“Help me,” the girl mouthed, but no sound escaped.

“Princess Sara of the Azure Panthalassa,” the girl said, her voice cracking like ice. “I escaped the Abyss, but not whole. Gaito shattered my kingdom and bound my voice to this locket.” She pointed to the mark on Lucia’s wrist. “Now we are linked. If you want to save Kaito from forgetting you—and stop Gaito from flooding the human world—you will sing with me.”

“Pichi Pichi Pitch, Pearl Voice!” Lucia cried, transforming into her idol form. Her pink dress shimmered, and she raised her microphone.

The Echo of the Azure Locket

“Kodou ga ai no signal—” she began to sing, but the creature laughed. Its tail whipped forward, shattering her sound waves into dissonant echoes. Lucia stumbled. The creature’s power was different—it fed on her melody, growing larger with every note.

Lucia sighed, kicking a pebble toward the sea. “It’s useless. He looks right through me like I’m a ripple on the water.”