1 To save my people, I sought help from my childhood friend Caspian, now a famous scientist. He was still obsessed with me—kept me in his bed for seven days. Then he poured acid over me, coldly saying, “So mermaids feel pain. But it’s nothing compared to what your kind did to my parents.” For two years, he married another woman but kept me chained. He cut out my Coral Core to heal his wife, made me clean their bed, and listen to their nights. When she got pregnant, he fed her my flesh. He hated me, yet nursed me back each time I neared death, whispering, “You’re defiant because you know I love you. Tell me where my parents are.” I stayed silent. But soon, I won’t need to—a mermaid who stays on land for three years dies. I had three days left. … At three in the morning, the wooden door to the storeroom was kicked open. Hands grabbed me, hauling me to my feet before a series of sharp, ringing slaps struck my face. The assault only stopped when my lip split and I could taste blood. Caspian’s personal assistant, Marcus, dragged me out by my legs, cursing under his breath. “The madam is hurt, and you have the nerve to sleep so soundly!” The salty sea air was thick with the scent of blood. A crimson trail snaked all the way to Caspian’s bedroom. He saw the bloody path I left on the floor and his brow furrowed in disgust. “Rosalind is hurt,” he commanded, his voice flat. “Heal her.” I lifted my eyes, first to Rosalind, her cheeks flushed and dewy, then to her swollen belly— CRACK! The back of his hand cracked across my face. He loomed over me. “I told you to heal her. Do you think a creature like you even deserves to look at her?” I immediately lowered my head. “I’m sorry.” Slowly, I crawled toward the bed. I learned then that Rosalind had woken in the night to feed the piranhas and one had nipped her finger. After all these years, I was used to her various “ailments.” I numbly opened my shirt, dug my own sharp nails into the flesh over my heart, and, through gritted teeth and a cold sweat, pulled out the glowing Coral Core to heal her. The room was silent, until Caspian’s voice cut through the air, cold as ice. “Playing the victim won’t work on me, Lira.” In his eyes, this was just an act. After all, a mermaid’s blood could also heal. But my blood no longer held that power. Rosalind stirred, letting out a soft cough, and Caspian was at her side in an instant, gathering her into his arms. “Does it still hurt?” She bit her lip, her gaze flicking to the open wound on my chest. “Darling, I don’t know why, but since I’ve been pregnant, the smell of blood just makes me so sick.” At her words, Caspian’s leg shot out, kicking me hard. “Get out. And stand guard.” I crawled out of the room, my body aching, as I heard his voice soften behind me. “Rosalind, my love, you haven’t been sleeping well. Is the baby keeping you up? Let me listen.” My heart, which I thought had turned to stone, clenched painfully. The wound on my chest, not yet healed, began to bleed anew. A maid appeared, dumping a bucket of foul, fishy water over me. Her face was a mask of disgust. “Filthy monster. Aren’t you supposed to heal? Why are you still bleeding all over the floor? It’s disgusting!” She threw a mop at me, the handle striking my forehead. I flinched, curling into myself. “Clean this up. Now. Or I’m telling Mr. Caspian.” For the rest of the night, I was on my hands and knees, scrubbing the floor. I listened to the sounds of their intimacy from within the room, and a single, hot tear fell from my eye. The memory of Caspian’s loathing was a phantom that haunted me, growing larger with every passing moment. Soon, I thought. Soon I’ll be free. The immortal mermaid could die. Three days left. By the time the last drop of blood was gone from the floor, my wound had finally sealed itself. A new day was dawning at the seaside estate. Caspian emerged from the bedroom, his neck dotted with fresh, red marks. He frowned at the blood-soaked mop. “Why was there so much blood?” I didn't try to explain. I just bowed my head. “I’m sorry. I’ll dispose of this filth immediately.” Nearby, a maid was trimming flowers, her voice deliberately loud. “You won’t believe it, but that thing actually asked me how to make someone happy. Oh my god, is she trying to seduce Mr. Caspian?” “Heh, of course she is. Does a worthless creature like her actually dream of becoming the lady of the house? If it weren’t for her kind, Mr. Caspian’s parents would never have disappeared.” I tried to hurry away, but Caspian was faster. He kicked the cleaning supplies aside and dragged me to his laboratory. I was strapped into the electric chair, capable of delivering a hundred-thousand volts. The world swam before my eyes, and I fought back nausea. Caspian held the remote, his legs crossed, his expression dark. “I almost forgot. It’s been a month since our last session.” “Tell me,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “Where did they take my parents?” He hadn’t even pressed the button, but my hands were already clawing at the armrests, a frantic, reflexive terror taking over. My fingers were bloody before the first jolt hit. “I don’t know.” The words had barely left my lips before the current tore through my body. I screamed, my body convulsing violently as a hot liquid streamed down my legs. The first shock ended, but I couldn’t stop twitching. Caspian stood up, pacing, his jaw tight. He asked again. I spat out a mouthful of blood. Every organ in my body screamed in protest. “I won’t tell you.” I couldn’t. Their safety depended on it. This time, he didn’t press the button. Instead, he had Marcus bring out a small, velvet pouch. From it, he poured several shimmering pearls—Coral Cores I had hidden in a loose floorboard. My eyes widened in horror. My whole body trembled. “What are you doing?” “Oh, I think you know exactly what I’m doing.” A cruel smirk played on his lips. He tossed one of the Cores onto the floor and brought his heel down on it with a sickening crunch. He laughed at my blood-choked scream. “Was this your mother’s Coral Core? Or your father’s? I hear the only way to truly kill one of your kind is to crush the Core. Otherwise, you just keep coming back.” He ground the fragments under his shoe. “Such a resilient species… still not talking?” My nails had broken, exposing the white of the bone underneath. Tears of blood streamed from my eyes. “Caspian,” I whispered, my voice raw with hatred. “I hate you.” His response was a kiss that felt like he wanted to bite my tongue off. The kiss sent me spiraling. My body was so weak these days, I could almost forget how deeply we had once loved each other. Merfolk have always been drawn to humans, often taking human form to live and love among them. I was three when I first met Caspian. The first time he saw me, he looked up at his mother and asked, “Mommy, is this the bride you found for me?” His mother had laughed and tapped him gently on the head. Our families became close, spending all our time together. Then, when I was fifteen, a wave of persecution drove my people from the shores. We had to leave. But I would still sneak back onto land sometimes, just to see him. Once, when someone asked who I was, I was about to say I was his sister. But he cut in, his expression deadly serious. “She’s my girlfriend,” he declared. “And my future wife. Lira.” In that moment, my heart truly belonged to him. Years later, a deal was struck between a faction of merfolk and a group of elite human scientists. The liaisons for this exchange were my parents… and Caspian’s. And then, his parents vanished. I was the prime suspect. I knew he hated me for it. But I couldn’t tell him the truth. Years passed. Caspian became a top scientist in his own right. And I, for the sake of my people, had to get close to him again. So many times, I wanted to tell him everything. But I couldn't. It didn't matter anymore. Soon, the suffering would be over. Caspian’s fingers were setting fires on my skin. He suddenly stopped, staring at the blood on his hands. Only then did I realize that all the old wounds—from the cuttings, the bloodletting—were beginning to reopen. I let out a hollow, numb laugh. “I’m dying, Caspian.” He reacted as if I’d spoken a forbidden word. He looked like he’d gone mad. He scrambled for a bottle of pills and forced them into my mouth. His voice was like cracking ice. “Without my permission, you don’t get to die.” He unlocked my shackles, dragged me to a pool of medicinal solution, and forced my head under. I choked, water flooding my senses. His eyes were bloodshot, his breathing ragged and harsh, as if he were the one suffocating. I held my breath to keep from drowning in the solution. The lack of air made my face swell and turn purple. Only when the powerful healing agents in the pills took effect and my wounds stopped bleeding did he grab my hair and yank me out. I had barely caught my breath. When he shackled me again. He chained me to the bedpost like a dog. Rosalind, her eyes full of sultry invitation, leaned against his chest. Her gaze shifted to me, and it was filled with a strange, venomous glee. Her red lips moved, forming silent words only I could see. “Lira, I want you dead.” In a state of half-sleep, I felt a hand gently stroking my hair. A tear fell from their eye and landed on my lips. It was salty. “Lira,” a voice whispered, full of a pain I hadn’t heard in years. “If none of this had ever happened… how wonderful would that have been?” Was it Caspian? Was he… crying? I struggled to open my eyes, but there was no Caspian. It was Marcus, yanking on the chain, dragging me out into the estate’s courtyard. Merfolk hate the sun. For one on the verge of death, it was agony. Rosalind saw me and smiled sweetly. “Lira, are you hungry?” Caspian had his arm around her. When I didn’t answer, he kicked me. The blow landed squarely on a wound that was already on the verge of splitting open. Blood immediately soaked through the fabric of my dress. Caspian looked away, irritated, not sparing me a single glance. He just tossed a trench coat from a nearby lounge chair over me. “Rosalind gets faint at the sight of blood. Cover yourself!” A flicker of something crossed Rosalind’s eyes before she smiled again, tossing chunks of raw meat and muddy vegetables onto the ground in front of me. Her voice was as soft as silk. “Eat up, Lira.” For some reason, I looked up at Caspian. Why did I ever think he felt sorry for me? Expressionless, I bent down and began to gnaw on a dirty cabbage leaf, my fingers digging into the soil in humiliation. I heard Rosalind’s concerned voice. “Lira, why aren’t you eating the meat? You need meat to be healthy, you know.” Without thinking, I tore off a piece of the raw flesh. My sense of smell had degenerated so much I was almost numb to it. I didn’t know what kind of meat it was. “Is it good? It’s mermaid meat! Very nutritious!” I froze mid-chew and stared at her. Her smile widened, and my stomach heaved. “Ugh—” “Ah! My shoes!” I had vomited on the heel of her shoe. Marcus didn't even need to be told. He grabbed me by the collar and slapped my tear-stained face. Caspian, who was notoriously germaphobic, knelt down and began to wipe Rosalind’s shoe with his own handkerchief. He was so gentle, so meticulous. He had never once, after using my body to vent his frustrations, even bothered to clean me. He was clearly furious. “Ungrateful bitch. If you don’t want to eat, we’ll feed this to the dogs!” Rosalind gave a weak, delicate smile. “Lira’s just not hungry. Don’t force her.” “Why don’t we let her join me while I paint? It can be her way of making up for this, what do you think?” Caspian sighed, a faint smile touching his lips. “You’re just too kind.” He shot me a cold look and was about to say something else when his phone rang. He murmured something loving to Rosalind, then leaned down and gently kissed her pregnant belly. For some reason, my nose began to sting. After he left, Rosalind’s expression turned to ice. “I don’t like people watching me paint. Go to the basement.” I said nothing and did as I was told. In the basement, a maid tossed several small buckets at my feet. Her voice was a derisive, pinched whine. “Hey. The madam needs more red for her painting, and there’s no red prettier than blood. Fill these three buckets. Now.” A rusty blade clattered on the floor in front of me. “Use this.” I hesitated, mumbling, “It’s rusty.” The maid spat. “Who do you think you are, a princess? Why would an unkillable monster like you deserve anything good?” She crossed her arms and watched me. I picked up the blade without another word and sliced open my wrist. Hot, crimson blood dripped into the bucket. By the time all three were full, I was shivering, my lips blue with cold. I leaned against the wall, my mind adrift. Two maids passed by, carrying laundry, their voices loud with gossip. “The madam’s paintings are so beautiful, aren’t they? It’s just a shame the materials are so hard to find. They had to kill several mermaids just to get a tiny bit of Coral Core powder.” “And some of the blood isn’t even pure. A monster is a monster. They’re not like us.” The hair on my body stood on end. I pushed myself up, using the wall for support. I staggered into the courtyard and was met with the sound of piercing shrieks. The ground at Rosalind’s feet was littered with the mangled bodies of merfolk. She had her foot on one of their tails, carving out a translucent Coral Core before crushing it in her fist. I felt my own heart shatter with it. Rosalind turned to me, silhouetted against the light, a malicious curve to her lips. “Lira, I learned something new today! Did you know every Coral Core is a different color?” “Such a shame I only want white ones. Why don’t you be a dear and help me? Dig out all their Cores for me—” My eyes locked on a small figure in a nearby water tank. My little brother. He was only ten. He hadn’t even learned to take human form yet. “Sister, help me!” he cried, banging on the glass, his tears turning to pearls as they fell. Rosalind pouted, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Oh, so he’s your brother? How cute! Why don’t we start with him?” Two guards seized my brother and dragged him before her, holding him down under her blade. I couldn’t control it anymore. I fell to my knees and slammed my forehead against the ground, over and over. “Madam, I’m begging you! Please, let my brother go!” “Use my Coral Core! Mine is white, I swear it!” Rosalind twirled the knife playfully. “But I’m in the mood for a surprise today. Isn’t this more fun?” “Little boy, today sister is going to open you up first, and then Lira—Ah! What are you doing?!” “Don’t you dare hurt my sister!” My brother, his eyes red with defiance, struggled with all his might and sank his teeth into Rosalind’s wrist. A second later, Caspian, who had just returned, sent him flying with a vicious kick. All his teeth were knocked out. He landed in a heap beside me. Caspian held Rosalind, comforting her, the rage in his eyes practically spilling over. “Lira! Your kind stole my parents, and now you try to harm my wife?” I shook my head, tears streaming down my face, shielding my brother’s broken body with my own. “I was wrong! Kill me, just kill me! Let my brother go, he’s just a child…” “Heh. Let him go? Fine.” Caspian’s burning gaze swept over us. “Tell me where my parents are, and I’ll let him go.” Those same words again. All the strength drained from my body. For the first time, I looked at Caspian with pure, undiluted hatred. “You don’t know anything. You don’t understand anything.” “I told you, when the time is right, you will understand everything. Why do you have to hurt my family?” Caspian, I hate you. God, how I hate you! He averted his gaze, refusing to meet my eyes. He bit the inside of his cheek and sneered. “Fine. If you won’t talk, then your brother can pay for your sins.” It happened so fast. Caspian’s hand moved in a blur, and the dagger was buried in my brother’s chest. I thought I heard something shatter. My brother’s small face, once so soft, was now cold and still. His Coral Core was gone. I just sat there, forgetting how to beg. Rosalind, clutching her belly, came over to “help” me up, only to collapse dramatically a few feet away. She sobbed, a pathetic, kitten-like sound. “Lira, they were just animals! My baby is a person! Are you trying to kill my child?” Caspian had never believed me. This time, I didn't even bother to explain. “Yes,” I said, my voice dead. “I want to kill you both.” Caspian trembled with rage. He was about to strike me when he realized Rosalind’s water had broken. He shot me one last, venomous glare. “After the baby is born, I’ll deal with you.” I just smiled, a hollow, empty thing. You won’t get the chance. I’m almost dead. I was locked in the storeroom again, in the suffocating, sunless dark. I curled into a ball, feeling the warmth steadily leech from my body. The floorboards above me were alive with activity. They had set up a temporary delivery room for Rosalind. She screamed for a day and a night before the baby was finally born safely. Caspian, relieved, leaned against the doorframe, lighting a cigarette. Just then, Marcus rushed up, out of breath. “Mr. Caspian! Sir, there’s… there are people at the gate for you!” He raised an indifferent eyebrow. “Who?” “Your parents!” Caspian moved like a bolt of lightning. But when his parents saw him, their first reaction wasn’t a tearful embrace. It was frantic, desperate questioning. “Is Lira here? You have to get her to the sea! She’ll die without saltwater!” A cold dread gripped Caspian’s heart, but he feigned nonchalance. “She hurt Rosalind. I locked her in the storeroom. Dad, mermaids can’t die.” “Let’s not talk about her. Tell me, where have you been all these years?” His father looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. He raised his hand and slapped Caspian hard across the face. “Where is the storeroom? Take us there! Now!” Reluctantly, Caspian led the way and opened the decrepit door. “See, Dad? She’s fine.” His parents took one look inside and burst into tears. Caspian turned. He saw that half of my face had dissolved into seafoam. But in the next instant, he did something I never could have predicted.
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