When they reached the right place the merlings stopped. Jongdae tried to drop his anchor but to his worried dismay the ocean was too deep. He would have to risk it.  "I can't come down!" he called out to them. He couldn't leave his boat unanchored. "I'm sorry," he said into the darkness as he realised this might be goodbye and it was terrible. He instantly regretted all the words he'd left unsaid as the luminescent creatures disappeared into the deep black depths.

He didn't know what to do now but wait and try to keep the boat there where he last saw Minseok.

Minseok and Yixing dived. The surface faded and the ocean floor was still miles away. They dived deeper and deeper, past a huge jellyfish with tentacles longer than their tails. They saw a shark in the distance, huge and looming, but when it opened its mouth wide they realised it was a basking shark. Huge but harmless and neither friend nor foe. They avoided it anyway.

When they reached the place Yixing held back. The rich red glow was already drawing him and it was both beautiful and terrifying. The lust he felt for whatever power the cave contained outweighed his love for his brothers and his desire for his mate and Minseok could see panic on his face. "Move away..." he urged and Yixing swam back a little further. He'd brought Yixing here to help him but now he was afraid that they might both be lost. "If something happens to me don't come for me. Stay safe and make sure you tell everyone I tried my hardest." 

Yixing shook his head but Minseok pulled him into a tight hug. "Do not come any closer. You need to live." He looked his brother in the eye and the silent words were loud and clear. Yixing nodded his agreement and Minseok smiled sadly at him. "Thank you," he said. "For loving me and taking care of me, for healing me and helping me, for being my brother." 

And with a flick of his tail he was gone.

He swam with purpose towards the red glowing cave. He was almost there when they appeared in front of him. Three with tails like slicked oil and eyes like glowing coals. "Have you come to join us?" the tallest one said and Minseok used his old name. "No I haven't Yifan. I would never fall to your ways." Yifan looked confused when he realised the magic had no effect on the merling in front of him. "What are you?" he hissed as his mate tried to grab Minseok's arm. "I am just me. I'm different," Minseok said with a voice stronger than he felt. But he had to stay brave.

"What are you?" he asked and the other replied. "We are shipbreakers." He laughed as he looked to the surface and a cold terror crossed Minseok's face. "Shipbreakers..." he repeated and the two laughed and began to swim towards the surface.

Jongdae floated aimlessly in his boat, his mind a mess, his chest hurting as he worried. His captain's instinct told him something bad was going to happen and his intuition screamed at him to flee. But he couldn't leave him.

He promised.

He pulled his hoodie tighter when a strange wind whipped up around him. It felt strong but was unusually warm and without the scent of a thunderstorm. He looked out into the water and saw red flashes in the water and when waves began to churn he felt suddenly and deathly afraid. He'd never seen or felt weather like this before and it wasn't right.

Minseok watched on in terror as the two evil shipbreakers swam to the surface. Torn between the two determined to attack Jongdae and the one left to guard the cave Minseok had to choose. His stomach lurched with fear as he looked to the surface, then back at the cave, then to the surface again. "Be brave Jongdae..." he whispered to himself and chose to head to the cave.

The one who used to be Luhan grinned maniacally as he saw Minseok approach. "I'm the sentinel! I guard the magic of the cave and I need a partner! It's going to get you too! The magic in the cave!" he laughed aloud and Minseok held his words and hoped this went to plan. Luhan grabbed him and dragged him towards the cave and Minseok went limp and let himself be dragged. As long as he wasn't injured he should be okay. 

Luhan pulled him by the arm into the cave and Minseok saw the three glowing orbs set in the back wall. As Luhan pulled him closer a fourth tried to pulse into life but it wavered and seemed weak. He felt his stomach lurch again, lust and power, magic trying to overtake him but his mind turned to Jongdae on the surface and tears filled his salty eyes. "Jongdae, please be brave and strong, and please don't ever forget me..." he felt a warmth spread through his body and a strange sensation of acceptance. He broke free from Luhan's grip and felt the painful sting of claws rake down his arm. Luhan went for his hair and began to pull and Minseok fought him fiercely. Tail and fin and claw fought for dominance in the glowing ocean cave and Minseok summoned all his internal strength.

He grabbed Luhan by one arm and reached for the orbs with the other. He hoped he had the right one and tried to grab it but it burnt his fingers and he hissed with pain. Luhan laughed again and struck out with his hands and claws and Minseok knew he was running out of chances. He balled up his hand into a fist and thought of the shipbreakers above as he smashed his fist hard into the wall. The orb dulled and cracked then glowed again, Luhan freed himself and grabbed Minseok in a tight hold, but the merlings strength was renewed. His fist smashed the wall over and over and finally shattered the orb and Luhan sank to the sand below them.

"Brother!" Minseok screamed as Luhan collapsed. His tail changed from fiery patterns of red and gold and black into a soft combination of sandy peach and pink and his arms glittered with shades of rose gold. Minseok looked from the dying merling to the remaining two orbs and chose to save his lost brother. He scooped his lifeless body up and carried him from the cave, desperate to reach the healing of Yixing, just in time to see the giant whirlpool the shipbreakers had created.

Minseok handed the lifeless creature over to Yixing who laid him down on the sand. His hands worked hard all over his body to try and bring him back "He's coming just slowly." Yixing said calmly and Minseok didn't know what to do. He was torn between returning to the cave and going to the surface but he knew he couldn't fight the shipbreakers alone.

He looked up to the surface and felt at a loss just in time to see the faded outline of the boat in the distance. It was tossed uncontrollably in the terrible storm being created and just as Minseok decided to return to the cave he saw the boat crack in half and he screamed.