The corridor of darkness faded, leaving behind only the whisper of shadow as Helios, Kurai, and Thalen emerged deep beneath the waves.
They did not fall, nor sink. Instead, they adjusted. Bodies shifting, adapting. Helios felt the change roll over him like warm tide.
Helios' legs dissolved into a sleek, muscular eel tail, inky black with intricate silver markings etched along its length. The scales shimmered with each twist, catching ambient light like moonlight on obsidian. His movement was swift, honed—a natural extension of his combat training. At the end of the tail, bioluminescent veins pulsed in sync with his focus, subtly responding to his shifting emotions.
His upper body remained defined and powerful, his clothes had disappeared leaving him shirtless. His dark-blue hair floated weightlessly, each jagged strand sharp and unruly like a submerged flame. His eyes glowed faintly in the low light of the ocean floor, twin lanterns of cunning and restraint.
Kurai was silent.
Her transformation was elegant—eerily so. Her upper body retained its porcelain stillness, wrapped in a layer of deep indigo and obsidian scales that clung to her chest and shimmered like the woven night sky. From her hips downward extended a hauntingly beautiful tail, its color a muted blend of silver and obsidian. The surface of the tail rippled like sheer fabric, with long, whispering fins trailing behind her in forked, ethereal strands, like torn veils caught in a slow current.
Her fingers were tipped with claws of dark pearl, and around her wrists swirled thin silver silver scales. Her moonlit hair unfurled behind her in hypnotic waves, pulsing with magical density. It moved like a living thing, sometimes even before she did, and when it did, it whispered menace and grace in equal measure.
And Thalen—his form had changed as well.
His tail was long and graceful, inspired by creatures of myth. Pale yellow in base color, it shimmered with soft glowing blue gradients that deepened toward the tailfin. The fin texture was almost translucent, with filament-like streamers extending past the tips, glowing faintly in rhythm with his heartbeat. As he moved, his tail left light trails behind, creating afterimages that faded like dreams.
His upper body retained the same calm, lean build of his human form, but now bore subtle glowing blue markings along his arms and back. Small lateral fins had formed along his forearms and near his ribs, aiding his effortless balance.
Thalen's blond hair floated like rays of light in the water, the tips shimmering faintly. His crystal-blue eyes reflected the current—fluid and unreadable, like the surface of a deep pool.
All three hovered in the vast, blue-tinted quiet of the ocean floor. Above them, great shapes moved. A palace of coral, glass, and magic crowned the horizon—Triton's domain.
Helios looked up, his voice low. "This place looks different than I remember..."
Kurai floated closer beside him. "Yes, you're right your memories of this place that I saw, was different."
"Well, it was... part of a game. A world tied to janky movement, music, rhythm, and minigames. But this..." he narrowed his glowing eyes, "It feels different. I guess like with Agrabah I'm in the past again. Every world runs on its own axis... but telling when I am will be difficult."
Kurai folded her arms across her chest, hair curling around her like slow tendrils. "Still this is a world quite ridiculous."
"Says the woman with a black and white fishtail."
"A ridiculous tail in a ridiculous sea."
Helios chuckled dryly. "It was novel the first time. But now? Let's just say the charm wore off after the first game. Still it's interesting to see with with my own eyes."
Thalen said nothing, but his tail shimmered once, his glowing filaments trailing behind him. He drifted toward a nearby ridge without a word.
The coral path led them closer to the city's outskirts. The sea came alive with chatter, light, and music.
Helios and Kurai followed behind Thalen. They passed families of dolphins performing flips through hoop-rings. Sea turtles played a xylophone made of seashells. And ahead—a crowd gathered in a wide lagoon.
It was a celebration.
At its center, Queen Athena floated in a ripple of grace. Her long golden red hair fanned out behind her as she sang the first note. Her voice carried through the water, weaving a melody that shaped light and color.
Around her, the seven daughters of Triton joined in.
Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista, Andrina, and Ariel.
Each voice added a layer. Each note cast ripples through the ocean. The townspeople joined in, their laughter creating a current of joy so palpable even Kurai tilted her head.
Helios crossed his arms, hovering at the edge of the lagoon.
"That's Queen Athena," he muttered. "So yeah, definitely in the past. She's supposed to be dead by the time Sora visits. Looking at Ariel's age this should be twelve years before Sora arrives."
Kurai watched, eyes narrowed. "They laugh like nothing will ever change. Such ignorance."
"Because that's the nature of happiness and joy," Helios said. "They don't know it yet, but this joy... it's limited."
"I have seen many things," Kurai replied. "I have never seen anything so... breakable."
Helios nodded. "Joy is fleeting by design. But that's what makes it so wonderful."
"What a wrapped idea. Because something ends it's treasure more or considered beautiful," said Kurai
From far above, the sea darkened.
Ursula watched from the trench where shadows clung like parasites. Her form coiled around a rock spire, tentacles twitching as the song reached her ears.
Her eyes narrowed. Her rage coiled tighter.
"They sing. They rejoice. As if I never existed. As if they didn't cast me out!"
She drew magic to her hands, green fire swirling like seaweed in a storm.
With a flick, her form shifted—arms replaced fins, her dress of inky black sealing around her frame. Now she looked human, though her smile held too many teeth.
She swam upward, toward the surface, to meet a pirate ship anchored nearby.
Greedy men, led by whispers of gold and myth, welcomed her aboard.
"There's a kingdom beneath the waves," she said, voice like honey wrapped in poison. "A queen who sings to the sea. Bring me her crown. And your reward will be greater than anything above the waves."
The pirates cheered.
Below deck, shadows churned. Heartless, drawn to Ursula's venom, slithered into the ship's foundation. Cannons glowed. Eyes yellow.