Agnes furrowed her brow as she opened her eyes, slowly parting her dry lips to call out to the child sleeping while sitting beside her. With a trembling voice, she called Cholo's name, and he immediately stood up the moment he saw her wake.
"Big sis, thank goodness you're finally awake!" the child exclaimed with intense joy.
"W-what happened?"
Her mind was a tangled mess of half-forgotten images—Erick's sneering face, the crashing waves, and a sudden, sharp pain. She pressed her palms into the mattress, trying to push herself up, but her muscles felt like water. Cholo immediately braced her back, his small hands surprisingly steady as he assisted her until she was upright.
That was her immediate question, her mind hadn't yet processed the events that had unfolded. She slowly pressed her palms against the sides of the bed and tried to force herself into a sitting position despite her shaking. However, she was still quite weak, so Cholo assisted her until she was fully upright.
"What exactly happened, Cholo?" she repeated.
"When that jerk ex of yours left, you started bleeding and lost consciousness. I immediately asked for help from my mother and father."
Her brow furrowed even deeper. As the memories of what happened before she blacked out slowly flooded her mind, her heart began to race. The overwhelming anxiety she felt for her husband, Islaw, returned instantly.
"H-how's my baby?"
"I-Islaw? How about him? Where is my husband?" She tried to stand up, but her legs gave out.
"Big sis, calm down! Don't move around too much!"
"Cholo, I won't be at peace knowing Islaw's life is in danger. I... I can't even think about it. I won't be able to accept it," she said, on the verge of tears.
"I know that, Big sis. Big brother is lucky to have you because aside from being a loving and caring wife, you're so thoughtful. But big sis, please don't forget the safety of this one," he said, gently placing his palm over her stomach.
Agnes froze. The warmth of the boy's hand on her belly brought a sudden, painful clarity. In her frantic worry for her husband, she had momentarily forgotten the fragile miracle they had created together.
She paused and reflected. Tears fell even faster as she cradled her own stomach. In her impulsive worry, she hadn't considered the safety of her child. She couldn't remain in this state, their child would be the one at risk. She didn't want to lose this baby, for it was the flesh and blood of her and her husband—the fruit of their love.
Especially since, for a long time, having a child was Islaw's only dream.
"Move slowly. Aunt Nita said your condition is delicate right now."
"Aunt Nita?"
"Yes, Big sis. I asked her for help aside from my mom, since she's the only other one who knows your secret."
"Thank them for me," she said briefly.
"Don't worry about that. For now, I need to find big brother," the child said, causing her heart to thud again. "It's been almost an hour since your ex left, and I'm sure he's already calling for backup."
"Cholo, I'm begging you. Do everything to find Islaw. I know that even if you're just on the shore, my husband will show himself to you."
"Of course, Big sister. I'll take care of it. I will always help you and big brother as much as I can."
"Thank you," she whispered emotionally.
Cholo was about to head out, but they both froze when they heard knocking from outside the front door. They looked at each other, waiting for a second knock. Soon, her eyes welled with tears as a familiar chirping sound came from the creature knocking outside.
"He's home, Big sis. Your husband is home," Cholo said with a smile before rushing to the door.
"Islaw!" She couldn't help but sob as Islaw crawled into the room.
"My Agnes." Islaw's eyes were filled with pure joy upon seeing her.
"Wait, I'll get some food that can bring your legs back, Big brother."
Cholo ran toward the kitchen. Agnes couldn't wait any longer and carefully stood up from the bed. Cholo was quick, though; before she could even take a step, he had returned and immediately fed Islaw rice. Gradually, her husband's shimmering tail and scales vanished, replaced by legs.
"My Agnes!" Islaw ran to her, undressed, and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Cholo quickly wrapped a blanket around Islaw's body.
"Islaw, what do we do now? Erick knows your secret," she wailed. Knowing Erick, they were in grave danger.
"Don't c-cry. I don't want to see you c-crying," Islaw pouted like a child. Even in this situation, he was still so cute.
"Islaw, the people will surely swarm you. They'll catch you, lock you in an aquarium. They'll play with you and use you for their own personal—I... I don't know what to do." She sank onto the edge of the bed as horrific thoughts filled her mind.
"Agnes." Islaw knelt sadly in front of her and rested his chin on her thigh. He gazed up at her intently.
"Sorry, Islaw. I didn't mean to scare you. I shouldn't have mentioned those things."
"I'm not s-scared, Agnes. Because I'm with you." He smiled and took her hand, kissing the back of her palm.
"Right. And I'm here, too. I'll take care of you guys," Cholo added boastfully, which actually helped calm her down.
"You two. I can't afford to lose you. I can lose everything else, just not the two of you and our child." She gently pinched Islaw's nose before hugging them both.
Their embrace was cut short when Aunt Nita and her husband rushed into the room, out of breath. From the look on their faces, Agnes knew things had taken a turn for the worse—especially as she heard footsteps approaching their location.
"Agnes, bad news. Erick brought many people with him to seize your husband," Aunt Nita said, a statement that shattered the peace of the night.
"Catch the merman!" she heard Erick shout from a distance.
"W-what are we going to do? I-I'm scared!" she cried out.
"Agnes, I'll f-face them and tell them I'm a good merman," Islaw said, which only heightened her fear.
"You will not! Stay here, you are not facing them!"
"Why don't you two just escape?"
She paused at Cholo's suggestion. He was right, that was the only way to get Islaw away from the cruel people outside. If she had to leave the village where she was born—the place full of memories of her and Islaw—then she would do it. She would leave everything behind just for him.
"Let's go." Weakly, she pulled Islaw toward the back exit, but people were already blocking the way.
"Agnes, where do you think you're going? Did you really think you could just walk away with our prize?" Erick sneered, walking straight inside. He was followed by the imposing figures of Mr. Morris, Madame Beattrice, and a fuming Lady Brianna.
"S-stop it! Get out of my house!" Agnes screamed, her voice cracking. "Leave my husband alone! He's not what you think! He's human! He has a heart, a soul—he's human!"
Erick let out a harsh, mocking laugh that echoed against the wooden walls. "Human? Don't be pathetic, Agnes. You look so scared. You wouldn't be shaking like a leaf if it weren't true that your husband is nothing more than a slippery fish."
"I said stop it! Will you never change? You're heartless, Erick. You're a monster who wants to ruin a life you can't even understand!"
Erick stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "Understand? I understand that you chose a freak over me. I understand that you've been sleeping with a beast while I can offer you the world. You're a disgrace, Agnes. You're a fish-wife."
Erick's words hung in the air like poison, but the room suddenly went ice-cold. Islaw, who had been trembling in fear just moments before, went deathly still. He slowly let go of Agnes and stood up to his full height, his broad shoulders blocking Erick's view of her.
The childlike innocence that usually defined Islaw's face vanished. In its place was something ancient and terrifying—a cold, predatory stillness that belonged to the depths of the ocean. He didn't roar or scream, he simply stepped into Erick's space, his eyes turning a dark, midnight gray that seemed to swallow the light of the torches.
"Don't," Islaw said. His voice was low, vibrating. It wasn't the voice of an innocent Islaw, it was like a scary warning of a different Islaw.
Erick flinched, his smirk faltering as he looked into Islaw's eyes. For the first time, he realized he wasn't looking at a mental case, but a powerful creature that could snap him in two without blinking.
"You call her names again," Islaw whispered, his face inches from Erick's, "and I will show you why the big s-ships stay away from the deep water. I am not a b-beast, Erick. But for Agnes... I can be a mon-monster."
Even as Islaw's words were broken by stutters, Erick could feel the profound weight of the threat behind them.
Islaw's hand shot out, not to punch, but to grip Erick's throat with a strength that felt like a vice of cold iron. He didn't lift him, just held him there, forcing Erick to look at the raw, serious power in his gaze.
Even the men who had come along to seize Islaw felt their skin crawl with dread.
"She is my wife," Islaw said, each word hitting like a wave. "She is the mother of my c-child. You are n-nothing but a small man with a loud mo-mouth. If you s-speak to her again, you will not like what I do."
"Islaw." was all Agnes could say.
He shoved Erick back with a single, effortless motion, sending the man stumbling into Mr. Morris. Islaw stood his ground, a silent, cold guardian, his eyes never leaving Erick's pale face. For that one moment, the room was silent, no one dared to move against the king of the sea.
Agnes turned her desperate gaze toward the others.
"Madame, Mr. Morris! Please—" She didn't get to finish as Madame Beattrice hand lashed out, a heavy slap that sent her head snapping to the side.
"Agnes!" Islaw roared, his voice more animal than man as he lunged forward, hugging her from behind to steady her. Beside them, Cholo began to panic, his small hands clenching into fists as he cried out for them to stop.
"Tie him up! Bind this smelly man if he has any evil plans against us. The nerve of him to threaten us!" The Madame ordered.
"Don't make a fool of us, you peasant!" Madame Beattrice growled, her face purple with rage. "To think I allowed an abomination to walk the halls of my mansion! You've brought filth into my home, Agnes!"
"Filth?" Agnes spat, holding her stinging cheek. "The only filth here is the greed in your hearts!"
"Agnes!" Lady Brianna stepped forward then, her face a mask of jealous fury. She didn't just slap Agnes, she grabbed her by the hair, ruthlessly yanking her head back.
"You shut your mouth! You stole the attention of every man around here, only to give yourself to a creature from the mud? You're disgusting, Agnes! You're lower than the trash the tide washes in!"
"Don't hurt my w-wife!" Islaw tried to shield Agnes from the blows.
Brianna let go of Agnes's hair and looked at Islaw with pure venom. "And you... Islaw. I can't believe I actually liked a fish like you. I thought you were some mysterious, silent beauty. Instead, you're just a cold-blooded animal with scales. I should have known no real man would be so stupidly loyal to a girl like her."
"Talk about luck, though," Mr. Morris cackled, her eyes glinting with the prospect of money. "To think the creature that will make us world-famous was under our roof the whole time. Just think of the collectors, the scientists, the museums! He isn't a man, Agnes—he's an investment."
"He's a father! He's a husband!" Agnes yelled, trying to stand her ground. "You can't sell a soul!"
"Watch us," Lady Brianna hissed. She turned to the door and gestured to the shadows waiting outside. "Go on! Seize this smelly fish! Drag him out and take him to the laboratory! If he struggles, use the nets! I want him in a tank by morning!"
"Let my husband go! Please, have mercy!" Agnes knelt with her hands clasped.
The men outside began to move, their heavy boots thumping on the floor as they closed in on the terrified couple. Agnes's heart broke for Islaw as she watched the men drag him out of their small house. She ran out to try and protect him, but before she could reach him, Lady Brianna grabbed her hair and shoved her into the sand.
"Brianna, p-please don't!" Islaw shouted.
"Shut up, you fish!"
"Do you really think I'd let you stay with your precious animal?" Lady Brianna sneered, gripping Agnes's face. Agnes could do nothing but weep and sob quietly.
"My husband is not an animal!"
"Then what should we call him? Human? This fish isn't human!"
"Brianna, you talk about Islaw as if you weren't chasing after him like a dog before." Agnes bravely knocked the hand away from her face.
Brianna's insults toward her husband were too much.
"What did you say?!" Brianna's eyes filled with malice.
"It's the truth, Brianna. You're like a dog trying to steal a healthy fish."
"How could you—" Before the woman could slap her, Mr. Morris beat her to it.
Agnes closed her eyes tightly and let out a sharp cry of pain as Mr. Morris grabbed her long, tied hair and mercilessly dragged her away from Brianna. They were all black-hearted, they were worse than animals.
"Don't touch her!" Islaw's roar thundered across the shore.
With the sheer force of his struggling, he nearly dragged the four men who were desperately trying to hold him back against the sand.
"Let go of big sis!"
Everything stopped as Cholo ran toward them and bravely pushed Mr. Morris away from her. Agnes sank weakly into the sand, and Cholo immediately supported her. She was so grateful the child was there for them, but she didn't want him to get hurt.
"Who is this lowlife child? He is far too meddlesome!" Madame Beattrice exclaimed in a rage.
"That stupid kid deserves to be punished, since he's one of the people who helped Agnes." Brianna said.
"Please, don't," Cholo's mother pleaded, immediately stepping in between them, terrified for her son's safety.
"Cholo, get away from here!" his mother screamed in worry.
"I'm not leaving. I will protect big sister and big brother, no matter what."
"Cholo, listen to your mother. It's better if you just let your big brother and me go. I'll handle this," Agnes said, forcing a small smile as tears fell.
In truth, she was terrified. But she had to be brave and stand on her own two feet. Only she could save Islaw and herself, she didn't want the innocent Cholo to be dragged into this mess. He had already done so much for them.
"Big sis." The child hugged her emotionally while the crowd waited for the next order from the Acostas.
"Cholo—"
"On the count of three, take big brother and run far away, big sis," the child whispered softly.
"C-Cholo." Her eyes filled with even more tears.
She couldn't accept the word escape. She never thought the day would come when she would have to hide and flee from the town of her birth—a place full of her parents' memories. But if it was necessary, she was willing to do it for Islaw and their child.
"Take this, Big sis. These are the pearls I took from your hiding place. Live happily with big brother, far away from all this trouble."
"W-what about you, Cholo?"
"Don't worry about me. Mother and father are here. Besides, I'm a big boy now. I can protect myself."
She covered her mouth and sobbed quietly, Cholo really had grown up. She even noticed his English grammar was perfect for once. She hugged him as tight as she could, knowing that once she let go, she might never hug this boy again.
"Be good, okay? Your big sister loves you very much."
"I will, Big sis."
She let out a deep breath as Cholo initiated the break of the hug. She balled her hands into fists, preparing for Cholo's signal. When he gave the word, she had to get Islaw away from these oppressive people.
Cholo approached the men holding Islaw.
"1, 2, 3!" Without warning, Cholo bit the hand of the man holding Islaw and kicked the other one in the shin.
"Islaw, let's go!" She quickly grabbed Islaw, and they started running.
"Son of a—follow them, you useless idiots!" she heard Erick scream as chaos erupted.
Agnes's spirits lifted when they encountered Aunt Nita and her husband holding a torch; they passed the couple, who blocked the path of those trying to pursue them. Even Cholo's parents helped them escape. She was heartbroken to leave, but there was no other choice.
"Don't you dare pass! This is as far as you go!" Aunt Nita's husband shouted, torch in hand.
"Agnes, don't stop running! Get far away from here!" Cholo's mother yelled, a cry Agnes couldn't even answer.
As instructed, they kept running. No matter how tired or how much their feet ached, they didn't stop. Eventually, they reached an unfamiliar town, having realized they had traveled quite a distance.
"Agnes, you're struggling to breathe." Worried, Islaw sat her down on a fallen tree.
"I-I'm okay. We just ran a bit far, so I'm a little tired. You? How are you? Are you tired? Are you cold?"
Only a towel was wrapped around his body.
"I'm tired, but you said we s-shouldn't stop running," he answered, pouting like a child. Her husband was truly adorable.
She gently pulled Islaw's hand down, and he knelt before her. It felt so right when they were like this, she felt completely at peace. Smiling, she wiped the sweat from his forehead. She could still feel him catching his breath.
"My husband looks exhausted."
"Yeah, because we went j-jogging," he answered, making her laugh.
"I wish it really was just jogging. But it wasn't, we escaped from them."
"Agnes?"
"Hmm?"
"Where is C-Cholo? Is Cholo going to f-follow us? He said he'd teach me moves—what was it called again? Hmm?" He closed his eyes tight, trying to remember.
"Smooth moves?"
"Yes, that's it! He said he'd t-teach me so you'd go crazy for me!" he said with giggles.
"I've been crazy for you for a long time, Islaw. I don't think I could survive losing you. That's why I'll do everything to make sure we're together until the end."
"How are you cra-crazy for me?"
"It's hard to explain. Just remember, you are my cute husband." She pinched his cheek, making him giggle.
"Islaw?"
"Yes, Agnes?"
"Don't wait for Cholo anymore, he won't be able to follow us." She hugged Islaw, tears falling again.
"Why?"
"You'll understand in time. For now, let's not think about things. We need to find a place to stay."
"Are we going to l-live here?" Islaw asked as she pulled back from the hug.
"It's dangerous for us to stay here. The Acostas will surely look for us here."
"Where do we go now, Agnes?"
"Anywhere we can find a home, as long as it's far from them. You'll stay with me, right, Islaw?"
"Yes, as long as I'm w-with you." He gave her a sweet smile.
"Thank you, my Islaw. I love you so much." She smiled and kissed his forehead.
"I love you so much too, my Agnes."
Islaw gently kissed her on the lips.