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My curiosity flared instantly. Sienna’s gift for prophecy was renowned throughout Aetheria.

She could foresee future events through cryptic visions from the ocean, interpret the tides and waves to reveal hidden truths, and even, when necessary, influence the currents of fate with her strategic insights.

Her ability to channel the energy of the sea to predict outcomes made her an invaluable advisor. It was a powerful gift.

“Different how?” I asked, my heart pounding as I tried to conceal my rising apprehension. I took a deep breath, but my mind was already racing with possibilities I didn’t want to consider.

Sienna hesitated for a moment.

“When I saw him in the moonlight,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “I had a powerful vision. His presence here holds great significance. The tides themselves have spoken, showing me glimpses of your future, and he’s at the center of it all.”

Her words sent a shiver down my spine, and I fought to keep my composure. Sienna didn’t speak lightly, especially when it came to matters of visions and fate.

“There’s more,” she continued, her tone growing heavier. “He is a hybrid, Ry. Not a common one either, but powerful.”

Her revelation struck me like a wave crashing against the shore, a mix of disbelief and dread washing over me.

A hybrid?

My mind reeled at the implications. Hybrids were rare, nearly mythological, beings born of both merfolk and human, often possessing abilities that defied the natural order.

They walked the fine line between two worlds, and those who lived long enough to master their gifts were forces to be reckoned with.

“Did you tell anyone about this, Sienna?” I asked, my voice tight with panic. My mind spun with the potential consequences of this revelation. The council can’t know, not yet.

Sienna shook her head slowly, her eyes filled with concern. “No, my princess. I wouldn’t speak of this without your permission.”

“Good. This stays between us,” I commanded, my tone sharp and uncompromising as the gravity of the situation pressed down on me. “ That’s an order.”

Elora nodded in agreement, her expression grave, mirroring Sienna’s unease. She hadn’t spoken much during this conversation, but I could see her tactical mind working, already evaluating the risks and the next steps.

“You need to discover more about him,” Elora said quietly, her voice steady but tense. “His presence here, it’s not a coincidence.”

I clenched my jaw, my thoughts racing. Elora was right. So many unknowns, questions, and we swam blindly into something far bigger than we could comprehend.

“Alright,” I said, my decision forming as I spoke.

“I’ll comply with the council’s decision, but for now, I won’t report what you told me.

” My voice wavered slightly as I turned to move toward the door.

I had no intention of alerting the council until I understood more, until I learned exactly what we were dealing with.

* * *

We swam through Aetheria, houses built from shimmering coral and crystal, its towers and domes glowing softly with fluorescent light. Surrounded by vibrant gardens and swaying kelp forests, the city was a breathtaking kingdom hidden in the depths of the Black Sea.

When we reached the cave entrance, I was not disappointed to see Ronan floating in the center.

Ronan Vitalis was a shadow made flesh. The captain of the east outpost was a creature of quiet menace and calculated grace.

His steel-gray eyes, cold and unreadable, that seemed to see straight through you, dissecting every weakness before you even realized you had one.

Framed by unruly black hair, his sharp, angular features carried a beauty that was more dangerous than alluring, like the edge of a blade, beautiful in its lethality .

His presence was unsettling, an aura of mystery and power clinging to him like the deep currents of the abyss.

The faint glow of black scales, darker as the night itself, traced across his skin, a reminder of the beast lurking beneath his composed exterior.

Even in stillness, he poised himself like a weapon, ready to strike.

Ronan wasn’t a man you trusted easily. He was the one you watched carefully, hoping he never decided you were in his way. Unless you were Elora.

Their dynamic was something else entirely, sharp-edged, volatile, an unspoken battle of wills that neither seemed willing to lose.

The way they baited each other, pushing just far enough to draw blood without ever truly cutting, sent an uneasy prickle beneath my skin.

Whatever history lay between them, it was tangled, knotted with something deeper than mere hatred. And that was what unsettled me most.

“Seriously,” Elora groaned, crossing her arms as she glared at Ronan. “You literally got the order, and you’re already here? Have you considered resting?”

Ronan leaned against the cave wall, his signature smirk playing on his lips. “Some of us take orders seriously, Elora. You should try it sometime.”

“And here we go,” Sienna whispered beside me, her lavender eyes flicking between Elora and Ronan. They bickered, itching for opportunities to provoke one another.

Wherever they were, whether on the brink of a battle or in a peaceful moment like now, they would always find reasons to quarrel about.

Elora took a step closer, her crimson tail gleaming in the dim light. “You’re lucky we’re on the same side, Ronan, or I’d love to show you how seriously I take orders.”

Ronan’s smirk faltered, but he didn’t back down. “I’m quaking in my scales, Red.”

With their faces so close, the tension crackled between them like a storm about to break. Neither backing down from the fight they both appeared to secretly enjoy.

I left them with their bickering, Ronan’s smug grin and Elora’s fiery retorts echoing behind me.

Sienna, poor thing, stood between them, trying her best to play the diplomat she always was.

She flashed me a weary smile, clearly used to being the only one capable of defusing their constant back-and-forth.

It was almost admirable, her patience, her endless attempts at peacekeeping, but sometimes, I wondered how she hadn’t lost her mind trying to wrangle those two.

I passed through the labyrinthine passage, its winding path twisting like a maze through vibrant coral and swaying seaweed.

The soft glow of bio-luminescence plankton flickering along the walls, guiding me through the tangled depths.

Narrow turns and hidden alcoves opened to a clearing, and the turquoise water ahead told me I had reached the pond.

Ethereal patterns, cast by the light filtering from above, danced across the smooth, glowing stones below. The tranquil beauty of the pool contrasted with the tangled passage I’d just navigated, its stillness inviting, like a secret waiting to be uncovered.

My heart pounded as I peered through the water.

He was awake.

The man sat on a rock, his eyes confusedly scanning the cave. His powerful physique was unmistakable, muscles taut under his damp clothes, but it was the intensity in his gaze that caught me off guard.

There was a hypnotic allure in the way his hazel eyes flicked over every detail, as if trying to piece together what happened.

The energy between us felt charged, and despite the distance, I felt the pull towards him .

I concealed myself in the shadows, allowing the water to envelop me as I focused, calling upon the magic within. My tail shifted, the familiar scales fading as they transformed into human flesh and just like that, I had legs. The sensation was strange. It always felt like shedding a part of myself.

But I hadn’t time to dwell on that. I needed to approach him carefully, without revealing what I truly was, at least not yet.

The air felt heavier as I stepped out of the water, using my invisibility to remain hidden.

My heart raced with the uncertainty of what the future held and the burden of my role crushed my chest. Silently, I moved toward a narrow gap in the stone walls, slipping through it with ease, the cool stone brushing against my skin.

I paused for a moment, gathering my thoughts, and then, with a quiet exhale, I released my hold on the magic cloaking me.

I emerged into his view.

His eyes filled with wary, snapped toward me, sharp and unrelenting.

“Who are you?” His voice was raspy, laced with suspicion, and I sensed the tension radiating from him.

Despite the rudeness, I felt a pang of empathy. I understood that all too well. If I found myself in his situation, stuck in an unfamiliar place without explanation, I would react just as impulsively, if not more.