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“You are a prisoner. Don’t think that changed because you made a deal with our princess.” The red-tailed siren argues, her voice vicious.

I clenched my fists but said nothing. She wasn’t wrong.

“What’s first?” I muttered through gritted teeth.

Without a word, Sienna and Elora glanced at each other. Then, before my eyes, both of their tails shimmered, glowing briefly with iridescent light. The shift was seamless and fluid, as if they were shedding one skin and slipping into another.

Water swirled around them, enveloping them in a blurred haze. Their tails had disappeared, transforming into long, human legs that broke the surface of the water. Their clothes clung to their skin.

Elora stood tall, her form exuding both elegance and power.

She wore a sleek, black armored gown. The bodice sculpted to her frame, adorned with intricate metallic designs that flickered in the morning light, highlighting her curves while maintaining a warrior’s grace.

Spiked pauldrons protected her shoulders, adding a menacing touch to her otherwise rebel appearance.

A long slit ran up the side of the skirt, revealing her toned legs as she stepped forward, her every movement both fluid and commanding.

Sienna rose next. Her clothes were a stark difference from Elora, while the redhead’s dress resemble to a warrior’s.

Sienna wore a long-sleeved blue top adorned with pearls and gold thread, and a mid-thigh skirt.

Her outfit created a serene look. Her violet hair, still damp from the water, framed her features, and her pale eyes held a mysterious glow.

She moved with the same grace as before, but now there was something more human about her.

“You need to learn control in both forms,” Sienna explained, as if their seamless transformation was the most natural thing in the world. “Your powers will feel different when you’re in human form. And that’s what we’ll focus on today.”

I blinked, still processing the change. Even after everything I had seen, the fluidity of their transformations caught me off guard. Their effortless bridging of the gap between siren and human struck me, while I struggled to control anything at all.

“Fine,” I said, my voice hardening. “What’s the first step?”

Elora crossed her arms, her eyes still glowing with that fiery intensity. “You need to stop fighting the connection with your hybrid side.”

“I’m not fighting it,” I snapped, though even I could hear the tension in my voice.

Sienna moved closer, her presence calming as she stood beside me. “You are,” she mumbled. “The water extends to yourself. You need to be in sync with it.”

I sighed and I let the energy surge, feeling the water rise higher, the liquid twisting and churning in wild, uncontrolled motions. For a split second, I thought I got it, until the water collapsed back into the pond, splashing up around me.

“Dammit,” I muttered

Sienna stepped closer to the pond. With a flick of her wrist, the water rose in shimmering spirals, dancing in the air like liquid serpents. She didn’t even break eye contact.

“It’s not just about brute force. It’s about precision.” She made a twisting motion with her fingers, and the spirals coiled tighter, shifting form into sharp, crystalline shapes.

I blinked. That was… impressive.

“You’re up,” Elora said, her voice hard but edged with challenge.

I stepped into the cool water, feeling the current swirl around my legs. The bond thrummed within me, pulsing with the energy that felt alien yet strangely familiar. I reached out, trying to mimic what Sienna had done, willing the water to rise .

I closed my eyes, trying to let go of the frustration, the confusion swirling inside me. Slowly, I exhaled, letting the power hum through me, letting it guide the movement.

The water rose again, this time more fluidly, responding to the energy coursing through me. It wasn’t perfect, but it was more controlled than before. Sienna smiled softly.

“There,” she said. “You’re getting it.”

Elora stepped closer, her arms still crossed, but her tone more approving. “Not bad. It might be enough for you not to expose us to your world.”

I opened my eyes, watching the water move, twisting in spirals like Sienna had done earlier.

For the first time, I felt a spark of control, a connection between the water and my will.

A slow, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of my lips.

Pride swelled in my chest, warm and unshakable, like the rising sun.

“Now,” Sienna continued, “let’s see how well you can maintain that control when we push you further.”

* * *

After hours of grueling training in both forms, my body was aching all over.

The shift into triton form wasn’t nearly as effortless as the sirens made it seem.

My legs burned with deep, unfamiliar pain, and the agony I experienced while transforming was beyond anything I could have imagined.

Every muscle screamed in protest. And yet, Sienna had assured me it would be like this only during the first times.

I was about to ask Sienna when we could stop, but before I could speak, the water around the moon pond stirred again. Two unfamiliar figures emerged, their presence immediately commanding the space .

Two tritons.

They moved with the confidence of soldiers, and I could tell from the way Sienna straightened slightly that they were important.

The first one had dark, iridescent silver scales that glistened under the moonlight, his intense ocean-blue eyes locking onto mine with a measured gaze.

His muscular build and the way he held himself gave away that he was a warrior.

The second had an entirely different energy.

With steel-gray eyes and a midnight black tail, he had a smirk on his face that didn’t waver, even as his sharp gaze sized me up.

“New recruit, huh?” the one with the smirk drawled, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he found this entire situation amusing.

Sienna stepped forward, gesturing toward them. “Adrian, meet Kieran,” she nodded toward the one with the dark silver scales, “and Ronan,” she added, nodding to the one with the smirk. “They’ll be overseeing your training from now on. At least until you leave.”

Great. It seems I’m going deeper and deeper into this world.

I nodded, though I could already tell Ronan wasn’t one to take things too seriously. Kieran seemed more focused, watching me with quiet intensity.

“Well, well, well,” Ronan said, his smirk widening as he turned his attention to Elora, “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a little party. And of course, Elora’s here. Couldn’t resist, huh?”

Elora rolled her eyes, her lips curling into a thin line. “Don’t flatter yourself, Vitalis. I’m here for training, not for whatever delusions you’ve built up in your mind.”

“Delusions? Please,” Ronan replied, swimming a little closer, his smirk widening. “You wouldn’t be able to survive a day without me. To keep things interesting.”

Elora’s tail flicked sharply, sending a ripple through the water as she turned to face him, arms crossed. “Survive? I could easily go centuries without having to look at your smug face. ”

Kieran cleared his throat, a hint of amusement playing in his ocean-blue eyes as he glanced between them. “Would you two stop bickering for once? We’re here to progress with the training, not relive your endless banter.”

“I’m not bickering, Petros.” Ronan said, his tone light as he leaned back against the shore. “Just pointing out that she seems to have a special interest in me.”

Elora’s glare could have cut through steel. “Special interest? You wish.” She barked.

“Admit it, Elora. You love the attention.” Ronan winked.

Her expression faltered, just for a second, something flashing in her eyes, something deeper than mere annoyance. But before she could respond, Sienna stepped in.

“All right, that’s enough. We’re here for Adrian, not to fuel whatever unresolved fight you two have.”

I was dumbstruck by their interaction. The bickering, the teasing, it was so casual, so…

normal. Yet here I’m, in a mystical moonlit pond, surrounded by creatures that shouldn’t exist, and these two were acting like they were in some mundane argument back in Thalassa.

It was unnerving, almost surreal. For a moment, I wondered if I’d somehow misjudged everything.

Was this really how they operated? Weren’t they supposed to be dealing with something far more serious?

I felt out of place, standing there as they traded barbs like it was second nature.

Elora’s fiery temper and Ronan’s infuriating smirk…

I couldn’t tell if they hated each other or if this was some twisted form of affection.

Their fighting wasn’t just anger, it was something else, something deeper.

A tension that pulsed beneath every word they spat at each other.

And yet, as I watched them, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being an outsider.

This world they lived in, the way they seemed to glide effortlessly between moments of deadly seriousness an d casual taunts.

It was so far removed from anything I’d ever known.

Kieran turned his attention back to me, offering a slight nod. “How’s the shifting coming along?”

“Painful,” I admitted, still catching my breath. “But I’m managing.”

Ronan chuckled, shaking his head. “You’ll get used to it. Eventually.”

“Great, just what I needed,” I drawled, my voice laced with sarcasm as I crossed my arms. “So, the little princess still can’t face me?” The bitterness dripped from my words, and the second I said it, I saw the change.

Both warriors stiffened instantly. Their eyes darkened, and their bodies went taut, like coiled springs ready to snap. I’d struck a nerve, and part of me, the one still boiling with anger, relished from.

Good.

Ronan was the first to move. His smirk vanished, replaced with a flash of fury.