After the harrowing escape from the sudden apocalyptic flood that destroyed their sanctuary, Shui Yi and Long Fei clung to one of Ling Yue's massive whale teeth, suspended in her closed mouth. The mermaid's usual composure shattered. With a sharp jerk, she wrenched her arm from his grasp. Her sudden reaction sent a ripple of unease between them, and the heavy silence thickened, almost suffocating.
"Ling Yue, I know you can hear me," she called out, her voice trembling as she turned aimlessly in the dark. The faint rhythmic sound of lapping water echoed around them, mingling with the oppressive silence. "Who is 'he'? I know you know why this is happening."
The whale remained silent, her hot breath added to the rising tension. Shui Yi's breath hitched, shallow and quick, as frustration bubbled inside her. The darkness pressed in, and her thoughts spiraled like a whirlpool. "There's something you're not telling me." Her words were barely more than a whisper, but held an edge of accusation, sharp and raw. She felt Long Fei's weight shift as he stepped away from her.
Her mind raced, jumping from one conclusion to another, desperate to make sense of the chaos unraveling around her. The confusion, the hurt, the sting of betrayal—it clawed at her, leaving nothing but a gaping hole in her tender heart. "After everything we've been through... I thought we were companions. But here we are... and you're keeping me in the dark. What are you two hiding from me?"
She bit her lower lip, tasted a drop of blood as she wiped away the single, unbidden tear that slid down her cheek, the darkness offering no solace. She heard the soft squelch of his footfalls against the slick surface beneath them. "Don't you dare walk away from me," she snapped, her voice breaking as she stepped toward the subtle sound, her fingers trembling as they reached for him. Her hand grazed his robe, and she grabbed his arm, then his face, pulling him close. But he gently removed her hand and shifted away from her again. She felt the cold ache in her bones and clenched her fists.
"You must think I'm a fool," her voice was bitter. "I recognized those sea monsters. They're from the chasm. This is my father's doing, isn't it?"
Long Fei exhaled a long, ragged sigh, his voice barely above a whisper. "Your father will never intentionally hurt you," he said, the words grave, but he did not elaborate any further.
"Never intentionally hurt me?!" Shui Yi's voice cracked, each word like a jagged shard. "He stripped away my mermaid essence and banished me from the sea! I can't return until I find the Sacred Pearl you took from me. So, give it back. Now." She held her hand out but he did not move.
"I don't have it on me," he murmured, and there was another shifting noise that echoed.
"Did you lose it?" The mermaid's disbelief was sharp, cutting through the silence. Her words rang hollow, like the emptiness between them. "I saw you with it in the chasm. You had it in your mouth." The brief memory of him sharing a pink glow with her before she passed out again flashed through her. An awkward silence stretched between them. Why won't he give her a straight answer?
"Where is it?" Shui Yi demanded, her voice rising in desperation. Her hands searched the darkness blindly, fingers trembling as she felt the whale's teeth. She moved towards where she thought he would be standing, her breath ragged with frustration.
"I'm sorry," Long Fei finally whispered, his voice thick with guilt, "I don't have it on me."
"If you don't have it, then it must be back in the Ocean Kingdom. Which means my father knows where it is. He sent me on this wild goose chase and you're telling me he never meant to hurt me?" She shook her head with bitter laughter. "He swore you to silence, didn't he? That's why you won't look me in the eye."
The silence between them worsened with heated breaths, adding weight to the tension.
"You're both in this together," she muttered, each word bitter, her voice strained, "I know my father sent you, Ling Yue. You're the infamous guardian of the sea. You think I didn't recognize you at first glance? If Long Fei were with you, then my father would've sent him too. You're only here because of him." She struggled to keep the flood of tears that threatened to burst out.
The deafening silence from Long Fei made something snap in her.
"If you don't have the Sacred Pearl," Shui Yi's voice rose, raw with fury, "then why in the ocean am I here? You led me here! You dragged me into this mess!"
Ling Yue remained silent. Her unwavering response, when she usually had a lot to comment, only heightened Shui Yi's growing anger. Her hands groped through the dark again, frantic, desperate. Her fingers brushed over the slick walls of Ling Yue's mouth, but she couldn't find what she was looking for. The suffocating darkness clung to her hope, crushing it.
"It must be here," Shui Yi muttered, her voice shaking with frustration. Frantically, she clawed through the dark until her fingers struck cold and metallic. She gasped, hope flickered for a brief moment. It was a blade. Her hands trembled as she clutched the hilt; the steel glinted faintly in the darkness. With a cry of desperation, she raised the blade, ready to tear through the wall to uncover the truth.
Long Fei moved faster than she could react, his hand closing around hers, stopping the blade's descent. His grip was firm, but gentle, as he wrenched the weapon from her hand. "Stop. You'll hurt her."
"Why should I? She's in on this, isn't she? Hiding something from me just like you!" She felt his warm breath on her face as he remained silent.
Ling Yue's voice finally broke through the silence, soft and reluctant. "Master... it sounds like she already knows. Technically, she figured it out on her own."