001 | 1-1. The Call of the Beluga
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------【To Our Readers: Concerning the Placement of This Work】
Thank you for reading the main series. This “Episode-α: The Ice Queen” is set in September 2023, taking place between Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of the main story. It depicts the encounter with Sarah’s most formidable rival.
Connection to the Main Story An incident that occurred during the blank year between Chapters 3 and 4. This episode serves as a vital key to deeper enjoyment of the main series, illustrating Sarah Tevalier’s overwhelming, newfound thirst for life—a stark contrast to her previous mindset of being ready to die at any moment.
Which Should You Read First? While we generally recommend reading this as a supporting backstory as you follow the main series, it can also be fully enjoyed as a standalone prequel.
Author: Mina_Underwater
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Chapter 1: The Silent Sea
August 2023. The heart of the Barents Sea, near 72 degrees north latitude. The frozen expanse was a ruthless, endless world of silver and white.
A five-member polar research team from the Russian Institute of Marine Science had established a small outpost on this field of ice.
“Weather: north-northwest wind at 2 meters per second. Current heading southeast at 0.5 knots. Water temperature is minus 1.8 degrees... K-Konami, are you really going in under these conditions?”
Ivan, the observation officer, stared at his monitor while shivering inside his thick winter gear. Beside him, two burly logistics technicians used chainsaws and heavy machinery to precisely carve out a ten-meter square from the two-meter-thick ice. Pushing the block beneath the surface, they created a makeshift, natural pool whose water gleamed like a mirror leading into a dark abyss.
Inside the tent, Konami Shivanava slowly shed her final layer of winter clothing. Revealed to the air, her 35-year-old body radiated a functional beauty that transcended the standard feminine frame; she was a singular, ultimate living organism.
She possessed the flexible joints from her days in synchronized swimming, and the vast ribcage from her time shattering world records in freediving. Her obliques were lean enough to expose the outline of every single rib—an armor forged to protect her vital organs and withstand crushing water pressure.
She closed her eyes softly, slipping into a state of profound mindfulness. Her heart rate dropped to 35 beats per minute. Her body intentionally triggered a blood shift, constricting peripheral vessels to concentrate circulation solely within her brain and heart.
Beneath her blonde bob, her eyes held the exact same hue as the freezing sea.
“Beluga detected,” Ivan called out sharply.
“It’s wary of the drilling vibrations. Hovering at a depth of 38 meters. Not moving... They are terrified.”
“I will go soothe them.”
Completely naked, Konami stepped toward the edge of the ice. The minus 8-degree air bit at her skin, but her consciousness was already beneath the waves.
In her hand, she held a single, specialized suction-cup GPS tag. No adhesives, no metal bands. It was a custom-made piece designed specifically not to scratch the smooth skin of the belugas.
The Dive into the Abyss Without a sound, she glided into the water. It was a temperature that would plunge an ordinary human into fatal shock. Yet, her brain processed the biting cold simply as data. The descent began. Using no fins, relying solely on the supple dolphin kicks honed from her synchronized swimming days, she sank vertically into the deep.
How did you enjoy Chapter 1-1 of [Side Story] “Sarah of the Abyss” Episode-α: The Ice Queen — Kill the man you loved. That was the final mission assigned to me.?
Starting with Chapter 1-2, regular serialization will begin on July 13 (Mon).
