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“If you’re not here to harm me, then why are you here?” The words tore from my throat, raw, bitter, and laced with venom.

Elora’s expression remained unfazed, though her smirk had disappeared, replaced with something more neutral.

“I’m here on princess’s orders, to deliver food and water.” She reached behind her, producing a tray encased in a bubble of air. Inside was a spread of fruits, shellfish, salad, and a perfectly cooked salmon steak, along with a knife, a fork, and a decanter filled with water and a small chalice.

She set it down near the edge of the pond, the bubble dissolving as it connected with the ground. The scent of the food wafted toward me, my stomach growling in response, but I kept my guard up.

“And she couldn’t deliver it herself?” I asked, still wary.

Elora gave a small shrug, her movements casual, but her eyes never left mine. “The princess has… other matters to attend. You’re lucky she cares enough to send me at all.” She raised a brow, as if daring me to question her further.

I stepped closer, cautiously eyeing the tray. “So, what? I’m supposed to trust you just because you brought me a meal?”

Her smile returned, though this time it was more of a challenge than amusement. “Trust is earned, not given. But you’re in no position to refuse hospitality, are you?” She turned as if to leave, her tail flicking water in her wake. “Enjoy your meal, human. We’ll be watching.”

I watched her disappear back into the depths, her presence lingering like a shadow. Despite my wariness, the food looked good, and hunger made my stomach growl. I hesitated, then reached for the tray. Trust or not, I couldn’t ignore the fact that I needed strength .

I separated the fruits, setting them aside for later, just in case this was the last meal I’d get for a while.

Survival instincts had kicked in, and I wasn’t about to leave myself without a backup plan.

Once that was done, I dove into the shellfish and salad.

The aroma hitting me hard, my hunger spiking even more.

My first bite was… incredible. An explosion of taste in my mouth, briny, rich, but with a sweetness I’d never experienced before. The shellfish was tender and slightly sweet.

The salad was fresh, while the salmon had a buttery texture, almost melting as soon as it touched my tongue.

Fine dining was familiar to me, yet this was unlike anything I could compare, vibrant, a symphony of flavors that danced on my tongue.

Thinking of it remember me of my mother’s cooking. Every bite a revelation.

I did not know if this was common fare for them or if Iryen had specifically chosen something more luxurious for me, but it didn’t matter. I devoured it, feeling my energy slowly returning with each mouthful.

I took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. Whatever was to happen in those remaining days, I needed to be ready. And that meant learning more. About her, about this world, and especially about this power growing inside me.

With a last bite, the memory of that awful conversation with my father flooded my mind, highlighting why I’m in this situation.

The room felt too small, too suffocating, despite the breeze slipping through the open window. Eyes lingering on the horizon, I watched the distant ocean met the skyline, the only thing that made sense.

It was freedom, just out of reach.

I craved nothing more than to disappear into it, away from this place, away from him.

Behind me, the steady click of my father’s shoe against the hardwood floor echoed like the ticking of a clock.

He was waiting for something. An answer, a reaction, anything that would reassure him I hadn’t completely shattered his carefully constructed plans.

His silence was worse than his words. His disappointment filled the space between us, thick and oppressive.

“Enough with this nonsense, Adrian.” His voice cut through the air, cold and sharp like always. “You’re Nikolai. You can’t just abandon everything we’ve built. Your place is in politics, with me.”

I swallowed hard, my hands gripping the windowsill until my knuckles turned white.

With him? I turned, meeting his eyes, and for a split second, I hated the calm, calculated expression on his face.

The same one he used in every negotiation, every political game he played. Except this wasn’t a game. Not to me.

“I’m not abandoning anything,” I said, my voice rough, barely keeping the anger in check. “But what if this isn’t what I want?”

His eyes narrowed.

“What do you want?” he repeated, like the words themselves offended him. “You’ve had everything handed to you, every advantage, every opportunity. And now you want to throw it away? For what? Some pointless search for freedom? You’re acting like a child.”

I felt the heat rising in my chest, a fire that had been smoldering for years, and now it was threatening to explode.

“A child?” I snapped, stepping toward him. “Is that what you think this is? Some childish tantrum? Maybe I’m just tired of living your life! Of being the perfect pawn in your perfect political dynasty.”

I could see the shift in his expression, the subtle tightening of his jaw, the flicker of anger behind his eyes.

“You don’t get to walk away,” he said, his voice low but laced with authority. “You’re bound to this family. To our legacy. You have responsibilities, Adrian.”

Legacy. That word… It felt like a chain around my neck, tightening every time he said it. Responsibilities to the family, to the business, to Thalassa. Everyone had a claim on me except myself .

“And what about what I want, Father?” I fired back.

“What if I don’t want to be bound to all of this? Trapped living a life that isn’t mine?”

He scoffed, crossing his arms. “What you want doesn’t matter. You don’t get to choose.”

Those words stung more than I wanted to admit. There it was, the truth. In his eyes, my life wasn’t mine to live. He treated my life as a piece on his chessboard and expected me to follow his rules.

I clenched my fists, trying to steady my breathing.

“I’m not running away,” I said, my voice lower, colder. “I just need space. Time to accept this future on my terms.”

His eyes hardened, and I could see the disappointment there, the irritation at my defiance. “Time?” he repeated. “You need to stop this foolish rebellion, Adrian, before you destroy everything.”

He turned to leave, the sound of his shoes punctuating the finality of his words. Slamming the door behind him, he left me alone with the suffocating burden of it all.

I stood there, panting, staring at the space he’d just occupied, my hands trembling with frustration. I looked down at the maps and blueprints spread across my desk, the escape routes, the plans I’d made for months.

They were supposed to be a temporary reprieve, an excuse to get away for a while. But now… I wasn’t so sure. Maybe it wasn’t just an escape anymore. Maybe it was survival.

I let out a bitter laugh at the memory. Freedom, that’s all I ever wanted. Freedom from my father’s iron grip, from the endless expectations that suffocated me.

It’s why I built my company from scratch, to carve out something that was mine. Something that wasn’t tied to the Nikolai name or its legacy.

But even now, as successful as I was, I’m trapped in a cave with sirens, and I’m no longer human .

The irony wasn’t lost on me.

I fought for autonomy, only to find myself ensnared in a new kind of bondage, where my very existence feels like a betrayal of the dreams I once held so dear.