"I should probably explain it better. You seem… rather perplexed," Kainal said at last, his voice dipping with faint amusement, though the weariness beneath it couldn't be hidden.
I gave him a curt nod, my eyes fixed on his face. "Go on," I gestured for him to continue.
He let out a quiet sigh then began idly swirling the glass in his hand. The faint liquid inside rippled under the dim blue light of the coral lamps.
"You've heard about our deity, haven't you? The Red Sea…"
"Yes," I replied. "I've heard of it, but only in passing. I know it's the deity of your kind, but nothing more."
"Hmmm…" His expression darkened as he hummed thoughtfully. "That's how it usually is. Even among our people, the name is spoken with reverence but not with understanding. For most of the merfolk, the Red Sea is nothing more than a protector—a divine guardian whose benevolence supposedly knows no bounds."
