The both of them began walking through the deep blue sea, and this time Emma only held one of Liz's hand, no longer both. Liz’s other arm trembled faintly at her side, her fist clenching and unclenching, yet she did not stumble. She walked because Emma’s grip was firm, because Emma’s belief poured into her like warmth seeping through her fear. Step by step, their feet moved in rhythm, their pace steady, side by side, toward the same direction.

  Forward.

  Beyond the deep blue sea.

  Towards.. Xin Region.

  The two girls did not speak, yet the silence carried a kind of promise. Liz’s emerald eyes stayed low, focused on the water they walked on, while Emma’s unique white eyes, looked far ahead, unblinking. Their joined hands swung faintly with each step, Emma’s thumb brushing gently against the back of Liz’s knuckles as though reminding her that she's here.

  And eventually meet up with Dan, Ron and Jett..

  Dan stood at the center, his frame, taller than all of them present, wrapped in a thick black coat as his rough blue hair ruffled by the wind. Beside him was Ron, pale gray eyes sharp in his beast-pelt coat, and Jett, her brown coat flowing loosely around her as if it belonged to the wandering breeze.

  Liz’s gaze snapped toward Dan the moment she spotted him. Without a pause, without hesitation, she strode forward faster than Emma expected and Thwack! her boot connected against Dan’s thigh with a sharp kick.

  “Ouch!” Dan yelped before he could bite it back, his hand snapping to the spot with a wince.

  But unlike before, he did not blurt out, ‘What did I do now?’ The words died before reaching his mouth. His blue eyes flicked toward Liz, then away again, as though he already knew why she would hit him, whether he deserved it or not. Liz did not spare him a second glance. She merely walked past, shoulders stiff, chin lifted, as if her anger needed no explanation.

  Dan sighed quietly, dragging a breath into his chest, then forced his legs to move again while grumbling inwardly. Together, all five of them walked, Emma, Liz, Dan, Ron, and Jett, wading through the deep blue water, their line unbroken, heading straight toward where the sea stretched endlessly to its end.

  As they walked through, the sea began to stir.

  Ripples widened, waves bulged, and then..

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  Dup! Dup! Dup!

  From beneath the glassy blue surface, creatures leapt. Fish with broad, radiant wings broke through the water, their scales glittering in countless colors. When they soared into the air, their glow brightened to a dazzling shimmer, and trails of sparkling dust scattered behind them like spilled starlight. Then, with a fluid dive, they vanished back into the depths, only to spring upward again moments later, as though caught in an endless dance between water and sky.

  They did not come in a handful.

  They came in hundreds.

  Wave after wave, the winged fish flooded the horizon, bursting into the air in shimmering arcs. Their movements formed a living rhythm: jump, flare, dive, repeat. The air was filled with glittering trails that lingered like ribbons of light, vanishing just as new ones appeared.

  Emma’s eyes widened slightly, reflecting the vibrant glow. She slowed her steps, her lips parting as she watched in quiet awe. Liz, still clutching Emma’s hand, glanced sideways, emerald gaze softening at the wonder painted across Emma’s face.

  But the marvel did not end there.

  Farther into the distance, another glow pulsed faintly beneath the sea. Emma’s attention was drawn toward it immediately. At first, it was only a flicker, a soft hum of light within the depths. But then it surfaced, delicate shapes drifting upward like rising lanterns.

  Jellyfish Butterflies.

  Yet unlike any she had ever seen, these were creatures stitched from wonder itself. Their round, translucent bodies shimmered faintly, but it was the wings, great, fragile wings like those of a butterfly, that spread from their sides that captured Emma’s gaze. Painted in radiant hues, wings veined with colors brighter than gemstones, they pulsed with gentle light. The jellyfish butterflies swarmed in silence, illuminating the waters as they floated just beneath the surface. Each beat of their wings left faint ripples of color across the blue sea, spreading outward like spilled ink on glass.

  Both Liz and Emma slowed to watch, their reflections glowing faintly on the water. Emma’s gaze fixed on two of the creatures, drifting a little apart from the others. They looked smaller, weaker, their wings trembling faintly against the water’s weight. Unlike the other creatures, these two could not rise from beneath the surface. Their beautiful wings beat and beat, yet no matter how they struggled, they remained submerged, unable to soar.

  Emma’s lips pressed together, though she said nothing, her white eyes lingered on the struggling pair for a few moments longer.

  After that, another magical creature caught Emma's attention as it flew passed her and Liz, so close the rush of wind brushed Emma’s hair across her cheek. She blinked sharply, her head tilting upward to follow it's figure.

  It was a fish duck, a creature with wings wide and soft like any duck’s, its beak curved in the same familiar way, but behind it trailed a long, slender appendage. At its end was not the feathers of a tail, but a scaled fin, glistening faintly with damp light. A fish’s tail. It wagged side to side with ease, cutting through the air before the creature tucked its wings, quacking sharply.

  Quack! Quack! Quack!

  It plunged into the water with a rippling splash, vanishing beneath the shimmering surface.

  Emma’s eyes followed the small ripples until they dissolved back into the calm sheen of the blue sea. She blinked once, as though checking if her mind had played a trick on her. Liz, standing at her side, leaned forward ever so slightly, curiosity glowing in her deep emerald eyes. Not too far from them, Dan, Ron, and Jett all turned their heads, pausing for only a heartbeat before resuming their steady march.

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