The next morning, they packed up camp, the smell of ash clinging faintly to their clothes.
By the time they descended the mountain trail and reached the house, the sun had already risen.
"You're back," Demetrius said as they approached
"We are. What's wrong? its rare to see you here at this time"
Demetrius's gaze flicked briefly to Gio, then returned to Juniper. "There's something you need to know."
Gio got the hint and went into the house ''I'll leave you two to it.''
The lightheartedness Juniper carried from the mountain ebbed slightly. He tilted his head. "What is it?"
Demetrius stepped forward, his voice dropping into that calm but decisive register he used when delivering important news. "The merfolk at the military hospital—the one you were concerned about. He's regained consciousness."
Juniper's ears twitched, eyes widening. "He's awake?"
"Yes," Demetrius confirmed, his expression unreadable but his attention fixed squarely on Juniper's reaction. "I'll be leaving shortly to see them. You should come with me."
Juniper nodded quickly, his heart beating faster, a mix of relief and worry tightening his chest. "Of course. Just… let me change, and I'll be ready."
Demetrius nodded in response, turning to leave the room.
"You'll need to be prepared. The merfolk may not be stable—mentally or physically." Demetrius warned him.
Juniper rushed inside, still smelling faintly of pine and smoke from the mountains. Gio was unpacking their bags by the door, looking up the moment Juniper entered.
"Something up?" Gio asked, wiping his hands on a towel.
Juniper nodded quickly. "I need to head over to the military.. Demetrius is here, he wants me to go with him."
Gio's brows lifted slightly, but he didn't ask questions. "Go. I'll handle things here."
"Yeah," Juniper said, giving him a small, grateful smile before heading upstairs. He changed into something clean and simple—light clothes, comfortable boots, and his short cloak. His mind was racing the whole time. The merfolk had survived. After all the uncertainty, there were finally answers waiting.
When he came back down, Demetrius was standing by the doorway.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yeah," Juniper replied. "Let's go."
The ride to the military hospital was quiet. Demetrius didn't talk much—he rarely did—but the air around him carried that usual weight of authority. Juniper sat beside him, glancing out the window at the passing streets, his thoughts spinning between worry and curiosity.
After a while, Demetrius finally spoke. "The merfolk might be unstable. Don't overwhelm him with questions. Let him talk first. I'll step in if needed."
"Got it," Juniper said, nodding. "I'll be careful."
When they arrived, the military hospital loomed in front of them. Soldiers saluted Demetrius the moment he entered, stepping aside as they passed through the corridors.
The air smelled like disinfectant and salt water. Juniper noticed faint traces of moisture clinging to the walls, like the room they were heading to had been specially adjusted for a water-dwelling patient.
Finally, they stopped in front of a guarded door. One of the soldiers standing watch saluted sharply. "The patient is awake and stable, but he's… quiet. He doesn't talk much."
Demetrius nodded once. "We'll see him."
The door opened with a soft hiss.
Inside, the room was dimly lit, and the air felt cool and damp. The merfolk sat propped up his long pale hair still damp, opal like scales faintly visible along his collarbones. His eyes—clear and deep like seawater—flicked toward them the moment they entered.
Demetrius stepped closer, his voice firm but calm. "You're awake. Can you understand us?"
The merfolk blinked slowly, his voice hoarse. "…Yes."
Juniper took a careful step forward. "We're here to help you. You don't have to be afraid," he said gently, his ears twitching nervously.
The merfolk looked at him for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in his gaze. Then, almost imperceptibly, he nodded.
Demetrius's tone softened slightly, though his stance remained formal. "Good. Then let's start simple. Do you remember your name?"
The merfolk was quiet for a long moment. His gaze drifted past them, to the faint shimmer of sunlight spilling through the windowpane and scattering across the water-filled tanks that kept the room humid. His eyes reflected the light like liquid glass—distant..
When he finally spoke, his voice was soft and melodic.
"…Nerion."
Juniper repeated it quietly, tasting the name on his tongue. "Nerion."
Nerion's eyes flicked toward him at the sound, his expression unreadable. "Yes. But people call me Neri."
Demetrius nodded once, his tone measured. "Good. You're safe now, Nerion. You're not in captivity, this is simply a place for recuperation, but we need to understand what happened to you—and how you ended up here."
Nerion hesitated, his fingers twitching against the blanket. For a moment, the faint shimmer of bio luminescent light traced along the veins of his forearm, glowing faint blue before fading again. "I don't know how I arrived here exactly but.." he said at last. "One moment, there was chaos. It was like an intense energy, there was a surge. Energy so strong it swallowed everything. When I woke again… I was here."
Demetrius exchanged a glance with Juniper, his sharp gaze thoughtful. "What happened before that moment?"
"Yes, there were invaders.. at the time they we're coming for our resources." Nerion murmured. "We call it maricite. It stores energy from the deep currents. A living crystal. It powers our cities… To outsiders, perhaps its seen as fuel and a rare sort after crystal but we depend on it"
Demetrius thoughtfully asked, "And the energy burst that brought you here—could it have been a dimensional rift? Some kind of pulse reaction from the crystals?"
"I'm not sure." Nerion shook his head slightly and admitted. "I felt the currents tearing apart, power overflowed, breaking through space itself. My body followed the pull before everything went dark. When I woke, I was surrounded by machines here."
Juniper's gaze softened, his heart aching with quiet empathy. "it must have been difficult for you."
Nerion tilted his head slightly, studying Juniper with those strange, shifting eyes.
Nerion hummed faintly, the sound low and soothing, like a tide against the shore. "Then you understand as well that when something living is stripped of its balance, everything suffers. I hope what I have mentioned here is not to be used against my people."
Demetrius's arms folded behind his back again, his expression unreadable. "If this maricite is as powerful as you describe, it could be dangerous if anyone here learns how to locate or harness it and what it could be used for so you don't need to worry about misusing this, however the people who had invaded your planet are another matter."