"You're doing this, and you will be hunted by the merfolk."
The two of them turned sharply, alertly scanning their surroundings. Leo's fingers tightened around the hilt of his broken sword, standing on guard, his eyes fixed on the figure slowly emerging from the darkness. Luna quickly prepared her magic, her fingertips faintly glowing with blue light.
The owner of the voice slowly swam out from the shadows, revealing a familiar face. Leo's heart skipped a beat, a flash of shock and disbelief crossing his expression.
The masked merfolk in front of them removed the veil from his face, revealing his true identity. The familiar face, still slender in build, eyes full of wisdom and determination—it was Dan.
"Leo, you're still as cautious as ever," Dan said with a slight smile, his voice carrying a familiar sense of ease and teasing.
"Dan!" Leo blurted out, a complex mix of emotions surging within him.
Dan no longer hid his appearance. He now had a real merfolk tail, its blue scales glimmering faintly in the moonlight, different from his previous form. The small shell sprite still rested on his shoulder, emitting a faint light from its shell. The sprite playfully swam into Luna's palm, nuzzling it with a soft, affectionate motion.
"A shell sprite?" Luna couldn't help but laugh lightly, reaching out to gently stroke its back. The shell sprite looked up at her with a contented expression, as though her touch brought it a sense of reassurance.
Leo stood frozen, still in shock at Dan's sudden reappearance. Although part of his memory had returned, Dan's return still left him stunned. "Dan, you've come back?" Leo asked softly, his voice laced with confusion and surprise.
A subtle glint flashed in Dan's eyes as he looked at Leo, his tone softening. "I'm glad you remember me." However, there was an underlying complexity in his gaze, as if there were some unspeakable bitterness tied to this question.
"It's good that you remember me," Dan continued, "And that's what matters the most."
A warmth surged in Leo's chest. His memories were still fragmented, with many blanks, but at least in front of Dan, he could be certain that he had regained a part of his past.
Dan gently patted Leo's shoulder, offering him some comfort. "You've done well, Leo."
But Dan didn't stop there. He continued, "Ever since you two entered Windfall City, I've been watching you. Then, when you entered the Windfall Sea, I followed quietly behind."
His tone was calm, but there was an underlying emotion that hinted at a secret—one he had been silently observing from the shadows.
Leo lowered his head, reflecting on the strange coincidences of their journey. Dan's appearance wasn't just a coincidence; it seemed he had been following them, always staying connected. Leo couldn't help but feel suspicious and asked, "Why have you been following us all this time?"
Dan was silent for a moment, letting out a small sigh. "It's not something simple. I'll tell you later." His tone carried a firm sense of finality, indicating that he didn't want to discuss the matter further.
Leo understood that this was something sensitive to Dan, so he didn't press him any further. He knew that Dan wasn't an ordinary person, and if he didn't want to talk about it, Leo shouldn't push.
However, Leo's curiosity couldn't be fully suppressed, and he asked, "You were exiled by the merfolk matriarch. What happened there?" This was a question that had been lingering in his mind, one that he couldn't quite understand.
At this, Dan's expression shifted slightly. His face grew dim, and a trace of sadness flickered in his eyes. "Let's talk about it later," Dan replied softly, his gaze carrying an indescribable pain and contemplation.
Leo recognized that now wasn't the right time to pursue the matter. He gave a small nod, signaling that he would wait until Dan was ready to speak. After all, since Dan had returned, Leo should trust him and give him the space and time he needed.
After a brief silence, Leo and Luna exchanged a glance, their minds filled with unsaid words. Finally, Luna broke the silence. "Dan, now that you've returned, can you tell us more about this sea, especially about the damaged Tidal Sacred Tree?"
Dan's gaze darkened slightly as he shook his head gently. "The Tidal Sacred Tree... it may be the source of everything. Its decay signifies the unrest of the entire sea. As for this mysterious force, I haven't fully figured it out yet. All I know is that it's quietly changing everything here."
Leo listened in silence, a growing sense of foreboding rising within him. This situation seemed far more complicated than they could understand. The secrets of Dan, the merfolk, and this sea were much deeper and more intricate than they had imagined.
After a brief pause, Dan gently patted both of their shoulders. "Now that you've come here, the road ahead may not be easy, but I believe that your arrival is the only hope for this sea."
"Hope?" Luna murmured quietly, sensing something unusual in Dan's words.
"Yes," Dan said, his tone firm. "And with every step you take, a new chapter will be revealed."
He then glanced down at the humans who were on the brink of death.
"Leo, why do you save them? Is it because they are human like you?" Dan's voice echoed through the dark sea, calm but laced with a touch of sarcasm.
Leo took a deep breath, turned to look at Dan, his eyes steady and thoughtful. "Maybe. But I believe there's more to the hatred between merfolk and humans. These ordinary people shouldn't be caught up in it," he said, his tone carrying a mix of anger and helplessness. He wasn't entirely speaking from a human perspective but was considering the issue from a deeper angle. Hatred wasn't the solution.
Dan didn't answer immediately. He merely looked at the dying humans around him. His gaze was calm and profound, as though he could see the root of everything. His eyes lingered on a small boy, clearly still young, his face filled with fear, seemingly unaware of the danger he was in.
"Are you saving them just because they are human?" Dan asked again, his tone flat.
Leo didn't respond right away. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the people trapped in the water. Their faces were twisted, clearly dead from suffocation and fear. A fleeting look of sorrow crossed Leo's face, but it was mostly helplessness. "In wars, ordinary people are always innocent. They're just pawns being used," Dan sighed softly, his voice tinged with sorrow. He gently picked up the small boy and began to cast magic—Underwater Breathing. As the magic flowed, the boy's face began to return to its natural color, from pale to a slightly reddish hue, and his eyes cleared.
"These people are all dead, only this boy can still be saved," Dan said softly, as if he had grown accustomed to the ruthlessness and coldness of war. "I swim fast, so I'll take him back to shore first. You two follow."
With that, Dan swiftly turned and swam towards the surface, disappearing into the deep water with the boy. Leo and Luna exchanged a glance, then followed closely behind, increasing their speed as a sense of unease settled in their hearts. Everything was happening too quickly, and they had never felt so heavy-hearted.
At the Shore
Soon, they reached the surface. Dan, using his merfolk speed, was the first to bring the boy to the shore, gently laying him down on the sand. As the waves washed over the shore, Dan's figure gradually became blurry, and then his tail slowly disappeared as he transformed back into his human form. His body returned to its original shape, still strong, but he seemed weary.
"Come up quickly," Dan called back to Leo and Luna, signaling them to come ashore.
Leo and Luna swam up to the surface and slowly climbed onto the shore. As they steadied themselves, the boy's eyes finally fluttered open. He weakly looked around, clearly not understanding where he was. He struggled to sit up but winced in pain and gasped. His eyes were filled with confusion and fear. "I... I don't understand. How did I get here?"
Luna immediately bent down, gently extending her hand. She cast a healing spell, softly stroking the boy's wounds. Her magic radiated like warm sunlight, gradually easing the boy's pain. As the wounds healed, the boy's expression softened, though he still looked weak.
At that moment, hurried footsteps approached from a distance. Leo, Luna, and Dan turned to see a weary woman running along the shore. She looked extremely anxious, calling out repeatedly, "Xiao Kai! Xiao Kai!"
As she neared, she saw the boy on the ground and rushed over, tightly embracing him. Tears streamed down her face. "Xiao Kai! You're awake! You're alright! I'm so happy!"
The boy weakly lifted his hand, gently wiping the tears from his mother's face, and forced a smile. "Mom, don't worry. I'm fine." Though his voice was faint, his tone was strong.
The woman held her son tightly, as if she couldn't quite believe what was happening. Her tears mixed with overwhelming joy and pain, not yet subsiding.
Seeing this, Leo and Luna quietly stepped back a few paces, giving the mother and son some space. Meanwhile, Dan stood nearby, his gaze slightly lowered, as if deep in thought.
After a while, the woman finally calmed down. She wiped her tears, looked at the three of them, and spoke with a choked voice. "You... thank you for saving my son. I know it was you who brought him back from that terrible place." Her eyes were filled with gratitude and pain. "I think I should tell you something."
Xiao Kai's mother slowly began to speak, telling her story. It turned out that Xiao Kai's father had been a fisherman, going out to sea with other fishermen. However, a few months ago, their boat had been attacked by a group of merfolk. His father was thrown into the sea during the attack and had been missing ever since. At the time, the woman was too weak to go fishing herself and had no other source of income. As a result, Xiao Kai had secretly followed other fishermen to help provide for the family.
"I thought he went out to play with his friends, but..." The woman's voice trembled, and a trace of helplessness crossed her eyes. "Until I heard that a human ship was attacked by merfolk, and that Xiao Kai had been on the ship, I realized... I might never see him again."
Leo and Luna were moved by the story. Luna bit her lip, a hint of sympathy in her eyes. Leo took a deep breath, a quiet resolve forming in his heart. The hatred behind this conflict surely hid more secrets, and there were things they had to uncover.
Dan's gaze grew deep, though he remained silent. He nodded slightly, seemingly unsurprised by the mother and son's plight. Hatred and war often left the innocent as casualties.
"You don't need to thank us," Leo spoke slowly, his voice low but firm. "What we did was simply what we should have done." He looked at Xiao Kai's mother with determination in his eyes. "We will continue seeking the truth. Perhaps the solution to all of this is closer than we think."
In silence, the three exchanged a glance. The road ahead would undoubtedly be full of challenges, but Leo, Luna, and Dan had made up their minds—they would find a real solution for this sea.