Release Date: January 18, 2024 (Global)
Developers:  Papergames, Infoldgames
Publishers:  Papergames, Infoldgames
Platforms: Mobile (Android, iOS)

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✴READ OTHER RELATED POSTS for LOVE AND DEEPSPACE

• Love and Deepspace 3D Otome Game First Impression Review
• Love and Deepspace: Xavier’s Story Branch, Myths and Lore Analysis
  

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Disclaimer:

• While this is somewhat of a deep dive into Rafayel’s story, the contents below will focus only on: Rafayel-MC’s timelines, myths, main story plot relationship, bond events, anecdotes, and a few cards that I believe hold significant connections to the main story.
• The contents here are based on my personal analysis & understanding of the story as presented so far. Theories are simply my own speculations and opinions. And I do not claim them as canon!

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Introduction

The Love and Deepspace lore is very spread out in the game, that it is extremely difficult to fully understand the timelines and piece together events without rewatching content. It’s also very easy to gloss over or forget certain details that are actually significant to the storyline. For this reason, it’s crucial (at least for me) to jot down notes as I replay these story events, knowing I’ll likely forget them as soon as I hyperfixate on another route, game, or even a hobby. 😅

When it comes to Rafayel’s lore and storyline, I feel that out of the four main LIs, his timeline is the most complicated to piece together. This is mainly due to the fragmented format of the Lemurian narrative, which requires us, the players to actively connect the dots (all of the LI lore content is like this tbh, so this isn’t anything new to LaDs).

Timeline Chronological Order

Based on everything we have so far in the game, my personal interpretation of Rafayel’s chronological timeline is as follows:

1. Forgotten Sea (Myth 2)
2. Tears of Romiro (Myth 3) ***Post Coming Soon
3. Anecdote 3
4. Anecdote 2
5. Anecdote 1
6. Main Story Ch. 1- Ch. 6
7. Bouquets and Dirges (World Underneath)
8. Nightly Stroll (Bond)
9. World Underneath (Long Lost Treasures)
10. Main Story Ch.7 – Ch. 8
11. Ebb and Flow (Bond)
12. Omnipotent Perception (Memories)
13. Land of Secret Flames (Rafayel’s Main Story Branch/Route)
14. Sea Witch Timeline “Fragment Dreams“
15. Sea of Golden Sands (Myth 1)

I definitely think the Myths need to be played back-to-back because there are many callbacks between these two stories, and several events tie together and make sense once you fit the puzzle pieces into place (e.g., in the Forgotten Sea Myth, MC dreamt of the events in Sea of Golden Sands). A lot of dialogues were also repeated during MC’s memories in both myths which was quite interesting to see as easter eggs.

Also, I strongly feel that you need to play both Myths, Nightly Stroll and Ebb and Flow first before diving into Rafayel’s story branch, Land of the Secret Flames. This way it’d be easier to understand the events that happen in Rafayel’s route.

Speculation/Theory: I believe there are other timelines that fit in between the main story timeline and the Sea of Golden Sands Myth, such as the 4* card “Fragment Dream” with MC as the Abyssal Witch of the Deep Sea. I also suspect that there will be another timeline fitting between the Forgotten Sea Myth and the main storyline, which has yet to be released.

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(FIRST) TIMELINE: Forgotten Sea

This myth, I believe, is where it all began…or at least, it is the first one in Rafayel’s timeline among the currently released stories.

Summary:
The story starts with MC set to be sacrificed to the God of the Sea by his extreme fanatic human followers. She is taken aboard a ship to fulfill this “sacrifice,” but during this, a fierce storm hits, violently swaying the ship back and forth. Rafayel happens to be in the vicinity and witnesses everything. As the storm rages, MC is plunged into the sea. When she surfaces, she sees Rafayel and asks if he is a Lemurian. She pleads for his help, but Rafayel teases her in response. Still at the mercy of the cruel tides, she remembers an old tale that says the kiss of a Lemurian will allow someone to breathe in the watery depths. Desperate to survive, she grabs Rafayel, catching him off guard, and kisses him. This act sets off the beginning of their vow. To MC, it may be just her survival instincts kicking in, but to Rafayel, it marks the start of their oath.

Later in the story, Rafayel chooses MC to be his “devout follower.” As the Sea God’s devout follower, MC must stay with him during the Sea God’s Ceremony in the temple and gift him her heart to grant him the strength to protect Lemuria. Moreover, according to the “Tome of the Sea God,” once the Sea God has chosen someone to be his devout follower, he is bound to that person’s every command and must never go against their wishes; otherwise, they cannot remain bound.

Days passed, and as they bond, we see both MC and Rafayel beginning to care for each other. When they visit the surface due to MC’s wishes, Rafayel offers her the option to stay, telling her that she doesn’t have to return to Lemuria with him. He adds that the Tome of the Sea God only mentions a devout follower and that it doesn’t have to be her. However, MC insists, making it her OWN choice to stay with Rafayel, which further strengthens their bond. At this point, we can all assume that MC is undoubtedly the bride and beloved that Rafayel has chosen in this timeline.
The time has finally come, and the Sea God’s Ceremony is set to begin after thousands of years. Everyone in Whalefall City eagerly anticipates the event. During the ceremony, Rafayel and MC enter the temple and exchange their vows. However, the ceremony descends into turmoil and disarray. As Rafayel was to take MC’s heart, he instead gives her his own heart, betraying Lemuria for his beloved. Thus, angering the Deep Sea.

KEY POINTS:

• The tiny blue fish make their first appearance here, and it is revealed that they are emissaries of the Sea God, intrinsically tied to Rafayel. This is a significant key point, as their presence provides important context for future chapters each time they reappear in the storylines.
  
• The kiss here is also an integral part of the story, as it provides context for several key moments in the main storyline. Like when Rafayel kisses MC while she’s drowning in Chapter 7 (not explicitly stated but implied), and again, in his story branch when they set to awaken the tome of the sea god. Technically, the kiss is meant to save your life!
  
• The Tome of the Sea God is Lemuria’s history and prophetic scriptures (the Sea God’s prophecy), laying out traditions for Lemuria to follow since the beginning of time. Everyone seems to treat it like a bible. Although Rafayel doesn’t deliberately believe in it, and he also questions it a lot during the Sea of Golden Sands Myth, and continues to oppose it, by choosing his own path instead of abiding to it.
  
• At this point, MC is considered a “traitor” to Lemuria and the Deep Sea. As stated in the final chapters of this myth, no one really knows what happened in the Sea God’s Temple during the ceremony, but it’s heavily implied that Rafayel gave his heart to MC, thereby betraying his people and causing the fall of Lemuria. This is further confirmed in the Sea of Golden Sands Myth.
  
• The vows they made in the temple made Rafayel eternally bound to MC across all timelines. This is a crucial key point that remains consistent and evident throughout every story, including the romance side stories. Every time MC asks Rafayel for something, no matter how small the request, he always fulfills it. In the main story leading up to his story branch, Rafayel consistently aids MC whenever she asks, whether by providing intel or helping her with her missions. While this might initially seem like something expected of a main LI (as the other LIs also help her in similar ways), it gains a rather deeper meaning when you view it from the perspective of their vows. While Rafayel’s actions could undoubtedly stem from his genuine love for the MC (which is undeniably apparent), they are also tied to the vows that eternally bind him to fulfill her wishes, as the legend foretells.
  

THOUGHTS:
The Forgotten Sea myth was definitely my fav out of the three main LIs’ second myths pool (before Sylus). Rafayel’s story was just so intriguing, and I guess it was more romance-centric too because its plot literally revolves around MC being his bride, with him ultimately betraying his entire species for you! The classic tragic romance! I remember during the first few months of the game, everyone joked about how Rafayel was getting the short end of the stick when it came to being intimate with the heroine in the current timeline. But DAMN, he was actually the MOST INTIMATE with her during his past life! They kissed so many times here (well, technically it was so MC could breathe underwater, but still… lol).🤭

THEORY TIME!

• (I am not sure about this theory but I’ll write this down anyway so I can easily debunk this later) When the ceremony calls for the MC to gift her heart to the Sea God, she does so willingly. However, she is unable to fulfill the act because either her heart doesn’t really exist or is rather weak; a fact she is unaware of. Though she is destined to die regardless due to this, Rafayel gives her his heart instead, saving her life, yet again.
  
• Amund is not a friend! In the Sea of Golden Sands myth, we see that he clearly loathes MC and is likely the one responsible for feeding Rafayel information about the MC’s supposed betrayal during the Sea God Ceremony. Either way, the guy is sus af! I don’t trust him!
  
• If MC’s heart is a rare and powerful *aether core* in the present timeline, could it be because it actually belonged to the Sea God? And if that’s the case, does it imply that the Lemurians were the original creators of the aether core?

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SECOND TIMELINE: PRESENT RAFAYEL (MAIN STORY)

Land Of Secret Flames (Flashback)
In this timeline, Rafayel and the MC first met during a tsunami in Southeast Linkon. Both were younger at the time, with Rafayel in his merman form. It’s implied that young merman Rafayel ventured to the surface and became stranded due to the tsunami. On Linkon’s shore, a younger MC encountered Rafayel and told him she liked his scales. Rafayel explained that where he comes from, complimenting someone’s scales is equivalent to telling them they like them. The two made a promise to meet again at the same spot the following year. However, when that day arrived, MC didn’t show up. Though it’s not explicitly stated in the story, it is implied that Rafayel waited at the same spot every year, even though he denied it when MC later asked him about it (in his story branch Chapter 12).

It is later revealed that the reason MC didn’t return was because she became sick with a high fever and was unconscious for 3–4 days. During this period, she lost many of her memories, including her meeting with the young Rafayel.

KEY POINTS:

• Though he doesn’t explicitly say it, Rafayel basically admits that he waited for MC to show up at the same spot every year.

THEORY TIME!

• How did Rafayel get stranded in the surface during the tsunami?
  During the Forgotten Sea Myth, as well as in his other 4* cards, it is implied that young Rafayel was quite a mischievous child. He frequently sneaked out to explore the surface out of curiosity, even going so far as to burn the Lumerian guards’ hair with his flames in the process.

• MC was sick with a high fever and was unconscious for 3-4 days: After reading the World Underneath: Sealed in Dust anecdote, it’s become clearer to me that MC’s memories are ultimately altered. According to this anecdote, MC is an experimental subject and was taken in by the scientist Josephine, aka Granny. It is mentioned that, in order to assess MC’s aether core heart and experiment on it further, they needed to kill her and make her resurrect again. After her resurrection, her previous “life”, (‘Life’ here specifically implies her memories before she was killed) was erased. The experiments were conducted at the Gaia Research Center, where MC was being held.
  
  It is highly possible that young MC, while strolling/exploring near southeast Linkon shore (close to the experimental base), happened to meet Rafayel in his merfolk form during the tsunami. When they promised to meet again, the reason she forgot about their promise was that the scientists killed her and resurrected her with altered memories. The 3-4 days she was sick with a high fever were likely the days she was executed to facilitate her resurrection.
  
  Entry No. 3 (On the same anecdote): it is recorded that everyone voted to kill “Unicorn” (aka MC). And when MC awakened from her state of death, her aether core became stronger. Could it be due to having meet Rafayel, the person who gave her her heart?

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Rafayel Anecdote 3
This event occurred prior to the main story; a period when Rafayel was an opera singer in Verona. During one of his performances, he killed an audience member; likely someone affiliated with Ever or one of the elites involved in the abuse and killings of Lemurians. Following this incident, an investigator was assigned to look into Rafayel and his aunt, Talia, who was also his vocal coach at the time. The story concludes with Rafayel leaving Verona for Linkon City.

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Rafayel Anecdote 2
This event also took place before the main story, when the MC was still a college student. Rafayel arrived in Linkon City, and became a famous renowned artist. Despite his popularity, he remained elusive, avoiding the spotlight whenever possible. One day, Rafayel received an email from one of his informants about a *girl at Linkon University*. The informant claimed they had found the girl Rafayel had been searching for. Rafayel arranged to meet this informant at a private booth on the second floor of The Nest, a shadowy venue known for auctioning illegal protocores. During their meeting, he gets more info about MC, as well as how she is valuable and that many others were already keeping an eye on her. The informant warned Rafayel that he is entering the game late. However, in his mind, Rafayel thought to himself, “I’ve been in the game since the very beginning.”

Eventually, Rafayel secured a position as a visiting art professor at Linkon University for a year. Though he and the MC never directly spoke or interacted during this time, Rafayel observed her from a distance on several occasions, confirming that she was indeed the one he had been searching for.

THEORY TIME!

• “Quite a few people are keeping an eye on her, some have been planning for years” – the agent might’ve been referring here to the other two LIs who knew MC from the very beginning (Xavier and Sylus). This statement could also mean he is referring to Ever, as Ever knows she possesses an aether core heart.
• “What do you have on the others?” – I am speculating they are referring to either Xavier or Sylus. This implies that the Rafayel we see in the further chapters of this timeline is certainly aware of these two keeping an eye on MC.

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Main Story
Chapter 1-8: MC accidentally encounters Rafayel while trying to catch a fish for a kid. Rafayel catches the fish for her and informs her that the fish is a real flammula from Lemuria. MC tells him that Hatt Island is closed due to Wanderer attacks, but Rafayel leaves abruptly before she can finish speaking.

Chapter 2-8: MC meets Rafayel again at his house/studio while investigating the coral stones used in his paintings. These stones have been linked to hallucinations, which allegedly drove an influential figure, named Raymond, to take his life. During her visit, a Wanderer attacks them at Rafayel’s home, and the two work together to defeat it. Impressed by the MC’s abilities as a Hunter, Rafayel offers her a job as his bodyguard. MC agrees on the condition that he helps her investigate the mysterious coral stones in exchange.

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Bouquets and Dirges (World Underneath)
Rafayel attends his aunt Talia’s wedding and tells her that Raymond is dead. Talia lets out a small smirk and says, they can finally sleep peacefully at night. Later, Rafayel asks his florist friend, Charles, to make a bouquet of yellow gardenias. Charles asks who the bouquet is for, and Rafayel replies, its for a relative’s daughter. He later then tells him its for her funeral. In the next chapter, we see Rafayel and Talia attend Raymond’s funeral. But they are not there for him but rather for mermaid skeleton Raymond kept at his house. During the funeral, Talia sings a dirge, obviously not for Raymond, but for the Lemurian skeleton. After the funeral, Raymond’s mother screams, “Murderer!” and accuses Rafayel’s paintings for killing his son . As cameras and journalists capture the commotion, Rafayel leaves the funeral.

THEORY TIME!

• The mermaid skeleton in Raymond’s house is likely Algie’s, 😔 whom I’d assume is Talia’s daughter. If you played Forgotten Sea, Algie was the female Lemurian who cared for MC when she was first taken to the depths. This is likely why Rafayel was so intent on killing Raymond in the worst way possible, through the hallucinations created by his paintings.
  

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Nightly Stroll
Rafayel fakes an injury and gets admitted to a hospital to get MC to visit him. He later tells her a story about a “friend” who once made a promise to meet someone from their past, only for that person they were looking forward to meet to never show up. MC speculates that this “friend” is actually Rafayel himself, and him not denying this implies she’s correct. Later, he made MC promise to never make him wait again and he sealed this promise with Lemurian magic, summoning the tiny blue fish in his hand saying they are emissaries of the ocean.

KEY POINTS:

• The tiny blue fish appears in this story as well, and this is where Rafayel tells the current MC that they are emissaries of the sea.

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Main Story
Chapter 7: Rafayel and MC set sail for Hatt Island in a rowboat to collect & investigate rare protocores. However, due to strong waves, they are washed ashore on an uncharted island. While stranded, we see Rafayel being afraid of cats, and MC teases him about it. Later, a massive Deluge Wyrmlord wanderer appears, forcing the pair to fight it. During the confrontation, the wanderer’s impact throws both of them into the ocean. As MC struggles to swim to the surface, she notices Rafayel suspended (enchantingly) underwater, surrounded by a school of small blue fish. Rafayel warns her to stay back. While trying to reach him, MC passes out, triggering a flashback of her first encounter with Rafayel. In the memory, a young Rafayel tells a young MC that if she doesn’t return, he’ll chase her to the ends of the earth. The two pinky swear on their promise.

MC begins to drown, and Rafayel (most likely in his God of the Sea persona) initially tried to leave her to fight the Wanderer. However, when MC says “Don’t go” before collapsing, a red Lemurian mark on Rafayel’s chest begins to glow. ,Rafayel hesitates and then retrieves the unconscious MC. he transforms into his Sea God form (merman) and saves her life once again.

KEY POINTS:

• The tiny blue fish/ school of tiny blue fish appears here again. They surround Rafayel while he is suspended underwater (about to fight the wanderer).
  
• While on the verge of drowning, MC instinctively says, “Don’t go,” to Rafayel. This triggers a red Lemurian mark on his chest to glow – a mark symbolizing their vow, which binds Rafayel to obey the MC’s every command. Thus, he tells her, “This is your choice,” before transforming into his Sea God form and rescues her.

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Long Lost Treasure (World Underneath)
“Raincoat,” an agent from Ever, captured a renowned director named Tony, who had planned to make a fantasy movie about Lemuria. Tony had interviewed Rafayel in the past, but the encounter had been brief and dismissive. During the recording, when he asked Rafayel about Lemuria, Rafayel brushed him off, suggesting he speak to the Deepspace Archaeological Team instead, claiming they knew more about Lemuria than he did. Tony then attempted to contact members of the Deepspace team who had ventured into the ruins of Lemuria. However, he found little success. Most of them were either unreachable or refused to speak. Rumors even suggested that several team members had mysteriously vanished, as if they disappeared into thin air. Tony’s final lead was Professor Sean, who reluctantly revealed a strange detail: during their expedition they had been guided by a school of blue fish, and this led them to Lemuria. Sean also mentioned seeing a figure of a Lemurian, who looked like a normal human. Other than that, he refused to say more.

As Raincoat reviews Tony’s (voice) recordings, Rafayel suddenly appears before him, destroying the evidence, engulfing it with his flames. He then asks Raincoat, if MC is on Ever’s execution list, and threatens that if she indeed is, to give him all available information about her. After weighing his options, Raincoat relents and informs Rafayel that someone will be waiting for him tomorrow night in The Nest.

KEY POINTS:

• Rafayel’s Character Duality: We see a different Rafayel here. This whole segment shows the assassin Rafayel who targets people responsible for killing and abusing Lemurians.
  
• It is also implied that Rafayel was responsible for the Deepspace Team’s disappearance and their silence. Either he killed them with his flames or wiped out their memories (as we already know he is capable of erasing memories in the Sea of Golden Sands myth).
  
• The school of tiny blue fish is mentioned here in Sean’s recordings. Their appearance was likely Rafayel’s doings.

THEORY TIME!

• Raincoat mentions that Rafayel is on Ever’s list, ranked sixth. The first five on the list are unknown, but we can probably guess that Xavier and Sylus are definitely among the top five.
  

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Main Story
Chapter 8-9: MC calls Rafayel and asks for his help to infiltrate The Nest. They meet up there, and she tells Rafayel her plan: to act as bait to lure Onychinus and be taken to the N109 zone. After Rafayel gives her instructions on how to join hunting day, he lets her drink this black liquid from a shot glass and tells her its part of the process. They part ways after that.

Chapter 8-10: MC joins the “hunting” in The Nest and sees a wanted poster for Lumiere (aka Xavier), featuring a bounty of 100,000,000 lol. As the “hunting day” officially begins, an eye-camera system activates and points to MC as the prey. Everyone in the Nest then begins pursuing her. MC, feeling dizzy likely due to something from the black liquid she drank earlier, collapses to her knees. We then see someone approaching with a tranquilizer (or some sort of toxin). Before she can react, she passes out. By the end of the chapter, we see Rafayel seated in a booth on the second floor, engaged in a conversation with someone from Ever. The guy hands Rafayel a small black container. The agent then questions Rafayel’s decision, asking if he’s really okay with handing over “a fresh catch” so easily. Rafayel responds with a question of his own: “Do you really think they can handle the prey I caught?”

THEORY TIME!

• Yes, Caleb is ALIVE! The developers confirmed that we will see him again in the story in future updates! I’m not 100% sure if he’s the person Rafayel was conversing with, but in terms of voice and facial features, they are eerily similar to Caleb’s.
  Edit: Caleb being alive yes! (duh); Caleb being the guy in Ever, nope! It was just a random dude, LOL!

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Ebb and Flow
This story is where MC finds out Rafayel is actually a Lemurian.

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Omnipotent Perception
Rafayel and MC take a trip to a country situated on a peninsula. During their visit, MC stops by an antique shop and purchases a book titled One Lemurian in a Stormy Night. It is subtly revealed that the shop owner is a Lemurian and, more intriguingly, Rafayel’s former butler; though MC remains unaware of this connection. The implication is revealed through the story’s context, when Rafayel says he used to live in this city with an old butler. Rafayel helps the shop owner (aka his former butler) pack his things and luggage for an impending move, apparently, most surviving Lemurians are currently in hiding. Likely, they are being hunted down mostly by Ever because their rare blood can grant immortality.

MC also asks Rafayel here how Lemurians express love. And Rafayel explains that Lemurians dedicate all their senses to perceiving their lover completely without question, hence the title of this card: Omnipotent Perceptions. **will expand on theory section.

KEY POINTS:

• Lemurians are being hunted down by Ever because of their rare blood that can grant immortality. The lemurian survivors are currently in hiding, as we see Rafayel’s old butler preparing to move likely because he has been tracked by an Ever agent.
  
• The card title, Omnipotent Perceptions, describes the Sea God’s eternal bond with his bride. The term itself signifies an all-encompassing connection between two people, along with an understanding that transcends the limits of normal human perception. When they exchanged vows in the Sea God’s temple, those vows became unbreakable, persisting across all lifetimes. This explains why, in different timelines and with various versions of MCs and Rafayel, their bond remains intact. This connection also grants Rafayel the ability to perceive everything the MC feels. He can clearly discern her desires, anticipate her decisions, and is perpetually aware of her thoughts and emotions.
  
• There are many good Easter egg references here from Rafayel’s Forgotten Myth card, such as the MC mentioning the conch that can store sounds and the Sea God Ceremony.

THEORY TIME!

• I believe the MC’s dream here references the timeline of the Abyssal Sea Witch. During that specific timeline, the MC was originally a human traveler. One stormy night, while on a boat, she encountered a Lumerian (Rafayel). The two fell in love but were possibly separated and punished due to engaging in forbidden love between a human and a lemurian. Over time, the MC became a sea witch of the deep, and Rafayel eventually found her again. (Scroll down below to read more about this timeline).

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Land of Secret Flames
MC goes on a mission to investigate a man named Maxwell, a jewel appraiser who made a name for himself at a young age due to his exceptional skills. Maxwell is celebrating his wedding anniversary on a private island and has only invited wealthy celebrities. To gain access, MC asks Rafayel for help getting invitations. They get on the cruise, & notice that Ever agents are also there, trying to persuade Maxwell to sell the island, but Maxwell refuses. Rafayel doesn’t find Maxwell suspicious in the slightest and remains unconcerned about him.

They arrive at Jewel Reef Island, the anniversary venue, and visit a rare blue hole situated nearby. MC speculates that the blue hole is connected to Lemuria, which she assumes is why Rafayel is interested in it. Rafayel doesnt deny this, and tells MC he wants to go *treasure hunting*. Suddenly, the agents from Ever cause a commotion, releasing a Wanderer. Rafayel and MC fights it. After they defeat the Wanderer, the two descend into the depths of the dark blue sea to find the treasure Rafayel was looking for. Rafayel kisses MC so she can breath underwater (Myth Card: Forgotten Sea reveals to us that a Lemurian’s kiss can make you breath underwater). They reach their destination, and Rafayel tells MC that the treasure he seeks is part of Lemuria’s long-lost Tome of the Sea God: a thick stone slab engraved with intricate markings. Rafayel explains that only those who possess a bond to the Sea God can awaken the tome. To activate it, he takes his dagger, grazes MC’s fingertip, and offers a drop of her blood to the tome. As the tome awakens, it triggers a long-lost memory in MC of her first meeting with Rafayel during a tsunami in southeast Linkon years ago. She also remembers the promise they made to meet up again the following year.

While this is happening, Rafayel becomes unconscious, and the ocean currents carry them back to the surface. The MC swims to a nearby crevice, eventually reaching the shore. They board a nearby ship, and we see Rafayel not feeling well. Suddenly, shimmering scales appear on his skin. He warns MC to stay back, but before she can react, the “Sea God” awakens taking possession of Rafayel’s body. He then confronts MC, accusing her of being a traitor. Just as he is about to strike her(?), the MC issues an official command, ordering him to stop (further explanation in the theory section). Rafayel then regains his senses and collapses.

Now back to his normal self, Rafayel explains to MC that there was an aether core fragment within the Tome of the Sea God, and he was drawn to its power. He reveals that both of them received a gift from the tome. The Sea God’s power has awakened in him and he mentions that this is the price he must pay. He then adds that accepting the Sea God’s power means he must now answer to its call.

KEY POINTS:

• The Sea God’s accusation of the MC being a “traitor” ties back to the Forgotten Sea Myth, where it is said that the MC allegedly stole Rafayel’s heart from the temple during the Sea God Ceremony.
  
• The school of tiny blue fish reappears here again! MC questions why it’s acting silly around her, and Rafayel tells her it is because it recognizes a “familiar scent.” While MC thought about Rafayel’s kiss earlier (one that allowed her to breathe underwater), Rafayel actually meant their connection from the past (Forgotten Sea Myth).
  
• MC’s command: “With the authority granted to me by the ocean’s covenant, I order you to…” If you have been paying attention to all the stories so far (and to this analysis post), we already know that the Sea God’s bond to his bride is absolute and eternal, as I have said over and over again in this analysis, like a broken record, lol. The Sea God cannot go against his bride’s wishes (I’ve highlighted this part above in the Forgotten Sea Myth summary in case you missed it). So, MC ordering Rafayel to stop here is likely her heightened intuition kicking in as the Sea God’s bride in her previous life. Given the two’s connections from their past lives, this is instinctive and automatic.

THEORY TIME!

• Adding to the notes above, a lot of people were asking how the MC knew she could command the Sea God like that, the simple answer is she didn’t! It was all instinctive for her due to her previous life as the Sea God’s bride. Think of unconscious muscle memory at work!

• (Not really an important info but whatever) It’s possible that either Maxwell or his wife is a Lemurian, which might explain why Rafayel doesn’t find him suspicious. Rafayel even describes Maxwell as someone who “wears his heart on his sleeve” and is hopelessly romantic. During Maxwell’s speech, he mentions that his wife “entrusted her pure heart to him, allowing him to experience the best love in the world.” If you’ve played the Forgotten Sea Myth beforehand, this sounds rather familiar, right? Another clue could be why Rafayel was able to secure an invitation to Maxwell’s event so easily. Though this could also be attributed to his vast network of connections.
  

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SEA WITCH TIMELINE “Fragrant Dreams”

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LAST TIMELINE: Sea of Golden Sands

Summary:
MC is the “princess” of Philos not because she is royalty but because she possesses a rare special heart which grants Philos’ denizens immortality. One fateful day, she disguises herself as her maid, Natasha, and stages another grand escape from the palace. While on a boat, attempting to flee from the guards, she falls downstream and is saved by Abysswalker Rafayel. After their brief introductions, MC tells Rafayel that, as a princess with a special heart, she is forever imprisoned in the palace and forbidden from exploring the outside world. She expresses her wish to see the city for the first time. Rafayel grants her her wish before she returns to the palace.

The next day, MC remembered about the young Lemurian that was gifted to her during one of her birthdays in the past, she also remembers how she escorted this lemurian outside the castle to set it free. In her memory, we see a young Rafayel asks her to come with him but when MC refuses he says he’ll come back for her one day. (It was also revealed later that Rafayel can only be captured if he wants to, meaning, he purposely wants to be caught in the past to see MC). Upon remembering this, MC notices an arrow outside her window. Attached is a note from Rafayel, asking her to meet him the following day. That day coincides with her coming-of-age celebration. Because of her princess duties, MC leaves a note for Rafayel, asking him to wait for her. Her chambermaid, Natasha, warns her to be cautious of Lemurians, as there have been recent assassinations in the kingdom with Lemurians suspected as culprits. Later, upon returning to her room, the MC finds Rafayel waiting for her. He gives her a fishtail beacon, explaining that it will connect him to her no matter where she is. They escape the palace together, and Rafayel takes her to the desert ruins, (basically Lumeria, now dried up and buried beneath the sands). By the end of the day, Rafayel takes MC back to the palace. As she leaves the scene, Amund appears before Rafayel, warning him not to forget MC’s “betrayal” and how the heart of the Sea God was stolen.

The next day, Rafayel and the MC visit the sand ruins again. Rafayel expresses his desire to awaken the seas and restore their homeland, Lumeria. He then takes her to where the Tome of the Sea God is situated ” The Island of Songs”. There MC mentions how the place feels strangely familiar, saying that she has dreamed of it countless times. Rafayel then reveals that only those with a bond to the Sea God can decipher the stone slab. Using the fishtail beacon, Rafayel cuts both his and MC’s palms, allowing droplets of their blood to fall onto the tome. As their blood touches the tome, symbols appear. It is said that “When the God of the Sea is revived, the seas will awaken. To reclaim what was lost, the God of the Sea must kill his beloved.”

The words trigger a flood of distant memories within MC. She realizes that her heart; the special heart she has always carried belongs to the God of the Sea. And if his heart is not returned, the fire will fade and an eternal slumber awaits him. MC then recalls their past life (Forgotten Sea myth), when Rafayel as the Sea God tells her about the Sea God Ceremony in Lumeria. Upon realizing that Rafayel was the one who gifted her her heart, she confronts Rafayel saying he must’ve brought her there to reclaim his heart back. She then takes Rafayel’s hand holding a dagger and points it to her chest. Basically, she is willing to give it back to him. Though MC is clear with her resolve. Rafayel rejects her decision, saying he wants to change the Sea God’s prophecy. Before MC could protest, Rafayel erases her memory making her forget everything about him, and returns her to the palace.

Days pass, and MC feels like she’s forgotten something important. When the King announces plans to capture all Lemurians, it triggers her memory, and she finally recalls Rafayel. Finding the fishtail beacon, she decides to escape the palace to find him. At the same time, Rafayel is preparing to leave with Amund to search for another way to awaken the seas. Amund reminds him that refusing to take her heart will eventually cost him his life. Suddenly, Rafayel’s fishtail beacon glows, and Amund questions if their bond was really destroyed. Before Rafayel can respond, MC arrives running toward them, she tells Rafayel that she’s made her decision and will come with him wherever he goes. The story ends here, making it an open-ended conclusion.

KEY POINTS:

• Chapter 8, after Rafayel erases MC’s memories, he tells her “Goodbye my beloved bride”, confirming that MC indeed became the Sea God’s bride and forever mate, in the Forgotten Sea Myth, during the Sea God’s Ceremony.
• MC’s heart is the source of immortality for Philos and its inhabitants. While Lemurian blood can bestow immortality on an individual, only the heart of the most powerful Lemurian: the Sea God possesses the strength to grant immortality to an entire planet and all its denizens.
• In this timeline, Rafayel mentions that the seas have been sands for the past 30,000 years.

THEORY TIME!

• Rafayel erases MC’s memories before she can command him to take back her heart. He knew she’s going to willingly give her heart to him. Bound to obey his bride’s every command since their vows, he would have no choice but to comply.
  
• Amund is back! And clearly, he does not like MC! He repeatedly feeds Rafayel stories about how the MC has betrayed him before. It’s possible that, in the present timeline, Amund is playing the part of deluding Rafayel’s mind, feeding him info on how MC was indeed a traitor who stole the heart of the Sea God.

• The Sea God’s bond with his bride is eternal and unbreakable. When Amund asks Rafayel whether his connection with the MC was truly severed, Rafayel remains silent. Either he deliberately made no attempt to break it or it is impossible to break.

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ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS AND THEORIES

• The tiny blue fish (or school of tiny blue fish) are always connected to Rafayel. I think I’m going to keep an eye out for them now, every time they are mentioned in the story, even if Rafayel isn’t present.

• I think it’s interesting how the writers always make it a point for Rafayel to tell the MC that “only the one who has the bond of the Sea God” can open the tome, or decipher the relic, etc. Rafayel practically mentions this in both of his Myth cards as well as his story branch.

• Rafayel saves MC’s life so many times across all timelines! First, in the Forgotten Sea Myth, during their first encounter before they formed a bond. Next, in Chapter 7, when she drowned during a Wanderer attack near Hatt Island. We also see Abysswalker Rafayel save her life in the Sea of Golden Sands myth. It’s also highly possible that Rafayel gave the MC his heart during the ceremony in the Sea God Temple of Lemuria to save her life as well. If that’s the case, then what caused the MC to have such a weak heart in the first place? (I think the answer here can be found in either Xavier’s or Sylus’s story – though I havent dove deep nor rewatched all their content yet to make any further analysis on this).

• I think we really need to pay attention to the MC’s dreams! She has precognition, similar to MLQC MC’s ability to manifest visions of the future either in dreams or during moments when her intuitions are heightened, except that MLQC MC’s precognition power is tied to her evol. Since LaD MC’s Evol is resonance, I’m not entirely sure if her precognition is connected to this. Nevertheless, it has been mentioned several times in the story and lore that MC has the power of premonition through her dreams. I believe in Zayne’s second Myth story, she also mentioned that she can see the future through her dreams.
  
  Most of the MC’s dreams definitely come true. For example, in the Forgotten Sea Myth, she dreams of future events from the tome of the sea god (Sea of Golden Sands myth), where Rafayel is about to reclaim her heart to awaken the seas. Similarly, in the Sea of Golden Sands Myth, she dreams of or witnesses the past, where the Sea God gave her his rare heart thus bringing about the downfall of his kingdom.

• In one of the World Underneath anecdotes (Micro Universe), “LCMECs” was mentioned. According to Michael, an intern at the Gaia Research Center, who was also attending Rafayel’s art class at the time, these are a type of immortalized cells that the research center is currently focusing on. The abbreviation stands for Lemurian Cardiac Microvascular Endothelial Cells.

• In one of the World Underneath anecdotes (Sealed in Dust), after the Chronorift event caused the catastrophe in Linkon, the scientist Josephine (Granny) mentions that an evol police officer denied seeing the young girl (MC) she was searching for. Later Granny found young MC in a shelter. It’s possible that the evol police officer mentioned was Xavier, and he might have been trying to distance MC from Granny, though technically that didnt panned out well.

• And speaking of “Chronorifts”, I strongly believe that it’s Xavier and the backtrackers from the future (Philos) who are causing it. Edit: This theory has been DEBUNKED! Read my Xavier’s lore analysis on why.

• Also, I think it’s a good reminder to everyone that Philos (the one mentioned in Rafayel’s SGS myth) is essentially Earth in the future, as revealed in one of Xavier’s anecdotes, where in the Earth’s original core was extinguished and replaced with an artificial one. It was also mentioned in the same anecdote that the denizens of Philos aren’t exactly immortal, but they live as long as the planet itself does. This coincides with the story in Rafayel’s SGS myth, where MC says that her heart grants immortality to Philos’ denizens. I’m not going to expand on this right now, as I’m still piecing things together for Xavier’s timeline and will save further discussions for when I eventually do a Xavier timeline analysis, hopefully in January!

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One thing is for sure: there are different timelines.

The Rafayel we see in both the Myths, the present Rafayel (in the main storyline), and the Sea Witch timeline Rafayel arent the same person, although they are the same soul reincarnation of the Sea God.

This explains why Abysswalker Rafayel has no recollection of what happened in the temple during the Sea God Ceremony (Forgotten Sea Myth). Similarly, the present Rafayel also doesn’t remember the events from the two myth stories, which is why he is actively searching for the Tome of the Sea God to uncover Lemuria’s prophecies (as we see in his story branch). However, it is also important to note that Rafayel’s bond to MC remains eternal for ALL timelines. So no matter how many times he is reincarnated, his bond with MC would still exist.

The Myths stories are VERY VERY IMPORTANT in the lore. If you’re interested in the game’s lore it is highly recommended to pull for them. And yeah! I know! It sucks! Because gAchA EviL! But it is what it is. Pretty much, almost all gacha otome games that I have played are the same.

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CLOSING THOUGHTS

I have no idea why I subject myself to these long-winded write-ups that no one will probably read, lol. So if you’re still here reading at this point, my god, kudos to you, friend! Thank you! 😂 I wish I could give you a hug and send you some Rafayel merch! Lol.

No, seriously, I’m pretty much writing all of this down here because I have no one to deep dive the story with (most of my friends are only casually playing). It’s tough when you hyperfixate on something and want to majorly geek out about it but don’t really have anywhere to discuss it. So, think of this as me spiraling in a total brain rot, and I just had to write all my thinky thoughts down, otherwise, I’ll go nuts! jk (laughs)😭

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My yapping aside, I just want to add one other important note here. I’m sure most of the folks who regularly read this blog are already familiar with this, but for those who are new here, or new to otome games in general. Let me clarify something: just because Rafayel’s story branch includes specific timelines, it doesn’t mean those same timelines apply to the other characters like Xavier, Zayne, or Sylus. Each love interest has their own distinct story, history, and set of events that are completely separate from the others.

To further explain this, think of Rafayel’s myth stories as a self-contained timeline that focuses solely on his unique relationship with MC. In this timeline, other LIs like Xavier, Zayne, or Sylus do not play a significant role, and aren’t meant to exist in the narrative. The myths are simply one LI’s unique history with MC. This structure is a hallmark of otome games. The idea of a “route” or “story branch” is to delve deeply on one love interest at a time. So please let go of the notion that there’s only “one endgame”, or the nasty debates about “who the MC will choose at the end”.That’s simply not true. Based on how PG/Infold is structuring the game by opening up distinct story branches, it’s clear that all love interests are intended to have their own happy endings.

So don’t worry! Whether you’re a Sylus girlie, a Rafayel girlie, Zayne girlie, or a Xavier girlie like me, all the boys will get their well-deserved happy endings, rest assured!🥰 That said, just keep in mind that this game just launched this year. So, don’t expect those endings to roll out anytime soon. Ha!😂

Anyway, I’ve blabbed enough for this post already, so that’s it for me today! I’ll probably deep dive into Xavier’s timeline next when I get some more free time. Thanks again for reading! I’ll see ya soon! And as Raf, would say…Smell you later besties!