The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

Mina follows the Sea God through the eerily quiet palace. They sit together on the steps of the throne room, where the Sea God admits to his lack of a name and his haunted dreams of a city, a cliff, and soul-deep pain. He requests a story from Mina, seeking comfort in her tales. Mina, feeling a connection to the Sea God’s loneliness, obliges. She tells him a story about Shim Cheong, a girl who sacrifices herself to the sea to save her father. In the story, Shim Cheong is taken to the Sea God’s palace and is later returned to the surface, where she marries an emperor and is eventually reunited with her blind father. Suddenly, Mina wakes from a spell of sleep to a surprising discovery: The Red String of Fate is tied to her wrist, leading her outside. Following the string, she finds the Sea God standing alone. This moment reveals that the string connects her to him, not to Shin, as she previously believed.

Feeling isolated and restless in the Sea God’s palace, Mina grapples with questions about the curse and worries about her friends and family. Although the palace is large and opulent, it is also hauntingly empty, with unseen servants tending to her needs. On the morning of her 30th day in the Spirit Realm, she finds the Sea God by the pond and requests permission to visit Cheong and consult their ancestors at Spirit House about returning Cheong to the human world. The Sea God grants her permission but insists that she return before sundown for their wedding. If she does not, she will become a spirit.

Mina visits Star House, where Cheong and Hyeri are. They discuss the possibility of returning Cheong to the human world. Hyeri suggests visiting Spirit House to consult with Mina’s ancestors. Mina decides to go alone and promises to return for Cheong. At Spirit House, Mina, accompanied by Shin, Namgi, and Kirin, is led to meet her ancestors. She is overwhelmed with emotion upon discovering items from her family’s ancestral rites, along with a cradle that Joon made for their niece. Mina’s ancestors enter the room, marking a poignant and potentially transformative moment for her.

Mask reveals herself to be Mina’s great-great-grandmother, and Mina learns that Dai and Miki are also her family members. They confirm that Mina’s instincts were correct; Dai is her grandfather, and Miki is her niece. Mina learns that the cradle Joon made has carried Miki’s soul safely, preventing her from being lost to the River of Souls. Discussing Shim Cheong’s situation, Mask and Dai suggest that returning her to the human world is possible but difficult. They mention the dragon’s pearl, a powerful object capable of granting wishes, but they note that only someone who is deeply loved by the Sea God can make a wish on it. This revelation implies that Mina, who is not truly loved by the Sea God, may not be able to use the pearl.

Reuniting with Namgi, Kirin, and Shin, Mina shares her discoveries. The conversation is interrupted when the Red String of Fate tugs painfully at Mina, signaling her imminent transformation into a spirit. Shin rushes her back to the Sea God’s palace to prevent this from happening. Once there, Mina confronts the Sea God, asserting that she is not his bride because there is no mutual love between them. The Red String of Fate disappears, signifying the severance of their forced bond. Mina, now racing against time before she becomes a spirit, rushes to find Shin, determined to confess her true feelings and choices to him.

Shin is by the Pond of Paper Boats when Mina finds him. Shin promises to support her decision, even if she chooses to marry the Sea God. However, Mina reveals that the Red String of Fate between her and the Sea God has disappeared, and she affirms her love for Shin instead. They passionately express their love for each other through kisses. Mina leaves Shin briefly to fulfill a task. She visits the Goddess of Moon and Memory, offering a prayer and requesting a memory that could reveal the Sea God’s past. The Goddess obliges, sharing a memory set 100 years ago on a cliff by the sea.

In the memory, Mina witnesses a fierce battle involving the young emperor, who will later be revealed as the Sea God himself. The emperor is gravely wounded, and in his dying moments, he encounters Shin, who is revealed as the Sea God. Shin, with dragon’s wings, grants the emperor’s dying wish to live, effectively transferring the Sea God’s spirit into himself. This revelation clarifies that the Sea God’s spirit had been within Shin all along, unbeknownst to him. Mina realizes the true identity of the Sea God and the significance of the dragon’s pearl in altering fates.

Mina returns to the Sea God’s palace with newfound knowledge and determination. She meets Namgi and Kirin, who are aware of Shin’s true dual identity as both the Sea God and the emperor. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Mina decides to make a wish on the dragon’s pearl to restore balance and peace. She finds Shin, who is in despair over his past actions and identity crisis. Mina reassures him, acknowledging his sacrifice and the love he has shown.

Holding the dragon’s pearl, Mina expresses her wish for the world to return to its proper state, with the emperor and Shin restored to their rightful roles. Despite her deep feelings for Shin, she chooses to sacrifice her own desires for the greater good. As she makes the wish, she feels Shin’s love and hears his voice, promising to wait for her where the land meets the sea. The chapter concludes with Mina’s powerful act of selflessness and hope for a better future.

Awakening in her family’s garden beside Shim Cheong, Mina realizes that she has returned to her world. She is joyously reunited with her family, including her grandmother, brothers, and sister-in-law. Mina plans to share her incredible experiences from the Spirit Realm, including her encounters with her great-great-grandmother and grandfather, as well as her adventures with Namgi, Kirin, Nari, Shiki, Hyeri, and Shin. After her return, the land experiences miraculous recoveries from the effects of the storms and droughts, and rumors of peace and renewal spread. A royal messenger announces the emperor’s return after a 100-year absence. The villagers attribute his return to Mina and Cheong’s experiences. Despite being recognized for her role in ending the curse on the Sea God, Mina humbly lets Cheong receive the villagers’ gratitude.

A year later, during preparations for a festival to celebrate the emperor’s return, the emperor himself unexpectedly visits Mina, asking her to marry him. Surprised, Mina requests time to consider. Later, during a conversation with her brother Joon, she expresses her inner turmoil and sadness. Despite the apparent peace and joy around her, Mina feels a profound sense of loss and yearning for Shin, whom she believes will never return. Heartbroken, Mina attends the Sea God’s festival.

The festival to honor the Sea God unfolds with children setting paper boats on the village stream, after which they enjoy games, music, food, and performances, including a song about “The Sea God’s Bride.” Mina notices that people are staring at her, not Shim Cheong, due to the rumors about the emperor’s marriage proposal. Despite her family’s speculations and hopes about the proposal, Mina feels a deep internal conflict. As the villagers prepare for the ceremony on the cliffs, Mina encounters the Goddess of Moon and Memory in her garden. The goddess reveals that Shin, despite supposedly having no memory of Mina, is deeply troubled and unhappy. Mina is heartbroken by this revelation. The goddess, who is now also the Goddess of Women and Children, expresses her newfound compassion and leaves after imparting this information.

At the cliffside ceremony, the emperor publicly acknowledges Mina and proposes marriage. However, the dragon interrupts, revealing itself to be Shin. Mina now faces a choice between the emperor and Shin. The emperor, realizing Mina’s true feelings, graciously steps aside and departs after a respectful farewell. Mina and Shin reunite with deep emotion, discussing the adjustments they will make to build a life together. As they embrace, Mina bids a heartfelt farewell to her family, acknowledging the deep impact they have had on her life, especially Cheong. Mina thanks Cheong for being an inspiration and a true “Sea God’s Bride.” Finally, holding Shin’s hand, Mina declares her readiness to start a new life with him and follow her chosen path.