Dark returned to the sea. Conch and Coral descended back to their ship in silence, the surface excitement fading as pressure closed around them again. Coral settled quickly into rest, exhaustion finally winning. Conch didn't.
He returned to the pearl room. Zui lay where he had left her, curled comfortably against the hull. The dim light softened the bruises along her back, though they hadn't fully faded yet. Her pearl-and-gold fin drifted lazily, brushing the floor with slow, unconscious motion. Too visible. Too risky. Conch stood still, weighing outcomes the way predators did. Not in right or wrong, but in survival.
If she stayed, Coral would find her eventually.
If she left now, she might not survive the journey.
Both options tasted bad. The pearl pulsed softly. Conch turned toward it.
A bubble formed, revealing a map of the surrounding waters. A route appeared, winding along the ocean floor, skirting territories heavy with sharks and patrols. Not impossible. Just dangerous.
Conch
You have answers for everything, don't you.
The bubble shifted. The route extended farther, stretching across unfamiliar currents toward warmer waters. The Chinese Gulf.
Conch
That's… far.
The pearl pulsed again. Conch exhaled slowly.
Conch
Let's fix what we can.
The bubble popped. A soft pink cloud filled the room, wrapping around Zui's injuries. When it cleared, the bruises had faded. The scratch was gone. Zui stirred, breathing easier. Conch allowed himself a brief smile. The pearl puffed a small, heart-shaped cloud. Conch didn't acknowledge it. He left.
Morning light filtered faintly through the wreck. Coral danced through the halls, humming off-key, clearly still high on the memory of legs and sunlight. He stopped when he saw Conch exiting the pearl room.
Coral
You look miserable.
Conch
I have good news and bad news.
Coral brightened immediately.
Conch
There's land nearby. Populated land.
Coral grinned.
Conch
But every settlement sits near merfolk temples.
Coral's smile wavered.
Coral
You're joking.
Conch
I wish I was. If we want to blend in, we travel by boat. As people. We'll need a story.
Coral tilted his head.
Coral
Shipwreck survivors?
Conch nodded.
Conch
That works.
Coral bounced on his heels.
Coral
That still sounds amazing.
Conch studied him for a moment longer than necessary.
Conch
Get wood. Clothes. Whatever you can trade for. I'll stock food.
Coral
On it.
He swam off without hesitation. Conch waited until the water stilled again. Then he returned to the pearl room.
Zui was awake now, examining the trinkets along the shelves. She touched nothing she didn't have to.
The pearl pulsed sharply. A bubble formed. Inside it, soldiers swam in formation, led by a figure in a different uniform. They moved with purpose, angling toward the gorge. Zui stiffened.
Conch
They're looking for you.
Zui nodded.
Zui
My family reached Atlas.
Conch
Then you should go.
She looked at him in disbelief.
Zui
You're letting me leave?
Conch
You're healed. You know the direction.
She hesitated.
Zui
I thought podulus were enemies of the merkingdom.
Conch snorted quietly.
Conch
That doesn't mean I eat everything I see.
Zui relaxed slightly.
Zui
Thank you.
She swam toward the exit, then paused.
Zui
If we meet again, may I bring you something?
Conch
Don't.
She smiled faintly.
Zui
Your name?
Conch didn't answer. She left.
The pearl dimmed. A small question mark formed in its clouded bubble. Conch didn't look away.
Conch
Coral doesn't trust merfolk. For good reason. We're not supposed to exist freely. Too many limbs makes us targets.
The pearl showed Zui swimming. Then Coral.
Conch
He doesn't need to know. We'll be gone soon.
The image shifted. Atlas filled the bubble again.
Conch
No.
The bubble popped. The room filled with clouds. Conch staggered back as images formed around him.
Himself, human.
Himself, fishman.
Himself, seaman.
Then the last one. A body like his, but changed. One powerful tail. Crystal-clear fins like Zui's. Familiar. Wrong. For a moment, he felt it. The possibility. He shoved the cloud away violently.
The room snapped back to normal. His tentacles were unchanged. The pearl dimmed, silent.
Conch
No.
His voice shook.
Conch
I won't do that. Not to him. Not after everything.
He pressed a hand to his chest, breathing hard.
Conch
I don't care what I want. I care what he wants.
The pearl shimmered faintly. Conch grabbed his shell from the shelf and turned away. The pearl closed.