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Trust yourself

Among the sirens, some are born with a gift greater than voice or will, the Seers, blessed by the ocean’s gods with the power to glimpse what is yet to come. Their visions are timeless, drawn from the tides that whisper the secrets of past and future alike.

In dreams and signs, they see fate unfold, some visions bright as sunlight through water, others as shadowed as the deep abyss.

They read omens in waves and sea creatures, hearing the voice of the divine in every current.

But this gift is not theirs alone. It flows from the goddess within the ocean’s heart.

The Seers are her conduits, their minds touched by power.

Foresight is both blessing and burden. To know what may come is to carry the weight of choice and consequence. Their words shape kings, guide warriors, and ripple through history.

But fate is ever-moving… and even a Seer sees only fragments of what the goddess allows.

* * *

Iryen

I paced the cold stone floor of the cave, the echo of my footsteps swallowed by the oppressive silence. My thoughts pressed heavily on me, like the ocean itself.

Invisibility cloaked me, a shield against the harsh realities of what I was doing. He couldn’t know about our world, not yet. Not until I could figure out what his arrival meant. Through the shadows, I watched him.

Adrian Nikolai.

A man from the surface, trapped here beneath the waves in a world he didn’t belong to. He wandered around the cave, frustration etched into every line of his face as he tried to find an exit. But the spells, layers upon layers of magic woven so tightly, would keep him here. For now.

He was a prisoner, despite my insistence that he wasn’t. How could I claim otherwise? This place was a cage, and I was its warden.

Food and water, the bare essentials for survival, had been left for him, but it wasn’t enough. I knew it wasn’t enough. His spirit, restless, defiant, needed answers. Yet all I could give him was silence.

I felt a pang of pity. Cast into a world of secrets and shadows, cut off from everything familiar. How terrifying that must be. And yet, I envied him. For his ignorance. For not knowing the destiny that had pulled him into my life.

His appearance was striking, more so than I cared to admit. Tall, confident, with a presence that demanded attention even in the cave’s stillness.

There was an arrogance to him, the kind born from privilege and power. But beneath that, I sensed something else, an edge, a darkness that mirrored my own. It unsettled me.

And those eyes. Hazel, like the horizon at sunset, burning with a fierce, molten glow that shifted between gold and amber, flecked with hints of firelight.

The darker outer ring only intensified their hypnotic depth, drawing you in, much like the fading light of day pulling the sky into dusk.

Adrian’s presence stirred an emotion I hadn’t felt in years. Intrigue, yes. But even more dangerous feeling. A spark. A connection I refused to understand, one I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

I clenched my fists, willing the sensation to fade, but it lingered, like the taste of salt on my lips after a storm. Unshakable.

Focus, Iryen.

But it was hard to focus when memories I’d tried so hard to bury kept surfacing. Bloody hands. The man I had once loved, the man who had shattered my heart and torn my world apart. My former fiancé.

The betrayal had been so sharp, so absolute, that it had changed me. Turned my love to ice and my trust to dust. He had sought me out, not for love, but for power. For the influence that came with my crown, my lineage.

It had taken me years to come to terms with that betrayal. And even now, I wasn’t sure if I truly had.

I had learned to be wary. To shield my heart, to keep others at arm’s length. It was easier that way. Safer. No one could betray you if you didn’t let them in.

But now… now this human came to change and disrupt my life. A man drawn to my world, whether either of us wanted it. His presence threatened to unravel all the walls I had built. And that terrified me.

I knew better than to trust too easily. I knew the cost of letting someone in. And yet, here I was. Watching him. Feeling… something. A spark. A force too strong to ignore.

I won’t let him in.

But even as I thought about it, I wasn’t sure I believed it .

Adrian’s frustration deepened as he paced, his hands running through his dark hair. I almost feel the heat radiating off him, his restless energy bouncing against the walls.

He glanced at the turquoise water, and I held my breath, knowing the magic contained within its depths.

“Fuck it,” he muttered, shaking his head as if to clear it. The sound of his voice echoed through the silence, raw and laced with desperation. I wished I could reassure him, tell him it would all be okay, but my voice remained trapped behind my invisibility.

He stepped closer to the water, his brow furrowing in contemplation. My heart raced. Was he considering swimming away? The thought filled me with dread.

He would never survive the maze.

He dipped his foot into the pond, ripples spread across the surface.

“No!” I wanted to scream, to reach out and stop him, but I stayed silent, paralyzed by my fear again.

He stepped deeper and my heart raced as I watched him disappear, a mix of admiration and fear swelling within me.

The pond shimmered under the moonlight, its depths a tranquil facade hiding the chaos beneath.

The moment he fully submerged, I snapped out of my stupor and dove after him, shifting effortlessly into my tail.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, I chanted in my mind. The words echoing like a mantra. Why didn’t I warn him?

As I glided through the water, my senses heightened.

I should’ve told him that the pond had no way out for those who didn’t know how to navigate the maze, that its beauty masked a treacherous labyrinth designed to trap the unwary.

What if I can’t find him? What if he gets lost? What if he dies?

The narrow passages twisted and turned, shrouded in darkness, each shadow deepening my apprehension.

My heart pounded as I scanned the eerie underwater corridors, illuminated only by the faint glow of sparkling aiptasia clinging to the walls.

The colors danced like whispers in the gloom, their soft blues and greens a cruel reminder of the serenity that belied the peril I now faced.

Then I saw him, a flash of movement in the darkness. I found him trapped in a dead end, panic etched across his features as he thrashed against the walls, realizing he was trapped in this tortuous maze. My breath hitched, the sight striking a chord deep within me.

He had seen me. My secret.

There was no hiding now, no going back. His gaze locked onto me, a mix of confusion, fear, and awe filling his eyes.

This is my fault. I let him dive in without knowing.

My instincts flared, and a mix of protectiveness and guilt surged through me. I have to help him. I can’t let him drown in this mess.

With determination igniting my spirit, I surged forward, the water parting around me as I reached for him, ready to guide him back to safety. My heart raced, not just from the thrill of the chase, but from the pressure of my mistake.

Motioning for him to take my hand, I used my speed to lead him back to the moon pond before he ran out of air, every stroke calculated and powerful.

I was swimming against time, my muscles burning with exertion.

The narrow corridors of the maze made it difficult to navigate at this speed, but I couldn’t afford to slow down.

Focus. Don’t lose him. He’ll drown if I make one mistake.

My breath was steady, but my mind raced.

This was reckless.

The guilt gnawed at me again, but I couldn’t let it consume me now. Not when his life depended on me.

Finally, the faint glow of the water came into view, like a beacon cutting through the darkness.

A shuddering breath escaped my lungs as relief surged through me and I pushed myself harder, my body a blur as I propelled us toward safety.

I broke through the surface with him in tow, the air cool and crisp against my skin.

The light from the crystal inlays on the cavern walls sparkled brightly, casting a glow that made the water look magical. It was beautiful, serene even, a stark contrast to the chaos and fear we had just escaped.

But that peace shattered instantly.

“What the fuck are you?” Adrian choked out, his voice raw from the strain of holding his breath. He coughed roughly, pushing himself out of my arms like I was some kind of disease, swimming away from me as fast as his exhausted body would allow.

The words cut deeper than I expected. I had expected shock, confusion, and maybe even anger, but not this level of rejection. Not this visceral reaction. It hit me in a place I thought I had fortified long ago, a place where I thought I was safe from disappointment. Again.

Of course, he’d react this way. Who wouldn’t?

Despite that, it hurt. It hurt more than I wanted to admit. My chest tightened, but I wouldn’t let him see that. Wouldn’t let him know how much his words stung. I was supposed to be stronger than this. I had been through far worse.

“You’re welcome,” I voiced, my tone flat, emotionless. My face remained a mask, carefully blank. I couldn’t afford to show any discomfort, not now. Not when my very existence had just become something to fear in his eyes.

The light from the crystals flickered softly, casting shifting patterns on the walls that seemed to mock me with their beauty. Turquoise water glowed around us, reflecting the light, but none of that beauty mattered now .

The reality of what I was, what I had just revealed to him, overshadowed everything.

He sees me as a monster now. Just like everyone else would if they knew. If they knew how guilty I was.

I remained still, watching him catch his breath, knowing I could say more, but unsure if it would make a difference. Would an explanation even help? Or would it just drive him further away?