Short Summary: MC meets Rafayel, the Sea God, for the first time after being sacrificed to the ocean. She impulsively kisses him, sealing their fates. Over time, they fall in love, culminating in a bond ceremony reminiscent of a wedding, binding them together for eternity.

TIMELINE NOTES: It’s the first time they met, ever. It’s the beginning of the cycle

01: "Offer yourself, your everything to me. Become my follower, mortal."

"Wherever the sea breeze blows lies under the Sea God’s divine gaze."

The Emissaries of the Deep Sea are a cult that worships the Sea God, believing He grants wishes to His most devout follower. To prove their devotion, they make sacrifices—including MC, who is thrown into the ocean. While drowning, she hears music (a flute, echoing combat resonance) and desperately calls for help. Rafayel, during one of his mischievous escapades (he literally set a guard’s hair on fire), rescues her. MC is immediately captivated by his fiery eyes. Though Rafayel toys with her, she clings to him, even enduring his flame-like touch. Remembering a story about Lemurians granting the ability to breathe underwater with a kiss, she steals one from him (and bites him in the process!).

Rafayel, intrigued, declares, "I’ll grant you deliverance. In exchange, offer yourself—your everything—to me. Become my follower, mortal."

02: "Once a Lemurian is bound to someone, ‘tis impossible to go against their wishes."

MC wakes up in Lemuria, the forgotten underwater kingdom, with Rafayel nursing a swollen lip. Lemuria is home to the Sea God and lit by an ever-burning flame, representing both the kingdom’s prosperity and its decline. However, the flame is weakening. The Tome of the Sea God prophesies that Lemuria will fall into eternal slumber if the fire extinguishes. Rafayel, the last Sea God, needs a devout follower’s heart to awaken his full powers and be recognized by the ocean itself.

The followers must be human because their selfish, greedy nature makes their sacrifices—whether their heart, love, or life—the most precious form of worship. To solidify this bond, Rafayel and MC must undergo a sacred ceremony. As Alchie and Konche explain, "Once a Lemurian is bound to someone, it becomes impossible for them to go against their bonded’s wishes. You will command his Quintessence."

While Rafayel sleeps on this decision, MC follows a blue fish in an attempt to escape the city.

03: "From the depths of your soul, I seek only the purest devotion."

The fish leads MC through Lemuria, showing her an escape route. However, Rafayel soon appears, revealing the fish is one of his scales. He calls her escape attempt a test of her promise. Rafayel informs her the bond ceremony will occur in a month, dismissing her protests. If she falters in her devotion, he threatens to take her life, as per their deal.

He commands, "The tides ebb and flow, and with every setting sun is a moon rising. Till time’s end, I must occupy your every thought. Thou must find a way to make thy heart smitten with me."

04: "How beautiful! This is the first time I’ve seen a sunset underwater."

Lemuria, an underwater utopia, values love and freedom above all else, with no interest in warfare. MC explores the city and learns of its unique culture. Alchie takes her to see the flame that lights Lemuria, which grows dimmer by the day. Bottles and conches hold the kingdom’s secrets, and MC uses the Miraculous Conch of Wonders to send a bold message to Rafayel.