Sea of the Gilded Abyss – Eastern Border of the Blinding Mist
The Sea of the Gilded Abyss was the largest and deepest body of water in the entire demi-human empire of Velrathis. When the sea-dwelling Narfs refused the Demon Lord Caelum's offer of peace and protection under his rule, choosing instead to remain independent from humans and the rest of the empire, they were consequently cut off. And with the emergence of the Blinding Mist, not even they could pierce its veil, making the Gilded Abyss a mysterious and untouched region for the past thousand years.
Over the centuries, the buildup of unused mana beneath its depths birthed a wealth of powerful minerals, radiant gems, and majestic sea creatures. It had become the richest and most unexplored ocean in all of Solmara.
Naturally, the Gilded Abyss became a favorite retreat for one of the Demon Lord's children, the lion shifter, Neko.
At the heart of the sea, his luxury vessel, the Aetherion 'Cevadne', floated calmly, anchored above the shimmering depths. Neko and a few handpicked companions were currently far below, testing the newly developed underwater equipment called Deepveil.
Most demi-humans, were elementals by nature. But while they were attuned to their own elemental affinities, those who weren't born of water couldn't command it. Without that connection, they were unable to manipulate the ocean currents or breathe beneath the waves, making deep-sea travel nearly impossible.
The Deepveil suit changed everything. It clung to the body like a second skin, its fitted helmet allowing the wearer to breathe, see, and withstand the crushing pressure of the deep. More importantly, it temporarily bridged the elemental gap, channeling mana through the user to allow even the most land-bound demi-human to wield basic water magic.
So far, the suit only enabled limited control, just enough to breathe and orient underwater for short periods, but it was revolutionary nonetheless.
Now, three hundred feet below sea level, Neko and his friends were awestruck by the breathtaking scenery around them, crystalline corals, glowing currents, and mana-infused marine life drifting through alien beauty.
Back above water, Neko's older brother Tuf, from the deck of his sleek black Aetherwing, spotted the Cevadne's silhouette in the distance.
The pilots docked directly onto the Aetherpad of Neko's ship.
Tuf stepped out first, sharp as always and shirtless, only half-dressed and visibly impatient. Behind him trailed Naelira, his executive secretary. Her skin was still flushed from what had happened inside the Aetherwing, and since Tuf had shredded her suit earlier, she was now covered only by his oversized leather jacket, barely enough to hide the bite marks lacing her body.
From the cockpit of the Cevadne, a familiar figure appeared: Sazrielle, Neko's succubus secretary. She glided down the steps, hips swaying, accompanied by five demon attendants.
"Master Tuf," Sazrielle greeted him sweetly, her voice honeyed and eyes sultry. Her gaze flicked to Naelira, sharp, amused, and borderline mocking. The two women had never liked each other. Even after five hundred years, the rivalry between them burned quietly.
Tuf ignored the tension.
"Sazrielle, where's Neko?" he asked without preamble, scanning the area. Normally, his brother would be visible by now, probably surfing the waves without a care. Neko loved the ocean. Their mother had too. Most of Neko's few cherished memories of her were by the sea. That is why the sea has always been his sanctuary.
"Underwater, Master Tuf," Sazrielle purred. "This way."
She led them to the back of the Cevadne, where multiple Deepveil suits were displayed on pedestals, glowing faintly with stored mana.
"Is this the new model you're developing?" Tuf asked, already reaching for one.
"Yes, Master. Master Neko calls it the Deepveil. It's designed to let demi-humans breathe and see underwater, even at great depths. They're currently testing its limits."
"You're too close to the Blinding Mist," Tuf muttered, inspecting the suit.
"Master Neko believes it's the perfect testing ground, the Gilded's deepest edge," she replied with a trace of pride.
Naelira's eyes widened as Tuf began removing his boots.
"What are you doing?" she demanded, already fearing the answer.
"Testing it," he said plainly, shrugging off the rest of his clothes with zero shame, causing a few of the demon attendants to blush.
"You're going underwater?! You can't even command water, let alone survive down there!" Naelira snapped, her voice sharp with frustration. Even after five centuries of serving under Tuf, there were still moments when his recklessness made her want to strangle him, definitely not in the ways he liked.
But Tuf, ever the chaos-born feline, was already stepping into the prototype Deepveil suit. The enchanted fibers responded to his elemental core, slithering over his skin like liquid metal, sealing him in a sleek second skin of magical armor. With each click and hiss as the suit synchronized with his body, his grin only widened.
He tossed another suit toward Naelira.
"And what exactly am I supposed to do with this?" she asked, even as she caught it.
"Well, since you're clearly so worried about me, you're coming with me," Tuf said, bouncing on his heels and rolling his shoulders like he was testing out the mobility.
Naelira's eyes narrowed. "Have you lost your mind completely?"
"For an elf, you're a total scaredy-cat," Tuf teased, smirking.
"You're the cat, not me, and I'm not scared, I'm rational," she shot back. "You're about to dive into the Gilded Abyss with a suit that hasn't even passed final testing. Do you understand the risks? What if it fails?"
Tuf only shrugged. "Then we die. And if we die underwater, our bodies will float back up eventually. That's recycling at least."
Naelira looked at him, appalled. "Is that supposed to calm me down?"
Just then, Sazrielle's voice cut in, syrupy sweet and laced with feigned concern. "Master, Naelira can stay and handle things here. I'll accompany you instead." She gently plucked the Deepveil from Naelira's hand and bumped her aside with a sway of her hips.
Naelira didn't even blink. She yanked Sazrielle's high ponytail back with a sharp tug. "Back off, slut."
"You're calling me a slut?!" Sazrielle shrieked. "Look at yourself! You're wearing nothing but a leather jacket, with no underwear! Who's the slut now?"
Naelira smirked, venom in her smile. "What can I say? My Master finds me... appetizing."
Before Sazrielle could retaliate, Tuf's voice rang out from the edge of the platform. "Come on, Nae-nae. Are you coming or not?"
He'd already lowered himself into the water, suit glowing faintly against the shimmer of the sea. And when he used that nickname, "Nae-nae" instead of the usual "Naelira", every ounce of sense she had flew out of her head.
"I don't think I'm being properly compensated for the emotional distress and trauma," she muttered, but she was already pulling the suit on.
"I hope you drown," Sazrielle hissed under her breath as Naelira passed.
"Sazrielle!" Tuf snapped, voice sharp with warning.
The succubus flinched. "I, I was just joking, Master Tuf."
"Well, it wasn't funny. And I don't like it," he said coldly.
"I'm sorry," Sazrielle murmured, bowing her head.
Naelira stepped down into the water beside him, and Tuf's hand immediately reached for hers.
"Don't worry," he said, his voice unusually gentle. "I'll hold your hand."
Just before she placed the helmet over her head, Naelira turned back to Sazrielle, stuck out her tongue, and gave her a wink. The succubus's mouth fell open, seething.
Then, without another word, Naelira and Tuf dove beneath the surface.
The world below the water was unlike anything she had ever seen.
The ocean wrapped around them, cool, vast, and hauntingly still. The Deepveil didn't remove the sensation of the water; it enhanced it. It was like being cradled by the sea itself, unthreatened by its pressure or cold.
Naelira, ever composed, was momentarily stunned. She had witnessed centuries' worth of magical inventions thanks to the brilliance of the Demon Lord's children, but this… this was in a league of its own. As they descended further, the world around them transformed into pure wonder: luminous reefs made of mana-rich coral, sleek fish darting like living stars, and the jagged outlines of ancient ruins, half-swallowed by sand and time.
Through it all, Tuf never let go of her hand.
In moments like this, surrounded by breathtaking stillness, held by the same hand that often both pleased and punished her, Naelira briefly forgot that her master was, by every definition, a reckless and unapologetic manwhore.
Tuf's sharp eyes quickly counted ten glowing Deepveil suits drifting across the expanse, and immediately recognized one.
Still holding Naelira's hand, Tuf swam toward his brother with quick, confident strokes. Neko, sensing the approach, paused mid-swim. Without a word, just a glance and a faint curl of the lips, they both understood.
Tuf signaled one of Neko's companions, a fae male in a Deepveil, to take Naelira. And then, just like that, the brothers shot through the water like twin bullets.
The race had begun.
Neko was faster, of course. The sea was his domain. He glided through the depths like it was second nature, his orange mane streaming like a comet's tail behind him.
The others couldn't even keep track of them. They only noticed the way schools of fish scattered in waves, or the distant ripples slicing through water. They were cats, and cats were supposed to hate water, but the Demon Lord's sons were anything but ordinary.
The brothers dove deep, testing the Deepveil's pressure limits, then shot back up toward the surface in a final sprint.
Naelira followed, marveling at how effortlessly they moved.
Once on the surface, one by one, they climbed back onto the Aetherion, the sun reflecting off the water like shards of glass.
"What do you think?" Neko asked, shaking water from his long orange mane, eyes bright. In his physical form, he looked no older than seventeen, but his intelligence and instincts revealed otherwise.
"Needs comms," Tuf said immediately, helping Naelira onto the deck. "Aetherscope integration, and maybe some light self-defense attachments. You don't know what's waiting down there."
Then he reached out to help his younger brother up as well.
"Was thinking the same," Neko replied, nodding as Sazrielle began drying his hair with a soft towel. "I'm planning a beta test. Three hundred suits, different races. See how they adapt."
Other attendants handed Tuf a towel and fresh clothes, water-wicking fabric, high-quality, tailored to his frame, as well as Naelira.
Neko raised a brow. "So? What brings you here? I thought you'd be neck-deep in faes and elves at your den this time of day."
"I came to get you," Tuf said simply, slipping into a new black shirt. "We're going to Malvakar. Father's coming back today."
Every attendant froze.
Even Sazrielle dropped the towel, except for Naelira.
Neko's mouth fell open. "What the fuck, brother?! And you still had time to race me?!"
He bolted toward the changing area, dragging wet clothes as he moved.
"I'm taking my time," Tuf muttered, toweling his hair. "Because I'm going to die anyway."
Neko stopped mid-step.
"What?" he said, turning, half-dressed. "What are you talking about? Father's not sick, is he? Wait, if you're dying, that means I'm dying. That means we're all dying, !"
"Seiryu has awakened," Tuf cut in, expression now serious. "Three weeks ago. And I just learned about it today."
Neko froze.
Then he let out a long, suffering sigh.
"…May your balls rest in peace," he said.