The midday sun beat mercilessly over the forgotten remnants of Solharbor, a city once proud, now no more than cracked stone and memory. Wind danced through jagged alleyways, carrying with it the salt of the distant sea and the faint clang of a loose metal sign swaying above a long-abandoned smithy. Dust coated everything like a faded crown, and time itself seemed to have stopped in deference to history.
And there he was.
Amidst this grand decay stood a boy cloaked in arrogance and glory-fed delusion. Blonde hair tousled and golden like the fabled banners that once flew from Solharbor's towers,the boy stood before a monolith embedded in the cliffside. Within it: a jagged, rune-scarred stone, and sunk into that stone like the final breath of a forgotten age was a sword of legend.
Or so he believed.His name was Arthur...Arthur Vareth, descendant of Solion Vareth.
The blade was not metal. It was fossilized into the earth, stone within stone, like a ghost of its former self. Moss grew across the hilt, vines wound down the blade, and to the untrained eye, it may as well have been just another oddly shaped rock. But Arthur knew better.
"Sunreaver," he whispered to no one, placing a hand over his heart as if reciting a sacred vow. "Forged by Solion Vareth, wielder of dawn, protector of this land. And now..." he stepped forward dramatically, eyes glinting with unearned certainty, "you call to your heir."
He gripped the stone hilt with both hands.
He tugged.
Nothing happened.
He tugged harder.
Still, the sword remained perfectly still. A seagull landed nearby and watched in silence. Arthur growled.
"Come on," he hissed under his breath. "I am the rightful one! I have the blood of kings in my veins!"
The seagull tilted its head.
Arthur stepped back, rolled his shoulders, shook out his arms, and then charged forward like a knight of old. He wrapped both arms around the sword and yanked with all the desperation of a child trying to lift a mountain.
Still nothing.
He fell backward into the dirt, breathless. Sand clung to his sweat-slicked skin, and he stared up at the sky with betrayal in his eyes.
"Is it because I didn't kneel first? Is that it?" he muttered to himself. He wiped his hands on his shirt, stood, dusted off his pants, then knelt before the blade like a supplicant before a god. His voice dropped into something solemn and ridiculous. "Oh great Sunreaver, blade of the dawn, light of the old world, accept me. I am your chosen."
He rose again. This time, he bowed his head, extended his arms, and very gently tried to lift it. He paused. Waited. As if expecting divine permission.
Still nothing.
"UGH!" he shouted.
He kicked the stone.
"Stupid rock."
The seagull squawked as if in agreement.
Arthur sat down, legs splayed, staring at the embedded blade. He pulled out a worn notebook from his satchel and flipped through pages filled with scribbled drawings of swords, notes about Solion Vareth, and wild theories about his bloodline. Every corner of every page was circled, underlined, starred, and in some cases, drawn over again with new ideas. One page read: "Prophecy of the Golden Return: The Blade Reawakens Only to Royal Flesh." Another simply had the phrase "IT'S ME. HAS TO BE ME." written repeatedly.
He groaned and flopped back against the grass. "This doesn't make any sense. The symbols match. The cliff-side location. The age. Everything matches. So why won't it budge?"
He pulled out a small pendant from around his neck. It was shaped like a miniature sunburst, gold-painted and dented. "Father said this came from Solion's tomb. That I'm descended from greatness. That I have purpose."
His voice trembled, just a little.
"So why not me?"
The sword did not answer. The seagull was gone.
A breeze blew through the ruins. Arthur sat there, alone with his thoughts and the heavy weight of silence. The sword, unmoved, loomed above him like a judge.
And somewhere in the distance, as the wind passed through old towers and broken bells, it almost sounded like laughter.
Hours earlier....
The mist curled thick around the rooftops of Grimwillow, casting an eerie pall over the village as if the sky had sunk low enough to rest upon the thatched homes. It was a silence born of abandonment, a hush that swallowed footsteps and whispered across broken shutters. Cold winds slithered through the narrow alleys like pale ghosts, carrying with them the scent of the sea and wet stone. The church loomed behind them, ancient and unmoving, its steeple piercing the gloom like a finger accusing the heavens.
The Mermaid Crew had just stepped out from the church doors, the image of the carved stone sword and the haunting presence of Abyrion's statue still lingering in their minds. The sun tried to claw its way through the clouds, but it remained a vague smudge above, unable to cast warmth or direction. Damp air clung to their skin.
Kammy stopped first. She stood still at the edge of the cliffside, her boots close to the broken railing where the world dropped into the roaring sea. She stared out at the churning, chaotic mess of water known only as the Abyssal Gaze. Waves as high as towers collided with one another, their peaks curling like monstrous hands, ready to crush anything that dared traverse their realm. Even from this height, the hiss of spray and the bone-shaking boom of waves striking jagged rock echoed up to them.
Her eyes narrowed, and her voice cracked through the silence: "No. I'm not going through the Abyssal Gaze again. Not a chance. Even if you paid me!"
Everyone turned to her. Redda snorted, Jore scratched his neck, and Talo and Demi exchanged glances. Ogun raised an eyebrow.
"Not even if we paid you in gold?" Jore says.
Kammy whipped around and pointed a wrench at him. "Not even if you melted the gold down and sculpted a hot tub!"
Lumir let out a soft whistle, eyeing the roiling sea. His face was lit with a mixture of awe and horror. "That thing looks like it wants to eat the sky..."
Kammy turned back to the waves, arms crossed. "It almost ate us. Never again. We're finding a better way."
She paced for a moment, chewing her lip. Then, a spark flared in her eyes.
"Jet wings."
The crew looked at her.
"Come again?" Ogun asked.
"Jet. Wings." She repeated with that distinct edge of madness she always got when an idea took root in her mind. "If I can reinforce the rear of the Mermaid Princess with a skeletal support frame and bind crystal-fed conduits to the hull, we can glide above the waves. At least for short bursts. Like flying fish, but angrier."
Lumir blinked. "Wait, wait. You can make the ship fly?"
"Not fly," she said, holding up a finger. "Glide. Huge difference. Short-term lift and propulsion to carry us over the roughest stretch. We'll still need to navigate sea-level after, but we won't be at the mercy of... that."
She gestured wildly toward the Abyssal Gaze.
Redda chuckled. "Sounds like you just want an excuse to strap rockets to a boat."
Kammy didn't deny it.
"I can do it," she said, eyes gleaming. "But I'll need something. Ygrene Crystals."
The crew collectively tilted their heads.
"Ygrene...what now?" Lumir asked.
"Ygrene Crystals," she explained, already pulling a chalkboard from seemingly nowhere and scribbling mad diagrams. "High-density energy sources found in underwater cave systems. The purest kind. They radiate heat and elemental conductivity. Super rare, super volatile, and exactly what we need. With four medium-sized ones, I can power a jet propulsion array for at least fifteen minutes. Enough to cross the worst of the Abyssal Gaze."
Ogun folded his arms. "And where do we find these?"
Kammy grinned. "Luckily, the waters beneath Grimwillow are riddled with natural caverns. Old mining records say there's a cave system just west of the cliffs, submerged but accessible through a deep plunge. The problem is... it's a solo job. Too tight and unstable for the full crew."
The silence that followed was long. Everyone glanced around. Kammy's eyes slid toward Lumir.
He blinked.
"...What?"
Kammy slowly pointed the chalkboard at him like a weapon. "You. You're the newest. And let's be honest, you're also the fastest, lightest, and dumbest to send diving alone into an ancient, potentially haunted underwater crystal tomb."
"That feels like a compliment and an insult at the same time," Lumir muttered.
"It is."
Redda laughed. Jore gave Lumir a pat on the back. "Good luck, sky boy."
Lumir pouted. "I'm not a sky boy"
Kammy began rummaging through her pack. "Don't worry, I'll give you gear. Pressure resistant suit, crystal containment pouches, a map. I even enchanted a glowstick."
"You enchanted a glowstick?"
"Yes, and if you break it, it screams."
Lumir took the gear and sighed, then looked at the cliffs below.
He saw the ocean yawning wide, mist swirling where the rocks met the waves. The air smelled like wet iron and salt. The weight of the moment settled over him. This was no mere scavenging trip. The Ygrene Crystals weren't just glowing rocks — they were lifelines. If they failed to find them, the Mermaid Princess would be stuck, and the Abyssal Gaze would eat them alive the next time they tried to sail through.
He glanced back at Kammy. She was tightening a belt of tools around her waist, mumbling about fusion lines and air resistance. She caught him watching.
"You got this," she said, her expression oddly soft for once. "Don't die, dummy."
Lumir smiled. "I'll try. No promises."
He stepped closer to the edge. The mist parted a little, revealing a narrow path that led to a drop point. Far below, the blackened water shimmered with phantom reflections.
Ogun moved beside him, hands in his pockets. "When you're down there... keep your eyes open. Caves hold more than crystals."
"Got it."
Jore tossed him a small silver pendant. "Emergency flare. Crack it if things go wrong. We'll come charging."
"Hopefully without the crashing and dying part."
Talo and Demi approached together. They looked hesitant.
"Hey," Demi said. "Thanks. You know, for doing this."
"Yeah," Talo added, rubbing his arm. "You're kinda cool sometimes."
Lumir smirked. "Why is everyone talking to me like I'm going to suicide mission"?...
Everyone laughed..
And with that, he threw the gear onto the ground and jumped reckles toward the cold sea, toward the unknown caves that yawned beneath Grimwillow like the belly of an ancient beast.
Above him, the crew watched until he vanished from view,the fog swallowing his figure like the sea swallowing ships. Kammy exhaled slowly.
"He forgot the gear" The cold grip of the Abyssal Gaze clutched around Lumir like a coffin of pressure and silence. He descended into its depths without gear, without preparation,just raw strength, reckless intent, and that ever-present smile tugging at his lips. Waves the size of fortresses had long passed above, and the deep sea pulsed now with ancient quiet. Shadows moved in the dark. Giants.
A serpent-like monstrosity glided beside him, its eye larger than Lumir's entire body. It turned its head curiously, but before it could decide whether he was prey, Lumir spun with a crackling flash of blue energy and slammed his fist against the beast's nose. The creature recoiled, vanished into the dark with a roar like shifting mountains.
"Tch. Big and slow," Lumir muttered, bubbles rising from his grin.
Another beast darted toward him from the side—this one a crab-like horror with limbs like spears. Lumir rotated, ducked under its claw, grabbed a rock the size of a cart and hurled it upward, knocking the creature into the ceiling of the underwater trench. His body moved effortlessly, as if the water itself bent to accommodate him. He wasn't just fighting. He was dancing in the deep.
But then he saw it.
At the bottom of the trench, beyond a forest of luminous coral and twisted bones, a glowing light blinked like a heartbeat.
He swam closer, pushing through the thick water, the heavy silence pressing tighter. The glowing cavern entrance was cracked open like a mouth, soft blue and gold lights spilling from within. He knew this was the place Kammy spoke of,the resting place of the Ygrene Crystals. But even more, something ancient stirred behind those lights. Something... alive.
The cave stretched far wider than expected, its ceilings vaulting like a submerged cathedral. And inside...
They moved with surprising agility, short in stature,barely 1.20 meters tall,but their wide, flipper-like feet and long arms made them elegant underwater. Big pink noses, large glowing yellow eyes, skin shimmering with deep sea hues. Dozens of them paused when they noticed Lumir, then began to approach with cautious wonder.
"...Hi?" Lumir waved, with big smile on his face.
They surrounded him. One stepped forward. The tallest among them, maybe 1.30 meters, wore robes made from woven seaweed and pearlescent shells.It was the elder.
"Surface-dweller," it said with a deep voice that echoed oddly. "You are not feared. You are... welcome."
Lumir blinked. "You speak Common?"
"We speak all. All tongues. All stories. All history and stories of old...Said the elder politely to Lumir..
He tried not to look unsettled. "Cool. I'm Lumir. I'm here for some... crystals?"
They exchanged glances. The robed one nodded. "Ygrene. The heartblood of the world.My name is Path.."These precious crystals are the last thing that connects us with there.We want to return from where we originally came from"
"Return to where?"
Path didn't answer immediately. Instead, it gestured for him to follow. They moved deeper into the caves,luminescent pathways winding through narrow rockways and domes filled with murals. There were cities here. Houses carved from coral, temples grown into stone. A whole civilization."We are the Nymirii," Path said like he was tired of existence. "We exiled to the depths during the Eclipse Century incident ."
"What's that?"...
Path stopped.
"You did not know about the forbidden century?"
Lumir shook his head. "Do I look like a historian?"
The elder seemed disappointed but continued. "Twelve hundred years ago, the sun turned its face from us. A silence fell across the world. Kingdoms collapsed. All light... lost. We escaped into the womb of the sea. We have waited here since."He stared at the murals. He saw depictions of cities burning. Of massive angel like figures stood above 20 kilometres covering the sky, destroying everything on first sight. Of a single shining sword held high above the darkness.
"You've been down there all this time?"
"Many lifetimes. We pass stories like flame. But our greatest fire is fading. We dream of sunlight. Of grass. Of wind.We want to be on the surface again.Our other goal is to discover every forbidden knowledge of the world..But the Eclipse will swallow us like the anger of the sea covered ships and lands"
Lumir's expression softened.
"Well... maybe it's time you stopped dreaming,I WILL get you on the surface,I don't know anything about this Eclipse thing,but I promise you,it's safe now,and I promise you,if anything tries to take your freedom,I will take it down personally!"...
Every single Nymiriian burst out of joy and hopefulnes.Of course there was people that doubted in him....
"He is lying...He is one of them,the Eclipse will destroy us completely.Path if we die no one can pass the stories and the knowledge."
"And...You are?" said Lumir with cocky tone.
"Mink....but for you is Miss you cocky little lying brat"
"IM NOT LYING.....I WILL SHOW YOU"
With one jump Lumir burst the caverns,water deepened the whole place,bursting and erupting like volcano.
The caves rumbled. Cracks formed in the surface.
From above, the crew of the Mermaid Princess heard a deafening sound—a crash of rocks, followed by a jet of water erupting into the sky. They jumped to their feet.
"LUMIR!?" Kammy screamed.
"He's is still down there !"
Then, the rocks broke. A geyser of light and bubbles burst upward, and a figures emerged,soaked, wild-haired, laughing.
Behind him...
Hundreds of the Nymirii slowly floated to the surface, shielding their faces from the dawn.Ygrene crystal dropped like rainfall...
Kammy dropped her wrench. "What the"
"SURPRISE!" Lumir shouted, arms wide. "I brought guests!"
The village of Grimwillow lit up with new life as the Nymirii cautiously explored its forgotten paths. Talo and Demi watched them with tears building in their eyes.
"It's full again," Demi whispered. "Grimwillow is...
full again."
Then Kammy said
"Lumir,I need everyone to be quiet so I can start to build the wi"...
Of course Lumir did not listen any of the things Kammy said as usual and with a loud shout he said..."PARTYYYYYY"
The fire crackled as the first pot of stew boiled over. Somewhere near the edge of the cliff, where Grimwillow met the fading sea, Redda was shouting at a chicken. "GET. IN. THE. POT!"
The chicken, unaware it was supposed to be dinner, flapped madly across the square. Talo and Demi screamed in laughter as they ran after it, tripping over each other while Ogun calmly sipped from a steaming wooden mug.
Jore was already three pints in. He stood on top of a barrel, lecturing a confused crowd of Nymirii elders. "Listen, when I say you mix lemon root with spiced bark, you get somethin' that'll keep you awake for six days. Don't ask how I know."
Elder Path, meanwhile, stood quietly beside Miss Mink, watching the celebration unfold. Children played in the dust, music made from cave flutes and spoons clanged in rhythm, and above it all, the sky... was slowly clearing.
Miss Mink tilted her head toward Path, her usual scowl softened. "I thought he was dangerous.That he is one of....Them"
Elder Path didn't answer immediately. His gaze stayed on the boy who now sat surrounded by young Nymirii, telling some tale of ocean monsters with his arms wide open, laughter in his voice.
"He appeared from nowhere," the old Nymirii said softly, "with hair like the storm and eyes like the skyes. And yet he led us to the sun."
Miss Mink folded her arms. "I owe him words."
Across the village, Kammy was hammering at her contraption, the skeleton of her winged engine glittering with Ygrene crystal in the firelight. "DO NOT DANCE NEAR THE CRYSTAL," she shouted as three children twirled past her.
Lumir, lounging on a half-built crate, tossed a grape into his mouth and grinned. "They just want to see what it does if it explodes."
Kammy shot him a glare. "I'll explode you."
"That's flirting," Talo whispered behind her.
Kammy spun around. "DO YOU WANT TO HELP OR WHAT?"
"Sorry!" Demi laughed, handing her a wrench upside-down.
Meanwhile, Lumir was pulled aside by Miss Mink.
She stood awkwardly. "Im sorry,you know,for doubting in you."
Lumir smiled, but not mockingly. Gently.
"I just love to make people happy, everyone deserves to follow their dreams"
She nodded slowly, exhaling. "I was wrong."
Lumir tapped her on the shoulder. "Its normal for someone to have doubts, especially when someone strange come from above."...
They both burst in laughter..
By the time the stew was bubbling again and Redda had finally wrangled the chicken (with a broom), the celebration had fully bloomed. Talo stood near the cliff's edge now, looking out.
Lumir joined him, holding a bowl.
"You okay?"
"I just... never thought I'd see this place full again."
Behind them, Ogun laughed at Jore trying to balance a spoon on his nose, and Kammy shouted triumphantly as her engine coughed to life.
"Grimwillow's full again," Talo said.
Lumir nodded,with a big smile on his face.
And then, the sun.
Breaking through the last grey veil of mist, spilling over the cracked stone, warming the wood and metal and ash of a town reborn. A golden flood.
The Nymirii turned their faces to it. Some cried. Some laughed. Elder Path raised his hands as though greeting an old friend.
And Lumir simply stood there, eyes half-closed, bathed in light.
Grimwillow had never known warmth like this in years.
The sky above had begun to open, streaks of gold slicing through the dark overcast that had loomed like a heavy cloak for years. The mist had thinned, the winds had calmed. The sun had not just risen,it had returned.
Kammy stood on a crate with soot on her cheek. Her fingers moved like lightning as she tightened the final bolts on the Ygrene Jet Wings mounted onto the Mermaid Princess. Blue crystal conduits ran like veins beneath the hull, glowing with a pulsing energy,the life of the ship, the new wings.
Behind her, the village of Grimwillow was alive for the first time in years. The Nymiriians were dancing and singing in foreign tones under cloth banners made from salvaged cave vines. Elder Path stood beneath the half-repaired clock tower, smiling with misted eyes. Redda stirred a large pot, and Jore drank like he was made of barrel wood.
"You finished?" Lumir called from the bow, voice light.
Kammy spat out the wrench. "I was born finished. You, on the other hand, still can't screw in a bolt without cross-threading it."
"Bold of you to assume I know what a thread is."
Kammy rolled her eyes but smiled. She slammed a lever. The Ygrene Crystals began to hum.
The ship vibrated. Blue light surged from the base of the wings, and a beam of pure energy erupted from beneath the hull, carving a spiral of color into the fading morning mist. The Nymiriians gasped. Elder Path took off his hat and placed it over his heart.
"That's our cue!" Ogun called.
The crew scrambled aboard. Redda tossed her ladle overboard. Jore carried two flasks. Talo and Demi held hands, staring wide-eyed as the ship groaned and lifted.
Massive energy beam burst out of the Mermaids Princess new jet wings.
With a gust, she rose into the sky, carried by the golden breath of the Ygrene Core. Below, the villagers cheered and waved. Miss Mink even threw a flower crown toward Lumir. He caught it with one hand and placed it on his head with a smug grin and said.....
"TO SOLHARBOR!"
As they pierced the clouds, the air grew thinner, crisper. The ship didn't fly in a straight line; it floated, shifted, tilted.
Lumir was asleep and from all the tilting he said sleepy.,,Are we falling already"?..
"We are not falling," Kammy explained while adjusting dials. "It's guided falling. The crystals burn energy like mad, so we're basically surfing the sky on dying fire."
"Why does that sound so cool?" Demi asked.
"Because it is," Kammy winked.
Talo,who was sleeping near Lumir from exhaustion said to him...
"Do you think we will die"
Lumir leaned,his eyes sharp,he was careful so Kammy can't hear him.
"Yes,from the start actually"
"You're gonna believe you can die if you fall," Kammy muttered behind them"
They both turn pale.
Jore was leaning over the edge. "I see clouds that look like roasted chicken. Am I hallucinating?"He was drinking way too much of his...,,drink?"
Ogun stood at the bow, hair whipped by wind. His eyes weren't on the clouds, or the horizon, or even the sun. They were somewhere far.
Lumir stepped beside him. "Still quiet?"
"It's peaceful," Ogun said simply.
Lumir studied him for a long moment. "You didn't say much after that statue in the church."
Ogun didn't respond.
"You can tell us," Lumir said flatly.
Ogun met his eyes. For a second, something strange moved behind them. Then it was gone.
"Don't we all?"
Ogun exhaled, turned away.
They passed through sun-threaded clouds, pink and gold mist swirling around the hull. Strange sky creatures floated by,jellyfish with wings, birds with glowing feathers, a whale that glided through the sky like a dream.
"This is ridiculous," Kammy said, leaning on the railing. "I built a flying ship."
"You built...something," Talo corrected.
"No," Demi added, pointing to a spiraling bird. "She built a flying fish with wings made of fire and sass."
The Qupi bird flew beside them, matching speed. It tilted its head toward Lumir and cawed.
"Hey! We're doing fine, you judgmental feather ball," Kammy barked.
"He likes you," Lumir said, petting the Qupi. It immediately pecked him.
"Ow! Why does it always do that?!"
Talo and Demi laughed.
Hours passed. The Ygrene crystals dimmed. Kammy pulled a lever, and the wings extended fully. The ship began to descend, slowly gliding.
"We can't power upward anymore," Kammy announced. "Whatever's next, we ride the wind."
Ogun leaned over the front. "Land ahead."
The clouds parted.
Below them sprawled a desert island, vast and scorched. Dunes rolled like sleeping giants, and stone ruins jutted from the sand like bones.
"That's Solharbor," Talo said, eyes full of something between grief and awe. "Not what it used to be in the stories of old. But still...."
The Mermaid Princess began to spiral lower, wings gliding like a falling leaf.
"Hold on," Kammy muttered. "Turbulence incoming."
The ship touched down on a hill of soft sand and slid, scraping, groaning. A wing caught on a stone and bent. The ship jolted. Everyone screamed.
Then silence.
Dust rose.
They had landed.
The hatch opened. Sunlight poured in.
The crew stepped out and froze.
The heat hit them like a whale hitting a baby dolphin. Lumir blinked.
"This isn't like Grimwillow," Demi said.
"This is... emptier," Redda whispered.
Kammy shaded her eyes. "So. Who wants to find a legendary sword in a desert?"
The camera would pan away if this was a film,to the broken towers in the sand, to a sword-shaped shadow etched into a mountain, waiting.
And the sky, bright and full, as the wind whispered names lost to time.