Qili

Biodata

Background / History

Childhood with Elia

Qili and Elia are stepsisters who share neither biological parent. Before her mother died, she introduced Elia to Qili as her older sister. After their parents’ deaths, Elia raised Qili, settling on the shore so she could remain close to her mermaid sister 35 38.

Elia brought Qili fresh flower dew sweetened with honey and visited the seaside to play with her. Their bond was widely known among the merfolk of the Deep-Sea Wave Capital 38.

Dorian’s Courtship and Betrayal

At fifteen, Qili secretly surfaced near the docks of Kalte Imperial City and fell in love with a young man painting aboard a ship. He was Dorian, Kalte’s second prince. During their courtship, he asked her to become his princess consort and surrender her singing voice as proof of loyalty 35.

Despite Elia’s warnings, Qili begged for a potion that would turn her tail into legs, using tears and threats of suicide to secure her agreement. The transformation made every step agonizing and subjected Qili to the merfolk’s ancestral law: without true love’s kiss, a mermaid who became human would dissolve into sea foam 35.

Qili and Dorian registered their marriage at the Temple of the Goddess of Marriage. On their wedding day, however, he refused to kiss her and demanded her voice for his voiceless mother. When Qili resisted, he cut out her vocal cords. His courtship had been a means of securing an advantage in the struggle for the throne 35 36.

Dorian imprisoned her beneath the castle, intending to keep her alive until his coronation before making her disappear. Unable to sing, Qili could not summon Elia through their agreed-upon song. She nevertheless forced herself to eat despite her injuries, determined to see her sister again and apologize 35 36.

Rescue and Reconciliation

Unable to locate Qili and aware that her time was running out, Elia petitioned Hera to dissolve the marriage. Hera and Li Jia found Qili in the dungeon, where she firmly consented to ending the bond. Hera erased the marriage from her record, but could not override the merfolk’s law or provide the true love’s kiss needed to save her 35 36 37.

At Li Jia’s request, Hera healed Qili’s wounds and returned her to Elia. Elia restored her ability to speak using new vocal cords obtained from the merfolk chief. Qili learned that her disappearance had driven Elia to awaken the witchcraft she had long avoided 38 39.

The sisters reconciled, and Qili asked to accompany Elia in confronting Dorian. Returning to the sea, she regained her orange tail and set out toward Kalte Imperial Capital 38.

Revenge and Survival

Qili raised enormous waves against the capital while Elia publicly displayed Dorian’s deception. When he ordered archers to kill her, Qili’s song reduced their arrows to dust. The citizens turned against him after learning how he had exploited their mermaid guardian 39.

Qili reclaimed her stolen voice from the queen’s chamber. Although she condemned Dorian, she declared that Kalte’s people should not die alongside him. Elia then revealed that Dorian, too, would turn to foam without true love’s kiss; he dissolved into bubbles 39.

As Qili began turning into foam, Elia kissed her, restoring her body and allowing her to remain in the ocean. Elia revealed that she had prepared two doses when making the transformation pills, anticipating the possibility of Dorian’s betrayal. Qili promised to stand beside her sister as Elia embraced her power as a witch 39.

Hosting Hera and Li Jia

To thank her rescuers, Qili invited Hera and Li Jia to the Deep-Sea Wave Capital. She supplied Li Jia with water-repelling pearls and explained the Light Vortex, which illuminated the city and sheltered its people through the sacrifices of their ancestors 40.

Qili also delivered a palace key granting the visitors free access to the merfolk’s royal palace as honored guests 41.

Appearance

• Mermaid form: Has a beautiful orange tail whose scales shine with brilliant colors in sunlight 38 39.
• Human form: Possessed legs after taking Elia’s potion; walking caused severe pain and left blood beneath her feet 35.
• During imprisonment: Had bruised wrists from chains and a severe throat wound where Dorian had removed her vocal cords. Hera and Elia subsequently healed these injuries 36 38.

Personality

Qili initially placed complete faith in Dorian’s affection, risking her identity, safety, and relationship with Elia to marry him. After his betrayal, she recognized her mistake and sought to repair the bond with her sister rather than return to him 35 37 38.

Her imprisonment reveals a strong will to survive: even swallowing food was agonizing, but she endured it for the chance to see Elia again. After her rescue, she could still chat and laugh with Li Jia despite believing she had little time left 36 37.

Qili becomes determined to reclaim what Dorian stole, but distinguishes revenge against him from punishment of innocent citizens. Her renewed devotion to Elia is equally resolute: she promises to support her sister against the loneliness and stigma associated with witchcraft 39.

Abilities & Skills

Magical Singing

Qili’s voice carries mermaid magic and connects her to the ocean 35.

• Tide control: Raises towering waves through song 39.
• Defense: Destroys arrows fired at her during the confrontation at Kalte 39.
• Communication with Elia: Can summon her sister by singing a song known to them, regardless of distance 35.
• Dependence on her voice: Losing her vocal cords prevented her from calling Elia. Mermaid voices are also essential to their survival and movement in the ocean 35.

Reclamation of Her Stolen Voice

• Calls her stolen voice back from Kalte’s queen as a white orb of light, which returns to her palm 39.
• This occurs after Elia has already restored her ability to speak with replacement vocal cords 38 39.

Mermaid Nature and Transformation

• Regains her orange tail upon returning to the sea after her reunion with Elia 38.
• Her human transformation depends on Elia’s potion, rather than a demonstrated innate ability 35.
• The ancestral law threatens transformed mermaids with dissolution into foam unless they receive true love’s kiss; Elia’s kiss saves Qili 35 39.
• Hera identifies an awakened desire for revenge in Qili as an expression of the special power merfolk blood carries when they suffer harm or betrayal 37.

Equipment / Items

• Transformation potion/pills — Prepared by Elia; allowed Qili to exchange her tail for human legs at the cost of excruciating pain and exposure to the merfolk’s ancestral law 35 39.
• Water-repelling pearls — Gave two to Li Jia; each permits a mortal to move freely underwater for three days 40.
• Palace key — Delivered to Hera and Li Jia, granting unrestricted access to the merfolk’s royal palace 41.

Relationships

• Elia — Older stepsister, childhood caregiver, and the person whose true love’s kiss saves her. After their reconciliation, Qili vows to stand beside Elia as she embraces witchcraft 35 38 39.
• Dorian — Former husband. He courted her to obtain her voice for his mother, mutilated and imprisoned her, and became the target of her revenge after Hera dissolved their marriage 35 36 37 39.
• Hera — Rescuer who annulled Qili’s marriage, healed her injuries, and returned her to Elia 37 38.
• Li Jia — Rescuer and source of comfort who urged Hera to free Qili and reunite her with her sister. Qili later hosted her in the Wave Capital 36 37 38 40.
• Merfolk chief — Supplied the replacement vocal cords Elia used to restore Qili’s voice 39.

Notable Quotes

“What belongs to me should return to its rightful owner.” 39

“Those who break their vows deserve to die, but your death would be no loss. The people of Kalte shouldn't have to be buried alongside an animal like you.” 39

“Sister, you saved me, and I want to save you from your loneliness. Whatever happens from now on, I'll stand by your side.” 39