Dubbin, having captured Kenny and his team once again, felt a deep sense of satisfaction. A mermaid detective captured twice—clearly, this detective wasn't all that impressive. With a pleased grin, Dubbin swam at the front of the shark escort, unwilling to let anyone else enjoy the beautiful scenery and sunlight ahead of him.
Among the prisoners, perhaps Seraphina's mood was the heaviest. The trials of cultivation were a harsh test for someone as weak as her. Every breath felt like a battle for survival. Disappointment and fear quietly enveloped her. She longed to cry, but couldn't. She thought of her mother, but knew her mother couldn't help. She wished to escape, but running away wouldn't solve anything. If she didn't complete her cultivation and second evolution, the seemingly beautiful but dangerous ocean would inevitably eliminate her. Only by evolving could she survive in the mermaid world. But where was the right path, and where might there be a road that led to no return? It filled her with a sense of melancholy.
Captain Kenny, facing the most cunning opponent he had ever encountered in Dubbin, found it hard to believe what was happening. Everything since the falling star had seemed too meticulously planned. If Dubbin didn't have such extraordinary strategic ability, then there must be a much larger organization behind him. After all, how else could he control not only the sharks but also massive groups of whales? Whales weren't even fish, so how could Dubbin possibly have tamed them? The truth behind this was baffling.
Aaron, on the other hand, remained relatively calm. He had always had nothing—he had wandered aimlessly, with only loneliness as his companion, surrendering to the whims of fate. Being captured and turned into a prisoner was merely a shift from an active to a passive form of wandering. But now, he had made new friends, and yet he couldn't help them escape. Guilt and unease gnawed at him, and he wondered how long this newfound friendship would last, and how far it would go.
Calypso gritted her teeth, her sharp clicks ringing out. Her body, which should have evolved to grow protective spines, had failed to show significant results. She was unsure of what to do. Perhaps the jellyfish she had first encountered weren't intelligent enough—after all, jellyfish had no brains. But others had succeeded before; there was no reason she should be worse than them. As the old comforting saying went: "You're already excellent, just a little bit more, just a tiny bit more." But how much was that "tiny bit"?
The group passed over a completely ordinary seabed, where the sand was flat and unremarkable. Sparse seaweed, colorful starfish, shells and clams reflecting the light, lobsters and crabs hunting for food, and pregnant seahorses—everything appeared calm and peaceful.
As the four prisoners passed through the shark pack, a hissing sound emerged from the sand on the seabed: "Shh, shh, shh…" In an instant, the sound was accompanied by black water columns shooting up from beneath, spreading rapidly in all directions. The sea turned pitch black as the columns expanded, and within seconds, the seabed had transformed into an opaque "black sea." The sharks were completely caught off guard, not understanding what had happened.
One of the guards hurriedly swam up to Dubbin, who had let his guard down, and reported, "Boss, we've been ambushed!"
"What? Who did this? I've been in these waters for years, always the one ambushing others. No one dares ambush us."
Dubbin suddenly turned, eyes gleaming, toward the vast black sea behind him. Entering the telepathic state shared with the sharks, his double-headed sharks and hammerhead sharks also emitted a bright, clear light from their eyes. They had received the order to search for enemies using electric signal sensing. A mysterious, rapidly moving image appeared in Dubbin's pupils—a 3D outline of the enemy. The image moved so quickly that it barely registered before the figures of four prisoners were whisked away in a flash, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
What could be bigger than a shark? Something that can sweep up four mermaids at once, swim so fast, move in groups, and even emit black mist. Dubbin's face twisted with rage, looking terrifying: "Giant… octopus!"
The guards, seeing Dubbin in a rage, recoiled in fear, shrinking back. He clenched his fists, puffed out his chest, and looked up to the sky, roaring:
"Raaahhh—!"
From the black sea, all the furious sharks leaped into the air, creating huge waves and releasing an intense, murderous scent into the surrounding waters.
"You can't escape from my grasp!" Dubbin shouted. He could not stand anyone in the Pacific daring to oppose him, mocking and teasing him. His roar sent shockwaves through the uneasy sea…
The sunflower garden still looked so familiar under the sunlight, but unexpectedly, Seraphina saw two figures she hadn't noticed before. She could feel that these two people wore warm smiles like sunflowers. A man and a woman, both smiling warmly at Seraphina. But Seraphina still couldn't make out their faces, like a memory that blurred after being wiped, and she couldn't hear their voices calling to her.
"Seraphina! Seraphina, wake up!" Calypso shook Seraphina, who had not fully woken yet. Finally, she woke up, but paused, unable to process what had just happened.
"Mm! I just had another dream… I dreamt about sunflowers again. But this time, I saw two warm faces that seemed familiar, yet blurry." Seraphina said, holding her head.
"Don't worry about those dreams now, let's go meet our lifesaver!" Calypso pulled Seraphina out of the room and into a hall.
Captain Kenny, Aaron, and a middle-aged mermaid with thick eyebrows, large eyes, black long hair, and a graceful figure had already been waiting in the hall. When the captain saw Seraphina had regained her strength and woken up, he spoke first:
"Seraphina, thank this sister Diana. She saved all of us."
Facing the tall, sturdy mermaid with orange-red scales, Seraphina felt an indescribable warmth, like a shy child unable to speak. Diana, however, smiled and spoke first:
"Hello, little sister. Your name is Seraphina, right? I'm Diana, the owner of the giant squid. Well, you don't need to thank me, you should thank Xavier instead."
"Who's Xavier?" Calypso interjected.
"He's a very smart person. He built this air-filled hidden shelter in an underwater rock cave. So, we have to take on human form here and walk on two legs," Diana explained. "I'll take you to see him later."
After a bit of conversation, Diana led the four of them to a workshop full of tools and miscellaneous items. A middle-aged, tall, muscular mermaid with coarse black scales, a well-defined face, and a small mustache was tinkering with a black device, almost as tall as he was, which looked like a cannon.
"Oh! Hello, I'm so glad to see you all safe and sound," the big man turned around and greeted them first. "I'm Xavier. The reason I saved you is because I need your help. We need to form an alliance and support each other to solve the problems we're all facing."
Xavier invited everyone to sit at a table and continued:
"Long story short, I'm also a whale pet owner. Out of respect for Senior Lyanna, I've kept a low profile. So, not many mermaids know that Sylphar is also a whale. Similarly, just like Lyanna sensed that the whales were hunting her, I also sensed it, and this poses a great danger to me. I closed off my sensory channel to the whales to prevent them from finding me, while also disguising myself as other fish to observe the whale pods from afar. Their rampage must have a reason. But since there are often sharks patrolling the outskirts of the whale pods, I've gathered little useful information. So, the problem I'm facing is also about uncovering the truth.
As for the problem you're facing, in my shallow understanding: the first time you escaped was due to that young whale. The whale triggered your and Lyanna's curiosity about the truth, which led to Lyanna's hiding place being exposed, and then the massacre that followed. As for the second time, they tried to capture you again, but what exactly are they planning? I'm not sure. But one thing is certain: the more brutal Dubbin is when he kills, the greater his pleasure seems to be."
Captain Kenny thought that Xavier's analysis made some sense. He didn't expect this cold-sounding man to be so insightful. He interrupted Xavier and asked:
"Xavier, what do you think was Dubbin's purpose in trying to capture us again?"
"I think it's to make you suffer. Normally, the more you know, the more Dubbin wants to kill you to silence you. But he thinks that's too old-fashioned. Instead of killing you to shut you up, he prefers to let you watch him commit evil without being able to stop him. The suffering from that would give him more pleasure than just killing you. That's why he'd rather kill Lyanna than any of you who know the truth. But not killing you doesn't mean he'll let you go. He'll capture you and keep you locked up. Of course, this is just my theory, it might not be entirely accurate."
Captain Kenny felt that there was some truth to his analysis and continued to ask:
"So, do you have a plan for dealing with the issues we're facing?"
"First, to uncover the cause of the whale pod's rampage, our abilities alone aren't enough. I plan to go to Pacific Capital and ask a marine biologist to provide us with technical support. I'll leave in a bit."
"The second thing we need to prepare for is a bit more challenging. We need to find a way to capture a rampaging whale, preferably alive. If that's not possible, a dead one will work too, so the expert can conduct an autopsy and search for answers. Once we find the answer, we'll have a strategy for the next step."
"It really seems like that's the only way to go. So, what should we do?" the captain said approvingly.
"When the whale pod goes on the rampage, the shark teams will supervise and support from behind. After the expert arrives, I'll use my new weapon to hunt the whales. What you need to do is help distract the sharks. Of course, you two girls shouldn't participate; it would be hard enough for you to protect yourselves."
Everyone looked at Calypso, whose lips were slightly curled in dissatisfaction, and Seraphina, who looked a bit awkward. They smiled affectionately. This smile marked the beginning of their alliance.
"As for how to distract the sharks and deal with them, Captain, you can use these three days to come up with a plan. It will take me about three days to go to Pacific Capital and back, and during that time, Diana will stay with you. If anything comes up, just let her know. For safety's sake, don't go wandering around. Who knows how many capable people Dubbin has behind him? This place is safe for now."
The captain secretly admired Xavier's efficiency. After a brief farewell, Xavier leaped into the water at the entrance of a water-filled tunnel, donned his black fish disguise, and transformed into a large black fish. He swam away, disappearing into the depths of the tunnel.
"Diana, what is Pacific Capital? Is it beautiful?" Seraphina asked in a room filled with many picture frames.
Diana, who was organizing the room, turned around and answered with emotion:
"Beautiful, of course. I'd even say magnificent is a better description. It's a beautiful city built on ruins, the capital that stood tall after enduring the ravages of war. It is the cradle of civilization in the mermaid world, located deep in the rocky underground of the ocean."
"Wow!" Calypso exclaimed in surprise, interrupting Diana's description. "This scene in the painting is so interesting." She reached out and took down a picture frame, presenting it to Diana and Seraphina.
In the center of the painting was a charming mermaid girl. Her large, watery eyes, orange-red hair, pale skin, and translucent scales were depicted beautifully. She was singing and waving her hands, directing the other fish around her, who were also singing. There was an eagle stonefish, a little dolphin, unnamed creatures that made calls, and some shrimp playing drums; the most amusing was a small sea turtle, which seemed to be singing with its mouth open. On top of its shell, a mischievous little octopus held a small stick with its tentacles and tapped it on different places of the turtle's shell, making the scene very endearing.
Seraphina was touched by the scene in the painting and was about to laugh when she noticed Diana standing still, a quiet sadness appearing on her face. There was a deep melancholy in her eyes, and it was clear this painting held a story, one that made Diana drift into memories of the past. Calypso realized her interruption and wasn't sure how to recover, but she then heard Diana softly begin to tell the story, opening up a past filled with sadness:
"When Xavier was still very young, he fell in love with Serana, the owner of the eagle stonefish. She was my sister, the mermaid in the painting. Eagle stonefish are the singers of the ocean, and they can mimic many sounds, whistle, and even imitate animal calls, like cows—truly fascinating creatures. My sister was born with a love for singing and listening to music played on strange instruments.
Later, the music of the ocean could no longer satisfy her curiosity about the world of vocals. Despite my and Xavier's warnings, she transformed into a land-dwelling form and went to the land. There, she met a talented young man who could play many instruments. His handsomeness and talent deeply captivated Serana. They became a couple and received the blessings of the human world. One played music, the other danced in joy. They were very happy."
But the good times didn't last. The land was filled with greed, and this golden couple soon became victims of societal prejudice and distorted traditions. Because their artistic style was advanced and grand, it was rejected and envied by the conservative elders who represented the gods. Eventually, the talented young man was falsely accused of several crimes and thrown into prison.
In fact, the lungs that mermaids evolved could not bear the heavy workload on land, especially with the polluted air. Serana, despite the dangers, sang every day. It wasn't until she fell ill that she realized how polluted the world around her was. The filthy air caused her to develop a deadly lung disease, which the people there called tuberculosis.
Xavier, disregarding the danger, took her back to the mermaid world. But she missed the young man in prison. She was so attached to him, feeling sad and melancholic every day. If she returned to the ocean and breathed through her gills, she could live a few more years, but without the young man by her side, life seemed meaningless. She thought that being with him, even in death, would make her happy and without regrets.
Later, Xavier came to me with a solution. My Sylphar is a species of octopus called the "King's Sour Sauce Squid," one of the more intelligent species in the octopus family. They use their multiple tentacles to confuse prey, hypnotizing it during their dance before launching a surprise attack. This tentacle movement also serves as a hypnotic process, and after my second evolution, I also learned the art of hypnosis.
Xavier asked me to hypnotize my sister Serana and make her forget the sad story of the land. I did so, but her strong belief in that persistent love caused my hypnosis to fail. She couldn't accept the so-called care from me and Xavier, so she secretly left us and returned to the land to search for the young man she was willing to risk everything for.
When she finally found him, she learned that the young man had succumbed to the so-called elders and the teachings of the church. He had found a new lover and rejected her at the door. By that time, she was gravely ill. It felt as though the world, like the young man, had closed all doors to her, leaving only boundless disappointment and a helpless shell of a body, with nothing else left.
In the end, Xavier found her cold corpse on an ice-covered mountain. The cold wind howled around her, the harsh wind shrieking as it mercilessly struck the lost soul in the cold snow, the sound marking the end of this beautiful symphony.
Later, Xavier painted this picture, capturing the memory of this beautiful mermaid girl in the painting…
When Diana finished telling her story, she realized that it wasn't only her who was sad. Calypso's tears fell onto the small painting, and tears often spread among women. Sometimes, they could even spread to men. The captain, standing outside with reddened eyes, had his face obscured by his large hat, but the faint sounds of his choking sobs could still be heard.
Calypso looked at the painting in her hands with deep affection, admiring the beautiful, peaceful mermaid. In the world of ink, her joyful memories still bloomed. The innocent face was so pure. To capture this memory on paper, to make it so beautiful and fresh, the artist must have had deep love.
Suddenly, Calypso looked up, her eyes gleaming with a strange light. "Seraphina, you love singing, don't you? Maybe the eagle stonefish is your Sylphar. What if you try to establish a mental connection with the eagle stonefish?"
Seraphina had never found her Sylphar to complete her second evolution, and perhaps Calypso was right. She turned to Diana. "Sister, do you have an eagle stonefish here? I think I should try to see if I'm connected to it."
"Of course, Xavier considered the eagle stonefish to be Serana's shadow and has kept many of them. Follow me!"
In a room with a water pool, Diana pulled out a golden fish from the water. She placed it in a basin and set it in front of Seraphina. "This is Serana's Sylphar, the eagle stonefish. It can make sounds with its gills," Diana explained.
Seraphina stared at the small fish swimming in the water, occasionally making whistling sounds. She felt a bit nervous, unsure of how to begin communicating with it. Diana, noticing the young girl's lack of experience, quietly guided her from the side:
"Alright, Seraphina, do as I say—take a deep breath, slowly… deep breath, exhale—inhale—exhale—inhale. With each breath, your body will relax more than the last. Good, slowly let the breathing guide you into a more peaceful and calm state.
Exhale… now, look into the fish's eyes,
Inhale… look into the fish's eyes, focus your attention.
Exhale…"
The fish in the basin stopped swimming and looked up at Seraphina, their eyes meeting.
"Inhale… look into the fish's eyes, sense the world in its gaze…
Very good, continue exhaling, accepting the images radiating from the fish's eyes…"
Under Diana's guidance, Seraphina and the eagle stonefish locked eyes and entered a dazed state, gradually establishing a mental connection that triggered each other's potential.
Seraphina vaguely saw a vast, dimly-lit world, slightly dark and chaotic. Below was a large land glowing with yellow fluorescence, and above was a surface shimmering with ripples under bright white light. The middle, between the top and bottom, was a dark void with no visible end. Soon, the darkness in the center slowly began to light up. At first, it was faint, but after a very short time, it suddenly became very bright. Seraphina winced, feeling a sharp pain in her head and cried out:
"Ah!"
"Stop!" Diana commanded sharply, snapping Seraphina out of the trance. Calypso had already taken the fish and its basin away.
"The subconscious bridge forms an information channel, and usually, you'll see a black hole in the vision. Your pupils shrinking means you've seen the white light, which indicates a failed connection. This means the eagle stonefish couldn't accept you and triggered the subconscious barrier, activating the protective mechanism," Diana explained in detail, leaving Seraphina touched. "Remember, child, if you succeed, you'll be able to send commands through a black hole in your vision. Your pupils will dilate and emit white light."
After Seraphina's headache subsided, she felt a bit melancholic. The Creator still required her to keep searching. Her Sylphar had not appeared, meaning she was not Serana's pet successor, that her luck hadn't come yet, and that the long and arduous path ahead still stretched out before her. She murmured:
"The road is long and still ahead, I will seek and search in all directions!"
Late at night, Seraphina saw that Calypso and the others had already gone to sleep. She tiptoed to Diana's room. Unable to sleep, she found that Diana was also awake. When Diana saw the young girl suddenly enter, she quickly turned her face away.
"Did you cry, Diana?"
"It's nothing, just thinking about my sister," Diana said, her eyes slightly red.
"But you're holding Xavier's self-portrait, aren't you?" Seraphina pointed out.
Diana quickly covered the portrait, surprised that this little girl had discovered the secret she held in her heart. She changed the subject:
"Oh, you're still awake? You must be tired from today. Is something bothering you?"
"I…" Seraphina hesitated. "I can't sleep."
"Alright then, let's talk. Is there anything on your mind?"
"When I close my eyes, I think about Grandma Lyanna. It's so cruel. Mermaids have such incredible evolutionary potential, so why would they face such unbelievable slaughter? Sylphar usually becomes a lifelong companion to its master, sharing life's beauty, working together, sensing each other's dangers, and offering help. All of this maintains the unique ecological balance of the mermaid world. But why did something like Grandma Lyanna's situation happen?" Seraphina's eyes were lost. "Isn't the future after evolution supposed to be bright? Why?"
"Evolution is a need to adapt to the environmental realities of life, meant to make life more perfect and complete. But before evolution, every mermaid needs to cultivate and examine the true nature of their soul. If flaws are found in the soul, especially after second evolution, more extreme personalities may arise," Diana explained, her words somewhat profound.
"What is the true nature of the soul?" Seraphina asked, confused.
"Different people have different answers to this question, which is why Sylphar can vary so much. It could be an unfulfilled wish from a past life, or it could be a fate in this life. It can create great individuals or even bring forth monsters."
"How can I discover the true nature of my soul?"
"If I tell you to cultivate, you'd probably feel like I didn't answer your question at all. It's like the mysticism spoken of by the elders—besides the technical mystery, it's because the technical means of expression are insufficient to convey the deeper mysteries, which is why it's called mysticism," Diana said, a faint smile appearing on her face. "But Seraphina, since you asked this question, I can give you a little help, though I'm not sure how effective it will be!"
"So, what should I do?" Seraphina asked eagerly, her desire for second evolution clear.
"Many people enter a state of selflessness through meditation and gain insight into the true nature of their soul. But it takes a lot of time. I can try to hypnotize you and see if you can perceive anything. Are you ready?"
"Yes, I'm ready." Seraphina responded, eager.
Seraphina entered a large room underwater, where there was a Sylphar as large as a whale: a giant Bawang sour-fish squid, Diana's Sylphar. Its enormous eyes were dark and clear, as if they contained a chaotic universe within them.
Seraphina reclined on a comfortable lounge chair, facing Diana, who was sitting upright. Behind her were the giant eyes of the Bawang sour-fish squid. This squid, a master of hunting by hypnotizing its prey, not only had its eyes wide open but was also holding glowing pearls in its eight tentacles.
The room grew darker, and the only things visible were Diana, the squid's eyes, and the light from the glowing pearls circling in the squid's tentacles.
"Relax, relax, take a deep breath, and relax more. With each breath, let your body relax even further. Breathe out… breathe in… relax, relax…" Diana's voice was calm and soothing.
Seraphina followed Diana's suggestion, watching the eight glowing pearls trace bright lines with their tails through the dark. She felt the squid's black eyes growing larger, until she felt as though she was merging with the vast darkness. She entered a trance…
A black, clear, and empty world, hiding all secrets and powers. Life had originally emerged from the darkness, carrying primal chaos, confusion, hope, and the indescribable void. Everything froze in the dark space-time, with no progression, no retreat, no life, no death, no worries, no cares, no meaning.
Gradually, it seemed like a sound emerged from the chaos, like the whooshing of wind, or the ebb and flow of ocean tides. It had a rhythm, flowing through this vast, no longer lifeless black ocean.
In the distance, within the darkness, a small light appeared. Then another, and another, forming a triangular pattern—one at the top, and one at the left and right bottom corners. The lights danced in small, rapid movements, like fireflies in the dark. The lights didn't grow brighter, but they grew larger, and they stayed in the same spots, becoming more distinct, resembling something.
What is it? What is it? This feeling is so familiar…
"Ahh—" Seraphina woke up suddenly from the trance, gasping for breath.
"Mm-mm! Gugu-gugu…" The giant Bawang sour-fish squid lowered all its tentacles, making a soft sound, seemingly exhausted.
"What did you see?" Diana asked, soothing the squid.
"I saw three transparent sunflowers with no color. At first, they didn't seem scary, but it felt like a force was pushing me there, waking me up."
"Seraphina, the path you must walk for cultivation is still long. According to the experiences of previous evolutions, that dark space is like a door, inside which lies the dormant subconscious spirit. You have already touched the door, but…"
"But what?" Seraphina asked eagerly.
"But the door is locked with three 'locks.' To put it more clearly, you are close to the truth."
"Why is this happening?"
"These 'locks' should represent the knots in your heart. Unraveling them requires your own effort. According to experience, a normal person's subconscious only has one or two 'locks,' but you have three. The sensation of being pushed by some force could suggest that these 'locks' were placed there by someone else."
"What? This…" Seraphina was stunned, not knowing what to make of it.
"Oh! But I'm just sharing my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong." Diana turned her face away, seemingly trying to avoid something. She didn't want Seraphina to notice the trace of anxiety in her eyes. She knew that in the mermaid world, there was indeed a mysterious technique that could add locks to a person's subconscious. Those who did this were usually highly respected mermaid sages. Seraphina's subconscious must be hiding some unknown, great secret. What could be sealed inside?
…
"Seraphina, since you can't sleep, let me sing you a song. It was written by Xavier for my sister. It's not very melodious, but it expresses his longing for her."
Meteor Tears
Before we said goodbye, it had already fallen,
Tears filled my eyes,
Moonlight passed by,
The night was desolate and hopeless,
Deep love, yet we couldn't be together,
We will meet again in heaven,
Snowflakes gently fall,
Telling of a time that once was,
Not only your gentle poetry,
But also the passionate fire in my heart,
Almost melted in the cold wind,
Where should I go from here?
Unfortunately, time passes quickly,
How many cycles of reincarnation,
Until we are fated to meet again?
How I long to love you once more,
A wish that remains unchanged through lifetimes,
Reappearing in my soul,
Hoping to remain in the memory,
Staying in the moment of our first meeting,
No matter the storms or the rain,
I will always follow you,
Whether the world ends or the earth fades.