The days after the incident in the reef cave changed Riven's life. He was no longer seen as a young man who was merely curious about strange things. The villagers began to respect him for his courage in saving the bond between humans and the sea.
But to Riven, none of that made him feel special. Instead, he felt there was still so much he didn't understand.
Every night, he often sat at the shore and watched the waves.
"Are you still thinking about what happened back then?" Lio asked as he arrived carrying two young coconuts.
Riven accepted one with a smile.
"I just feel like something isn't over yet."
Lio sat beside him.
"How is it not over? Didn't the sea return to normal?"
Riven looked toward the water glittering in the moonlight.
"That's true. But Salt Shadow said the sea holds many secrets. I feel like that stone was more than an ordinary object."
Lio shrugged.
"Maybe you're right. But don't tell me you're planning to go looking for trouble again."
Riven chuckled.
"I'm not looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me."
They both laughed. But their laughter stopped when a massive wave suddenly slammed into the shore. The wind, which had been calm before, turned cold and carried an intensely strong salty scent.
Riven stood.
"Do you smell that?"
Lio nodded slowly.
"Yeah. The sea smells different."
A small blue light appeared in the middle of the sea. It moved toward the shore until it transformed into the form of Salt Shadow.
Riven immediately stepped forward.
"What's wrong? Why have you come back?"
Salt Shadow looked at him with an unreadable expression.
"Riven, the balance of the sea has been disrupted again."
Riven furrowed his brow.
"But didn't everything end already?"
"What happened in the reef cave was only the beginning," Salt Shadow replied. "The stone you returned opened a path to a place that has been hidden all this time."
"What place?"
"Sunken Island."
At the name, Lio immediately stepped back.
"Sunken Island? Wasn't that just a story told by old fishermen?"
Salt Shadow looked at them.
"That island was once where humans and the sea guardians made a pact. But the pact was destroyed by greed. Now something sleeping there is beginning to awaken."
Riven stared seriously at the sea.
"What do I have to do?"
Salt Shadow drew a small necklace from the mist that made up its body. The necklace bore the same symbol as the water-drop stone.
"Go to Sunken Island. Find the source of the disturbance before the sea loses control."
Lio looked at Riven worriedly.
"You're seriously going?"
Riven was silent for a moment. He knew this journey might be more dangerous than the last.
"I have to go. If the sea is threatened, this village will suffer too."
Lio let out a long sigh.
"I knew you'd say that."
Riven smiled.
"Does that mean you're coming with me?"
Lio put on an annoyed expression.
"I'm not going to let you leave on your own and make some stupid decision."
The next morning, they prepared Mr. Darma's small boat. The old fisherman hadn't wanted to let them go, but after hearing Riven's explanation, he finally handed them an old compass.
"This compass belonged to my father," Mr. Darma said. "He said it could show the way to places invisible to ordinary eyes."
Riven accepted it carefully.
"Thank you, Mr. Darma."
Mr. Darma looked at him.
"Come back safely. The sea is beautiful, but never forget that it also possesses tremendous power."
The journey began just after sunrise. Their boat moved away from the village, passing over waves that grew higher and higher.
Several hours later, a thick fog appeared.
Lio looked around.
"We can't see a thing."
Riven opened the old compass Mr. Darma had given him. The needle spun rapidly before finally pointing in a particular direction.
"That's our way."
They followed the compass until they found something that left them speechless.
In the middle of the vast ocean, a small island emerged, most of it covered by water. Ancient buildings stood among the reefs, as though the place had only just risen from the seafloor.
"That's... Sunken Island," Lio whispered.
As they drew closer, whispering voices sounded from every direction.
"Riven..."
The young man turned.
"Did you hear that?"
Lio nodded, his face pale.
"I heard it."
They climbed out of the boat and walked across the island. Every step made the water around them stir, as if the place were aware of their arrival.
In the middle of the island, they found a large building with a tightly sealed stone door.
Ancient writing covered the door.
"Those who come intending to take will find destruction. Those who come intending to protect will find the truth."
Riven touched the door.
Slowly, the stone door opened.
From inside came a deep voice unlike anything they had ever heard.
"At last, humans have returned to this place."
Riven and Lio looked at each other.
From the building's darkness emerged a figure larger than Salt Shadow. Its body seemed to be a fusion of seawater, reef stone, and dark shadows.
"I have been waiting for someone capable of understanding the sea," it said.
Riven gripped the necklace Salt Shadow had given him.
"Who are you?"
The creature looked at him.
"I am the First Guardian. And I have come to test whether humans have truly changed."
Suddenly, the entire island began to tremble. Massive waves started circling the island as the sky darkened.
Riven realized that their journey had only just begun.