Primordial Heir: Nine Stars

The sand still clung to Nero’s arms when the idea struck him. The volleyball match had left him exhilarated, but his crimson eyes now flicked toward the turquoise sea shimmering under the sun. He wiped the sweat from his brow, then turned toward Khione, who was calmly fixing her hair back into a bun, her white bikini gleaming like fresh snow in the golden light.

”Hey,” Nero said suddenly, his grin playful, ”want to do something crazier?”

Khione arched an elegant brow. ”Crazier than the way Elreth nearly tried to kill Adam with a volleyball spike?”

”Underwater exploration,” he declared with no hesitation, pointing dramatically toward the waves.

The words stunned the group. Lux nearly choked on his water. Azalea blinked, mouth agape. Even Adam stopped arguing long enough to stare. And Elreth... Elreth’s fiery orange eyes narrowed immediately.

”You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered under her breath, crossing her arms tightly. ”Of all people, he asks her...”

The princess was clearly dissatisfied with this, everyone could see it clearly.

Khione, however, tilted her head slightly, intrigued. A faint smirk curved her lips.

”Hmm. That’s not a bad idea.”

”Wait, wait, wait—hold on,” Lux intervened quickly. ”You do realize how dangerous it is down there? Strong currents, lack of oxygen—”

But before he could finish, Nero was already channeling prana. A thin layer of shimmering red energy spread across his body, clinging like a second skin.

”Don’t worry,” he said casually, his crimson eyes gleaming with excitement. ”I’ll be fine.”

Khione followed without a shred of hesitation. Her own aura flared, the protective prana taking on a translucent, ice-blue sheen that shimmered like frozen glass in sunlight. With effortless grace, she walked into the surf until the water reached her waist. She looked back once, those cool blue eyes locking on Nero’s.

”Well? Coming?”

The challenge in her voice made Nero laugh. He sprinted forward and dove straight in.

The water closed over them with a muffled rush. Instantly, the world shifted—sound dulled, light fractured into dazzling beams, and the salt-tanged current wrapped around them like a living creature. Nero’s prana barrier hummed softly, keeping the water at bay, letting him breathe with ease. Beside him, Khione glided forward like she belonged there, every movement fluid, her ice-blue aura leaving faint ripples in the water.

They swam deeper, passing through a curtain of glittering silver fish that scattered like stars across a velvet sky. Nero reached out, brushing his fingers against the school, marveling at the way they darted around his hand in synchronized spirals.

The seabed came into view, sprawling with coral gardens of every color. Bright yellows, fiery reds, deep violets—an entire world blooming beneath the waves. Small crabs scuttled over the rocks, and eels peeked from shadowed crevices.

”Beautiful,” Khione’s voice echoed faintly through their prana link, her tone soft in a way Nero rarely heard from her.

He turned, watching her figure outlined in shifting rays of light. Her pale hair floated around her like strands of silk, her eyes glowing faintly against the aquatic backdrop. For a moment, Nero forgot the sea entirely—he was too busy admiring her.

”Yeah,” he murmured, smiling. ”Beautiful.”

Khione caught the meaning in his gaze. Her cheeks didn’t redden, but her eyes softened, a flicker of warmth breaking through her usual composure. She turned away first, swimming forward as if to hide it.

They explored further, descending into an undersea canyon. Nero marveled at glowing jellyfish drifting lazily, their tendrils trailing like luminous ribbons. Khione stretched her hand, letting one brush harmlessly against her barrier, and its light reflected across her calm features.

”Reminds me of stars,” she said quietly.

Nero chuckled. ”Then it’s like we’ve got our own night sky beneath the sea.”

As they swam on, they startled a sea turtle that flapped away with slow, graceful strokes. Schools of multicolored fish weaved in dazzling patterns around the coral, and occasionally, something larger moved in the distance—shadows of bigger fish, reminders that they weren’t the only predators down here.

At one point, Nero spotted a cave tucked into the canyon wall. His curiosity sparked instantly. He gestured toward it, and Khione nodded, following him inside. The cave’s interior glittered with crystalline formations, minerals glowing faintly from reflected light. Stalactites dipped into the water, shimmering like daggers of glass.

Khione touched one of the crystals, and frost bloomed across its surface, making it sparkle even brighter. ”Cold within cold,” she mused softly.

Nero chuckled, brushing past her shoulder as he looked deeper into the cavern. ”Leave it to you to make a place like this even more magical.”

Her lips curved slightly—not quite a smile, but something close.

They stayed underwater for what felt like hours, wandering between coral gardens, weaving around rocky cliffs, and watching the marine life move in endless, alien beauty. Nero’s laughter rang through the prana link when he spotted a curious dolphin darting close, circling them with playful clicks before vanishing into the blue.

Khione, though quieter, seemed at peace here. The stern ”Ice Queen” mask she wore on land melted away, replaced with serene wonder. For once, she didn’t look like the untouchable princess of ice, but simply a girl... enchanted by the world around her.

Eventually, their exploration led them back upward, toward the surface. They emerged with a rush of spray, breaking through into sunlight. The air felt warmer, sweeter, after so long below.

Nero laughed, pushing his wet hair back.

”That was incredible!”

Khione’s eyes gleamed in quiet agreement, droplets running down her cheeks like tiny diamonds. She didn’t say much, but the faint smile on her lips said everything.

On the shore, the others had gathered, watching in disbelief.

”You two are insane,” Lux said flatly, though his lips twitched as if holding back a smile.

Azalea shook her head, green eyes narrowing. ”Of course he would drag her into something reckless.”

And Elreth—her glare could have melted steel.

”Hmph. Playing around in the deep sea like that... idiotic,” she muttered, though her clenched fists and sharp glare at Nero told a different story.

But Nero didn’t care. For him, the memory of that underwater world—and the sight of Khione smiling in it—was already burned deep into his heart.