Annabelle stirred, eyelids fluttering open to a soft golden glow. For a heartbeat, she thought she was still dreaming. The shimmering walls around her pulsed like sunlight caught in water.
"Thank goodness you are awake," came a gentle voice.
She turned. Goddess Alora drifted toward her, her flowing hair a cascade of galaxy–white.
"What happened?" Annabelle croaked, trying to sit up.
"You passed out," Alora replied, her tone calm but edged with relief. "You have been out for six hours."
The memories hit Annabelle in a rush—danger, exhaustion, then collapsing. Her eyes darted to her tail. Once bruised and battered, it now gleamed bright blue, whole and flawless.
"I… I'm healed," she whispered in disbelief.
"I think you are ready now," Alora said, inspecting the tail with a critical yet approving gaze.
Annabelle blinked. "Yeah. So, where's that magic necklace anyway?"
Alora smirked. "Not so fast. How about a tour of my lair first?"
The Golden Lair stretched like an undersea palace. Coral towers glowed softly, jeweled lanternfish darted along the ceilings, and golden spires curved like the arches of a cathedral.
"Do you live here all alone?" Annabelle asked as they drifted through a hallway.
"Yes," Alora answered.
Annabelle frowned. "That must be lonely."
"Not really. I have friends." With a wave of her hand, a door opened. Three dolphins whooshed in, their clicks and squeals filling the chamber.
"Meet Tango, Lilo, and Soshi."
The dolphins circled Annabelle playfully, and the smallest one nudged her belly with its nose. She burst into laughter, bubbles spilling from her lips.
Alora guided her further, showing glowing jellyfish, enchanted seaweed that swam like ribbons of green flame, and even a garden of pearls that opened like flowers when touched. She fed them casually, like one would feed pets.
Then they reached a massive silver door etched with runes.
"Behold," Alora declared, unlocking it with a flick of her fingers, "my Magic Library."
Annabelle gasped. Shelves upon shelves spiraled upward, stacked with thousands of books, scrolls, and artifacts that sparkled faintly with magic. Rings floated inside glass cases, bangles glowed faintly, necklaces hummed with hidden energy.
"Is everything here magical?" she asked, wide-eyed.
"Most of it, yes," Alora said, already flipping through a massive tome that dwarfed her desk.
Annabelle tilted her head. "Is that book supposed to be that big?"
Alora chuckled. "This? It's my catalogue. Holds the names, info, and location of every single item in this library."
"Wow…"
As Annabelle's gaze wandered, her eyes locked on a black iron door across the chamber. Two golden spears were crossed over it like a warning sign. She drifted toward it, hand outstretched—
"DON'T touch that!" Alora's voice cracked like thunder, startling her.
Annabelle froze, wide-eyed. "Wh-what's behind it?"
"My armoury," Alora said sharply, then softened. "Weapons, gears… enough to wage war against the entire ocean. Never... touch it." She turned away. "Now come. It's time to see what you came for."
Through another silver door, they entered a throne room. Floating above the throne was a golden necklace with a blue pendant, shimmering like captured starlight.
"And there it is," Alora whispered.
Annabelle stared. "So this is... the Reverse Weapon?"
Alora nodded.
She drifted forward, heart hammering. Reaching out, her fingers brushed the pendant. She was expecting it would maybe react with a buzz or zap her with electrifying current. But—nothing happened. Carefully, she lifted it with both hands.
The jewel flared to life. A glowing screen appeared inside the pendant's circle, rippling with moving images.
Celestine.
First, she was laughing, watching crabs fighting. Then Klara appeared, urging her to save a sinking human boy. Celestine obeyed, conjuring a bubble to drag him to safety.
The vision shifted—Celestine on the shore, tail shimmering as she wept… before her body reshaped, legs replacing scales. She stumbled into the city, human at last.
The screen flickered again. Four boys cornered her in a school–like hallway, their faces cruel. Then another flash—Celestine walking the streets at dusk, clutching a schoolbag, a seagull flying above her.
Annabelle's heart seized. "No…No! This can't be.How do we save her?"
Alora gently took the necklace and clasped it around Annabelle's neck. "Your daughter is not the first to walk the land. Many are trapped there—outcasts, even mermen. The curse bars them from ever returning."
Annabelle's voice trembled. "So how do we break it?"
"The only way to beat a god's curse," Alora said gravely, "is with another curse,a natural curse,to be specific. You'll need a naturally cursed mermaid."
Her eyes widened. "Oh my god… Kristina. My other daughter."
"Yes," Alora whispered.
Annabelle kept quiet for a while as she tried to connect the dots of fate and risk at hand. She looked at the pendant and back at her 'Godmother.'
Goddess Alora smiled at her and nodded.
"You know what to do, child. You know what to do."