Selene
I didn't dream that night.
Not of stars, not of waves—not even of him.
Instead, the only thing echoing in my mind was the chant. The one that had slipped from my lips like it had lived there for centuries.
"Amiya lorai, taniya morai,
Zor aalor majot mur naam bohai..."
A song with no language I knew—yet one I understood.
I sat up on the deck of the science vessel, the salty breeze brushing across my face. The ocean sparkled with innocence, hiding its secrets under silver moonlight. But I could feel something stirring beneath.
"She sings in her sleep," I heard someone whisper behind me.
I turned to see Dr. Marla, Isaac's research partner. She was holding a data tablet and a cup of lemon tea.
"Don't be embarrassed," she said, offering me the tea. "We've recorded the chant. It has frequency patterns we've never seen."
I held the warm cup between my palms. "What does it mean?"
She stared at the ocean. "We don't know. But the sea responds to it."
I looked away, heartbeat picking up. Because I knew what I wasn't saying:
It responded to me.
Later that day, I snuck away.
The others were busy charting currents and tracking signals—but I needed answers, not numbers.
I took a small boat out alone, toward the deep reef where I'd seen him last.
Korrin.
I wasn't sure why I needed to see him. Maybe because I was scared. Maybe because I hoped he could tell me who I really was.
Or maybe... because I missed the way he looked at me like I was both a threat and something precious.
When the sea began to ripple unnaturally around the boat, I stilled.
Then, without a splash, he emerged.
Korrin. Tall. Dripping. Eyes like moonlit steel.
"Foolish," he said sharply. "You shouldn't be alone out here."
"I needed to see you," I replied, breathless.
His eyes narrowed. "The chant. Where did you learn it?"
"I didn't. It... came to me."
He studied me in silence.
Then, slowly, he began to hum.
The same chant.
But his voice was deeper—ancient. Like the ocean itself was speaking.
My heart leapt.
"You know it?" I whispered.
He nodded. "It's called the Chant of Tides. Only the first-born of the ocean bloodline can awaken it."
I swallowed. "What does that mean for me?"
"It means," he said softly, "you're not just half-mermaid, Selene. You're something older. A key between worlds."
He moved closer, hand brushing mine.
"If your voice is awakening old gates… they'll come for you."
"Who?" I whispered.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he placed something in my hand. A shell carved with symbols glowing faint blue.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Protection," he murmured. "You'll need it soon."
Then, with a flick of his tail, he sank back into the deep—leaving my heart racing and the chant ringing in my ears.
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End of Chapter 16