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Chapter 53: Vulnerable
Last Updated:
2025-05-08 22:09:26
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Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 1: Silverglade Academy
Lake A rush of excitement coursed through me as I stepped off the jet at Silverglate Airport. I couldn’t believe I was finally here, ready to start my varsity journey and embark on a new chapter of my life. Alec and I hurried to the curb, where our ride awaited us. As we got in the car, I could not help but feel both nervous and excited. This was the first time I was so far away from my family and the familiar comforts of home, but the excitement of all the new experiences that lay ahead quickly drew me out of it. As we began driving through the city, I realized it was even more beautiful than I had imagined, and there was a sense of freedom in the air. My cousin Alec was in his fourth and final year, and he told me that life was fast here. "Wow!" I marveled at how the city sparkled at night. It was one of its most striking features, and as someone from a small, quiet town, it captivated me. It also made me understand why Alec almost failed his first year. Silverglate was syno
Last Updated : 2024-12-01Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 2: The Journey
Two days earlier Neridia Kingdom Prince Kairos "Are you ready?" Father asked, to which my brother and I enthusiastically responded, "Yes, sir!" This was the day we had been waiting for, and we were ecstatic. We were heading to Silverglade, where we would study for the next two years. We had grown up and spent our entire lives in the ocean, as future kings, constantly in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of our parents and the general public. We enjoyed our lives, but sometimes the pressure got to us. This was our opportunity to relieve some of the pressure, as we would not be known as princes where we were going. As part of our disguise, my brother and I had to wear contact lenses all the time to hide our golden eyes, which were a defining feature of us, and Father reminded us of this. Otherwise, we appeared human, albeit taller than the average human, which was not a problem. We also went by Kairos and Darian Neridia because we were required to have a last name. Merpeople
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Kairos My brother and I entered the club and the music's throb struck us like a wave. It was harsh, electric, and unrelenting; it had nothing in common with the melodic songs of the currents or the soft murmur of the sea. Reds and blues danced across the walls and reflected off a huge, mirrored ceiling as lights flashed in frantic bursts. For a moment, I could not tell if we had entered a celebration or a battlefield because of the chaotic way the bodies moved together. I looked at Darian, and for once, he seemed as out of place as I did. His shoulders were stiff, his usual confidence drained by the sheer force of it all. We were laughing a minute ago, teasing each other about who could blend in the best. We believed we were prepared. But now, standing in this room packed with people, their energy crashing over us like a storm, I was not sure we were prepared. The air felt heavy—almost too thick to breathe—and I was sure that if I could smell scents, they would be mixed and d
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Lake My eyes were wide as I stammered but before I could find my words, his lips crashed into mine, stealing the breath from my lungs. The sensation silenced everything—the pounding music, the crowd behind us, and the racing thoughts in my head. The wall hit my back with a cold jolt, but it did not matter. His warmth consumed me, his hands pressing against my sides with a desire that mirrored mine. My fingers instinctively gripped his shoulders, pulling him closer as if letting go would send me plummeting. The kiss deepened, each movement more urgent than the last as if we were making up for all the moments that hadn’t been ours. His lips were firm but soft, his touch desperate, and when his teeth brushed against my lower lip, a shiver ran through me, leaving me completely undone. I gasped for air when he finally pulled back, though it felt like I’d lost more than my breath. His forehead pressed against mine, and in the dim glow of the club lights spilling through the doorway,
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Lake “Lake… hey, are you OK? Lux's concerned voice finally snapped me out of my trance. I blinked, still cold from the events unfolding before me, and she quickly followed my gaze, her expression nearly matching mine as she took in the scene in front of us. "What the hell?" she whispered, causing the guys she was with to ask what was going on. She opened her mouth to respond, but I interjected, saying it was nothing and that I needed a drink. One of the guys suggested we go back to the bar, at which point Lux wrapped her arm around my waist and looked up at me with sad, stunned eyes. She must have figured out why I did not come back inside and realized I was with Kairos—the same Kairos who was now all over someone else.Plus, despite trying to walk straight, I was pretty sure she could see the limp in my step. My ass felt like it was on fire. I tried to fake a smile in response to her touch to hide the devastation inside me, but even I could tell I was doing a bad job. I was dead
Last Updated : 2024-12-13Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 6: Stalker Vibes
Lux"Get away from him, you psycho!" I yelled again, taking long strides toward Lake and the girl who still would not let him go, and yanked him out of her grasp. She tried to explain that she was just comforting him, but I refused to listen and told her to leave. What the hell? One minute she was all over Kairos, and the next trying to pass for Lake's friend?“What the hell is she trying to pull?” I muttered as she disappeared around the corner, wondering if that damn Kairos had anything to do with what she was up to. I had never harbored such intense resentment for someone I didn't even know as I did for that bastard. “It’s alright. I’m here. You are OK,” I whispered as Lake clung to me, realizing just how wasted he was. I had never seen him so out of it.Helping him stand straighter, I draped his arm over my shoulder, and we began to walk out of the bathroom. He was stumbling badly, causing me to sway as well, and I realized I would need assistance getting him back into our room.
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Lake's POV Lux and I exchanged a look, her eyes full of concern, but I couldn’t hold her gaze for long. My attention drifted to the girl standing behind us, and I still couldn’t find words to respond to her. I knew I didn't want her sitting next to us, but what would be my reason for chasing her away? I wasn’t a confrontational person, plus, as far as she knew, I had no reason to dislike her. She didn’t know I was gay or that something had happened between Kai and me, so she wasn’t aware that she did anything wrong. Regarding the kiss in the bathroom, I didn't know the whole story, and as I looked at her, my mind raced, desperately trying to piece together fragments of a memory that didn't exist.I pictured everything Lux had described to me, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember the incident.Instead, I was left with this hollow, sick feeling in my chest. I felt violated in a way I couldn’t fully articulate. I wasn’t even a tiny bit attracted to women. I was gay, str
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Lake’s POVMy heart slammed against my chest as I locked gazes with Kairos. He stood there, the bathroom door securely locked behind him, his green eyes dark and intensely focused on mine. "What are you doing here, Kairos?" I asked him again, but he didn't respond. Instead, he began to move towards me, the fiery energy emanating from him filling the small stall.I froze, my breath hitching as the last remnants of my relief vanished, my body betraying me by cutting off in the middle of my release, every muscle tensing. "Stop," I yelled, my voice shaky and urgent, the words barely audible over the roaring in my ears as I wondered what others thought when they saw him enter this stall with me inside."Kairos! Stop!" I turned quickly, fumbling to tuck my dick into my briefs and zip my jeans, but I wasn’t fast enough. His hand shot out, grabbing mine, halting me mid-motion, and my eyes flew up to meet his. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something in them—a glimmer of gold th
Last Updated : 2024-12-18
Latest chapter
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 53: Vulnerable
Reed's POVI slid the duffel bag containing Kairos's belongings off my shoulder as I entered the hospital room. I found him sitting next to Lake, fingers entwined and his posture rigid and protective as if he were prepared to watch over him all night. His head turned the moment he heard me enter, eyes landing on the bag in my hand.“I got everything I think you’ll need,” I said, walking over and setting the bag down gently near his feet. “Clothes, towels, some toiletries. I also have some cash for you in case you need it for something. I figured you don’t have your phone with you since the car got swept away.”Kairos nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Thank you," he said, before asking if my car had also been swept away, which I confirmed. I also told him that he did not have to worry about that. I’d take care of it.“Oh—and don’t worry about Lake’s hospital bill,” I added quickly. “You won’t have to pay for that. I mean... obviously. It’s not what the money’s for.” Kairos ga
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 52: Sudden Warmth
Reed's POVI stumbled out of the shower, dragged the towel tighter around my waist, and made my way into my bedroom. For a second, I just stood there, dripping onto the floor, staring at nothing. My mind felt blank as if someone had severed the wires inside my head, and I had no idea what I was supposed to do next until it finally clicked.Clothes; I needed to get dressed, grab some things for Kairos, take them to him, and then head over to Alec’s. I probably needed to call Alec before getting dressed to let him know I was coming and to reassure him that Lake would be fine because, if my head was a mess, his had to be a complete disaster.Dropping to the edge of the bed, I ran a hand through my wet hair as everything that had happened swirled around in my head like a tornado. Knowing Lake would survive gave me some relief, but to be honest, Lake was never my biggest concern.It was Kairos and Darian. It was the fact that they almost destroyed each other tonight—and that the fallout wa
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 51: The Mate Bond
Third-Party POVReed rushed up to Kairos, who looked like hell, with clothes that were clearly not his clinging to his body. He was barefoot, and his long, normally smooth hair was wild and heavy, weighed down by ocean remnants... bits of seaweed, tiny shells, and tangled grains of sand.Before Reed could say anything, Kairos spoke up, his words laced with desperation.“Where’s he?”Reed immediately raised his hand and pointed to the room where Lake lay. Without saying anything else, Kairos hurried forward, pushing through the doors, with Reed quickly following behind. Reed darted towards Dr. Dunn, grabbing his attention."May we please have a minute alone?" Dr. Dunn nodded immediately, indicating understanding. He turned and motioned to his team to step out, and they did so quietly, closing the doors behind them.Reed turned back just in time to see Kairos approach Lake's bedside. He leaned down, kissing Lake's forehead before lowering his own against it. His hands trembled as he cu
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 50: Bleeding
Kairos's POVThe sea continued to recede behind me, dragging itself back to its proper place as I burst through the water. But the damage had been done. The sand was littered with seaweed and broken objects, including wood, metal scraps, and shattered glass. The beach was no longer a beach; it was a graveyard, and I stumbled forward, blinking rapidly.My vision on land was poor at night. I could see a grain of sand shift miles away in the water, but up here, everything blurred into a dull muddled mess. The same was true for all merpeople. However, I was able to see enough of the destruction.The road that once ran along the beach had vanished beneath the mud and water. Houses in the distance sagged, their lights out while sirens sounded somewhere far away, with people yelling and car alarms blaring.I could hear the panic, the frantic scrambling of people trying to save whatever they could, and I wished I could tell them how sorry I was.But there was no time to dwell on regrets. My h
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 49: Heartbreak
Third-Party POVAlec held Lux tighter as she sobbed against his chest, her body trembling even as he held her tightly. His heart was racing from the dawning terror creeping into the corners of his mind as Lake's phone went unanswered. Her words sounded insane, especially because he had just spoken to Reed, who sounded very much alive a moment ago.But why was Lake not picking up his phone? Was he with Reed? Still holding her in one arm, he dialed Reed's number, but it went straight to voicemail. His stomach twisted. "Come on, come on…" he muttered, swallowing hard as he attempted Kairos.“Shit!” he whispered. He called Darian as well, but his phone went directly to voicemail. "I'm going to check the dorm," Alec said quietly, brushing her damp hair back from her face as Lux looked up. “Maybe Lake’s back—”“No.” Lux shook her head frantically. “No, I’m not going back there.”“Lux—”“No!” She cried out louder this time, pulling back to look at him. “You didn’t see what I saw, Alec! I’m n
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 48: Hell
Third-Party POVReed emerged from the ocean with Lake in his arms, salt stinging his eyes and throat as he gasped for air. But his relief was shattered when he looked up and saw hell.The road they had been driving on was no longer there. Entire stretches of asphalt were submerged, with only broken street signs and lampposts sticking out from the raging water. Their cars floated like forgotten toys, and Reed's heart lurched in his throat as he looked at his own car.Further up, a gas station was half-buried in the water, with fuel pumps bobbing like corpses, and he could not believe his eyes. Houses along the curve of the road were drowning, and the water was not just coming in waves; it was surging and he realized he needed to get away.His feet sank into the muddy slope of the shoreline as he adjusted Lake's limp body, feeling for his pulse, which he found. "Hang in there, man," he said quietly, adjusting Lake over his shoulder.His legs pumped furiously as he dashed through the ris
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 47: Fury
Third-Party POVLux was still frozen in the crashing waves, staring at the impossible vision in front of her, when the world was suddenly swallowed up in darkness again.The lightning was gone and Kairos, or whatever version of Kairos she had seen, vanished into the black. That was when the terror truly sank in.Her breath hitched and caught in her throat. The image of Kairos, the one with the tail suspended in the storm, burned itself into her memory like a curse. She had no idea what she had seen, but she knew one thing for certain: she needed to get out of there.Her feet pivoted before her mind could and sand kicked up behind her as she sprinted away from the shore, wild and ungraceful. Her knees buckled once, but she caught herself scrambling forward in the pitch black.The water's roar faded behind her, and her own ragged breaths became quiet, leaving only the pounding of her heart, which thrashed in her chest as if trying to claw its way out.A voice screamed in her head, "Run!
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 46: A Twisted Nightmare
Lake's POVI watched Darian as he directed the car to pull over to the side of the road, his movements remaining eerily calm. My hands clenched in my lap as he stepped out and shut the door without saying anything, and I leaned forward, looking around for Kairos.But it was not just dark, but pitch black. There were no lights along this stretch of the beach, and no signs of life either. The only thing I could see was the ocean ahead, and the sound of it crashing and churning filled my ears, becoming louder with each passing second.I stared out, my heart racing, as Darian began walking down to the water, his steps unhurried. Pushing the door open, I stepped outside, my feet crunching into the sand as I took a step forward, but then I came to a halt.My legs would not allow me to move. "Is he over there?" I called out, pointing ahead into the darkness, hoping, needing Darian to say something that would calm my racing nerves and give me the courage to continue, and he stopped."Yes," he
Coming Out of the Deep Chapter 45: Pleading
Kairos's POVI lost all sense of reason and direction as Lake's phone rang and rang without an answer, and I removed my phone from my ear, checked the screen as if that would change anything before hitting redial. However, there was still nothing."Come on, come on," I muttered, pacing in a circle before coming to a complete stop. I couldn’t find my car keys. My heart slammed so hard it hurt as if it was trying to punch its way out of my chest, as I ran back to Darian's side of the dorm, still calling Lake as the phone rang again.The door was still ajar from before, and I saw his car keys immediately as I stumbled in and I snatched them without a moment’s pause. I had no shoes on. Just my pajama bottoms, but I didn’t care.My mind was too loud, my thoughts too jumbled, and I did not even try to hide my superhuman speed as I leaped down the staircase. There was no time to run like a human now. "Please help me," I begged any power that would listen, switching back to calling Darian as
