10

He nods, pointing towards the door that takes you to the back passage to the docks.

I sprinted out of the hall to find her, praying she wasn’t trying to escape to the sea again. That image has haunted me for so long. I can’t lose her already. Not like before.

I ran towards the docks, frantically, then saw in the distance the silhouette of a mermaid utterly still in the sea, just staring at something at my personal dock. I gasp, realizing who it is, and what he must be staring at. He must have heard my gasp, because he quickly looked my way before smirking and diving under the water’s surface. His hearing is as excellent as always, I see.

I ran the distance from the castle walls to the dock, maneuvering around the stone trail so I didn’t fall off the cliff in my haste. It still takes me far longer than I would like, and I’m in full panic mode by the time I get near the dock.

“LIRA!” I yelled as loud as I could, my throat and lungs burning with the force. “LIRA!” I screamed again,