CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE DEMON KING WHO WAITED FOR HER
by C.G
THE PRINCESS OF THE WATERS.
The moment Linah stepped into her mother's world, everything changed.
The water spirits parted before her as if they had been waiting all their lives for this moment. The currents no longer pushed or tested her — they bowed. Soft lights shimmered beneath the water, illuminating a vast kingdom hidden from mortal eyes, where coral walls rose like palaces and ancient symbols glowed with life.
"Welcome home, Princess," the spirits whispered in one voice.
Linah froze.
Princess.
Her heart trembled as she looked around, overwhelmed by the reverence in their eyes. Women of the waters adorned her with flowing fabrics that moved like liquid light. Ancient markings were gently traced on her wrists and forehead — not as chains, but as crowns.
Mako stood behind her, silent, his chest tight with emotion. The woman he loved was no longer only the woman he had waited for.
She was legacy.
She was prophecy.
She was power.
At the center of the underwater court, the elders of the waters rose.
"You carry your mother's spirit," one elder said gently. "Rute, daughter of our queen, lives on in you."
Linah swallowed hard.
For the first time, her mother's name felt real.
Rute.
Tears filled her eyes as she bowed, not as a servant, but as a daughter returning to a story interrupted by blood and betrayal.
Love in the Quiet
That night, after the rituals and fortifications, Linah and Mako were given a private chamber carved into crystal stone. The water outside glowed softly, peaceful — as if the world itself had paused to give them this moment.
Mako pulled Linah into his arms, holding her like something sacred.
"I was afraid," he confessed quietly. "Afraid this world would take you from me."
Linah rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat — steady, alive.
"No world can separate us now," she said softly. "We have already crossed death together."
He lifted her chin, his eyes full of devotion and pain.
"I have waited lifetimes for you," Mako said.
"Even when I didn't know your name."
Their kiss was slow, deep, filled with memories of loss and promises of survival. For a moment, there was no war, no bloodline, no destiny — only two souls who had finally found each other again.
Later, as Mako slept beside her, Linah remained awake, staring into the glowing water.
The war was coming.
She could feel it.
THE DREAM OF BLOOD AND MERCY
Sleep took her quietly.
Linah found herself standing in a place between worlds — not water, not land, but light.
Before her stood a man and a woman.
Her parents.
Her father's eyes were kind but heavy with sorrow. Her mother, Rute, was radiant, her presence calm yet commanding.
"My child," her mother said softly. "You carry a gift meant to heal worlds, not destroy them."
Linah's heart clenched. "They killed you. They killed those we love.
How can I not fight?"
Her father stepped forward. "Bloodshed will not bring peace."
"They must pay!" Linah cried, anger spilling free. "They took everything from us!"
Her mother's voice hardened — not cruel, but firm.
"The gods do not sleep," Rute said. "Vengeance belongs to them."
For the first time, Linah shook her head. "I cannot stand aside."
Silence fell.
Then her mother touched her forehead gently.
"You will not start the war," she said. "But you will survive it."
Tears streamed down Linah's face.
Reluctantly… she bowed.
"I will obey," she whispered.
The light faded.
THE GATHERING OF DARKNESS
Far from the waters, beyond sacred lands, Lyold and Tonde journeyed into a place where the sun refused to rise.
The land was cracked, poisoned, and screaming with old curses.
"This is where power answers hunger," Tonde said, his voice twisted with ambition.
Lyold's eyes burned. "We will return stronger."
Dark figures emerged from the shadows, watching them with interest.
The price would be high.
But they were willing to pay it.
A Promise Deferred
Linah woke with tears on her cheeks.
Mako stirred beside her. "What did you see?"
She looked at him, conflicted.
"The war will come," she said softly. "But it will not begin with us."
Mako nodded, understanding more than she expected.
"Then we prepare," he said. "And when the time comes… we stand together."
Outside, the waters hummed uneasily.
The world was holding its breath.
And destiny was patient.
END OF CHAPTER SEVENTEEN