The water darkened as Thalina swarm further from the coral forest. She wasn't supposed to be here, close to the kingdom's edge, but her aunt wasn't expecting her back for hours. It was the perfect time to be alone with her thoughts and the questions that refused to leave her alone. She stopped near a towering rock formation that jutted out like a spire. It was a place she often came to think, where the water grew quieter, the bustle of the kingdom fading to a distant hum. Sitting on a ledge covered in soft moss, she let her tail curl beneath her and tilted her head to look upward.
The sunlight streaming through the surface seemed more vivid here, the golden rays brighter and sharper. She imagined breaking through the waves, feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin, the cool air filling her lungs. The thought sent a thrill down her spine- and a pang of frustration. She was tired of imagining."Just a little closer," she whispered to herself, her voice muffled in the water. Just to see." The impulse to swim upward was almost unbearable, but a distant sound pulled her attention away. A sharp, metallic clatter, followed by the faint hum of voice.
Thalina tensed. The sound was coming from the direction of the kingdom-a reminder that she wasn't alone as she'd thought. Sliding off the rock, she swarms towards the noise, her movements slow and cautious. As she rounded the bend, the source of the disturbance came into view. It was her aunt, Marina, speaking with another elder. They stood near the edge of a cave, their postures tense and their expressions grim. Thalina quickly ducked behind a cluster of rocks her heart pounding. She wasn't supposed to eavesdrop, another rule she was about to break but she couldn't help herself.
"...should have been dealt with a long time ago," the other elder was saying, his voice low but urgent. "We can't act harshly,' Marina replied, her tone clipped. "The council must agree before any decision is made."
"Waiting is a risk we cannot afford,' the elder's tail flicked sharply, sending a cloud of sand into the water. "If she continues on this path-"
"She doesn't know anything," Marina interrupted.' she is a child.".Thalina's breath caught. Were they talking about her?". The elder didn't look convinced. "She's too much like her mother. And you know what that means." Silence stretched between them, heavy and tense. Finally, the elder sighed and turned away."I hope you are right. For all our sakes."
As she swarmed off, Marina lingered for a moment, her gaze distant, and disappeared into the shadows of the cave. Thalina stayed hidden until the water around her settled, her mind racing. Why had her mother been mentioned? And what did it mean for her?