The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

Shin is gone when Mina awakens. She notices the charred paper boat, which Shin must have retrieved, and a lotus flower, signaling his care. During his absence, Mina stays within Lotus House, engaging in various activities to pass the time and improve her surroundings. She doesn’t attempt to leave the house, honoring her promise to Shin. She also spends time with the house’s servants and attempts to brighten Shin’s room. One day, while resting on a boat on the lake, she encounters Dai and Miki in the water, and Mask also joins her on the boat. Mask offers advice, encouraging Mina to let fate chase her instead of pursuing it herself. This conversation leaves Mina thoughtful.

Shin returns from his unsuccessful efforts to track the thieves. He reveals his complex feelings toward the Sea God, admitting that while he does not hate the Sea God outright, he does feel resentment and pity. Shin suggests that they should continue searching for the Sea God, indicating a willingness to help Mina in her quest. Mina feels a renewed sense of hope and determination, bolstered by Shin’s support and the connection symbolized by the Red String of Fate.

Mina and Shin return to the Sea God’s garden through a secret door in a painting. Mina is captivated by the garden’s beauty despite its neglected appearance. She spends time skipping stones across a pond, reflecting on memories with her grandfather. Discovering a stone carved with a lotus flower, she pockets it, for it reminds her of a lotus that Shin once gave her. While Shin watches from a distance, Mina notices a paper boat in the pond and recognizing it as her own past prayer. In an attempt to retrieve it, she falls into the water. When she emerges, she is shocked to find the Sea God’s dragon lying beside the Sea God himself. Approaching cautiously, she touches the Sea God, triggering a vision in which she sees Shin asleep. She is then confronted by the Sea God, who expresses his loneliness and his desire for connection.

In the vision, Mina tells the Sea God a story about forgiveness and reconciliation between two brothers, hoping to convey the message that forgiveness is always within reach. The Sea God, however, dismisses her, claiming that he can never be forgiven for his actions. As the dragon breathes on Mina, she falls unconscious and awakens back in the real world with Shin. They discuss the significance of her encounter with the Sea God before deciding to leave the garden. Their return journey is marked by a growing, unnamed bond between them, which is symbolized by the disappearance of the Red String of Fate when they hold hands.

Mina and Shin return from the Sea God’s garden and are greeted by Kirin and Namgi at Lotus House. Shin receives a missive from Crane House; the writer, Lord Yu, claims to have information about the treachery of someone named Lord Bom. Mina, seeking knowledge about the Sea God, persuades Shin to allow her to accompany them to Crane House. At Crane House, a vast library captivates Mina, but she is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of books.

While exploring, she stumbles upon a private study and meets Lord Yu, who invites her to discuss her questions about the Sea God. Mina learns that only a bride who truly loves the Sea God and is loved in return can break his curse. This fate, if it forms, is invisible to all but the Sea God and his bride. Lord Yu implies that Mina might already be forming such a bond with someone else, possibly Shin.

The conversation takes a dark turn when Lord Yu suddenly attacks Mina, trying to sever her connection with Shin in the belief that this connection will harm him. However, Mina manages to defend herself with her knife, cutting Lord Yu and causing him to retreat just as Shin and the others burst into the room in response to the commotion.

Shin realizes that the meeting at Crane House is a trap. When Shin discovers Mina being attacked, he is enraged and confronts Lord Yu, who suggests that Shin and Mina are bound by an invisible fate. Namgi and Kirin help Shin and Mina to escape by battling the Crane House guards. During their escape, Shin reveals that Crane and Tiger Houses have conspired to distract him while targeting Mina. He expresses frustration and guilt for putting Mina in danger. Mina contemplates telling Shin about her knowledge regarding the curse of the Sea God and the Red String of Fate, but she hesitates.

On their way back to Lotus House, they encounter a river with floating bodies which is identified as the River of Souls. They witness the death god, Shiki, saving a struggling child from the river. Shiki gestures toward a bridge, indicating that Shin should cross it. Mina follows Shin to the bridge, and they discuss the possibility that Shin might have a soul. Shin shares his past encounter with Shiki and his belief in being a soulless god. Mina, in a gesture of belief and support, presents Shin with a pebble carved with a lotus, suggesting that it represents his soul. Shin accepts the pebble, holding Mina’s hand tightly. The chapter ends with the sudden emergence of Shiki from the mist, which causes Shin to pull Mina close to him for protection.

Shiki is described as having a melancholic appearance that contrasts with the vibrant and lively Hyeri, a previous bride of the Sea God. Shiki questions Shin’s presence in the area, and Shin reveals his pursuit of thieves and a plot by Crane and Tiger Houses against him and the Sea God. Reflecting on the balance between life and death, Shiki expresses concern over the rising River of Souls and its potential impact on the human and the divine realms. Mina emphasizes the need to address the Sea God’s curse, which is affecting both worlds. Shiki acknowledges Shin’s efforts to protect the city and the brides and apologizes for previously adding to Shin’s burdens. He hints at a newfound understanding between them.

Before Shiki departs, he invites Mina to his house, mentioning that Hyeri would be pleased to meet her. Mina accepts the invitation with honor. After leaving the bridge, Mina, Shin, Kirin, and Namgi walk back to the city. Mina observes a conversation between Shin and Kirin and senses that Kirin is being reprimanded for the earlier events at Crane House. Namgi explains to Mina the dynamics of trust and loyalty within their group, particularly between Shin and Kirin. As they approach the marketplace near the Sea God’s palace, they notice an eerie silence and the absence of people. Suddenly, they find themselves engulfed in darkness, and Mina screams upon seeing a monstrous sea snake looming above them, its forked tongue lashing out.

A battle ensues in the marketplace between Mina, Shin, Namgi, Kirin, and a group of sea snakes led by a goddess. Namgi transforms into his powerful water snake form, engaging in a fierce fight with the other snakes. Mina is attacked by two thieves, but Mask and Dai come to her rescue. A pawnshop becomes a battleground, and Mina and Mask fend off the bear-like thief with the help of Dai, ultimately causing the shop to go up in flames. Outside, Mina is separated from Dai and Miki by a huge sea snake. Dai heroically shields Miki from the snake’s attacks, suffering injuries in the process. Suddenly, the Goddess of Moon and Memory arrives on a fiery-hooved horse and attacks the sea snake with arrows, revealing that she controls the Imugi.

Shin confronts the goddess, claiming Mina as his bride and demanding that she leave the city. The goddess, intending to kill Mina, hesitates when Dai protects her, and ultimately decides to withdraw her attack, warning Mina of future retribution. Namgi, unharmed, joins them as they regroup. Shin carries the injured Dai, and they all head back to Lotus House. Mina is deeply concerned for Dai’s safety. The chapter ends with the goddess watching them from the moonlit sky, her intentions and motives still unclear.