The King sat upon his ornate throne. His fingers dug deeper into the armrest, and his mind tossed between his duties as a father and ruler. How could he protect his daughter from this cruel reality? Would she ever forgive him for this? The guilt gnawed at him—he wasn't prepared for this. Was any father ever ready to shatter their child's world?
"Bring Shui Yi," he ordered, his voice strained, betraying the turmoil inside him.
A servant standing near the exit immediately searched for the princess. The King tapped his fingers on the armrest, breathing heavily, and waited for his daughter.
Moments later, the servant returned, panting, but there was no sign of the princess.
"Where is she?" The King's voice stirred waves as his features clouded over, and the room fell into a tense silence. His nobles dared not breathe.
"Your Majesty," the servant stammered. "Princess Shui Yi... is not in her chambers."
A murmur spread through the court, whispers of worry, but none dared voice their concern aloud. A storm began to brew around the King.
"Find her," he commanded, his voice unforgiving. "Now."
The royal guards wasted no time, their movements swift and disciplined, while servants scurried to obey.
"Everyone, the court is dismissed," the King's voice rang out. The nobles dispersed quickly, eager to escape the mounting pressure in the room. He remained, his worry spiraling into irritation. She defied me again. What am I going to do with her? Rubbing his temple, he slumped his shoulders.
Shui Yi, you do not have much time left.
***
Meanwhile, Shui Yi swam through the dark waters outside the kingdom's patrol perimeter. Her tail sliced through the currents, but the usual sounds were absent—no fish, no rippling hum. Just an eerie silence, like the calm before a storm.
Father will be preoccupied with the court today. I'll be back before he even notices, she reassured herself, filled with excitement. The thought of escaping her confinement stirred something inside her—a sense of justice as she did not deserve to be punished.
But there was more to it. A strange pull whispered at her conscience. A faint magical pulse rippled, humming with an urgency she could not ignore. She could see the Trident's trail; a trace of where her father would have taken the mysterious stranger. She must retrieve her Sacred Pearl.
Uncertainty flickered, she had never ventured this far. What was this compulsion, this gnawing pull, urging her to break away from everything she knew?
Her father was hiding something. The thought was a thorn in her side, sharp and uncomfortable. Could father have disposed of him?
The compulsion grew stronger, urging her on. Despite her unease, Shui Yi could not shake the feeling that this pull, this magic, was leading her to the truth. I must know what happened.
As she continued, it dimmed, the familiar warmth fading away. A chill seeped into her bones.
It was too quiet, she thought, unease stirring in her gut.
But she pushed forward, refusing to stop. No. This pull—it's real. It's leading me to him. I have to go further.
With every stroke, it turned colder. The familiar currents began to give resistance, growing sluggish and unwelcoming. Then, she got caught in a rip current that dragged and pulled her further. Just a little further. Answers are ahead.
A pale glow flickered through the darkness, faint but undeniable. Her eyes strained, the promise of revelation driving her forward. She swam faster, her tail flipping with renewed urgency. The light beckoned, drawing her nearer as though it held the answers she desperately sought.
As suddenly as it had appeared, the glow vanished. Where did it go? Her heart skipped a beat.
An unnerving chill gripped her, she paused, her senses heightened. Everything had gone still, oppressive in its silence. Her breath quickened.
Where am I? The thought clawed at her, panic rising in her chest. She knew she had made a mistake. There is something dangerous lurking around her.
And then, it came.
A shadow—a fleeting movement in the corner of her eyes. Something was there.
Her heart hammered in her chest as it became harder to breathe. Every instinct screamed for her to flee, but her body froze. The ocean had conspired against her.
The water turned murky, and a rancid smell of decay in the saltwater choked her. Her stomach churned. Fear gripped her.
A bloodcurdling shriek tore through the silence, sending a shockwave of terror through her. The sound was strangled—distorted. It reverberated through her making her body tremble violently.
***
Swoosh!
A sudden, violent rush. A monstrous fiend rose from the depths. Its body was undulating, moving like a nightmare brought to life. The swirls warped as the creature advanced, its head smashing through rocks with a sickening sound. It had eyes like burning embers, locked onto her with an insatiable hunger.
She gasped, her heart sinking into her stomach. The creature was an abomination, its head crowned with a bulbous, pulsing growth that oozed an eerie, sickly light. Its gills hissed as it exhaled a toxic, fog-like mist that spread and poisoned its surroundings.
Panic gripped her. It was too fast, too creepy.
The beast surged toward her, its gaping maw opening with jagged, razor-sharp teeth that gleamed. She tried to move, but her limbs betrayed her, refusing to obey. She lashed out with her tail, but she was too slow—too weak.
Its aura bore down on her, suffocating her will to fight.
It lunged.
Her tail flicked out again, but the monster was faster. Its jaws closed around her side with a sickening crunch. The beast's grip tightened on her, and a sharp wave of pain coursed through her as blood gushed. Her vision blurred, and her heartbeat thundered, drowning out everything except the terror that flooded her senses.
She had made a grave mistake in coming here.
Desperation surged within her, but its relentless grip crushed any hope of escape. The beast pursued her, its movements swift and unnerving, tracking her every feeble attempt to flee.
The pressure —heavy, suffocating—grew unbearable with every passing moment. I cannot outrun it. There is no escape. The monster closed in, its jaws snapping hairs from her. She tried to swim faster, her body screaming in protest—it was futile. Its jaws snapped shut, and at that moment, she understood the price for her curiosity.