The waters of the ancient Vonetis Sea are unforgiving and unpredictable, yet the islanders who navigate them do so without fear. Ask them why, and they will answer: because , the Ocean Goddess, watches over them. Despite the moments of doubt, suffering, and despair, this young protector still chose to wield the Trident of the Seas. Baptized by the tides and commanded by the waves, the legend of the "Ocean Goddess" flows with the currents, reaching every shore beneath the stars.
's life was once like the gentle sea breeze—serene and beautiful.
As a revered princess, she understood the language of the ocean—when the tides would rise and fall, and when the storms would come and go. She passed this knowledge to the fishermen, safeguarding them from tempests and earning her the affectionate title "Daughter of the Ocean".
But one day, a sudden calamity from the sea shook her entire island. Their peaceful life came to an end as giant waves swallowed the coast and creatures corrupted by the Abyss rose and attacked the villages.
Consulting the ancient texts, learned that only by sealing the corrupted Eye of the Sea could this crisis be averted.
For the sake of her people, bravely stepped forward and ventured alone into the ruins beneath the tides.
However, the young princess was unable to withstand the Abyss's corruption. Not only did she fail to find the Eye of the Sea, her body also began to mutate under the corruption. The once beautiful princess found herself transformed into a hideous monster!
When swam back to the island with what little strength she had left, she was met with fear and rejection.
At that moment, the Abyss's corruption surged from the depths, causing giant waves to batter Blue Flame once again. Seizing the opportunity, a scheming minister branded as an "incarnation of calamity", leading her people to shun her. Devastated by this betrayal, the young princess could only respond with silence.
In the end, was exiled to a deserted island.
The Abyss's corruption continued to torment her body, but the agony in her heart was far greater—the very people she loved, the subjects she vowed to protect, had abandoned her.
Several times, she thought of throwing herself into the sea, letting the waves swallow her whole. Yet, whenever she gazed at the endless coast, she felt the ocean's power still pulling at her.
The ocean had not betrayed her; the surging waves were calling to her. Her people might have abandoned her, but she could not abandon her oath to protect the sea.
pulled herself together—she had to save this ocean!
recalled reading about a sacred artifact in the ancient texts: the Trident of the Seas. Legend held that it could purify any corruption and sever all impure energy. Though no living soul had ever seen it, the artifact was her last hope to save the ocean.
Rumors whispered that the Trident of the Seas slumbered in the deepest trenches of the Vonetis Sea. knew that to reach it, she would have to withstand the full corrupting powers of the Abyss. She would lose her elegant form forever, perhaps never to walk upon land again. Yet, the moment she plunged into the sunken ruins, her mind was fixed on only one thing—her duty as a princess to protect this ocean and all the lives within it.
Down she swam, deeper and deeper! The immense pressure of the deep wrapped around her body, and bellows from the darkness flooded her ears. The crushing weight and the chill of corruption clung to every inch of 's skin like invisible hands.
Her legs gradually morphed into a fish tail. In bone-piercing agony, the corruption seared through her flesh, which was constantly being torn apart and remade.
But she could not stop here.
She was a princess. Whether her subjects who had abandoned her still recognized this mattered not. To protect this sea and these lives remained her lifelong duty.
She must press on. She must descend, no matter the cost.
...
In the deepest darkness, she finally found it: the Trident of the Seas.
But exhaustion finally set in. As sank, her trembling fingertips managed to graze the artifact—suddenly, the trident began to resonate with her! A powerful, pure force burst forth with azure light and gently lifted up. A soft pulse flowed from the trident and synced with 's heartbeat.
It was the rhythm of the tides, the life pulse of the sea.
The tainted waters around began to purify as the turbid ripples returned to clarity. The sea then bestowed its blessing upon its guardian: not only regained her former appearance and body but also gained the ability to freely shift between her human and mermaid forms.
From then on, she was no longer just the princess of Blue Flame; she had become one with this sea.
—A daughter of the sea, and the Ocean Goddess.
When returned, she swiftly calmed the restless waves and brought a long-awaited peace. The minister's scheme crumbled, and the people who had once misunderstood her now sought her forgiveness. Yet, none of this mattered to anymore.
Or rather, a higher calling now beckoned to her.
"Upon the tides, protect this sea."
In the days that followed, set aside her royal title and roamed between the sea and the land. In human form, she walked the beaches, teaching children to feel the pulse of the currents; as a mermaid, she traversed the Vonetis Sea, swimming alongside the fish.
The Vonetis Sea flourished under her protection. However, the story of the Ocean Goddess was far from over. cast her gaze toward the broader ocean, toward the threat of the Abyss. Though the waters before her had returned to azure, the future of this world remained fragile.
She turned back to look at and with a gentle smile upon her face:
"The sea is still calling. Let us answer it, together."
