The journey back to the Isle of Brine was quieter than the one before. Hugo swam alongside Nerelle, his body aching from the fight but his spirits surprisingly high.
The Pearl of Tides rested safely in Nerelle's arms, cradled against her chest like something precious and fragile. Every few minutes, she would look down at it, her eyes shimmering with emotions Hugo couldn't quite name.
The sun was beginning to set by the time they reached the familiar shores of their island. The sky blazed in shades of orange and pink, casting a warm glow across the water.
Hugo pulled himself onto the beach, his legs trembling slightly from exhaustion. Nerelle stayed in the shallow water, the Pearl still held carefully in her hands.
"We should rest," Hugo said, settling onto the sand. "It's been a long day."
Nerelle nodded but didn't move. She was staring at the Pearl, her expression distant, as if she were seeing something far beyond the present moment. Hugo watched her quietly, noticing the way her fingers traced the surface of the relic with reverence.
"Are you alright?" he asked gently.
Nerelle blinked, pulled from whatever thoughts had claimed her. She looked at Hugo, and there was something in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Something deeper, warmer, tinged with a kind of vulnerability that made Hugo's chest tighten.
"I'm more than alright," she said softly.
"You risked your life for this. For me. For my people. I don't know how to repay that."
Hugo shook his head. "You don't need to repay anything. I did what needed to be done. That's all."
Nerelle's gaze lingered on him for a long moment, and then she smiled, small but genuine. "You're a rare kind of person, Hugo Barley."
"I've lived a long time, met many people, but none like you."
Hugo felt heat rise to his face, and he looked away, suddenly unsure of what to say. Compliments had never been something he knew how to handle.
Back in Tidebreak, people thanked him for the fish he brought in, but it was always transactional, always tied to survival. This felt different, that it kinda felt personal.
"There's something I want to do," Nerelle said, her voice quiet but firm.
"A way to honor what you've done. Will you let me?"
Hugo looked back at her, curious. "What is it?"
Nerelle hesitated, her fingers tightening around the Pearl. "It's a tradition among my people."
"When someone does something extraordinary, something that saves lives or restores hope, we sing for" them. It's called the Song of the Sea."
"It's our way of giving thanks, of acknowledging a bond that goes deeper than words."
Hugo nodded slowly. "Alright. If it's important to you, then I'd be honored."
Nerelle's expression softened, and she placed the Pearl carefully on a flat rock near the tide pool. Then she turned to face Hugo fully, her hands folded in front of her. She took a breath, and when she began to sing, the world seemed to hold still.
Her voice was unlike anything Hugo had ever heard. It wasn't just beautiful, though it was that. It was something more, something that resonated deep in his chest, as if the sound were weaving itself into the fabric of his being. The melody was haunting and ancient, rising and falling like the tides, carrying with it a sense of longing, gratitude, and something else Hugo couldn't quite place.
The words were in a language he didn't understand, flowing like water, soft and melodic. But even without knowing the meaning, Hugo felt the weight of them. He felt the emotion behind every note, the sincerity, the depth of whatever Nerelle was trying to convey.
As she sang, the ocean around them began to glow. The bioluminescent creatures beneath the surface rose toward the sound, their lights
flickering in time with the melody.
The waves themselves seemed to calm, lapping gently at the shore in rhythm with her voice. It was as if the sea itself was listening, responding to the song.
Hugo sat transfixed, unable to look away. Nerelle's eyes were closed, her expression serene, and for a moment, she looked less like a person and more like something timeless, something connected to the very essence of the ocean.
When the song finally ended, the silence that followed felt heavy, almost sacred. Nerelle opened her eyes slowly, and when she looked at Hugo, there were tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Thank you," she whispered. "For everything."
Hugo wanted to respond, but the words caught in his throat. There was something about the way she was looking at him, something that made his heart beat faster.
He didn't understand what had just happened, not fully, but he knew it was important. He knew it meant something.
The system chimed softly in his mind, breaking the moment.
[Bond Level with Nerelle: 70%]
[Title Gained: Chosen by the Sea.]
[Note: This title grants increased favor with all aquatic beings and enhances water-based abilities.]
Hugo blinked at the notification, then dismissed it. He focused back on Nerelle, who was wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, her expression a mix of embarrassment and something deeper.
"That was beautiful," Hugo said quietly.
"I don't know what the words meant, but I felt it. Whatever you were trying to say, I felt it."
Nerelle's breath hitched, and she looked away quickly, her cheeks flushing. "It's an old song. Very old."
"My mother used to sing it when I was young. I never thought I'd sing it myself."
"What does it mean?" Hugo asked, genuinely curious.
Nerelle hesitated, her fingers playing with a strand of her blue hair. "It's a song of gratitude and connection."
"It's sung when someone becomes important to you, when their presence in your life changes everything."
Hugo felt something shift in his chest, a warmth that spread through him like sunlight breaking through clouds. He didn't know what to do with that feeling, didn't know how to process it.
He'd felt something similar once, a long time ago, with his wife. But that had been different. This was something he didn't have words for yet.
"I'm glad I could help," Hugo said finally, his voice rough. "You deserve to have your people's relic back."
"You deserve to feel safe."
Nerelle looked at him again, and this time, there was no hiding the emotion in her eyes. "You make me feel safe, Hugo."
"Not just because you're strong or because you can fight. But because you're kind."
"You really see me as a person, not as something to be used or feared."
Hugo didn't know what to say to that. He opened his mouth, closed it, then tried again. "You are a person. A good one. Anyone who can't see that is a fool."
Nerelle laughed softly, the sound breaking the tension. "You really don't know how rare you are, do you?"
Hugo shrugged, feeling awkward. "I'm just a fisherman."
"No," Nerelle said firmly. "You're more than that."
"You're someone who fights for others, who risks everything for people he barely knows. That's not just anyone. That's someone special."
Hugo looked down at his hands, unsure of how to respond. He'd never thought of himself as special.
He'd spent most of his life just trying to survive, to provide for his village, to honor the memory of his family. But hearing Nerelle say it, seeing the sincerity in her eyes, made something inside him shift.
Maybe he was more than just a fisherman. Maybe he could be something else here, in this strange new world. Maybe he could be someone who mattered.
The sun dipped below the horizon, and the sky darkened, stars beginning to appear overhead. Nerelle moved closer to the shore, her tail resting in the shallow water. Hugo stayed where he was, sitting on the sand, watching her in the fading light.
"Can I ask you something?" Hugo said after a while.
Nerelle nodded. "Of course."
"That song. You said it's sung when someone becomes important to you. Is that what I am to you? Important?"
Nerelle's expression softened, and she looked at him with an openness that made Hugo's breath catch. "Yes. More than I think you realize."
Hugo felt his heart skip a beat. He didn't know what to do with that information, didn't know how to process the feelings swirling inside him.
But he knew one thing for certain. Nerelle had become important to him too. Somewhere between pulling her from that sphere and fighting a sea monster for her, she'd become more than just a companion. She'd become someone he cared about deeply.
"I feel the same," Hugo admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
Nerelle's smile was radiant, and for a moment, the world felt right. Peaceful. Like everything had fallen into place.
What Hugo didn't know, what Nerelle kept hidden behind her smile, was the true meaning of the song she'd sung. It wasn't just a song of gratitude. It was a binding.
A soul bond that her people only shared with someone they intended to spend their life with. By singing it, Nerelle had tied her soul to Hugo's, linking them in a way that could never be undone.
She knew she should tell him. She knew he deserved to know the truth. But as she looked at him, sitting there in the starlight, she couldn't bring herself to say the words.
"Not yet..." She said inside her mind.
Not when everything felt so fragile and new. So she kept the secret, holding it close to her heart, and promised herself she would tell him when the time was right.