Triton and mermaid eyes followed William with a mixture of curiosity and fear as he was hauled through the city. His presence, a human in their midst, was an anomaly, a disruption of their secluded existence. It had been ages since a human had set foot within their walls, and his sudden appearance sparked anxiety. Was he a scout for a hostile force? Did he intend to exploit their hidden city?
William, ensnared by the magical net, was rendered powerless. Though his mana remained unsealed, his physical abilities were nullified. As a practitioner of body enhancement magic, the net was his perfect counter. He could only watch helplessly as they dragged him towards a forbidding stone building at the city's edge, isolated and imposing. It was their prison.
The triton guard shoved him into a cell and departed. Other cells held prisoners, all tritons or mermaids. William was the only human.
Curiosity rippled through the inmates as they noticed William.
