It was nearing a year since Aqua and Dawn officially became lovers. More surprisingly, Jericho snagged himself a cute boyfriend a few months ago. Nobody knew where the bar owner picked his lover from. However, that man was rather odd. Jericho was surprisingly secretive about him as well. All they knew from the gay bartender was his name.
“Melvin said this restaurant by the cliffside is famous for its seafood. Aqua likes escargots, so you should book a reservation in advance if you plan to propose. Do you need help with the rings?”Shaking his head, Dawn looked at Jericho’s tall but pale-looking boyfriend. Melvin’s hazel eyes darted to the side as he slouched a little under the ex-criminal’s gaze. It was still difficult to believe Jericho was dating such a wimpy man. Apart from his good looks, Melvin resembled a scared puppy whenever they met up. The two men had been dating for a few months now. However, Melvin had never spoken with anyone elseAlthough it wasn’t Aqua’s first time travelling to an ocean, it was her first time travelling to a beach that had sand. She was thrilled when Dawn told her about the holiday idea to travel with Jericho and Melvin. After finding out where it would be, the mermaid started marking her calendar and counting the days. It would be their one-year anniversary as a couple, making this trip more meaningful than all their other vacations.The weeks rolled by as Dawn and Jericho finalised their preparations for the holiday and proposal. Aqua remained blissfully oblivious to her boyfriend’s shifting mood as work occupied her. They had less physical contact during the period, which bothered the mermaid a little. However, Dawn prepared sweet surprises for her regularly, whether showing up during her work, sending her flowers or buying her little gifts. The colleagues around Aqua swooned with envy at the romantic gestures. Even after nearly a year together, the mermaid still
The sun and beach were not for everyone. Dawn and Melvin learnt that the hard way when they accompanied their overly enthusiastic lovers for a day out in the sand. While Aqua enjoyed the sun through her golden locks and seawater on her skin, Dawn suffered from heatstroke and a terrible sunburn that caused his skin to turn red, peeling in a few days. Likewise, Melvin spent most of his time under a shelter, wearing a copious amount of sunblock. The pale man was often sluggish, even when he hid under his umbrella. According to Jericho, the big man had some sort of allergy to the sun and heat.While the two men spent most of the day indoors, Aqua and Jericho had a blast at the beach. Thanks to the hectic and physically demanding nature of their work in the service line, they had no problems picking up physically challenging sports like jet skiing or scuba diving. Aqua was a natural, and Jericho picked up the skills quickly. They spent a lot of time surfing and eating street food to
“Stay close to me,” Dawn commanded, grabbing Aqua’s hand tightly. “We’ll make it out of here alive.”The commotion below died in a few minutes, and Dawn peeked at the lobby. Apart from the establishment staff lying on the ground with their hands behind their head, most customers fled the restaurant. It was unlikely that this was a robbery. A resort with such luxuries must also have a great security system. It would only be a matter of time before the security arrived. All Dawn had to do was buy time. The shooter came alone. He could take that person down with force if needed.“Where is he?!” the crazed gunner yelled at the head waiter. “I know he’s in here somewhere!”When they heard the voice, Dawn turned to Aqua immediately. For some reason, he knew that voice. Although it sounded much more unhinged than the refined, sleazy confidence in his memories, there was no mistaking who the shooter was.R
Looking down into the whirlpools beneath, Dawn stopped. He ran to a place without witnesses in the area deliberately. It was only a matter of time before Ricardo caught up with him, and thankfully, Aqua wasn’t around. She would have jumped off the cliff and taken their chances with the deep blue sea instead of giving him a chance with the devil.Now that his heart was out of the picture, Dawn pulled out that pistol he always hid with him. It was a customised pistol made from printed plastic that could only hold one bullet. However, that was enough. After all, there was only one man he wanted to kill. Judgement day came at the wrong time, but it might be for the best. Dawn could only truly live his life like a civilian with Aqua once Ricardo was dead.For the longest time, Dawn waited for this day. He never skipped a day at the gym and continued to polish his martial arts skills because he knew that while Jim was satisfied with the raid, Ricardo was never confirmed de
The crimson liquid oozed out of his hand, and colour left his face with his brows knitted in agony. Dawn could faintly hear Aqua running over. He made sure to shoot Ricardo somewhere vital when he saw the man look to the side. He knew he was losing blood too fast, even if the bullet missed a vital organ. The closest hospital was about an hour away from this resort. He wouldn't make it even if Jericho arrived within the next minute.“Dawn!” Aqua collapsed beside Dawn, scrapping her knees on the stony ground, but she couldn’t feel the pain.Supporting the man and bringing him away from the dangerous cliff edge, Aqua cried under the waxing moon. Why wasn’t it a new moon? She could be saving him with these tears that fell endlessly.Lying on Aqua’s lap, Dawn studied his beautiful saviour. Now that Ricardo was dead, he was finally a free man. They had to remove the evidence and body before the authorities arrived. It sucked to leave everything
“So you’re telling me that she isn’t human and you knew about it?!”Nobody spoke. There were two patients in the room and a storm outside that rivalled Jericho’s rage.After discovering the crazy scene, Jericho dragged and tossed Ricardo’s body over the cliff while his dhampir boyfriend prevented Dawn from hurting anyone else. The gills grew on the side of Dawn’s neck and the bullet wound started closing up, so Melvin dug his nails in to remove the bullet.According to the legends, mermaid flesh was able to grant semi-immortality due to its rapid regeneration abilities. Many merfolks were hunted in the past for their flesh by humans who kept them as pets. As a result, merfolks chose to live in deeper waters, concealing their presence from everyone until they were merely a myth. Only those who lived long enough to remember those times knew about merfolks. Melvin was saved by one of Aqua’s kind long ago and knew a few secrets. Imagine his surprise when he learned how a
"Aqua! Don't go too close to the land. Stay away from humans. They're nothing but terrible creatures who destroy anything they don't understand. If they see you, swim to the bottom of the ocean as fast as you can and don't look back."To this day, Aqua remembered her mother's words. Unfortunately, the old mermaid was severely injured by a crazy orca and passed away several years ago. Aqua only had her mother growing up. The lady taught her everything she knew, from hunting to astrology. She was still grieved thinking about the horrible day. However, the young mermaid knew that life had to go on. She might not have her mother with her but remembered everything she was told.The deep sea came with a different set of dangers. There might not be many humans in the deep sea, but there were sharks and whales that loved to eat merfolks. Aqua’s village was wiped out by a school of hungry whales, and her mother escaped with baby Aqua in her arms as her father and brothers fought valiantly. Com
At the age of twenty-seven, Dawn Daniels had everything anyone wanted — women, money and power. His father was an infamous mafia don, and it was no surprise that he would inherit the family business after his father died from a heart attack. There was no other family apart from the old don who refused to remarry after Dawn’s mother passed away from childbirth. However, the young don always saw his subordinates as his family. In particular, his father’s advisor had always been a big brother Dawn never had. Ricardo was the last person Dawn expected to betray him. Yet, reality was constantly disappointing him.“This is the end of line, buddy. It’s been a joy watching you grow up all these years. No hard feelings, Dawn. I’ll send you off without pain to reunite with your parents.”Growling at the traitor under his nose, Dawn couldn’t help but regret overlooking the signs. His father’s death had been suspicious from the beginning, but the young mafia boss had many things to settle on the t