Whoa, is that really your first time riding a dolphin? You took to it fast!”
“Heh.”
I giggled at Micard’s praise, climbing onto a rock to squeeze the water from my skirt. Behind me, Grandpa pulled himself up. He hadn’t ridden a dolphin; he’d simply walked through the water with his hands behind his back, as if taking a leisurely stroll. It was no bluff.
“Now, come here, Chubby.”
“Ung!”
Micard shook his head, sending droplets flying, and reached out. Meanwhile, Grandpa called into the depths of the cave.
“Asha, I’m back.”
But the cave was empty.
“I’m coming in.”
“……!”
*Grandpa, you disappeared!*
He had been right in front of me a second ago. One blink later, he had vanished into thin air. I looked at Micard, wide-eyed, and he grinned down at me.
“Startled?”
“Uh-huh.”
“This is a sanctuary for Attuners. Think of it like a vacation home. It looks like a cave, but it’s layered with complex barriers, illusion magic, and space-distortion. And once you step inside, you’ll be completely dry.”
Then how did the dolphins find this place?
As if reading my mind, Micard answered, “The dolphins can read signals sent by the Ancestor Whale or an Attuner. Without that, even I couldn’t find my way here alone.”
“Wow!”
My heart hammered against my ribs. It felt like we were infiltrating a secret base.
*‘If I become an Attuner, can I use this place as a vacation home? That would be cool!’*
I could already imagine myself as an Attuner. I didn’t really know what that meant yet, but in my head, it was incredibly impressive. I held my chin high and went, “Ahem!”
“Alright, let’s go in.”
“Ung!”
*Step, step.* We walked into the pitch-black cave, but when I looked back, the entrance was gone.
Instead, a wall of delicious, butter-colored wallpaper stood in its place, radiating warmth.
“Welcome. It’s been a while, Mical.”
A booming, resonant voice filled the space.
“Grandma!”
“Yes, my puppy. You’re as energetic as ever.”
“Of course! Are you healthy, Grandma? You said your knees hurt last time. I came back safe and sound!”
Micard held my hand as he hopped about. With his other hand flailing, he looked like a giant, happy dog. Before us stood Grandpa and Grandma—a grandmother I was meeting for the first time.
“So you’re the new child. Come closer.”
Maliasah Pasayen. She had white hair braided neatly over one shoulder and vivid, deep violet eyes—just like Aunt Violet. They looked so strong that I took an instant liking to her.
“Hmm, I see. So that’s how it is.”
“What do you think, Asha?”
“What do you mean, ‘what do you think’? Are you going to change your attitude the moment you hear a ‘no’?”
Grandma, who had been looking me over while I sat on her lap, suddenly flared up. Grandpa, standing nearby with his hands respectfully clasped, let his expression crumble into a laugh.
“Hey, I told you I don’t do that anymore.”
“‘Don’t do that’? Don’t do what? Do you really think a person changes that easily? You just get more stubborn as you get old!”
*Are they fighting?* I watched them with great interest.
[The Water Spirit King ‘■■■■’ says you shouldn’t learn from watching things like that.]
[The Emotion Spirit King ‘■■■’ says that even so, those two are in love.]
So they weren’t arguing out of dislike. Adults were so strange. Why express simple feelings in such confusing ways? Kids didn’t do that.
“As the Ancestor Whale said, this child is indeed the most likely candidate to succeed me.”
“Hoho.”
“She woke me from my slumber, making such a fuss about how I had to bring one child here. She even complained about how the newly birthed Water Spirit King was bothering her.”
*Eung, the Water Spirit King did?* I was so surprised I glanced toward where the sparkling letters had been, but they were gone. All the Spirit Kings had fallen silent.
“Anyway, little one, what’s your name?”
“It’s Shuperti!”
“I see. I can hear what the Ancestor Whale is saying. She already knows your question.”
*Huh?* I couldn’t see the Ancestor Whale anywhere.
“When I become an Attuner, can I hear the Ancestor Whale’s stories even from far away?”
Grandma burst into laughter.
“Ah, you don’t know. Let me explain.”
“……?”
“Actually, we are inside the Ancestor Whale’s belly.”
*Whaaaaat?!*
My heart jumped, and I trembled. What was even more shocking was that Micard’s jaw had dropped to the floor.
“What, Grandma! It was?!”
“It was.”
“I, I didn’t know until now!” Micard ruffled his dark blue hair in disbelief.
I scanned my surroundings with wide, round eyes. “There’s a room inside the Ancestor Whale’s belly?”
“That’s right. This is the safest space for an Attuner. Unless you dry up this vast, deep ocean entirely, you can’t find or catch up to the Ancestor Whale.”
“Wow….”
As I gazed around in awe, Grandma patted my head with a rough hand.
“When you become an Attuner, you can change this space to your liking.”
“A snack house… as well?!”
“What? Yes, that would work, too.”
Grandmother chuckled heartily, and Grandfather looked back at her with an expression of such tenderness that I finally understood a little bit of what the Emotion Spirit King meant by ‘love.’ There was an atmosphere between them that no one could ever hope to intrude upon.
“Anyway, since you only came all the way here today because of that old man’s greed, I will answer your question.”
Grandmother met my eyes, her expression turning solemn.
“You want to know the name of the newly born Water Spirit King, don’t you?”