"No way... What kind of stupid thing have I done..." Lovia murmured in despair.
However, just as Lovia was in despair, that instinct-driven craving grew even stronger.
The Token... she must find the Token!
Lovia's brain worked rapidly. In which part of the sea did she throw that pen? Roughly when? What was the direction of the tide?
She recalled the location—a secluded coast not too far from her cottage, where reefs were numerous and the currents seemed relatively complex.
Just then, the vague calling she had felt while drowsy last night faintly came again. This time, it seemed a little clearer, carrying a sense of guidance, pointing toward the depths of the sea.
Was it an illusion?
Could it be... that this is some subtle resonance the Melusine bloodline produces for the Token when it is missing? How are Melusines so "idealistic"?
Just then, that guiding force became even clearer, and Lovia was startled by this sudden, clear perception.
"So... direct?" Lovia didn't even have time to complain about the overly "idealistic" setting of Melusines; her body had already reacted before her consciousness.
That intense craving drove her, and her sense of weakness seemed to temporarily retreat a bit in the face of this clear sense of purpose. She no longer hesitated, took a deep breath (though underwater this was more of a habit), swished her tail, and swam quickly in the direction of the guiding perception.
The invisible guidance grew clearer and clearer; Lovia could even feel a throbbing similar to a resonance, which was gradually strengthening as she drew closer.
Her antennae swayed slightly with her movements, as if sensing something. She bypassed a patch of colorful coral, swam through a swarm of startled jellyfish, and headed straight for an area of the seabed covered in thick sea sand and Seagrass. The perception was strongest here, almost like an arrow lighting up in her mind, pointing directly beneath the sand layer.
"It's... underneath?" Lovia stopped in place, looking at that seemingly ordinary patch of seabed.
A quill pen is so light; it should have floated or been washed elsewhere. How could it be buried in the sand? Was it dragged in by some creature?
She didn't have time to think it through. She reached out with both hands and began to carefully brush away the surface Seagrass and soft sand. The sand was stirred up, making the surrounding seawater slightly turbid.
After a few digs, her fingertips touched a hard object, which startled her; she thought it was some kind of bug.
A smooth touch, a straight shape.
Lovia's heart rate suddenly accelerated, and her movements became urgent. She increased her speed, carefully clearing away the surrounding sand. Soon, the full appearance of the item was revealed.
It was indeed the quill pen she had discarded!
It lay quietly in the sand pit on the seabed. The barrel was still warm, and those soft feathers swayed slightly in the seawater, surprisingly without any sign of damage, as if protected by an invisible force.
"I really... found it..." Lovia could hardly believe her eyes. A massive sense of joy and relief at recovering what was lost instantly overwhelmed her.
She reached out with trembling hands and carefully grasped the barrel of the pen.
The moment her fingertips touched the quill pen—
Buzz!
An indescribable resonance exploded within her body, and warm energy quickly flowed through her entire body from her fingertips, dispelling that terrifying chill. The sense of weakness receded like the tide. Although her body was still a bit tired from the previous exhaustion, that sense of depletion and imbalance began to be rapidly corrected.
Her cold limbs regained their warmth, her groggy mind became clear, and even the surrounding seawater seemed to feel friendlier and warmer.
"So... it really was the Token..." Lovia gripped the quill pen tightly, pressing it against her heart, so moved she almost wanted to cry again, but this time they were tears of joy.
She finally understood.
It turned out that a Melusine's Token wasn't an ordinary item (at least for her). Without it, she would become like a lost small boat, liable to lose her way at any time.
And now, with the quill pen recovered, her little boat could finally navigate steadily in the ocean of life again.
"From now on... absolutely, absolutely cannot lose it again!"
After all, no matter how old or unremarkable this pen was, it was her lifeblood!
She solemnly tucked it away close to her body, and only then did she feel a sense of complete relaxation.
Lovia floated to the surface. The night wind blowing on her body no longer felt bone-chillingly cold. She glanced at the calm sea, her heart filled with a myriad of emotions.
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