The ocean was quiet, too quiet.
Thalen turned to Kael,"Tea or not,you are not ready for the truth princey."
He swiftly turned and disappeared in the quiet ocean.
The sky started rumbling and soon a storm started,and it was worse than the first one. Lightning pierced the skies and the next thing Kael knew he was in the waters with Lyra with no knowledge of how he got there.
"This is not exactly my kind of fun,so be careful the next time."Lyra said as she brought Kael to the shore
Kael stood at the edge of the cove, barefoot, his heart still hammering from what had just unfolded. The scent of salt clung to his skin, mingling with the lingering warmth of Lyra's fingers from when she had pulled him away from the storm.
Behind him, the rocky walls shimmered faintly with fading light from the magical backlash. The sea was calm now, but something inside him still thrashed, wild and unresolved.
Lyra floated a few feet offshore, her silver tail half-submerged and shimmering like a knife beneath the moonlight. Her expression was unreadable.
"Well," she said, voice low, "you nearly died. Again."
Kael didn't look at her right away. He was staring at his hands. "I think the storm was trying to say something."
Lyra let out a scoff. "The sea doesn't talk, Prince."
"Then why does it keep listening to us?"
That silenced her. A wave gently lapped at her side, as though in reply.
Kael turned. "You saved me."
"I didn't have a choice."
"But you did. You always do."
The tension stretched like a tight rope between them, ready to snap.
Lyra swam closer. Her hair clung to her shoulders, wet and tangled from the rain. When she reached the edge, she pulled herself partially onto the rocks, her tail curling beneath her.
Kael crouched beside her. "What happened back there? The lightning... it felt like it was aimed at me."
"It was."
"So I really did piss off the sea?"
"Not the sea." Lyra sighed. "The curse."
Kael swallowed. "So it is reacting to us?"
"To you. To me. To how close we get."
There was a silence, but it wasn't empty. Kael could feel the weight of her words pressing into him.
"You're changing it," she said finally. "Or it's changing you. I don't know which terrifies me more."
Morning came too soon. The skies were streaked with silver and coral, and the tide was low, revealing glistening patches of seagrass. Kael had fallen asleep in the cove, curled under Lyra's watchful gaze.
He woke to the sound of soft footsteps.
Elli stood at the cove's mouth, holding a basket of bread and herbs.
"I brought breakfast. I thought... you might need something warm."
Kael sat up groggily. "Elli. You didn't have to."
She gave a soft smile, but her eyes flicked to Lyra, who was still floating in the tidepool.
"I wanted to."
Kael took the basket and sat beside her on a flat rock. "Thanks. Last night was... a lot."
Elli nodded. She looked around the cove, her gaze settling on the grooves in the stone where magical lightning had scorched the earth.
"What was that, Kael?"
He hesitated. "Something I'm still figuring out."
Behind them, Lyra cleared her throat. "The village girl comes bearing gifts. How quaint."
Elli's spine stiffened. "I thought I'd check on him. Not that it's any of your business."
Lyra smirked. "Everything here is my business."
Kael stood, trying to mediate. "Hey, hey. Let's not start the day with sarcasm."
But before more words could fly, another figure emerged from the forest path behind Elli.
Miri.
She stepped into the clearing like she belonged there, clutching a string of delicate shells in her hand. Her eyes landed on Kael, and something about her presence made the air grow tense.
"You dropped this last night," she said, holding up the charm. "Thought you might want it back."
Kael blinked. "You... you picked it up?"
"Of course. It was glowing."
Lyra hissed under her breath. "That's not just a trinket."
Miri ignored her and stepped forward, slipping the charm over Kael's head. The moment it touched his chest, the wind stilled.
Kael looked down. "Why does this feel familiar?"
Lyra narrowed her eyes. "Because it's made from sirenbone. Old magic. Dangerous magic."
Miri just smiled. "I thought it suited you."
Elli took a step back. "Who exactly are you?"
Miri tilted her head. "A friend. Maybe more."
Later that day, as the sun climbed high, Kael found himself walking the edge of the cliffs with Lyra beside him in the shallows.
"She knows more than she lets on," Lyra said.
"Miri?"
Lyra nodded. "That charm? It's not something a human should be carrying. Let alone giving away."
"Maybe she found it," Kael said.
"Or maybe she was meant to find you."
They walked in silence for a moment. Then Kael said, "Lyra, do you ever wonder if this curse was about more than keeping you here?"
Lyra stopped swimming. "What do you mean?"
"Maybe it was waiting. For someone. For me."
She met his gaze, and for the first time in days, he saw no sarcasm in her eyes. Only sorrow.
"If that's true, then I'm sorry, Kael. Because it means you were never free."
That night, the Oracle returned.
She arrived on the wind, barefoot, her eyes covered with seaweed-thin cloth. She walked straight to Kael, ignoring the others.
"You have seen the storm," she whispered.
Kael nodded.
"And now you must see the truth."
She placed her hands on his temples. Visions flooded him — Lyra as a girl, surrounded by sisters who vanished into mist. The sea screaming. The curse binding her to the rocks. A choice made in grief. A song turned into a prison.
Kael gasped as he was released. "She didn't choose it."
The Oracle nodded. "But you might."
And then she was gone.
When Kael told Lyra what he saw, she didn't speak. She just floated close, eyes burning.
"You know now," she whispered. "You could run."
He reached out and touched her tail, gently. "I could. But I won't."
And the sea, hearing their promise, shimmered with magic neither of them yet understood.