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My mother… She was different. Softer. She was a flicker of warmth in a house built of ice.

But her influence in our home was minimal.

She tried, at least when I was younger, to shield me from my father’s harsh methods, but eventually, she too became a part of the machine.

It’s like the house swallowed her whole, turned her into another cog in his perfectly engineered life.

The family estate was as grand as they came, looming towers, immaculate gardens, and more rooms than one could ever need.

But it never felt like home. It was a prison disguised in luxury, a place where every word need to be measured and every gesture had a hidden meaning.

My father’s voice echoed through those halls like a constant reminder of the burden I carried.

I was supposed to become him.

I clenched my fists, feeling the familiar anger bubble up inside.

That was the plan: to inherit the Nikolai legacy and wield power in the way he did, crushing anyone who stood in my way.

But the more he pushed, the more I realized I wasn’t like him.

I couldn’t thrive on deceit the way he did.

The constant scheming, the endless politics, it suffocated me.

The only light in that dark place was my younger sister.

In a world so full of cold ambition, she was the only one who still had dreams of something better.

She wanted out of the family’s twisted game, and I wanted that for her, too.

She was my escape in a way, the one person I felt I had to protect.

I could endure my father’s iron grip, but I wouldn’t let her get trapped by it, too.

But Thalassa? It was a dead end for me. I had to leave, and not just for my sanity, but for her future, too.

If I didn’t break free, I’d never be able to help her escape the life we were both trapped in.

The island was supposed to be my liberation, a place where I could finally breathe without the constant pressure weighing down on me.

But even now, even here, I couldn’t outrun the reality of my life.

I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair, and staring out into the water in front of me. The sea was supposed to calm me, but it just stirred everything up. Maybe that’s why I was so angry. I’d left Thalassa, but Thalassa hadn’t left me.

And now this, this, with Iryen, some council, and whatever the hell this place was…

it was just another layer of madness added to my life.

Sirens? Magic? What the actual hell was going on?

My mind keeps circling back to her, instead of focusing on how to escape this situation.

I hated it, hated that despite everything, I couldn’t stop th inking about her.

The way she moved, the confidence she exuded, her goddamn tail, none of it made sense. But she was so… alive . Every glance, every word, every breath she took seemed full of purpose. And it pissed me off.

Because as much as I wanted to deny it, I felt a spark when she saved me. A connection I couldn’t explain. It terrified me.

Get a grip, Adrian. Shaking my head, I scolded myself.

I wasn’t a child, wasn’t some starry-eyed fool swept up by some mythological creature. I had spent my whole life navigating traps and lies, and this was no different. Whatever I felt toward her, it was a distraction, a deadly one.

But as I stared out at the water, the familiar pressure of my family’s expectations settling back into my chest, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was ever truly going to escape any of it. My father. My past. My future. Or her.

Goddamn it, I couldn’t escape no matter where I went.

I had been sitting at the edge of the pond, lost in thought, when a silhouette appeared emerging from the depths of the ocean.

Another siren lurks in the pond’s shadow, her appearance a perfect, deadly, and raw, predatory power. Her skin has an eerie, gray glow, reflecting the faintest light like moonlight on water.

Long, jet-black hair floats ominously around her, framing her sharp, angular face with high cheekbones and piercing, glowing eyes, deep crimson that seem to see straight into the soul of her prey.

Her lips curled into a predatory smirk, revealing sharp, pearl-white teeth that hint at her dangerous nature. Her tail, long and strong, was a deep iridescent black with hues of gray scales that pulse like warning signals in the dark.

Her entire form screamed danger.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice sharp and rude .

“I’m your way out.” Her voice, a haunting melody, sweet and seductive, weaving through the cave walls like an irresistible song.

There’s a warmth to her tone that promises comfort and desire, yet hidden beneath is an edge, an almost imperceptible whisper of danger, like a silk ribbon concealing a blade.

The water seems darker and colder, swirling in unnatural patterns as though she commands it. Gone was the shimmering turquoise, and in its place was only the promise of uncertainty.

Hell no. I had been stupid twice already, but not a third.

The thought crossed my mind with a vengeance. I wasn’t going anywhere near that siren.

She was so different from Iryen. Every instinct in me screamed that this wasn’t the same. There was no tug, no attraction, no magnetic curiosity drawing me in. With Iryen, it had been instant, a force I couldn’t explain, something beyond logic that kept tugging at the edges of my consciousness.

Even before I learned what she was, her presence drew me in with an inevitable force, like the pull of the tides.

But with this siren? No. There was no allure here. Only danger.

“No, thanks. I think I’m good right here,” I respond, my voice tight, keeping the edge of annoyance hidden beneath the surface. Staying put felt safer, for now, at least.

“I can lead you out of this prison.” Her voice was smooth, almost hypnotic, each word wrapping around me like a velvet cord. There was a strain in her tone, something alluring, difficult to resist. It was as if she knew exactly how to slip past my defenses, coaxing me into the unknown.

But I wasn’t entering those waters again.

Not willingly.

I couldn’t entrust her. No matter how tempting her words, no matter how sweet the promise of escape sounded, I knew better. Her allure wasn’t just dangerous, it was lethal.

“I’m not falling for that,” I muttered under my breath, locking my gaze on the cold, rippling water, refusing to give in.

I moved to stand, every muscle in my body tense as I tried to put enough distance between the edge, the siren, and me.

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a reminder of just how precarious this situation was. I didn’t believe her, couldn’t, and being anywhere near that water felt like walking the edge of a blade.

But before I could even take a step back, she moved. No, she surged through the water, faster than anything humanly possible. In a flash of movement, her hand shot out, cold and unyielding as it wrapped around my leg.

A shock ran through me, constricting my throat as panic rising as her grip tightened. I staggered, my balance thrown, instinct kicking in as I tried to pull away. But she was impossibly strong. The realization hit square in the chest. She could drag me under in a heartbeat if she wanted to.

“Let go!” I growled, my voice strained, though I wasn’t sure if it was anger or fear driving the words. Maybe both.

But her grip tightened, an iron vice that left no room for escape. Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, she yanked me toward the pond.

The world above me blurred as she dragged under the depths, the cold water enveloping me like a shroud.

Air rushed from my lungs, panic clawing at my chest as instinct kicked in. I thrashed against her hold, but her strength was overwhelming. The impact of the water crushed me, and the darkness wrapped around my head, muffling the sounds of the world above.

This fucking siren is going to drown me, and this time, Iryen isn’t here to save me .

A wave of regret flooded through me, hot and suffocating, mingling with the cold water that surrounded me. I shouldn’t have been such a bastard toward her.

I thrashed harder, as if sheer willpower could break her hold on me. My muscles ached, burning from the exertion. My fingers slipped from her arms, the strength leaving me as my limbs went slack.

I had failed, failed myself, failed my sister. And now I would pay for it.

My body slowed, exhaustion setting in as my vision tunneled. The panic that had once been sharp, frenzied, dulled into a cold acceptance.

And the only thing that remained was regret. Regret for all the things left unsaid, for all the promises I would never fulfill.

In the last moments before darkness claimed me, emerald eyes flashed in my sight, vibrant and piercing, like a beacon in the shadowy depths of the waters.

Iryen.

The name whispered through my mind like a lifeline, yanking me back from the brink even as the darkness threatened to engulf me entirely. Her gaze was fierce, full of power, and an unfathomable depth that both captivated and terrified me.

What was it about her?

Not even Iryen’s green eyes could prevent the darkness from consuming me.