I stayed by his side through those darkest days, watching him slowly emerge from the shadows of his heartache.
Eventually, Conrad stopped the search altogether.
On countless nights, he held me close, his voice tender as he repeated his love for me again and again.
Slowly, he began to move on from the girl he had once cherished and our new relationship took root.
Yet, when she reappeared, the heart that had lain dormant for years flared back to life with a fierce intensity.
If it could be so easily replaced, it was never truly the ideal muse.
My mermaid mother had always warned me: loving a human was a path paved with definite heartbreak.
I stubbornly refused to believe the warnings and had to crash into the wall before I would turn back.
I moved to a small coastal town, trading mermaid tears for a large supply of medicine.
The severity of my injuries led to a dangerous infection spreading across my body.
Conrad tracked me down and surrounded me with a group armed with lethal weapons.
With a desperate edge in his voice, he said, “Maya’s condition has deteriorated again. The doctors are powerless. You’re the only one who can save her.”
My heart plummeted into despair. “Conrad, without the merfolk’s pearl, I’m going to die!”
Conrad didn’t seem to hear me. He was frenzied, almost maniacal. “Serena, Maya doesn’t have time! Please, just give me the merfolk’s pearl!”
His family was in the shipbuilding business, equipped with the most advanced fishing tools and sonar detectors.
My injuries were severe, leaving me powerless to resist.
If he couldn’t get the merfolk’s pearl, he would undoubtedly target my people. The consequences would be catastrophic.
It seemed like today was a point of no return.
Conrad's touch was unexpectedly gentle as he caressed my face, but then his grip tightened brutally around my trembling shoulders.
His eyes were chillingly indifferent, almost predatory. “Serena, just hand it over to me. Don’t push me to use force.”
I stared back into his icy gaze, desperation in my voice. “Conrad, if you truly want it, I’ll give you the merfolk’s pearl. But know this—I’ve never loved you.”
He was unaware that without the merfolk’s pearl, my survival was impossible.
Conrad's words were deliberate and harsh, each syllable slicing through the air:
“Serena, I have never loved you!”
He brought a small army with him, each person armed with advanced fishing weapons, each one deadly.