"Wow." Arisa's voice echoed in the cave.

Not far from them, Arisa saw water covering most of the area. In the middle of the lake, Arisa saw a small surface, brightened by the afternoon sun.

"Let's go," said Tausa, walking forward.

As they followed the woman in colorful robes, Arisa noticed that there was a single pathway that lead to the small isle in the middle of the lake. Arisa shivered a little, feeling the cold water bathing her feet. When she examined the ground, she saw that the transparent waters covered part of the road of smooths stone. Looking at their pathway more closely, she saw foreign symbols decorating the road randomly.

As they kept walking in silence, Arisa examined her surroundings. She felt as if she was walking on water since nothing else filled the area beside the transparent waters touching the rough walls of the cave. Arisa realized that the cave's walls also had the foreign symbols she saw on the ground.

"We're almost there," said Tausa, still taking the lead.

Thelma exhaled. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm feeling kind of nervous."

Arisa glanced over her shoulders and saw Thelma rubbing her hands. Kazuya, who was right behind Thelma, told her that maybe it wasn't nervousness but excitement since they would explore the underwater world soon. As Thelma filled the silence with a quick chuckle, Arisa looked back at her front, meeting Garoh's strong back.

She wasn't sure if it was because she was looking forward to seeing how Tausa would perform the enchantment, but ever since they left the neighborhood of the Ancients, she didn't grow any feeling of nervousness. Instead, she was surprisingly calm. Remembering that moment in the village, she realized that the Water Temple location wasn't that far from the neighborhood.

They had to cross the woods that had a flora of various colors. They walked around those woods for several minutes until they met an entrance by a large stone wall. Standing on either side of the entrance were small statues holding lamps. The figures reminded Arisa of serpent-like dragons but with large, scaly fins decorating their tail.

Arisa remembered that Tausa only allowed those who would go to the sea to follow her in the temple, so Rangi and Aleki ended up waiting outside. Entering the long hallway with lanterns illuminating their path, Arisa wasn't sure how long they walked until they reached the lake.

"Here we are." Tausa's voice washed away Arisa's thoughts.

Arisa blinked and followed Garoh after he hopped from their path to the small isle in the middle of the lake. Garoh grabbed her arm as she slipped and almost fell.

"Thank you," she said, regaining her posture.

"No problem," said Garoh, dropping her hand. "Be careful, though. This floor is slippery."

Arisa nodded and examined the white floor. Looking at it, she thought it had been made of different tiles. She blinked twice, noticing that the green-blue drawing, formed a large circle with foreign writings filling its contours.

"Please make yourselves comfortable," said Tausa.

Arisa noticed that she had walked further in the area and was about to bent her knees and have a seat. The team quickly approached her and sat cross-legged in front of the elder lady. Noticing the bright light illuminating their area, Arisa gazed up and saw a circular opening on the cave's ceiling, welcoming the bright sunlight. As she adjusted herself on the cold floor, Arisa saw a set of wooden cups, a kettle and a staff decorated with seashells.

"Interesting," teased Thelma. "So I'm guessing the enchantment is some kind of potion. I was expecting some kind of dance."

Garoh gazed at her. "Really? I was expecting a spell or a rune."

"The enchantment has a little bit of everything," said Tausa, grabbing the kettle. "I'll be performing it now. Please remain quiet until the song is over. Ready?"

The team gazed at each other before they nodded in unison. Tausa nodded lightly. She then started to tap the kettle slowly, filling the silence with a slow beat. As she slowly moved the kettle left and right as if she was shaking the contents inside it, Tausa started to sing.

Arisa watched the lady sing with her eyes closed, still moving the item left and right. As the woman's calming voice echoed in the background, Arisa noticed that the language she was using wasn't the same as the native one she heard around the islands.

A calm breeze blew around the area. Arisa examined her surroundings as she heard another voice joining Tausa's song. The voice sounded as if it belonged to a woman. It didn't use foreign words like Tausa, but instead, it created a melody with its stunning tone.

Arisa closed her mouth as soon as she opened it to ask who was singing with Tausa. Somehow that beautiful voice sounded familiar. She rubbed her forehead. Where did she hear it before?

When she returned her view back to her front, she saw that Tausa was already serving their drink while singing. After she finished serving the drink, she grabbed the staff garnished with seashells. With the lady still singing, Arisa saw a great amount of wind surrounding the staff.

The song kept filling the silence as Tausa aimed the staff at the four wooden cups. She said a few words in a language Arisa wondered where it was from. She then saw a marine green light surrounding the cups and as soon as she blinked, the light disappeared.

Tausa sang again and as several seconds passed, the second voice in the background slowly faded. Several seconds more passed and Tausa finally stopped singing. She opened her eyes and gazed at each member, who gazed back at her speechless.

"The enchantment is over," she said, putting the staff back on the ground. "You can have your drink."

The team gazed at her in silence for a few seconds before they grabbed the wooden cups. Arisa examined her drink. It looked like green tea from the first look. She quickly had sip. She coughed, curling her lips as she still could feel the salty taste.

"Is this water from the sea?" asked Kazuya, examining his cup. "Because it sure tastes like one."

"It isn't," replied Tausa, shaking her head. "It's a drink I prepared personally. You have to drink it if you want to explore the underwater world."

Arisa gazed at her own cup. She took a deep breath and had another sip. She curled her lips again and closed her eyes, fighting against the bitter yet salty taste.

"Do we really have to drink all of it?" asked Thelma. "With this amount of salt, I'm worried our blood pressure will skyrocket."

"You will be fine," reassured Tausa calmly. "That drink is a taste of that world. You're traveling to the ocean after all."

Arisa heard her companions sigh before they attempted to have their drink. As she drank the mysterious drink, Arisa had a small break every time she had a sip.

"Who was that voice singing with you?" Arisa asked, taking another sip.

Tausa tilted her head. "Oh, so you can hear it too."

"Who wouldn't hear it?" asked Garoh, placing his empty cup on the floor. "The voice was loud and clear that I thought there was someone besides us in this cave."

Tausa gazed at them, blinking a few times.

"I'm surprised that you could hear that voice," said Tausa. "Only some of the Ancients can hear it every time I enchant someone. You must be special."

Arisa's brows raised at that revelation. She had one last sip of her drink, wondering why a small number of people could hear that voice.

"The voice you heard is believed to belong to Mati, the goddess of the sea," said Tausa. "According to the legend, she made this temple to connect the sea and the surface. Seeing that the people of the surface had little chances to see their children in the sea, she made this temple to give the people of the surface an opportunity to visit their children."

"That's so sweet of her," said Arisa.

Tausa smiled. She then examined them carefully.

"I see that the enchantment has had its effect," she said. "The marks of Mati are showing their presence."

Arisa frowned and gazed around. "Where?"

"Here," said Kazuya, touching her neck. "There are multiple marks covering here."

Arisa rubbed her neck. "Really?"

Kazuya turned around to show his neck. Arisa's eyes widened, seeing strange symbols covering Kazuya's lightly pinkish skin. Touching the symbols, Arisa noticed that those foreign writings where the same as the ones she saw written on their pathway and on the walls.

"Those are marks of Mati," said Tausa, her tone calm. "They'll give you the ability to breathe underwater once you dive into the ocean. Corale City is located deep down the sea, so the pressure is stronger there. But you won't have to worry about that since those marks will protect you from the pressure underwater."

Arisa's heart spread excitement all over her body as she stared at the lady, amazed.

"Interesting," said Garoh, readying himself to stand up. "I'm guessing we're done, then. We can start our journey to find Caris."

"Not so fast young man," said Tausa, signaling him to not stand up. "You cannot just leave. There are some things you have to know before going there."

Garoh sat properly. "Oh. My apologies."

As Tausa nodded at him. Arisa understood why Garoh was in a hurry. The other Guardians were behind their tail and they had to find their friend before they found her. She curled her fingers, hoping that this time, they wouldn't cross paths with them.

"The first thing you have to know," said Tausa, her voice echoing in the background, "is that the rune will work only once. As long as you're in the water, it will give you the ability to breathe. But as soon as the waters are no longer bathing the rune, it will disappear and you'll have to return to me to enchant you again. So think wisely before leaving the water."

As her companions nodded, Arisa exhaled, hoping that by then, Caris would be with them.

"The other thing you have to know," continued Tausa, "is that your elemental powers won't work underwater unless you're an Earth Guardian or your element has a special attack. You'll have to rely on your strength even though it will be challenging since the environment there is different from when you're on the surface."

Thelma folded her arms. "So Garoh is going to shine again. He's an Earth Guardian and has super strength. I'm not sure if I'll be strong enough to knock out a sea monster with my fists."

"But you can summon arrows of light," said Garoh, thoughtfully. "I think they could be part of the special attack and won't be affected by the water."

Thelma gazed at him, unsure. Now that Thelma mentioned about their strength, Arisa tried to imagine how they could battle underwater.

"Let's just hope we won't have to fight," said Arisa. "At least until we find Caris. Since she's a Water Guardian, she won't have a problem using her powers."

Kazuya gazed at her. "I'm not sure about that. Have you seen those sea monsters that tried to attack our train? I'm sure there are plenty there and we'll have to fight even if we don't want to."

Arisa gulped upon hearing Kazuya's words.

"Before you reached the Mother Island," said Tausa, preparing herself to stand up, "we convinced the young merman to guide you to the capital of the underwater world. It's there where Rangi's daughter will surrender her powers and pass them to the crown prince."

As Arisa slowly stood up, she couldn't help but feel disgusted with the royal family's attitude.

"I asked the Ancients to wait with him at the beach until I finished enchanting you," continued Tausa. "Let's go. They're waiting for us."

The team nodded and stood up, quickly following Tausa.

--♐♑♓--

The sound of the waves met Arisa's ears as she watched the young merman hop in the motorboat with a serious face.

"I really hope he won't bring trouble and at least drop you at the capital," said Rangi.

Arisa hoped the same and gazed at the slim man standing by her side. Rangi then turned around.

"Grandmother Tausa," he said, his tone calm, "thank you for helping us. Well, at least you're helping me by helping these young ones."

"Don't mention it." Tausa chuckled. "It was my role to help them out."

As a short silence fell, Tausa patted Rangi's shoulder.

"Don't lose hope about her, Rangi Linteum," she said. "Always have faith that your daughter will return."

Rangi showed her a small smile before he excused himself and joined his nephew on the motorboat. As the team prepared themselves to hop on the boat, they heard Tausa calling them. They turned around and saw her with three more people in robes standing by her side.

"Are you sure you didn't forget anything?" asked Tausa, tilting her head. "Once you're in the water you can't return just because you forgot an item on the island."

Arisa examined herself, looking for her shoulder bag. Realizing that it wasn't there, her eyes met the dark wetsuit with blue details, covering most of her body. She remembered that after they left the temple and reached the Ancients' neighborhood, Tausa suggested them to wear a wetsuit to make their diving experience more comfortable.

"I think I've stored everyone's belongings safely," said Thelma, tapping the device stuck under her belt. "Unless you guys forgot something."

"I'm sure I've given you everything," said Kazuya.

Arisa gazed at Thelma. With her wearing the wetsuit and tying the long wavy hair extensions into a high ponytail, it reminded Arisa of the times in the Forbidden Lands. Looking at her, she remembered Thelma suggesting them to store their belongings in her device, guaranteeing them to swim without bother. She had told them that her device would be in a waterproof case.

"Then, I can only wish you good luck, Guardians," said Tausa. "If what the Oracle told me is true, my role is fulfilled and you might find the next Master there."

"I have a feeling it's true," said Arisa. "Otherwise he wouldn't mention it."

As Tausa smiled at her, Arisa touched her chest. For a few seconds her heart sped as she didn't find her necklace. She then took a deep breath, remembering that she had given it to Thelma to store it in her device.

Arisa heard Rangi calling them, telling them that they should hurry up as time was against them. The team bowed at the people in front of them, thanking them for helping them. The Ancients nodded, wishing them luck and a safe journey. Soon after they excused themselves, they hopped on the motorboat that was ready to sail.

When they reached the area to have a seat, Arisa noticed that the young merman with partly green skin had isolated himself from the main area.

"Shouldn't he be sitting with us?" asked Garoh. "He might dive in the water while no one is watching."

"He said he won't run away and will take you there," said Rangi. "Since you're Guardians, he doesn't see the need to run away. He said the royal family will be pleased to see their son's future colleagues."

As Arisa had a seat, she could see the irritation on Rangi's face as he said those last words.

"I see," said Garoh, sitting by Kazuya's side. "But we shouldn't trust his words. We'll have to keep an eye on him throughout the trip."

The team nodded as Aleki controlled the boat's wheel, on their way to their destination.

Chatter filled the atmosphere as the motorboat sailed across the sea. The team had asked Rangi how far was the port and as he mentioned that it would take them forty minutes to reach there, he spoke more about that area. 

He told them that the port was constructed with visitors of other worlds in mind. As the People of the Sea wanted to increase their economy with tourism, they built special edifices where the tourists could admire the underwater world without worrying about diving.

"Oh, so it's like an aquarium," said Thelma.

"Yes," said Rangi. "I heard they also have other buildings where the tourists can spend the night if they wish to."

Arisa's eyes widened upon hearing those words, wondering what those buildings looked like.

"Amazing," said Thelma, shifting a bit from her seat. "So we didn't have to go through the enchantment after all."

"I don't know." Kazuya rubbed his jaw. "I think it was necessary to explore the underwater world beyond those touristy spots."

Thelma's brows arched. "You have a point."

As their transportation kept on exploring the sea, Rangi explained that the tourists usually reached the underwater world by accessing one of the machines found in the port. Hearing Rangi talking about the underwater world, Arisa's excitement grew stronger. She couldn't wait to see that world.

As time went by, the team had a light lunch and tried to kill time by hearing more fun facts about the underwater world. Arisa tried to distract herself by admiring her surroundings, but all she could see was an endless deep blue sea. She returned her view to the people sitting on the boat and attempted to join their conversation.

As it seems as if time had stopped, Arisa finally spotted something on the horizon. As they slowly approached the area, Arisa noticed that the construction looked like a large metallic semi-dome, floating in the deep blue ocean.

Aleki reduced the speed of the boat and told everyone to prepare themselves to leave the boat. Their transportation didn't take long to reach the port. Looking around, Arisa noticed several sharp shaped machines floating close by the port.

"For a place created for tourists," said Kazuya, looking around "it sure is empty."

Arisa peeked by the boat and saw that there was no one wandering in the floating semi-dome.

"I'm guessing it's because of the tensions between the two countries," said Aleki, approaching them. "It seems that the underwater world is having the same problems as the islands."

Arisa gazed around, finding Oceana's situation sad.

"We're already here. Let's go," said a male voice in the background.

Arisa gazed on her right side in time to see the merman hop off from the boat to the artificial land.

"We'd better go before he leaves us behind," said Thelma, standing up.

"Then we'll have to say goodbye," said Rangi before the team could take their first step.

Arisa's brows arched and she looked at him.

"I thought we would say farewell after we entered one of those things," said Arisa, pointing at the sharp shaped machines.

Rangi displayed a small smile. "I wish we could. But unfortunately islanders are not allowed to walk around the port. This is as far as we can go."

Arisa gazed at him, not understanding why the two people had to be so divided.

"Then we will see you soon," said Garoh, shaking Rangi's hand. "Thank you so much for helping us out. Send our thanks to Tam and Vina as well. We wouldn't be here without them."

"I will," said Rangi, nodding.

As Kazuya shook hands with him, Arisa realized how meeting Tam brought them here. If they succeeded in finding Caris and crossed paths with her family again, Arisa wanted to thank Tam personally.

Arisa shook Rangi's hand, thanking him for his help. He smiled.

"Be careful," he said before they could walk away. "And please come back with my daughter. I don't care if she loses her powers as long as she returns home safe and sound, I'll be happy."

"Don't worry, Rangi," said Garoh, his tone calm. "Caris will surely return to the islands with