🌊 Abyss Gate – Portal to the Deep
The second trial began the moment Jemil stepped near the sea.
A burst of dark-blue energy exploded from the surface, forming a spiral of water that pulled him in. His five wives yelled his name — but by the time they reached him, he was gone.
Sucked beneath the surface. Swallowed whole by the Leviathan Domain.
🐚 The Crystal Dome of the Abyssal Court
Jemil's body landed softly on an ornate platform made of coral, pearl, and starlight. The dome above was transparent, and thousands of meters above, light shimmered from the ocean's surface.
And waiting there... was Mira.
The Leviathan Princess.
Her ocean-blue hair floated like tendrils in the water. Her deep sapphire eyes glowed. A golden circlet rested on her forehead, and her long sea-silk gown revealed powerful curves and elegant fins down her spine.
"Jemil," she said softly, swimming toward him. "You came. You remember."
"I didn't really have a choice..." Jemil said, blinking. "You summoned me with a royal edict!"
"You could've refused," Mira said, narrowing her eyes. "You didn't."
"Because I... I owe you."
💭 Flashback: The Abyss Bond
Five years ago, Jemil's summoning went wrong. He collapsed in an ancient trench — soul fracturing from overload.
Mira had found him. Cared for him. Nursed him back to consciousness.
And to keep his soul from unraveling, she had merged a part of her essence with his.
"It was temporary," Jemil whispered.
"But we never unbound it," Mira replied. "In Leviathan Law, that's a silent engagement."
🎙️ [Trial Two Initiated]
Type: Emotional Resonance
Location: Leviathan Court
Objective: Determine strength of emotional compatibility.
Note: Outside interference forbidden... for now.
"I never asked you for anything, Jemil. I gave. I healed. I waited."
"You didn't tell me the soul merge meant marriage!"
"Because if I had, would you have accepted it?"
"No!" he shouted. "Not if it meant this... this pressure. This test."
"I didn't summon you to trap you, Jemil. I summoned you... to ask."
"Do I have a place in your heart... still? Or was I just a life raft you forgot once you reached shore?"
A rumble through the water.
A sea-dragon torpedo hit the barrier — followed by a drill-shaped escape pod.
The wives had arrived.
Flare, Naia, Yura, Saphira, and Lyra swam through the hole — armored in glowing sea-crystal gear.
"Sorry, fish-girl," Flare growled. "We don't do exclusive interrogations."
"That's a royal trial!" Mira snapped.
"And he's our man!" Lyra said, crossing her arms. "Summoned or not!"
"Ladies—" Jemil raised both hands, caught between two tides.
🧠 Soul Echo Initiated
The system triggered an unexpected resonance:
Everyone in the dome saw the same vision:
— Mira curled beside Jemil in the deep, crying as his heart slowed.
— Her whisper: "Don't die. Please. Not after I've finally found someone real."
Silence. Just the sound of the sea.
"Mira... I'm grateful," Jemil said gently.
"But I never meant to promise you something I didn't understand."
"I don't regret saving you," she said. "But I won't force you."
"Then let's make a new pact. A real one," he said. "Not from fear, or injury, or magic. From choice."
Mira smiled... and nodded.
"Trial complete," the system declared.
Mira retains claim rights. Emotional resonance validated.
Bond is no longer soul-bound, but open for re-connection by consent.
Status: Candidate accepted.
Back at the surface, Jemil dried off while Lyra and Yura bickered about "drowning etiquette."
Mira stayed beside him.
"You gave me a second chance," she said softly. "Not all summoners do that."
"You're not just a summon," he replied. "You're part of my story."
Far beneath, a shadow stirred in the dark trench.
A new challenger was watching...
🗨️ Who do you trust more: Flare or Mira? Should Jemil be forming these bonds, or breaking them? Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel(ꜰ)ire.net
💎 Vote with Power Stones
📅 Next: Chapter 12 – The Shadow Bride Awakens