The King sat upon his ornate throne, fingers digging into the armrests as his mind wavered between his duties as a father and as a sovereign. How could he protect his daughter from the cruel fate awaiting her? Would she ever forgive him for what he was about to do? Guilt gnawed at him. He wasn't prepared for this. Was any father ever truly ready to shatter his child's world?
"Bring Shui Yi to me," he ordered. His voice was strained, and the water around his head rippled, betraying the turmoil within him.
A servant near the exit immediately rushed off to search for the princess. The King tapped his fingers against the armrest, breathing heavily as he waited. Moments later, the servant returned, panting. Still no sign of his daughter.
"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 aloud, as a storm began to brew around the King. "Find her," he commanded, his voice unforgiving. "Now."
The royal guards darted away, leaving swirling ripples behind, while servants scurried to obey.
"Court is dismissed," the King's voice rang out. He gripped his trident, which began to glow ominously.
The nobles dispersed quickly, eager to escape the mounting pressure in the room. He remained, his worry spiraling into irritation. She defied him again. What should he do with her? Rubbing his temple, he slumped his shoulders, releasing the trident. He sighed as the trident lost its luster, a reminder that his daughter's days were numbered.
***
Meanwhile, Shui Yi swam through the dark waters beyond the kingdom's patrol perimeter. Her tail sliced through the currents, but the usual sounds were absent, no fish, no rippling hum. There was just an eerie silence, like the calm before a storm.
Father would be preoccupied with the court today. She reassured herself that she'd be back before he even noticed, excitement bubbling inside her. The thought of escaping her confinement stirred a sense of justice because she did not deserve to be punished. Who punishes their daughter for saving someone's life?
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, she could not shake the feeling that this pull, this magic, was leading her to the truth. She 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. The pull was real and leading her to him. She had 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 were 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 as she flipped her fins left and right, searching for any sign. An unnerving chill gripped her. She paused, senses heightened. Everything had gone still, oppressive in its silence. Her breath quickened. Where was she? The thought clawed at her, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. There was something dangerous lurking nearby.
And then, it appeared. A fleeting shadow in the corner of her eye. An unmistakably elusive fiend.
Her heart hammered in her chest as breathing grew harder. Every instinct screamed for her to flee, but her body froze. The ocean had conspired against her. The water turned murky, and a rancid stench of decay filled the saltwater, choking her. Her stomach churned. Fear gripped her. Then a bloodcurdling shriek tore through the silence, sending a shockwave of terror through her. The sound was strangled and distorted, reverberating inside her and making her body tremble violently.
***
Swoosh! A sudden, violent rush tore through the water as a monstrous fiend surged from the depths, its undulating body twisting like a nightmare brought to life. The currents warped around it as its head smashed through crags, sending crumbling rubble bouncing off. Its eyes, like burning embers, locked onto her with insatiable hunger. It snarled, sending a shiver down her spine.
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 terrifying.
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 and suffocating, grew unbearable with every passing moment. She could not outrun it. There was no escape.
The monster closed in, its jaws snapping hairs from her. She tried to swim faster, her body screaming in protest but it was futile. Its jaws snapped shut, and at that moment, she understood the price for her curiosity.