The first day in the City of Salt was a bitter trial without Ficky. Undersea creatures, blinded by envy and thirsting for power, had turned the kingdom into a place of turmoil.
Like salt rubbed into an open wound, the presence of the rebels stung every step of their journey.
After struggling to escape the palace traitors, Aya and Fiu had been forced to face another nightmare: the sea serpent. This was the same beast Aya and Ficky had encountered on the path to the previous city—a monster that had haunted them since the start.
Yet, despite the serpent and the rebels, fate had guided them to the edge of a deep trench. They were fortunate to have avoided the even deadlier zones nearby. Once they felt safe enough to breathe, they resumed their journey by seahorse carriage. The cloak Fiu had gifted Aya proved to be a stroke of luck; it effectively masked her "fox scent," allowing them to move through the waters unnoticed.
By the third day of their ordeal, they reached the gates of the Second Salt City. To Aya's surprise, the area was deserted. No guards, no sentries—nothing.
"Are there no guards here? Did they all go to the bathroom at once?" Aya wondered, her eyes scanning left and right through her glasses, which felt increasingly useless underwater.
"There's no one here, Aya," Fiu noted.
"Why? That seems... convenient."
"Honestly, I don't know. Perhaps a crisis elsewhere forced them to leave. But it's a blessing for me—if they were here, the rebels would surely have spotted me by now."
Though she sounded relieved, a shadow of disappointment crossed Fiu's face. Guards were supposed to maintain peace and prevent the unthinkable, and their absence was a sign of a crumbling order.
"Princess Fiu, I'll keep you safe," Aya promised. "I might be weak, but you can count on me."
"I'm glad I found the right guard," Fiu replied softly.
"Me too. And I just hope Ficky is still alive out there... surviving the sea."
Suddenly, something fell from above, landing on the white sand and sending a cloud of silt swirling into the water.
"Eh?"
The object began to roll, picking up speed as it headed toward the city center.
"That's my Fate Coin! Princess Fiu, come on! That coin is more precious than anything I own—I have to get it back!"
Fiu hesitated for a second before swimming after Aya, who was already sprinting through the water after the rolling gold. The coin finally came to a stop near a young child with two bright red claws for hands.
"Who is that?" Aya gasped, startled by the child's appearance. Then she realized the kid was reaching for her treasure. "Don't touch it!" she shrieked.
But the child didn't listen. He snatched the coin and hurried away. Aya and Fiu gave chase.
"Aya, I'll get ahead of him!" Fiu lunged forward, using her fins to propel herself through the water faster than any ordinary fish.
But they were too late. The child with the red claws reached a trade outpost and handed the coin over.
"Should I have been faster?" Fiu lamented as Aya caught up, gasping for breath.
"Aya, I tried, but it's no use. He already traded it at the exchange shop."
"Show me where!" Aya cried, panic rising. She didn't know how she'd get it back from the shopkeeper, but she had to try.
She burst into the shop and held out her hand. "Sir, please! I need that coin back right now!"
"The coin?" the shopkeeper asked.
"Yes! The one that kid just gave you. It's mine. Please, return it."
"The coin belongs to the shop now," the man replied. "You have no claim to it unless you have something of equal value to trade."
Aya bit her lip, trembling with fury. It was so strange—why did the coin roll like that? It should have just hit the sand and stayed there.
"Hey, lady! Don't cause a scene in my shop. Get out!" the stout man barked.
"Sir, can I at least see it?" Aya pleaded.
"For what?" He crossed his thick arms over his chest, frowning.
"I just need to make sure it's the right one."
The man turned, grumbling, and picked up a gold coin. Even from a distance, its unique luster marked it as a Coin of Hope.
"This the one you're looking for?" He dangled it in front of Aya's face.
Aya reached for it. "Yes, that's it! Look at the strange markings—it's definitely—"
"Ah-ah! You want it? Dream on!" Just as Aya's fingers brushed the edge, the man pulled it back.
"Sir, that's my coin! Give it back!"
"To hell with your nonsense. It's mine now. The boy traded it for something he wanted, and a deal is a deal," he said firmly.
The two locked eyes, tension thick in the water.
"Give. It. Back."
Aya stood on her tiptoes, reaching for the coin, but she was no match for the man's height and bulk. They traded insults, the shopkeeper holding the coin higher and higher. Finally, Aya managed to shove the man's fleshy arm. The coin slipped from his grasp and hit the wooden floor with a clink.
"Yes!"
Aya scrambled after it, but the coin seemed to have a mind of its own. It rolled out the door and onto the street.
"Hey! That's my coin!" the shopkeeper yelled, chasing after her.
Outside, the coin rolled right to a young man who picked it up with a delighted grin. "Talk about luck!"
"Hey, wait! That's my coin!" Aya screamed, but he didn't even look back. He pocketed the gold and vanished into the crowd. Aya and Fiu chased him until they reached the city's outer boundary.
"Aya, stop!" Fiu called out.
"What is it, Princess?"
"Where he's going... that's our final destination."
The young man who had "stolen" the coin had just boarded a seahorse carriage. His path was the same as theirs. Their destiny was moving fast now, flipping through the days like pages in a book.
After wishing for it subconsciously, a gold coin appeared in Aya's mind. She vaguely remembered the image—something resembling a wolf, or perhaps it truly was a wolf. Regardless of the design, the coin belonged to her, and she was determined to get it back.
"I don't care if it's just one coin; I'm not letting it go!" Aya's resolve was unshakable.
Meanwhile, the young man who had snatched the coin was heading toward the same destination as Aya and Fiu: the final stop, the Undersea Palace. Fiu swallowed hard, struggling to maintain her composure. Her face was a mask of suppressed, explosive rage.
"We leave now," Fiu commanded.
"Understood, Princess."
Aya couldn't hide her own frustration over the theft. They quickly boarded a new seahorse carriage and raced toward their destiny.
The Undersea Palace: Granada Heart Sea.
The palace loomed in the distance, far from their starting point. As they arrived at the outskirts, Aya was surprised; the area didn't look chaotic at all. It seemed peaceful, with no visible signs of a rebellion. Sea creatures swam to and fro, looking happy and content as they went about their lives.
"Princess Fiu, am I wrong to think the palace isn't under attack?" Aya whispered, her eyes darting around to scan for the young thief.
"You are wrong, Aya. The palace itself was the target, not the surrounding citizens."
"So... they don't even know about the coup?"
"No. And even if they did, I wouldn't hide among them. It would only drag them into the crossfire, and I won't allow that."
As they drew closer, the anxiety and fury Fiu had been harboring throughout the journey began to show on her face. They moved stealthily, ducking behind houses to avoid being spotted by any rebels lurking in the residential areas. Aya felt a pang of pity for Fiu; the Princess was a fugitive in her own home, forced to skulk through the shadows while her kingdom hung in the balance.
As the sole remaining heir, Fiu was the only thing standing in the rebels' way. Their desperation to find her was evident in the way they patrolled the area.
"It won't be long now," Fiu whispered. "I hope everything goes smoothly and the palace can be restored to peace without further bloodshed."
"Forgive me for being blunt, Princess, but is there really no one else left? Only you?"
"Only me," Fiu replied, looking away.
She had nowhere else to turn. She had fled in a state of panic, and now she was returning with a heavy heart. "Aya, aren't you curious why I ran away only to come back now?"
"I think you came back because you've changed," Aya said. "You're stronger now than you were before the chaos."
"What a strange thing to say to me," Fiu murmured.
Fiu took Aya's hand, leading her forward through the warm currents. The sky's reflection shimmered on the surface above—a breathtaking sight. Fiu guided Aya toward a secret rear entrance to the palace. Just before they entered, she spoke in a soft, gentle voice.
"Aya, once we are inside... leave me. Your job as my guard ends the moment I step foot in the palace."
Her voice was so tender it made Aya forget her anger over the lost coin. No matter how you looked at it, Princess Fiu was the definition of elegance. She was beautiful, captivating, and used her magic with careful precision. Every spell she cast was a reflection of her refined character.
"I'm not leaving you until this mess is settled," Aya countered firmly.
Fiu's smile was as bright as a sunbeam as she hummed a soft, melodic tune.
Inside the Palace: The Secret Path.
"This palace used to be powered by incredible magic," Fiu reminisced as they walked through the rear halls. "Currents of seawater used to dance around the corridors. It was very refreshing for the spirits here."
"That sounds beautiful," Aya praised.
"It was. I'm sorry I can't show it to you now."
Fiu stopped, knocking on a nearby wall to check for something.
"What is it, Princess?"
Fiu simply shook her head. "I forgot to mention one thing," she said, turning to face Aya and raising her hand. Suddenly, the "air magic" surrounding Aya dissipated.
"I forgot—there is no water in this part of the palace. This area is entirely filled with air."
"Eh? Then how do you breathe here, Princess?" Aya asked, worried.
"You'll see soon enough," Fiu teased, keeping her secrets.
They moved deeper into the palace. The interior wasn't much different from the Kingdom of Aurora on the surface, though the halls were decorated in shades of deep blue and white. However, the beauty was marred by streaks of blood on the walls and floors. The metallic scent of death was so strong that Aya found it hard to breathe.
"I'm sorry it's so filthy in here," Fiu said quietly.
"It's okay."
As expected, the palace was a tomb. Bodies lay everywhere—many of them soldiers who didn't even look like sea species. Fiu's family lay among them; even the King, Fiu's father, had been brutally executed.
"These rebels are just as cruel as the people on land," Aya muttered.
"You're right. But this was orchestrated by humans—the 'friends' of the sorcerer I told you about."
"You mean the sorcerer's companions incited the sea creatures to revolt?"
"Yes. We dealt with them, but—"
"HEY! THE PRINCESS HAS RETURNED!"
A shout echoed through the corridors, shattering the silence. Fiu jumped, her sentence cut short by the sudden appearance of a rebel.
"Princess Fiu! Where have you been? It's been so long. Are you quite well?"
The man approached Fiu, but Aya stepped in front of her, blocking his path.
"Well, well... what have we here? A human?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't touch her!" Fiu snapped, stepping back in front of Aya. "She's just a traveler who helped me!"