‘What do I do now? If he ever finds out, it’s over! But maybe he could help me… I just need to make him understand.’

“Syrena? I’m waiting. Is it true that you were with a human? Have I not informed you about the dangers -”

‘Here goes nothing!’

“Then what if I was? What are you going to do to me?”

“WHAT?!” He got up from his throne and I could see that angry look on his face. He was tightly holding onto his trident making me afraid to see if he was going to use it on me. I mean, I’m his only daughter, why would he harm me?

“Why were you with a human?! Was I not clear enough?!”

“Yes father, loud and clear but… he’s different-”

“Different?! All humans are the same! Savages! Can’t you see what they are doing to our seas?! To our home?! For thousand of centuries they kept destroying everything and killing us in the process! CAN’T YOU SEE THAT?!”

“HE IS NOT LIKE THAT!”

“I thought you were better than this Syrena. I understand that you need your own space but going to a human?! You crossed the line young lady!”

As we had kept on going with out forth and back argument I couldn’t help but let slip up the three words that would destroy everything between my father and I.

“I LOVE HIM!”

Shock wasn’t enough to express what he was feeling at the moment. He was broken but the anger was still there. I didn’t care anymore if I hid my feelings or not; he’s my father and he needed to know. I need his help. “Father -”

“I forbid you to go see the boy ever again. If I hear about you leaving the kingdom-”

“You can’t do this to me!”

“YES I CAN!”

“You don’t understand! Father! You’re wrong about him-”

“Don’t defy me again Syrena, or there’ll be consequences. Love doesn’t exist.”

“Really?! Then why do I sing!” I watched his eyes open wider and I knew that my words shocked him.

“Why do I sing whenever I think of him?! Why do I have the urge of pouring out my heart to him knowing that he will take care of it, knowing that he loves me as much as I love him? Why do I see myself living the rest of my life by his side, wanting to spend the rest of eternity with him?! Why the hell am I willing to give up my immortality for him, father? Huh?! Tell me! Maybe you haven’t had the chance of knowing what true love is but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist because it does and I know it! I’m living it and it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me!”

I couldn’t take it anymore. He was never going to understand and there was no use into fighting with him anymore. There was only one thing I could do for now and that was to leave.

I quickly swam away, leaving my father falling back on his throne, my words still echoing. I needed to get far away. I don’t know where I am going, I can’t stay at the palace anymore, not even inside the kingdom’s walls.

I guess it was clear to say that I’m swimming away now. I could hear the yells of my father as he was calling out my name but I shut it out, I couldn’t deal with him anymore.

Too many hours passed and I was lost.

I didn’t know where I was exactly but from what I could tell, I was far away from home or even from where Byunghee lives. I couldn’t recognize any of the scenery and it wasn’t really nice looking here.

It looks so… dead.

No light, no colors; I could feel myself getting a little bit cold from the change of the water and I knew that it wasn’t a good sign. “Father told me about this… It must be-”

“Who dares to infiltrate my Death Valley?”

At the echoing voice, I quickly turned around to see a strange and old looking mermaid. A strange aura was surrounding her and I was starting to feel scared. The closer she got, I recognized her as the Evil Queen everybody was so afraid of.

I never knew her story but my father told me that she was evil and that she couldn’t be trusted. I had to get away quickly.

“Well, well, well, look what we have here; the famous princess~ what brings you into my home, child?”

“I-I got l-lost…”

“Really? Hmm, strange; I was sure that it was… I don’t know, maybe Fate that brought you here?”

‘Fate? Could she be the one to help me?’

She had a strange smile on her face but I couldn’t depict the expression behind this. Nevertheless, I was ready to do anything to be with Byunghee and if she was the one to give me what I needed, then I guess I had to ask her for help.

“You look troubled dear; what’s the matter?”

I suddenly felt her arms around my shoulder making me slightly jump in the process. She looked to comfortable for my taste but I didn’t object; she may be my only chance and I didn’t want to anger her.

“If, like you say, Fate brought me here, that means you can help me, right?”

“Of course darling! Of course I can help you!” I sighed in relief, finally glad to see that I had found answers to my prayers. “I mean, I’ve been helping you from the beginning, child~”

“From the beginning? Wh-what do you mean?”

“Oh my, don’t you know?”

I took a moment to think about her words, trying to figure out how she helped me when I’ve never met her before today, but then my eyes landed on the little necklace she was wearing; it looked similar to the medallion that I found so I can be human.

“But how did you know?”

“I can sense whenever a mermaid is in need of help; it’s a special power that I have, if I might say.” We turned around and she brought me deeper into her so called home, a weird looking cavern with strange greenish lights surrounding it.

I tried not be frighten by this environment but I couldn’t help to sense that something was out of place, that I was out of place and that maybe seeking help with the enemy was wrong after all.

Once we were fully inside, I found myself standing at the entrance of a room while she went to sit on a seat, laying her body across it. She was eyeing me up and down and showed a smirk, sending chills all over me.

I was starting to regret this so badly.

“So! The word around is that you want to become human, am I right?”

I nodded as I slowly wrapped my arms around me, hugging myself for some warmth. “You can help me with that?”

“Of course I can help but a price must be paid. Are you willing to still go through with this?”

“Yes! Yes! Anything!”

I swam straight towards her and crouched on my tail as I held my hands into hers, begging for her help. I noticed a small glint in her eyes but I barely paid attention to  it when she got up and swam towards the center of the room, placing herself in front of a large strange looking basin.

“A bargain needs to be done in order to have what you truly want.”

“A bargain? W-what kind of bargain?” I slowly swam towards her, intrigued to know where she was going with this. A part of me was afraid while the other was only more curious about what she could be hiding from me.

From the basin, she took out a weird looking shell and handed it out to me as I took it into my own hands, carefully observing it. “This is an auger shell.”

“Will this be what will grant me my wish?”

“No. This is mine to feed off. It’s take out a mermaid’s immortality.”

“W-what?” Looking up from it, I stared at her with my eyes wide open. “This is where we jump on our bargain, my dear.”

“What do you want exactly?”

“You have a lover waiting for you in the human world, am I right?”

“Yes…”

“Is he worth sacrificing everything?”

“Yes!”

“Okay then… I will give you until the next full moon to have a formal confession of his love for you. If not, then you turn back into being a mermaid and you will hand in your immortality. If he does, then you will become human; officially speaking.”

“I don’t understand…”

She circled around me as she took the shell away from my hands.

“Within the next thirty days, the boy must show an act of true love. Simply saying that he loves you, or anything of that sort, isn’t good enough nor is it strong enough for the bond you created with him. If by the time the moon reaches its peak on the last day and he still hasn’t given you his heart, this shell will spare you the pain of a broken heart. In other words, if you don’t come through with the bargain, your soul is mine.”

I could feel the beating of my heart accelerate. I didn’t want to agree to this deal but something inside of me wanted to say yes, to accept this arrangement because somehow I knew that Byunghee deeply loved me and that it will work.

“The clock is ticking, child; you don’t have much time~”

Once again she circled around me, waiting for my response. I looked down at my hands trying to recreate the feeling I had when Byunghee was holding them. I loved that sensation; I just love how happy I can be around him, how good I feel being so close to him. I’ve wanted something like this for so long and now that I have the chance to have it for good, I don’t want to lose it.

I lifted my head up and looked at her, knowing exactly what my answer will be.

“It’s a deal.”