"$$#$%^ %&&…"

Sophia blinked, frowning. "That language—"

Aria raised a hand. "Hold on, let me check something." She opened her game forum, and pointing it at her. "Ancient elven dialect—submerged variant. It's barely recorded."

"Can you translate it?" Rhys asked, crouching beside the girl.

"Give me a second…" Aria's fingers moved rapidly through glowing keyboard. A faint hum spread through the air as her analyzer translated her language into their own.

The girl stared at them, her breathing shallow. Then, softer, she repeated herself—slower this time.

"$$$... who... are you?"

The analyzer chimed. Aria's expression brightened. "Got it. She asked who we are."

Caria blinked. "She can understand us?"

"Not yet," Sophia said, her eyes thoughtful. "But her mana is adapting fast—she's synchronizing linguistically. The preservation enchantment must've been designed for that."

Rhys exhaled, resting his hand lightly on his knee. "Alright… then let's answer her."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice calm but steady. "We're not your enemies," he said. "You've been asleep for a long time. We found this place by accident."

The girl tilted her head, confusion flickering in her luminous eyes. Then, softly, she whispered,

"Where is Mama?"

The question hung in the air—innocent, fragile, and heavy all at once.

Everyone froze. Caria's lips parted, but no sound came. Sophia's gaze dropped to the floor, her usual composure faltering. Even Aria hesitated, words caught somewhere between her mind and her heart.

"That…" Rhys began, his voice low. "That's…"

But he couldn't finish.

Before anyone could decide what to say, the runic symbols etched into the remnants of her cocoon flared suddenly, bursting to life in a blinding cascade of light. The glow enveloped the small water elf, and the air filled with the soft hum of ancient magic.

"Rhys!" Caria shouted, shielding her eyes.

The light swelled—pure, mournful, and deep—and then, just as suddenly as it began, it faded.

When their vision cleared, the girl was kneeling on the sand, her tiny hands pressed against her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks, glimmering like drops of crystal. Her small shoulders trembled, and the faint light that had surrounded her flickered weakly before disappearing altogether.

"What… just happened?" Rhys asked quietly, his brows furrowing.

Aria knelt beside the girl, her tone gentle. "She must have seen something. The runes—maybe they triggered a memory."

Sophia nodded, scanning the fading mana traces in the air. "Yes… a feedback loop. The seal stored emotional imprints—probably her mother's last essence. When the bond reactivated, it showed her everything."

The girl whimpered softly, her voice breaking through her sobs. "Mama… she's gone…"

Caria wrapped her arms around her without hesitation, pulling her close. "It's okay, it's okay. You're safe now," she murmured softly, brushing the girl's silvery hair.

Rhys watched in silence, his hand unconsciously tightening around his sword hilt.

'There were no water elves in the original game,' he thought, a faint chill running down his spine. 'That means this… this wasn't supposed to exist. My presence is already changing the world's path.'

He exhaled slowly, stepping back and letting the others comfort the child. The light from the Seragon's pool shimmered faintly, reflecting the soft sobs that filled the chamber.

After a few minutes, the little girl's crying slowed. She sniffled, rubbing her eyes with tiny hands as Caria and Aria helped her sit up.

"There we go," Aria said softly. "That's better."

The girl blinked at them, her gaze still hazy with sadness but calmer now. Her voice was faint, trembling, but clear enough to hear. "Who… are you people?"

Rhys crouched a few steps away, offering a small, reassuring smile. "We're travelers," he said gently. "We found this place by accident."

The girl tilted her head again, trying to make sense of his words. "Travelers… from the sea?"

Caria chuckled softly. "Not exactly. More like… from the surface."

"The surface…" The girl's brows furrowed, confusion deepening. "That's… above the sky?"

Sophia sighed lightly. "She's been sealed for so long, her sense of the world must be all mixed up."

Aria nodded. "Her mana patterns are still stabilizing. She's basically like a child waking from a dream that's lasted centuries."

Rhys stood, brushing the sand from his gloves. "We'll sort it out later. For now…" He looked at the little girl, who met his gaze curiously. "Let's start with your name."

The girl hesitated, then placed a hand on her chest. "My name… is Lyra," she said softly, as if testing the sound of it. "Lyra of the Blue Moon Serene Tides."

The name rippled through the chamber like a quiet wave.

Rhys smiled faintly. "Nice to meet you, Lyra."

The girl blinked, then managed a small, uncertain smile in return.

Lyra's smile lingered only for a moment before her gaze wandered around the chamber. The faint glow of the Seragon's Heart reflected in her eyes, shimmering like a thousand tiny stars beneath the water's surface.

"...It feels different," she murmured, her small fingers curling slightly as if reaching for something unseen. "The song of the tides… it's quiet now."

Aria glanced toward Sophia. "She means the flow of mana, right?"

Sophia nodded. "Most likely. If she was born attuned to the old sea currents, she'd feel the imbalance in the world instantly. After all these centuries… there's barely any trace of their ancestral ley lines left."

Lyra's gaze flicked up again, her expression distant, searching. "Mama said… the sea always remembers." Her voice trembled faintly. "But… it doesn't remember anymore, does it?"

Caria moved closer, her tone soft. "Maybe it just forgot for a little while."

Rhys folded his arms, thoughtful. "And maybe it's time someone helped it remember."

Lyra looked at him—really looked at him—for the first time. Her eyes seemed to glow faintly, an ancient light stirring behind her youthful confusion.

"You… feel strange," she said quietly. "Like part of the sea… but not."

"What do you mean he's different?" Aria asked, glancing between Lyra and Rhys.

Lyra tilted her head, studying him with that same curious, almost instinctive gaze. "He feels like the old sea," she murmured. "Not like the seas of today."

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