Simon stopped at a certain height and passed a letter to Stella.
It read
The adventure is yours little fish, no one can enter the Alloan except a mermaid and a Siren. Stay careful, Do not venture too far. I know I am taking a huge risk, but this is because I trust you.
Stella looked at Simon, blowing bubbles and nodded back, and he too did the same. She swam further until there was nothing but an ocean bed.
Stella frowned, there was no Alloan here.
Stella frowned. There was no sign of Alloan here, just an unremarkable stretch of ocean bed. Something felt off. She reached out, her fingers brushing the sandy surface, only to feel an unnatural texture beneath her touch. Her brows furrowed as realization dawned—this was no ordinary seabed.
Carefully, she pushed through the deceptive surface, and the moment she crossed it, her breath caught. The scene before her was breathtakingly surreal, like a vision pulled from another world. The waters shimmered in shades of turquoise and gold, casting a luminous glow that danced across the expanse. In the distance, a small cave stood, its entrance radiating with an energy that seemed to hum in her very bones.
It reminded her of something out of a fairytale—otherworldly, almost magical. The icy beauty of the landscape even brought to mind the enchanted kingdom in Frozen.
But this was no fairytale. This was Alloan, the place she had read about in Agatha's grimoires. It was said to be both stunningly beautiful and dangerously unpredictable. And it was more than that for Stella—it was the place where her parents had died, their last moments shrouded in mystery.
As she swam closer to the dark blue cave, she felt its energy growing stronger, coursing through her body and awakening something deep within her. The pull was irresistible, as if the very essence of the Alloan was calling to her, demanding her presence.
This wasn't just a place of power—it was a place of secrets, the answers she had been searching for hidden within its depths. And now, as she hovered at its entrance, Stella steeled herself to face whatever truths Alloan had to reveal.
She could feel the power flowing through her body. She slowly entered the huge cave, she swam further into it. Finally she landed at the end of the cave, she looked below her, the cave was looking like it was made of glass and had intricate patterns on the glass like surface.
Stella slowly entered the vast expanse of the cave, her movements deliberate and cautious. The water grew colder as she swam deeper into the shadowy abyss. The cave's walls shimmered faintly, as though imbued with the ocean's own luminescence, guiding her path.
At last, she reached the farthest depths and descended. Her feet touched a surface that startled her—it was not rough like stone, but smooth, almost like glass. She looked down and gasped. The floor of the cave was intricately designed, with swirling patterns that seemed alive, glowing faintly in hues of silver and blue. The designs felt ancient, like they carried stories older than time itself.
Stella knelt down and placed her hand on the glass-like surface, closing her eyes in search of any clue, any sign of what she was meant to find here. The moment her eyelids shut, a deep, resonant voice echoed in her mind.
"Water holds memories, Stella. Always remember."
Her eyes flew open, her breath quickening. The voice was unfamiliar yet comforting, as though it had come from someone she was meant to trust. But when she looked around, she was still alone in the vast silence of Alloan.
What was that? she wondered, her heart pounding.
Determined to understand, she closed her eyes once more. This time, the faint echoes of a conversation surfaced, as though the water itself carried the memories of the past.
"Kiaro, she's just a month old," came a soft, melodic voice, filled with a mixture of love and worry.
Stella's chest tightened. Kiaro. That was her father's name. And the voice—she recognized it. It belonged to her mother.
She kept her eyes shut, letting the scene unfold in her mind. The watery memory shifted, and now her mother's voice was tinged with panic.
"What happens if Milor finds her—and us?"
Stella's heart raced.
Her father's voice, calm yet resolute, answered. "We need to find him before that happens. But first, we have to know if Stella is just a normal mermaid… or if there's something special about her. We have to go to Alloan."
The memory faded, leaving Stella trembling. Her parents had come here, not just seeking answers but also seeking protection. They had risked everything to discover the truth about her, and perhaps, to keep her safe from a danger she still didn't fully understand.
She opened her eyes and gazed at the shimmering patterns beneath her feet. This place held not just memories—it held truths. And Stella knew that uncovering them was the only way to truly understand who she was and what she was meant to do.
Stella closed her eyes again, desperation clawing at her chest. She needed more—more whispers, more memories, more pieces of the puzzle that would help her make sense of the life her parents had fought to protect. Yet this time, there was only silence, an emptiness that echoed louder than any voice. She opened her eyes, her gaze pleading with the shimmering cave, as though it might take pity on her and reveal its secrets.
Then, as if responding to her unspoken plea, the cave seemed to shift. The walls rippled and pulled away, stretching into an endless tunnel that called to her. The glowing patterns on the glass floor danced like currents, guiding her forward.
Stella hesitated, Simon's warning ringing in her mind. Don't go too deep, Stella. His voice had been stern, edged with a rare vulnerability. But she couldn't stop now. Not when she was this close to uncovering the truth.
She took a deep breath and swam further, ignoring the growing weight in her chest and the cold that seeped into her bones. The cave grew darker, the light from the entrance fading behind her, until all she could see were faint glimmers in the distance, like stars trapped beneath the water.
Every stroke carried her deeper, and with each movement, an ominous sense of foreboding settled over her. She felt as if she were crossing an invisible line, one that marked the boundary between safety and danger.
I'm swimming towards my death, she thought grimly, but the thought didn't slow her down. If the answers she sought lay at the end of this path, then so be it.
Her heart hammered in her chest as the tunnel began to narrow, its walls closing in around her. The glow beneath her feet grew stronger, pulsating with an intensity that matched the rhythm of her heartbeat. It was as though the cave itself were alive, breathing, waiting.
Stella's resolve hardened. If her parents had braved this place to protect her, she would honor their sacrifice. If answers awaited her in the depths, she would find them—no matter the cost.