With a splash, I dove beneath the surface, scanning the depths for whatever had just yanked me down. I desperately wished it was merely a tangle of seaweed or something equally harmless. Truth be told, I was deep in denial, not ready to confront the whirlwind of emotions reflected in their eyes just moments before. It was all a bit overwhelming, especially since this was my first time shifting; I was already juggling enough without adding more chaos. They wouldn't grasp that I had always been human, and this experience was so far beyond my comfort zone that it felt like stepping into an entirely different universe. They simply wouldn't understand, and that meant my emotional turmoil would go unnoticed while they focused on shoving their own emotions on me.
I simply couldn't handle that at the moment. My body was starting to spiral into a panic attack as I replayed the looks on their faces over and over in my mind. I took a deep breath and forced myself to scan the area more thoroughly, and that's when I noticed something shoot up from the depths of the water—a long, sinuous green vine that wrapped around my fin like a vice grip.
I gasped as the vine constricted around me, yanking me deeper into the abyss. I twisted and pulled with all my might, feeling a flicker of hope that I might break free, but just as quickly, the vine tightened again, slicing into my fin and sending a plume of crimson blood swirling around me like a dark cloud.
It was in that moment, as my blood floated to the surface, that the guys finally sensed something was amiss. They had been anxiously waiting for me to emerge, still processing the shock of witnessing my transformation into a mermaid.
I watched helplessly as they rushed to the water's edge, peering down into the depths. Titus was the first to realize something was terribly wrong, and he was quicker than Oliver. Without a moment's hesitation, he plunged into the water. Holding his breath, he swam down with all his strength, but he couldn't keep up with whatever was dragging me into the darkness, and soon, he vanished from my sight.
I found myself engulfed in an endless void of inky blackness, utterly unable to discern anything in my surroundings. The only thing that hinted at the existence of up or down was a vine, insidiously pulling me deeper into the abyss.
Fear gripped me, wrapping around my heart like a vice, as I floated alone in this oppressive darkness. Just when I thought despair would swallow me whole, a tiny glimmer pierced the gloom—a beacon of hope. My eyes began to sting, and that flicker of light seemed to coalesce into a singular point, drawing me in. After enduring the sharp discomfort, my vision adjusted, revealing a breathtaking sight.
Before me stood a magnificent pearlescent horse, its tail reminiscent of a mermaid's, adorned with delicate fins that danced gracefully in the dim light. Its mane flowed like a gentle seafoam green waterfall, fading into a soft pink that sparkled like stars in the night sky. Atop its head, a single spiral unicorn horn glimmered, and when its enchanting seafoam green eyes locked onto mine, a warm glow emanated from the tip of its horn, casting a soothing light that chased away the shadows.
But just as I began to feel a flicker of safety, horror struck. Deep within the darkness lurked a grotesque creature—a monstrous, round-faced entity that resembled a giant green worm, its gaping mouth lined with layers of jagged teeth. Its multitude of red eyes, varying in size, surrounded its maw, watching me with a predatory gaze. Long, sinuous tentacles, all a sickly green and writhing, reached out, and one of them had ensnared my fin, dragging me inexorably toward that nightmarish mouth.
A chilling wave of terror washed over me, and my frantic flailing intensified, each movement fueled by sheer desperation. Suddenly, the legendary hippocampus, that enchanting water horse I thought existed only in tales, emerged from its resting place on a broad, flat rock. It surged forward with such astonishing speed that my eyes struggled to keep up. Just when I thought I was doomed to be devoured by the monstrous underwater worm, I realized I was about to be skewered instead. As it approached, I instinctively covered my eyes and let out a heart-wrenching wail. I wasn't ready to meet my end, especially not in such a torturous manner, but I felt utterly powerless to defend myself. So, I curled into a ball, bracing for the inevitable agony.
But just as I dared to peek through my fingers, the hippocampus dove deeper, its powerful form piercing the vine-like tentacle and slicing it clean in two. The severed appendage writhed on my fin, and with a determined shake, I flung it off, propelling myself away from the lurking beast as fast as my new mermaid tail would allow. It was a clumsy escape, but I was committed to giving it my all. Tentacles shot out from the shadows, aiming for me, and I let out a piercing scream. The hippocampus darted in, stabbing one tentacle, then another, as it swam closer to me. In a swift motion, it glided beneath me, and I seized its mane, feeling the rush of water as it propelled us both toward the surface. Below, the creature began to thrash, struggling to free itself from the tangled plant life that had ensnared it for far too long. The rocks around it groaned and cracked, and we shot through the water at speeds I never thought possible, my heart racing with a mix of fear and exhilaration.
We surged upward, me perched atop the back of the hippocampus, its pearlescent scales shimmering like a thousand tiny stars illuminating the cave. And then, to my utter astonishment, I stumbled upon a scene that completely took me by surprise.
There was Oliver, leaning over Titus, who was sprawled on the soft moss beside the tranquil pool, his eyes blissfully shut. Oliver's lips were pressed firmly against Titus's, and it was clear they had seized the moment while I was out of sight. "Hey! This is not the moment for you two to be getting cozy!" I exclaimed, my voice echoing through the cavern.
Oliver jumped back, startled, and as soon as he broke the kiss, Titus's eyes flew open. He leaned over, coughing and sputtering, water gushing from his mouth in a dramatic display. My heart raced as I realized the gravity of the situation—Titus had nearly drowned trying to save me.
In the midst of this chaos, the hippocampus transformed into a strikingly handsome man, his skin a luminous cream with a subtle sparkle. His long, thick hair cascaded in waves, a mesmerizing gradient of seafoam green fading into soft pink, reaching down to his knees. His eyes, a captivating seafoam green, were framed by lush pink lashes, and his features were so stunning that I felt utterly ordinary in his presence. How could anyone be this breathtaking? A single pearlescent unicorn horn adorned his forehead, and delicate pink frills graced the edges of his ears. His horn elegantly held back his hair, revealing a face that was nothing short of divine. He wore a light green wrap robe that barely skimmed his knees, its short sleeves hinting at the athletic build beneath. The fabric was sheer enough to tease the imagination, leaving just a whisper of his exquisite form to the eye.
His horn ignited with a brilliant glow, and in that moment, the two of us were illuminated as well. We began to drift gracefully through the cave, eventually settling onto a smooth, flat rock where he carefully placed me. Once there, a radiant beam burst forth from his horn, enveloping me and the stone beneath in a shimmering, light green bubble.
He flashed me a warm smile, his lips plush and exquisitely shaped, before gliding back toward the water, his long green and pink hair trailing behind him.
Titus finally rose to his feet after a fit of coughing, and Oliver hurried over, pressing his hands against the bubble as he peered in at me. He turned his head to speak to the others, but the words were lost to me, muffled by the barrier surrounding me.
Suddenly, from the depths of the water, emerged the creature that lurked in the pond's shadows. It was a colossal beast, a murky green mass dripping with sludge, and the air quickly filled with the foul odor of rotten eggs and stagnant swamp. Its form resembled a gigantic worm, complete with a cavernous mouth lined with layers of jagged teeth, sharp as swords and daggers. Its multitude of red eyes locked onto us, several fixating on me. Panic surged through me, and I instinctively turned to flee, but the bubble held me captive, causing me to slide helplessly against its surface, my escape thwarted as I slipped down.
Coming Next Time: Battling the Sludge Worm