Outside of Jungkook's cave, Jackson and Hoseok were in deep chat. Hoseok wanted to know how Namjoon found out all about this. And of course as he pointed out, only three people knew about Jungkook's collection: Jungkook, Jackson and himself. Jungkook and he kept their lips shut meaning that only one other person did it.

And he was right.

"I feel horrible for Jungkook!" Jackson clarified miserably. Hoseok could tell the merman didn't mean to. "It was an accident!"

It was ironic to Hoseok. Jackson's idea to bury the secret and to make sure that neither Jungkook nor he said anything. The one who wanted to hide it all was the one who ended up exposing it. It was funny but not really.

Unexpectedly Jungkook swam past them, following two female eels. Wondering what was going on, Jackson and him followed.

"Jungkook!" Jackson called out to the young prince who swam aloofly. "Where are you going?"

Jungkook kept his head straightforward, "I'm going to see IU."

Knowing that name so well and how infamous the woman was, Jackson panicked. "Jungkook, no! The woman is a barbarian!"

Jungkook bitterly snapped back at Jackson, "Why don't you go tell my Appa, hmm? Since you do that so well." Jackson felt hurt by the comment but regardless followed the prince.

Hoseok heard bits and bits of who IU was. He didn't really have anyone to tell him who she was. Naturally parents forewarned their children of the hazards that might be out there waiting to get them. IU was one of them but Hoseok knew her as the "sea witch." He heard she had done some horrible stuff and was exiled by Namjoon's father, Sihyuk, long ago.

You're doing this for Kookie, Hoseok thought as he eyed his stoic friend.

As the five kept swimming they were surrounded by huge skeletons that they assumed to be whales. Only one had been noticeable. One of the skeletons was glowing purple and some type of white smoke was coming out through the uncountable bones.

It was all odd and eerie, appropriate for a sea witch.

Hoseok and Jackson stayed a bit behind though weren't leaving Jungkook all by himself. Bora and Hyolyn led them through the front which happened to be the whale's mouth that was wide open. By instinct, Hoseok grabbed into Jackson's arm as he saw how dark it was inside. The green tailed merman took a deep breath before continuing.

✯✯✯

The first thing Jungkook's heard was small whispers. He gulps and feels his wrist being grasped. His head whirls around to see a lugworm around his wrist. Jungkook trembled as he saw another lugworm swim towards him. He felt something touch his fin. The prince's eyes averted to the floor and his breath was taken away. There was a garden of lugworms right below him.

Jungkook tried pulling the lugworm on his wrist just for another one to nearly wrap around his other wrist.

"Come in, sweet prince, come in!" A female's voice, neither Bora's or Hyolyn's echoed. Jungkook observed the lugworms detach themselves and swim swiftly back down. "You're here for a deal, aren't you?"

Jungkook followed the voice to enter a large room. There were shelves with jars full of living creatures and colorful liquids. He spotted some thick books as well. He expected all of these items were used for the spells IU casted.

At the center of the room was a large black cauldron. IU, a woman with short black hair, black scales all over her upper body and black tentacles instead of a tail and fin. Jungkook noticed the golden seashell necklace dangling around her neck and the golden octopus bracelet around her left wrist.

"Now, you seem to have eyes for a human prince? He's uh, quite a handsome one, isn't he?" IU began the discussion, trying to go over Jungkook's general issue. She intertwined her hands, "Your solution is simple, dear. You need to be human to get that prince of yours."

Jungkook's eyes sparkled with hope. The woman was a sea witch. "Can you do that?"

IU scoffed as if what he had asked her was the simplest question to answer. "Pft! Can I? Darling, I live for this kind of work! Sure your dear Merfolk describe me as a witch, I get it, no hard feelings. I flipped my switch though. I'm a helper now."

Jungkook didn't know how much he could believe the woman. He eyed her questionably, "How so?"

"I've got a bunch of people asking me for favors, dear. Someone wanting to be thinner? Bam! Someone wanting to get the attention of another? Bam! I help them, of course. It's what I do." IU effortlessly prattled.

If so many others before him had been aided by IU, surely it wouldn't hurt for her to help him. He would just be another mer searching for someone to help him. His father drew the line at trying to understand him. There was no going back if he accepted IU's help. He had no one else to turn to. In layman's terms, he was very desperate.

"There have been those poor unfortunate souls who couldn't pay the price," IU rattled on as she took items from her shelves and threw them into the large cauldron, causing all sorts of colorful smoke to emanate from it.

IU cleared , "Now, here's the deal. I'll give you a potion that makes you human for three days. Here's the gist. Before the sun sets on the third day, your prince has to kiss you."

Jungkook flushed at the thought. Being able to be with Jimin again made his heart skip a beat. Visualizing them kissing made his heart stop. It sounded all like a beautiful dream that he couldn't wish to come true.

"It's not just any kiss though, it's the kiss. True love's kiss. If he kisses you, forever you'll remain human. If he doesn't, you're back to a merman and you belong to me." IU sinisterly said the last part with eyes of mischief. She was waiting for the merman to fail.

Jackson cried out, "Jungkook, don't!" Hyolyn and Bora blocked him.

"So are we sealing the deal?"

Jungkook was dismayed by the true reality of being with Jimin, "I'll never see my appa or hyungs ever again..."

IU rolled her eyes. Namjoon's and Jin's older sons were soldiers and she could never use them as bargaining chips. Even trying to lure Taehyung's plaything Hoseok wouldn't be worth her time. The green tailed merman had nothing he would ever go to her for. It's not like she had the ability to bring someone back to life.

Which she doubted he would ever want due to his morals.

"True, but you'll have your man. Tough choices are one's main obstacle in life," IU could care less about Jungkook's family he'd be leaving behind. She got down to business, "Now, we need to discuss about payment. Nothing's for free, if you know what I mean."

Jungkook didn't have anything valuable that the sea witch would want. He didn't really own one specific object that was the closest to him.

"What could I possibly give you?" Jungkook questioned. The sea witch was giving him the chance to be with his life mate.

IU shrugged mindlessly to how the prince would answer to the price, "I'm not asking for the world here. It'll totally be unmissable. What I want...Is your voice."

Jungkook touched his throat. It was definitely not was one would call "nothing to miss." Mers didn't consider themselves anything without their voices. All mers could sing, some beautifully and others plainly, but they used their voices. Whether it was to attract their potential life mate, lullabies, tell stories, or even if they wish to sing every day in their lives.

His whole life he had always been told he had been granted with a voice soft like his mother's. He would be giving up his red tail which and now his voice, both what helped keep him going after his mother's death. Without either one he didn't really have much of him. It made him crestfallen.

"My voice?" Would Jimin really fall in love with him? Together was he to remain mute? Jungkook wanted to sing his heart song to Jimin and that wouldn't be able to happen ever.

IU nodded, "Yup. No talking, singing, zip!"

Jungkook could hear Jackson panicking. From within, Jungkook was doing the same. He would definitely miss his voice. Would his mother really be okay with him doing all of this?

Jungkook speculated how he'd communicate with Jimin. "But without my voice, how will I be able to—"

"No one cares about opinions up there on the sand, sweetcakes. All that matters up there are survival, really. You're rich or poor, king or servant, you know?" IU didn't care what she had to throw at the young prince. She was getting his voice. "Besides, you get to keep your face and body—no reason he shouldn't be heads over heels! You're one beautiful boy. I guess we can thank daddy and mommy for that, hm?" IU winked at him.

He would've said something but this was all a big choice to make. His life wouldn't ever be the same. To be with Jimin, he had to give up his life under the sea. He wouldn't be able to see his family. Suddenly he remembered what Hoseok had said to him while he was still mourning. When he used to stay hauled up in his chambers.

Both young mers were swimming around in the kingdom. Jungkook had just met Hoseok officially four days ago and had learned so much about the other mer. Hoseok had endured a similar situation that sounded way worse than his. Hoseok told him to never compare how much pain someone endures. Everyone went through huge painful obstacles since life wasn't paradise. It had its harsh moments.

Seeing Hoseok in his blissful state made Jungkook wonder if it was even right to have that mindset. Hoseok had lost his parents and older sister yet here he was living his life jovially. Jungkook didn't want to be gloomy all day and he could see how beautiful life was. How he didn't have to give up and isolate himself from everyone else. But should he? Would it not be insulting his mother to continue on?

"Hobi-hyung?"

Hoseok spun to smile at his friend, "What's up, Kookie?"

"I...I want to ask you something," Jungkook said. The two mers proceeded towards some coral, away from other mers.

Hoseok could see Jungkook's frown. In concern, he asked, "Are you okay, Kookie?

"I've been thinking a lot...I want to be happy too, like you," Jungkook began. He saw Hoseok's gratified smile. "What would my umma think though?"

Hoseok draped an arm around the young prince's shoulders, "Kookie, your umma loves you. He would hate to see you cry or be sad. He wants you to live your life to the fullest."

"Really?"

Hoseok nodded positively, "Definitely. He wants you to love and be loved, Kookie. He's happy as long as you are."

Jungkook was planning to be happy. If Jimin loved him back then Jungkook would be content. He would be with his life mate and that made all mers live euphorically. Jimin was his euphoria and he was just finding a way to get to him.

His eyes caught something glowing. Behind him was a crystal ball. It was significant by what he saw inside of it. It was an image of the beach and on a rock; someone was sitting on it with a white dog running around. Jungkook's eyes widened when he noticed the person was Jimin. The prince looked like he was searching for someone...Jimin was searching for him!

Jungkook lightly touched the crystal ball, his eyes glued to Jimin. This was important. He was trying to get to his prince. His happy ending. No one was getting hurt. He was just returning to his love.

Unknown to Jungkook, IU was grinning widely as she glanced at Hyolyn and Bora who were now standing at her sides. "Young love, right? Hmm...It reminds me of two mermen who were ALL over each other! Who knew that they would create my way back into Atlantis hmm?"

Jungkook sighed deeply, "We have a deal."

✯✯✯

Hearing those words got IU on cloud nine. Things were going according to plan. No longer did she have to crave for retribution. It was long overdue but she could claim the throne that should rightfully be hers. To Hell with the royal family and their honorable "morals." IU was going to be the new queen of the ocean.

With a snap of her fingers a radiant gold contract was in her hands. Hyolyn handed Jungkook a feathered pen and swam back to Bora. IU presented the contract in front of Jungkook. When seeing the line to sign, Jungkook scrawled his name as the shining contract blinded him. He let go of the pen after, inquisitive to what steps would be done now.

Smirking cleverly, she recited an enchantment and the whole room began glowing by the colorful smoke that appeared. What drove her to do this was Jungkook's agreement to the deal. The only left work for her was to make sure Namjoon's and Jin's precious baby didn't get the prince of his dreams.

And with her magic, she had all her chess pieces on the board. They'd all regret exiling her.

"Now sing." IU said mischievously.

Jungkook recollected why he was doing this. Euphoria would forever remain in his heart, so he sang. All he could think of was in moments forthcoming he would be with Jimin. That's all that mattered.

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah,

Euphoria.

Jungkook frightfully saw a hand come from the cauldron and stretch near his throat.

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah,

Euphoria.

The hand clutched for air and Jungkook saw a shining ball of yellow that it gave to IU.

IU cackled piercingly as she held Jungkook's voice in her hands. A cloud of white smoke encircled Jungkook's flower half body. The young boy observed his tail morphing into legs. He wanted to scream due to the pain but nothing came out. It felt like his tail was being torn in half and his bones were being restructured. The agony had preoccupied him from observing his legs.

Watching Jungkook's transformation, Jackson and Hoseok hastily swam towards him and grabbed him. IU's laughter was heard as the two mermen swam fast to the surface before Jungkook's lungs filled up with too much water that caused him to suffocate.

A deadly deal had been made for the love of a merman and human.