Descending once again into the depths of the sea, she did not expect that something incredible would be found between the split underwater stone in the very core.

Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and she almost choked on water as she twirled a small pearl the size of peas in her hand.

Pushing off with her feet from the water stream, she quickly emerged from the water, tightly squeezing the pearl in her palms.

In bright sunlight, the pearl shone like an emerald.

It is rare to find a pearl of this color, they were found once every 10 years.

A very valuable copy.

Swimming to the shore, Nayeon, who caught this treasure, rushed to the girl who was waiting for her, sitting on the sand, making sand castles out of boredom.

- Sana! Sana! Look, look what I found! Nayeon whispered excitedly in a loud voice, falling to her knees in front of the girl and stretching her hand forward.

-A shell again, show me what color, - Sana, Nayeon’s friend, whispered in the same enthusiastic response, who, with any catch (even if it was unsuccessful), greeted the girl with glee.

Nayeon smiled contentedly, her eyes glittering with anticipation, she watched Sana's reaction as she slowly opened her palm.

Sana's reaction was immediate, she clapped her hands, leaned closer to the palm, carefully touched the pearl:

- How beautiful, Nayeon - fading with admiration, Sana said, taking a pearl from her palm and bringing it to her eyes to get a better look. – She is so unusual, ah, look how she shimmers in the sun.

- Really, beautiful? I’ve never seen one like this, but I’ve heard the legend associated with her many times,” Nayeon said, sitting down comfortably next to Sana, covering her eyes from the sun with her palm, lay down on the sand relaxing.

- A legend? – Sana asked with curiosity, clutching the pearl in her palm, moved closer to Nayeon, also lay down next to her, only then turning to her side to look at her friend. - Tell.

- Hmm, yes, there’s really nothing to talk about here, - Nayeon sighed, looking at Sana from under her palm, but seeing her interested face and eyes in anticipation of a romantic story, she gave up.

No matter how many years Nayeon knew Sana, she could never refuse any request. After all, even at the first meeting, Nayeon fell in love with the radiant and cheerful girl Sana, and so far, this love has only grown stronger.

As for Sana's feelings, Nayeon was not so sure, because she was surrounded by so many beautiful people, better than herself.

I was afraid to ask, it’s better to keep your distance, so at least your heart won’t hurt like that.

- Okay, just don't interrupt me, Sana - she sincerely nodded her head, prepared to listen. - For the first time, when I heard this legend, I was only 7 years old. I was told about this by my grandmother, who came to us for my birthday. My grandmother traveled a lot, saw a lot of things, she always had interesting stories. But that day, she decided to remember one legend, because, as her grandmother said, she again saw a wonderful pearl at the exhibition.

*

A family lived in a village near the sea, the father of the family earned his living by diving into the sea for pearls. Fishing is not big, but enough to live on. Once, when the sky was covered with clouds, the sea began to storm, the man bravely went down under the water, trying to find at least some “prey” through the muddy expanses of water. The oncoming undercurrents did not allow him to swim further, twisted, dragged his body into whirlpools, the man fought with all his might, but a strong push in the back did not allow him further. The man hit his head on a stone on the seabed, blood covered his eyes, he felt that gradually his consciousness was lost. He had already said goodbye to life when he felt as if someone had taken him under his armpits and was pulling him to the surface.

I woke up in a cave by myself.

The cave was not deep, the only illumination being the slight accumulation of seawater from which it had been lifted. The man did not know how far the cave was, whether he had enough air to swim to the shore. He decided to rest a little in the cave, so that later he would try to get out of here. Pulling his legs out of the water, tucking them in, the man stood up, or rather he could not stand up, because the cave did not allow him to straighten up to his full height. Hunched over, somehow the man moved away from the reservoir, leaned against the rocky damp wall of the cave, sat down, closed his eyes.

After a moment, he became alert, as he heard a splash of water next to him and someone's breathing. Someone said in a language he did not understand (much later, he managed to understand the meaning of the words, kind people helped to translate; the man was so scared that he remembered all the words in an unfamiliar language verbatim):

- Apply this to your wound (something slippery put in the palm of your hand), rest, then I will help you get out of here. Today the sea is not calm, you would not find anything in it. It is necessary to dive when the sea is kind. Okay, I have been watching you for a long time, you are a kind man, an affectionate father and a good husband, so I will help.

Then the man somehow fell asleep and woke up already near the shore, where he was rescued. Arriving home, the man was surprised to find a pearl in his empty pockets.

*

- This is such a legend, - Nayeon finished, yawning sweetly, almost falling asleep from the heat of the sun.

- There is no romance. I thought that you would now talk about separation from your beloved, I was preparing to wipe my tears, and here such a dry set of words. Admit it, you yourself just came up with this legend, in fact, you played me!

- I'm serious, Sana. Such a legend - Nayeon spread her hands, looking at her friend with all seriousness, but she, pouting, turned away from her. - Sana, Sana ... I'm not lying to you; everything is as Grandma told me.

- Then come up with something yourself, I want to hear a romantic story that looks like a mermaid. Come on, Nayeon, you can compose, Sana pleaded, taking both Nayeon's hands and squeezing them. – I love listening to your stories.

- Okay - she reluctantly agreed, internally fighting with herself, so as not to do something unnatural for her behavior. - I heard another legend, but when I stuttered to ask if it was true or not, they gagged me. Therefore, don't tell anyone, Sana - carefully pressed her index finger to Sana's lips, looking around warily.

- I promise - enthusiastically nodded her head, sitting even closer, now their knees were touching, and Nayeon distinctly heard breathing from Sana.

*

This is a story about a young man who grew up in a poor family on the outskirts of the city, his hut stood near the sea and when a storm occurred, the waves destroyed the front of the house. He was a kind young man, he never got angry, he always came to the rescue, he always shared his food. His thoughts were always pure and innocent.

In one of these storms, the young man sat on the edge of a rock, wrapped himself in torn clothes, looked at the raging waves, thought about his own. Suddenly, an unusual light cut through the thunderclouds, rushed down and also suddenly disappeared.

The young man at first thought that it was lightning that had struck the sea, then it occurred to him that a possibly lost fisherman in the sea was sending a signal for help in this way.

But his thoughts were dispelled by a voice, merging with thunder and thunder, calling his name. He was so charming and captivating that the young man jumped up and rushed down, right into the opening arms of a high wave. She devoured him, taking him into the sea.

*

Is the young man dead? - Sana gasped with concern in her voice, interrupting Nayeon's story, but she shook her head negatively, showed the “quiet” sign, the girl blushed in embarrassment, averted her gaze. - Sorry.

*

The sound of water filled his ears, the heavy and strong flow of the current blocked his airways, the young man was suffocating from lack of air. He tried to swim out of the abyss of sea captivity, but he was pulled deeper down. The young man mentally said goodbye to his family, thanking God for giving so many years of life, when out of the corner of his ear he heard a voice nearby, just like on the shore calling him.

Then, as if someone grabbed his arms, dragged him along.

The voice became louder and sweeter, the young man obeyed this voice.

His heart began to beat evenly again, his body relaxed, he completely trusted the one who was pulling him forward.

After a while, the young man felt wet sand under him, clearing his throat, he was able to breathe clean sea air again. He was taken to an unfamiliar island, which he had never seen before.

On shaky legs, he came out of the sea, from fatigue he fell on the sand, his hand clenched the golden warm grains of sand into a fist, digging deeper with his fingers. His body was shaking with fatigue and hunger, he closed his eyes, tilted his head back. Barely audible voices reached his ears, approaching him with every step.

I should have died at sea, why am I still alive?

- The illustrious did not lie, he really appeared from the sea. Our savior - one of the male voices spoke in an ancient dialect.

Why do I understand their speech? Who are they?

“We need to take him to the Glorified One,” he heard a child’s voice, the young man felt a child beside him, that he sat down next to him, gently pushed his fingers into his shoulder. - I see that you are breathing, open your eyes, I want to see your color.

Illustrious? Is it some kind of deity? - opening his eyes and looking at people in strange clothes, reminding him of the traditional clothes that he happened to see once during the Lotus Blossom festival.

- The illustrious one did not lie, look, look, he really has two different colors - the boy shouted enthusiastically, jumping up and down and pointing at him.

- How lucky he appeared to us, now we will definitely be saved. We urgently need to take him to the tent of the Illustrious. Let's go with us, young man - holding out his hand, which he accepted, the man helped him up, smiling friendly, - The glorified one has been waiting for you for a long time.

The young man, together with the inhabitants of the island, went deep into the forest that grew near the sea itself. The guides communicated with each other, but the young man could no longer understand their language, as if the magic began to disappear as they approached the settlement.

Not long after, they finally came out of the forest. Before the eyes of the young man stretched a flat clearing with many wooden houses, fenced with flower decorations in the form of arrows and some kind of hieroglyphs. The inhabitants of the village greeted them with enthusiastic shouts, someone even knelt down and prayed, looking at him. His companions did not stop, they walked forward, talking to the inhabitants on the go, nodding their heads, pointing in his direction, smiling. The young man tried to listen, to understand the essence of the conversation, but his thoughts were lost, he began to feel an incredible heaviness in the region of the heart, his breathing was again confused, as if his throat was pressed with force, cutting off access to oxygen.

Almost losing consciousness, the young man again heard soft singing, a gentle touch on his forehead, then a soft voice said:

- Come to me, my boy, let me take a closer look at you.

A warm palm, a pleasant aroma of sea freshness emanating from a stranger and a soothing voice, completely inviting.

The young man, not yet seeing, trusted, so he boldly crossed the threshold of the hut, finding himself in complete darkness.

- I'm sorry, but the light is death for me, so go to my voice, my boy.

The young man, fascinated by the voice, walked forward, stretching out his hands, feeling the space until his fingertip touched the cold skin of the Illustrious.

- Don't be so cruel, sit down, give me your palms - the voice whispered, the young man obeyed. - Your fate is divided, I see your future, oh, what a difficult test awaits you ahead, but your brave heart will overcome it, and you will meet someone who will accept you.

- So, I won't die here? - the young man asked a timid question, feeling a barely swaying wind behind the walls of the hut, barely hearing those passing by the hut.

-Here your destiny will begin, and here it will end - the Illustrious said enigmatically, lightly squeezing his palms in her weak hands. - Always believe in yourself and in your heart, my boy. Trust only what you hear in your heart, not on the surface. Never forget my words, young man, and then your pearl will find you.

- Pearl? the young man asked in surprise, deciding to himself that he had misheard or believing that the Illustrious had made a mistake in the choice of words.

- Go, my boy, your destiny awaits you.

He was blinded by the light, when he went out, people gathered in front of the hut, they all, as one, looked at him with reverence, expecting a speech from him. The young man looked around absently, scratched his head, smiled slowly, and bowed to them.

The man who brought him here separated from the crowd, approached the young man, holding an earthen jar in front of him:

- Before you leave, drink our water and eat our food.

The young man really did not understand what everyone was expecting from him, but he did not refuse the food offered, because the sea not only took away his shelter, but also cut off his way back. By the will of fate, he began his first journey. And to be strong, you need to eat well.

After drinking crystal clear water from a jug and eating a fresh cake with a piece of well-done meat, the young man suddenly buckled down, and he fell, choking.

People leaned over him with devilish grins, evil voices consuming his light. Their voices drowned out another voice, the voice that had been calling to him since the beginning of the storm.

Their cries became louder, more demanding, tougher, they completely enslaved the young man's subconscious, he succumbed to their voices.

- Ha ha ha, you are so trusting!

- Believe everything the Illustrious One said!

- She showed you the pearl, didn't she?

- No, you also came here to steal it from us!

- We won't give it to you!

- Quiet, calm down, - the Illustrious said quietly, in a half whisper, opening the doors of her hut, but not showing her face. - He doesn’t deserve to be near the Pearl!

- We are waiting for your decision, Glorified One - kneeling down, the whole crowd was eager to hear the voice of the one who can read fates.

- I was mistaken in this young man, my eyes and hearing let me down. While he was in my hut, we had a conversation, I sensitively watched him. It seemed strange to me that there was not a drop of evil in his heart, so I secretly performed the ceremony. I had to lie to you, my children, for this sin I will bear repentance - the old voice humbly whispered, everyone raised their hands in a bow, as if in prayer.

- What did you see, glorified? – the voice of the leader of the tribe sounded courteous, with a touch of reverence.

- His soul is not as pure and innocent as this young man wants to show. His heart is fraught with vices, the Pearl will only aggravate his peace of mind - the Glorified One told the secret, emerging into the light of the setting sun. Her thin silhouette laid a black shadow, hung ominously over the bowed heads of the inhabitants of the island.

The young man, lying all the time on the ground, the only one who looked directly into the woman's face, saw a smile on her thin lips. He is the only one who heard the voice whispering to the Illustrious the words she should speak. A vague shadow was behind the Illustrious One.

The young man saw, but could not warn the inhabitants of the island about the impending danger, because he himself fought death, which with pointed invisible claws dug into his throat, squeezing it.

- Kill him! Only then can we be saved! His death will purify the Pearl! His death will cleanse your souls! I saw that if we drink his blood, then our souls will finally find peace, we will become immortal! Come on, kill him! - the voice of the whisperer became louder and louder, subjugating himself, until no more voices were heard besides him.

The young man did not try to do anything else; he was exhausted, and simply lost consciousness. His last thought was a request for salvation.

Suddenly, lightning flashed in the clear sky.

The sun, which had set below the horizon, canceled its descent and began to go through its day again.

The moon, which had been waiting for its turn to dominate the clear sky, did not appear.

The wind, a cold, piercing wind, drove thunderclouds into the cloudless sky.

The sea, calm and smooth, suddenly began to seethe. The waves began to rise higher and higher until they were of such magnitude that they swallowed half the island into the sea.

- Do not be afraid, my children! We are not afraid of death! After all, our savior and the Pearl are with us! Bring it to me, I know what to do with it! ordered the voice, laughing ominously, demanding obedience.

The faceless shadow approached the lying youth, with the help of the Illustrious lifted him up, stood behind him, shielding him from the wind. As she expected, the wind bypassed the young man, did not touch him. Shadow laughed, pleased and fearless.

- Come on, bring me the Pearl! Give it to me! - ordered the shadow, holding out her hand. - I want to finally be free from her captivity!

The hypnotized inhabitants obediently rushed to carry out the orders of the Faceless Shadow, considering her to be Glorified, wishing to gain freedom from the island, on which the sea had thrown out just like the young man.

They could not leave the island, although many tried, but no matter where they swam or how they dived, they still ended up on the island.

The island did not let them go.

They despaired.

They began to live on the island, gradually forgetting about the families that were waiting for them.

Until, one day, the Illustrious One arrived on the island. A woman who can read fate. Then, even a young woman by cunning was able to subdue the hearts of people who were weak in spirit. She seems to have read the fate of the island and knows how to gain freedom.

So she invented the legend of the Pearl, a gem that could purify their defiled souls and help them escape the island.

- You need to find this pearl. When you find it, I will read her fate and learn the secret of getting out of the island.

The inhabitants, who believed her, dug through the whole island, but found a cave where pearl clusters of precious natural springs hung on the walls themselves. Blue-green crystals. Inside each crystal was a pearl, a mother-of-pearl.

A young charlatan, who called herself Glorified, allegedly having read the fate of one crystal, said that it was necessary to look for a young man with the same eye color, it was he who would be the Savior.

So the years passed, many young men threw the sea to the island, but there was no one with the same eye color as the crystals. Those who were not the Liberator were killed, sacrificed to the Island.

The mind of the charlatan became completely clouded, she began to believe that the Island is a deity, and she is his messenger and conveys all his wishes through herself.

The deity needs a sacrifice, a sacrifice newcomer.

There is a victim, she is revered, worshiped, she is the law.

She liked it, really liked it, and to maintain her status as Glorified, she killed those who didn't believe others after saying that the Island was angry with them.

In short, she just went crazy.

She had always been the only Illustrious, and she would have remained so, if not for the appearance of a young man with blue-green eyes like a crystal, pure, innocent. Nature gave him an incredible pure beauty, from which you cannot take your eyes off. She wanted to get him, to subjugate her will, and perhaps something would have happened if it had not been for reading the line of fate in his palm.

The line of fate clearly showed that the sea had brought him here in order to become a liberator.

The young man became a threat.

*

- Nayeon, I don’t understand, - interrupted the story of Sana’s friend, looking thoughtfully at the girl who was completely immersed in her story, - where is the romance here? You remember, I expect a romantic relationship from you. And all I hear is some kind of horror. Just don't say...

- Oops, I’m sorry Sana, - Nayeon giggled, gently fixing Sana’s bangs, - I got carried away with history and completely forgot…

- Forgotten? You? Nayeon! I forbid to tell further! I don't want to hear...

- Are you not interested at all? You said yourself, you like to listen to me - Nayeon pouted, the melancholy in her eyes still has not passed, as if she was still there, in that story.

- Interesting, but now I'm in the mood for romance, not horror - Sana tried to move away, but Nayeon's hand held her near her. - I demand romance from you, Nayeon! - she herself pouted, perfectly aware of how she affects her friend.

- Hmm, if I say that this pearl represents my heart that has been beating for you for many years, how will you react? - Nayeon asked in all seriousness, leaning over the stunned girl.

- Nayeon…what are you… - Sana’s voice barely audible, her heart thumping in her chest, drowning out all sounds, listening only to Nayeon’s breathing, to her voice.

- When my eyes saw a pearl between sharp stones, it shone like your eyes, lured me with your smile, and as soon as it fell into my hands, the sunbeam penetrated to the seabed, recalling your silky blond hair with its color. It hurt me to get it, my hands got hurt, but the sea took all the blood and the sea also healed my wounds. The sea gave me a chance to meet you three years ago, get to know you, make friends and fall in love with you.

- Nayeon... - Sana couldn't believe her ears, catching every letter, breathing the same air with the one she considered her close friend. Sana began to feel as if Nayeon's voice was moving further away, it became hard to hear.

- You know, the sea is very greedy, insidious. When the sea is calm, it is easy to negotiate with her, and when you frown, your life is threatened.

- I don’t understand what you want to tell me, Nayeon - for some reason, anxiety began to be felt in the depths of my heart, Sana threw her arms around her friend’s waist, hugged her tightly, their lips almost touched.

- I was able to agree with her for a certain period and ... I think ... You know, Sana, the story that I told you about the young man is actually about ...

The noise of noisy seagulls flying past them made it difficult to hear the end of the confession from Nayeon. Sana was distracted by the birds, but when she turned back to her friend, she found no one near her. The very presence of the girl was gone.

- Nayeon! Where are you? - Sana was alarmed, rising from the bedspread, looking around uneasily, but the girl was completely alone on the beach. – Nayeon, this is not funny! Nayeon!

The sea waves hit the rocks hard, almost reaching her feet, although Sana remembered that they were sitting about in the middle of the beach. Sana was still surprised at the time, asking why they came closer to the sea, to which Nayeon cryptically replied:

"That way I'll have extra time to be alone with you, Sana."

*

All the past day Nayeon was looking for.

They gave an announcement about the loss, talked about her on the news.

Nobody saw or heard.

Everyone shrugged, looked at Sana strangely.

The apartment where Nayeon used to live was empty, as if no one had lived there.

All the acquaintances with whom Sana most often saw Nayeon, all as one insisted that they did not know a girl named Nayeon.

Sana did not understand what was happening?

She began to feel more and more that the only one who would answer her questions was the sea and maybe that story about the pearl.

She began to search, to beg.

Time flew forward imperceptibly, a year had passed since Nayeon disappeared, and Sana still had no leads.

She despaired.

She no longer knew where to look or whom to ask.

When it got warmer outside, Sana returned to that beach, holding the donated pearl in her hands, came closer to the sea, with tears in her eyes, appealed to the sea waves with a prayer:

- I need to know the truth, please tell me if Nayeon is alive?

From early morning until late evening, Sana sat by the sea, waiting for an answer, but the sea was calm, the sky above her head was clear, and the wind was light.

- Please, I want to hear the continuation of that story ... Maybe after hearing it, I ... I don’t know what I will do - Sana sobbed, holding out her hand where the pearl lay, accidentally releasing it into the sea. - Oh, wait, I can’t lose you, - Sana started up, completely immersing her hand under the water, looking for a small pearl at the bottom. - Not you, where are you, where are you…

- Girl, what are you doing here so late? - she heard the voice of a man, Sana looked up to see the guard of the beach in front of her. - Oh, yes, you are completely cold! Come on, let's go to my hut, it's behind this rock, you can warm up there. Let me give you hot tea.

- I have to find a pearl - Sana repeated in a trembling voice, not succumbing to the old man's persuasion, she continued to search.

The sea has taken what belongs to her. You will not find it - it was these words that stopped Sana's futile attempts to find the pearl, she turned to him with hope in her eyes, grabbed the lapels of her old jacket, and asked:

- What did you say? Did the sea take the pearl? Why can't I find her?

- You are probably not a local, so you have not heard the legend about the pearl of the island?

- The pearl of the island? What are you speaking about? Please, I want, I really want to hear this legend!

- Okay, okay, but first let's go to my place, we need to warm you up.

The old watchman of the sea coast told what Nayeon had previously told, only instead of the young man there was a girl, the younger sister of the young man. The watchman told everything in such detail, as if he himself saw everything in reality.

- Ask if I'm suddenly mistaken, but by any chance you weren't the same young man? Sana asked as the old man stopped to take a sip of water.

- Yes, you are right - the old man drooped his head, rising and going to the window, peering into the blackness in front of him. “It was me, and my younger sister, Nayeon, the one who took the sea in that storm.

- Nayeon? – shuddered heart in the name of a friend. - But if there was a storm, then she would have died, why do you tell as if you saw her after?

- By some miracle, Nayeon was able to survive, the sea spared her, allowing her to say goodbye to me.

- How did she survive? Where did you find it?

- According to her, the waves carried her to the island, and how did she tell me that the island itself can be seen when the sea is smooth and calm. She called it - Pearl Island. From her own words, I learned that if you are lucky to find a blue-green pearl on the island, then it will fulfill your every desire. But desire also has its price.

- A wish? Have you found...

- Not me, Nayeon found it, she came back to me three years ago - the man shivered, went to the fireplace, threw another log there, began to follow the sparks of fire. - She smiled at me, the same smile I remembered, but it wasn't my sister anymore. The sea left only the appearance, erased all memories, replacing them with their own. Even so, I was happy to see her again.

- Why blue-green color?

- As Nayeon told me, this is the very heart of the ocean - the old man was silent for a while, then looked at Sana, smiled sadly: - Do you want to see my little sister? She was the most beautiful girl I had - without waiting for an answer, he quickly left the room, went up to the second floor, took out a box, carefully brought it and placed it in front of Sana. - Here are all my memories of Nayeon, all that I could keep.

Sana was afraid to open the box, she was afraid to see Nayeon in the photo, but her hands decided everything for her, opening and pulling out the first photo that came across.

- Here she is 8 years old, isn't she cute? - Leaning over her, the man asked.

- Cute, - Sana said with difficulty, looking at Nayeon as a child with a trembling heart.

- Here it is, she tried to write the first word - she grinned, laughing mirthlessly - what kind of scribbles, right?

Sana felt like she was re-learning Nayeon, her childhood, before she met her three years ago. There were few things in the box, almost nothing, at the very bottom lay a neatly folded sheet of paper, written in even handwriting: “Sana”.

- Oh, I did not see this letter here - the man was amazed, carefully picking up the paper. - I would have written the names of the girl, then I would have found it and given it to the addressee, - he lamented, returning it to its place, but did not have time to completely put it down, as Sana intercepted it from him. - What…

- I think this letter is for me. My name was Sana - the man understood without words, he just walked away and sat down near the fireplace, not looking at her.

Sana could not unfold and read the letter for a long time. After all, as soon as she starts reading, then all the chances that Nayeon is alive will disappear.

I don't want to, I won't, no!

But…

…eyes…

... have already read ...

...and ears have already heard her voice...

 

“There is a secret that I cannot tell you.

I swore, and if I break my oath, my time with you will be shortened. And I so want to be with you as long as possible, Sana.

We have known each other for three years, three happy years, I was going to confess my feelings that day. But the sea called me to itself.

The fact that I found a pearl in the depths of the seabed is not accidental. The sea reminded me of my oath, she called me back. I knew that my time had come, there were only a few minutes left, to be near you. And instead of confessing, I decided to tell you a legend about a pearl, about a young man, about an island ...

You met my older brother, you were able to find him or he found you, it doesn’t matter, the main thing is that you are next to him now.

Please tell him it's not his fault.

Then, in that storm, I heard a voice from the pearl, he called me, begged me to save. I responded to that voice.

It's not your brother's fault, and neither are you, Sana. It was my conscious decision.

Again, instead of romantic words, I write all sorts of nonsense.

Remember (this word was crossed out).

How did my story about the young man end? As you can see, he survived. He is the only survivor on the island after the second storm. He became the Glorified and the Liberator in one person. He completely connected with the island, became its pearl. Became his heart.

Sad, right?

I'm sorry I upset you again.

When you have read this letter, burn it in the fireplace and scatter the ashes over the sea.

Do me a favor, okay?

Be happy and loved, Sana.

Perhaps someday the pearl will bring us together again.

Nayeon."

*

The last wish of the one who was special in the heart of Sana from the first day of their acquaintance to the end, was fulfilled.

As soon as Sana scattered the ashes over the sea, in the same place where she lost the pearl, all memory of Nayeon disappeared.

A girl named Sana, at the same moment, woke up from a dream, looking at the sea in amazement, asking into the void:

- Why am I on the beach? I was going to go shopping with my friends. What time is it now? Oh god, I'll be late for the meeting! I`m need to hurry.

As the girl runs away from the beach, only the sea with pearl-colored eyes watched. The cry of seagulls, flying by, drowned out the voice that wished Sana a happy life.