Ariel's fingers brushed the cover of the book etched in gold coral and lapis shell.
The moment her skin made contact—
A sound.
Soft.
Ethereal.
A melody like silver rain falling on water. Haunting. Beautiful.
It wasn't coming from the room. It was in her mind—no, her soul.
Her breath hitched.
"What was that…?"
But as she stilled, trying to hear it again…
Silence.
Just the quiet pulse of the sea outside and her own racing heartbeat.
She shook her head and turned her attention back to the book, curiosity flaring hotter than confusion. The cover shimmered as she opened it, and glowing symbols rose into the air like ink dancing on waves. They arranged themselves into legible words:
*"The Deep Lore: Sirens, Mermaids, and Creatures of the Abyss."*
*Now this,* she thought, *is what I need.*
She moved toward the reading nook, settling onto a cushion carved from soft seagrass, and began to read.
*"Sirens are born of magic and moonlight. Their voices are laced with power, woven from ancient ocean currents and emotion. A true siren's song can calm beasts, tear down ships, or make a heart break willingly."*
Ariel blinked. "So their voices are like… spells?"
She flipped the page.
*"While often feared, Sirens are not inherently evil. Their power stems from truth—what one feels when they hear the song is what already lives inside them."*
She whispered aloud, "They bring out your truth."
She flipped through more glowing pages. There were *Mermaids* who spoke in colors, *Sea Witches* who crafted potions with stardust and squid ink, *Tidewalkers* who could walk on land during low tides, and *Current Dancers*, guardians that could shape waves with their bare hands.
The deeper she read, the more fascinated she became. Some sirens had wings made of light. Some could mimic human emotions with terrifying accuracy. Some… were cursed never to love, for their voices always exposed lies.
And then she read something that made her smile.
*"The voice of a royal siren is the most dangerous of all—beautiful enough to make the sea itself weep."*
She stilled.
*Draelos…*
Could he sing?
Her lips curled in a wicked smirk.
*I'm definitely asking him to sing for me one day.*
A thought crossed her mind—one she couldn't shake off.
*What would his voice sound like if it's as deadly as his stare?*
She closed the book gently and leaned back, staring at the ceiling that shimmered like the surface of the ocean above.
A part of her felt like she was falling into something vast. Something dangerous.
But for the first time… she wasn't entirely afraid.
She hugged the book to her chest and stood, her fingers brushing the pendant Prince Draelos gave her. It pulsed faintly, like it, too, had heard the song.
Just before she stepped out of the library, she murmured to herself with a smirk,
*"Prince Draelos… You owe me a song."*
Unseen behind her, the book she'd left open shimmered once more—
One of the pages flipped itself.
A name glowed briefly in glowing script.
*Her name.*