"And only one of them is telling you the truth."
I stared at the stranger.
My mind struggled to understand his words.
"My father?"
He nodded.
"Which one?"
"That is what you must discover."
I stepped forward.
"You said my mother is safe. Where is she?"
"She went looking for answers."
"Where?"
"The sea."
My heart sank.
"Why would she go back there?"
"Because she finally realized she could no longer protect you with lies."
Shawshank stepped closer to him.
"What did you do to Angela?"
The stranger smiled.
"Nothing."
"Then why should we believe you?"
"You shouldn't."
I looked at him.
"Who are you?"
He studied my face for several seconds.
"My name is Elias."
The name sounded strangely familiar.
"Have we met?"
"No."
"Then why do I feel like I know you?"
"Because your grandmother made sure you would."
I frowned.
"My grandmother?"
Elias nodded.
"She knew one day you would come looking for the truth."
"Then tell me."
"Not here."
"Why?"
"Because we're being watched."
Shawshank immediately looked toward the window.
The curtains moved slightly.
But the windows were closed.
"Who is watching us?"
Elias's expression became serious.
"The queen."
My stomach tightened.
"She can come to the surface?"
"She has ways."
Shawshank grabbed my hand.
"We have to leave."
Elias shook his head.
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because Bjei needs to see something."
He walked toward the wardrobe.
I followed cautiously.
Elias opened one of the drawers and removed an old wooden box.
My heart skipped.
I recognized it.
It looked exactly like the box from the underwater sanctuary.
"Where did you get that?"
"Your grandmother gave it to me."
"When?"
"Before she disappeared."
He placed the box on the bed.
My fingers trembled as I opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Angela.
My grandmother.
And a baby.
Me.
But there was someone else in the photograph.
A man.
I stared at him.
It was the same man from the memories.
The same man who had stood beside my grandmother.
The same man who looked like Shawshank's father.
My breathing became shallow.
"Who is he?"
Elias didn't answer.
"Tell me."
"He is the reason your mother ran."
"From whom?"
"From him."
I stared at the photograph.
"Is he my father?"
Elias looked at me.
"Yes."
My heart pounded.
"Which one?"
His expression became complicated.
"The one you haven't met yet."
I shook my head.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It will."
Shawshank stepped forward.
"You're confusing her."
Elias turned toward him.
"I'm protecting her."
"You're hiding things too."
"So are you."
Shawshank went silent.
I looked between them.
"What are you both hiding?"
Neither answered.
I felt anger rising again.
"Everyone keeps telling me I'm special, that I'm connected to the sea, that my family has secrets. But nobody will actually tell me anything!"
My voice broke.
"I just want the truth."
Shawshank stepped toward me.
"Bjei…"
I turned away.
"I don't want another secret."
He gently touched my hand.
"Then don't look at me as someone who wants to keep you in the dark."
I looked at him.
"I don't know what to believe anymore."
"You can believe that I won't hurt you."
I wanted to believe him.
I really did.
But before I could respond, the lights in the house suddenly went out.
Everything became dark.
Elias immediately grabbed the photograph.
"She's here."
"Who?" I whispered.
"The queen."
A cold breeze passed through the room.
Then a woman's voice echoed from downstairs.
"Bjei."
My heart froze.
Shawshank pulled me behind him.
"Stay close."
The voice came again.
"Come downstairs, child."
Elias looked toward the door.
"There's no time."
"What do we do?" I asked.
"Run."
We hurried out of the bedroom.
But before we reached the stairs, a figure appeared at the bottom.
A woman in a long silver dress.
Her eyes glowed faintly.
The queen.
She looked up at me.
"You shouldn't have come back."
I stepped backward.
"Where is my mother?"
"She made a foolish choice."
"What did you do to her?"
"Nothing."
"You're lying!"
The queen smiled.
"Your mother is exactly where she has always belonged."
"Where?"
The queen looked toward the sea.
"Beneath it."
My heart dropped.
"You took her?"
"No."
She smiled.
"She went willingly."
I looked at Shawshank.
He seemed just as shocked.
The queen raised one hand.
A strange blue light appeared.
Inside it, I saw Angela.
She was standing on the shore.
And beside her was a man.
I couldn't see his face.
But Angela was crying.
Then she said something that made my blood turn cold.
"Please forgive me, Bjei."
The vision disappeared.
I stared at the queen.
"What does she mean?"
The queen's smile returned.
"Ask your mother."
"How?"
"Come beneath the sea."
Shawshank stepped forward.
"She won't go anywhere with you."
The queen laughed.
"She won't have to."
The golden mark on my ankle suddenly burned.
I cried out.
The queen's eyes widened.
"Yes…"
She smiled.
"The awakening has begun."
And somewhere beneath the ocean, something enormous answered with a roar.