LUCY
T he gown floated around me as I moved, its fabric unlike anything I’d known on Earth.
Each step sent ripples of soft light dancing across the surface.
The silky material brushed my body with cool caresses, a pleasant contrast to the humid air.
My bare feet made no sound on the smoothed coral floor as I walked beside Thalassar through the winding halls.
Small, luminous pearls dotted the walls, casting a gentle glow that reflected off his scales.
As we passed a particularly ancient-looking section of wall carved from dark, veined stone, I noticed a recurring motif: elegant, serpentine creatures intertwined with figures that looked remarkably like Thalassar's people, some even depicted with scaled wings. 'Ancient myths,' Thalassar murmured when he saw me looking, his tone dismissive, though I saw his hand briefly trace one of the carved scales. The air smelled of salt and something sweeter---like flowers blooming underwater.
“The dress suits you,” Thalassar said.
I smoothed my hands over the skirt, trying not to stare at the way his own clothes draped over his muscled form. “It’s beautiful. But impractical.”
“Not everything needs to serve a purpose,” he remarked with unexpected gentleness. “Come. There’s something I want to show you.”
The courtyard stretched before us, its paths winding between pools filled with glowing plants. Overhead, twin suns painted the sky in shades of gold and violet. A warm breeze carried the scent of unfamiliar flowers.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” I said, approaching a nearby pool’s rim. Beneath the crystal-clear water, delicate creatures that looked like ribbons of light darted among the luminescent plants.
“They’re called nerzora,” Thalassar said, stepping closer. His presence at my back ignited a molten core within me. “They only surface at twilight.”
I dipped my fingers into the pool. The water was warm, and the nerzora scattered at my touch, their glowing forms vanishing into the depths. “Everything here feels alive. Connected.”
“It is.” His hand settled on my shoulder, and I forgot how to breathe. “Our world exists in balance. Each creature, each plant, serves its purpose in maintaining that balance.”
“Unlike Earth.” The words were bitter on my tongue. “We destroyed our balance long ago.”
His fingers tightened slightly on my shoulder. “Is that why you came?”
I turned to face him, too aware of how close he stood. “We didn’t have a choice. Earth is dying. We needed...” The words trailed off as his gaze locked with mine.
“What did you need?”
“A chance,” I whispered. “A future.”
I turned toward the path, trying to walk ahead of him, but the smooth stone beneath my feet was slick with moisture. My foot slipped, and the world tilted as I stumbled forward.
Before I could hit the ground, strong hands caught me, pulling me back against a warm, solid chest. My pulse raced as I realized how close he was, his arms encircling me, holding me steady.
“Careful,” he cautioned, the gravel in his tone sending shivers down my spine. “This world is not as forgiving as it seems.”
I should have pulled away. I should have thanked him and stepped back. But I didn’t. I stayed frozen in his arms, my palms braced against his chest, feeling the heat of his skin through the fabric of his tunic. His scent---salt and something faintly sweet---wrapped around me, and my heart hammered in my ears.
“Th-thanks,” I managed to stammer, my voice barely audible. “Guess I’m still finding my footing here.”
His hands lingered a moment longer, steadying me. He released me, though his hands seemed reluctant to leave my waist. “You should be more careful,” he said, his tone softer now. “You’re not used to this place.”
No, she wasn't.
Not accustomed to this world.
Not prepared for him.
And certainly not used to the way he could leave me breathless with a single glance.
We continued walking through the courtyard, and soon I caught sight of a group of his people.
It had been two days since I’d arrived in Thalassar’s kingdom.
Days of healing, of learning, of gradually understanding this new world.
Evenings of talking, of trying to integrate my communicator with his strange technology, trying to find any trace of my team.
Each day pulled me further from my old life and deeper into this one, making the mission feel increasingly distant.
They were gathered near a tall tree with glowing orange fruit, their scaled bodies shimmering in hues of green, blue, and gold.
Their movements were fluid and elegant as they worked together to harvest the fruit, each gesture precise and purposeful.
I noticed tools unlike anything on Earth---devices that seemed to manipulate water currents, harvesting mechanisms that worked with rather than against nature.
Their technological development had clearly taken a different path than humanity’s, emphasizing harmony with their environment rather than dominance over it.
Advanced in ways we weren’t, yet without the digital infrastructure we took for granted.
Two civilizations that had solved different problems based on their unique challenges.
When they noticed Thalassar, they immediately stopped.
As he approached, they bowed deeply, their black, pupil-less eyes shining with respect.
But then their attention shifted to me.
The air grew heavier, the warmth of the courtyard replaced by a current of tension.
They whispered to one another in their melodic language, their gazes sharp and guarded.
One of them---a woman with green-gold scales that seemed to ripple like water---stepped forward.
She spoke to Thalassar, her tone sharp and questioning.
Her black eyes flicked to me with a distrust that made my stomach tighten.
Thalassar answered her in the same musical language, his tone calm but firm.
Whatever he said, it carried weight.
The woman’s jaw tightened, her resistance evident before she finally nodded and stepped back, rejoining the group.
The others still cast wary glances my way as we walked past.
“What did she say?” I asked once we were out of earshot.
“She questioned your presence here,” he explained with forced evenness that couldn’t quite hide the underlying tension.
“Outsiders are rare. And my people value caution. They’ve seen outsiders destroy what they love before.”
“Do they think I’ll destroy this place?”
He glanced at me, his lips thinned almost imperceptibly.
“That depends on you.”
We followed a narrower path that wound away from the courtyard and into a small clearing.
At its center stood an enormous tree, its golden vines glowing softly in the fading light.
The air here felt different---charged with energy that made my skin tingle.
“This is the heart of our settlement,” Thalassar said.
“The tree has stood here since before my people first came to this island.”
I moved closer to the trunk, drawn by the pulsing golden light.
“It’s incredible.”
“It’s sacred.” He placed his hand on the bark, his voice reverent.
“The tree connects us to the island, to the sea. Through it, we maintain the storm wall that protects us.”
I placed my hand on the tree beside his, feeling a faint hum of energy beneath my fingers.
“Is that why you brought me here? To show me what we might destroy?”
“No.” His voice was quiet but steady.
“I brought you here because I see something in you.”
I turned to him, my pulse quickening.
“What do you see?”
He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming.
“You’re not like the others I’ve heard of. You don’t look at this world with hunger. You look at it with wonder.”
“Maybe I’m just better at hiding my true intentions,” I said, though my voice wavered.
His hand brushed my arm, and I shivered at the warmth of his touch.
“You can’t hide what’s in your eyes, Stewart.”
He was so close now, his hand slipping to my waist.
My back pressed against the tree trunk, and I was hyper-aware of the way his body angled toward mine, the heat radiating off him.
For a moment, I thought he might kiss me.
I wanted him to.
But then a deep bell rang out across the settlement, breaking the moment.
Thalassar stepped back, his expression unreadable.
“We should return to the palace,” he said, his voice rougher than before.
“Come. There’s more you should see.”
I pushed away from the tree, my legs shaky as I followed him.
My heart still raced, and my thoughts were a jumbled mess.
Whatever was happening between us, it was dangerous.
It felt bigger than my mission, bigger than the fate of two worlds.
And that terrified me.