Northern Market – Noble Quarter
On the other side of the Northern Market, where the buildings were polished stone and the air was thick with the scent of incense and noble perfume, carriages lined the roads. Guards stood at every corner, their armor polished to a mirror sheen. Noble figures moved through the streets, voices low and posture sharp.
Inside one of those buildings tall, regal, quiet, a man sat alone in a dimly lit chamber.
Prince Hans.
His auburn hair was neatly combed, his expression unreadable as his hands rested calmly on a carved oak table.
Beside them, pulsing softly, was a violet crystal shard, glowing with faint inner light casting shadows on the walls like flickering candle flames.
The crystal suddenly buzzed.
A voice echoed from within, faint but sharp filtered through distance and magic:
"It has been confirmed, Your Highness. Your brother, the exiled prince, is still alive. He's with Prince Eric. They're preparing for something tonight…"
Hans's fingers twitched slightly.
The room fell silent again.
He stared at the crystal for a moment longer, then a slow smile curved his lips.
"So," he murmured, almost fondly,
"looks like your plan failed… older brother."
His gaze lingered on the shard one final moment before he stood, adjusted his coat, and walked calmly out of the room expression cool, eyes calculating as he muttered:
"I wonder what expression Theodore would have if he heard this…"
---
Atlantica
Far beneath the waves, in the quiet halls of Atlantica's royal library, ancient stone slabs lined the walls like forgotten relics. Soft bioluminescent corals lit the space in gentle hues of blue and violet.
Floating near one of the larger reading alcoves was a redheaded mermaid, her long hair swaying gently with the current as she hovered over a carved stone tablet.
Ariel.
Her eyes scanned the ancient inscription etched in Tideborn script. Faint grooves. Weathered by time.
As she read, a small yellow-and-blue fish swam up behind her.
Without turning, Ariel asked, "Seen anything, Flounder?"
The fish shook his head. "Nothing specific… it's like most of their history was erased."
Ariel sighed and set the slab down gently. "There's still nothing here. These records only talk about the disappearance of the Tideborn. But there's nothing about their lives. Their culture. How they lived, what they believed in… nothing."
"Hmmm… and why would you be looking at those old things, huh, little Ariel?"
A voice came from behind her.
Ariel turned quickly and there she was: her older sister, Attina, swimming in with a knowing smile.
"Attina! U-uhmm, it's nothing," Ariel said quickly, flustered.
Attina raised an eyebrow and swam closer.
"Is it because of Lucian?"
"Y—Yes!!"
Ariel's face turned red as she clapped both hands over her mouth.
Attina giggled. "Thought so."
She reached into a small kelp-woven satchel and pulled out another stone slab. "Here. I figured you'd want to see this."
Ariel blinked, gently taking the slab.
"What is it?"
"This one's from a Cecaelia archive. I found it while researching the Merlion species. I got curious after seeing that creature Lucian travels with… Simba, right?"
Ariel's eyes lit up as she read over the markings.
"There are things on this slab that connect directly to the Tideborn," Attina added.
Ariel looked up at her, beaming. "Thank you!"
She swam forward and wrapped her sister in a quick hug.
Attina hugged her back, laughing softly.
"Uh-huh. Just don't stay out here too late, okay?"
Ariel nodded as they pulled apart. "I won't."
And with a final swish of her tail, Attina swam off, leaving Ariel alone once more.
As the quiet returned to the library, Ariel floated back down, the new slab clutched carefully in her hands. Her heart beat a little faster.
This slab felt different.
Older. Heavier.
The carvings shimmered faintly under the coral light not just words, but symbols woven with magic memory. As her fingers brushed across the surface, the glyphs began to glow gently, awakening from centuries of silence.
She started to read aloud under her breath:
{ When the Tideborn ruled both ocean and shore, they were never alone. Beside each great family stood a companion not beast, not pet, but kindred spirit: the Merlion. }
Her eyes widened slightly.
{ Born of sea and magic, the Merlion is tied to the soul of its Tideborn. In infancy, it swims beside them, guarding and learning. But when the bond deepens, when its master matures the Merlion must choose a path. }
Ariel's brow furrowed as the next line pulsed gently beneath her fingertips:
{ The Aqua Path: chosen when the Tideborn remains one with the sea. The Merlion will grow sleek and fast, its tail strengthened, fins elongated, a guardian spirit built for the depths. }
She pictured it. A small, fierce creature like Simba moving through kelp forests and coral canyons with silent grace.
Then the text shifted:
{ The Ground Path: chosen when the Tideborn walks the land. The Merlion's body changes. It grows hind legs — not fins, but limbs fit for earth and forest. Its tail thins, tapering like a ribbon behind it, still retaining its aquatic strength but gaining balance. No longer a pure creature of water, it becomes something... between. }
Her eyes traced the final passage:
{ Two souls, one tide. The form of the Merlion reflects the path of its master. Neither is lesser. Both are sacred. }
Ariel sat back slightly, absorbing it all.
"Simba," she whispered.
It all made sense now.
Her hands tightened around the slab.
"So is Simba on the Aqua Path?" she murmured. "He doesn't have hind legs… but maybe that's because he's still an infant."
And maybe — just maybe — if she could find more of these slabs, she'd uncover what had happened to the Tideborn… and what Lucian was truly connected to.
____
Elsewhere in the Shadows…
As Ariel leaned closer to the glowing slab, lost in thought, she didn't notice the two shadowy figures slithering silently from beneath a nearby rock ledge.
Flotsam and Jetsam.
Their long, sinuous bodies glided effortlessly through the currents, yellow eyes glowing faintly in the dim water. They remained hidden in the shadows, unblinking, fixated on Ariel and Flounder.
The reflection of the young mermaid shimmered in their twin pupils — until those twin images merged, pulsing once… and then flickered into life across the surface of a scrying bubble.
Far away, in the depths of a shadowy trench, inside a lair cluttered with bones, broken shells, and flickering skull-shaped marbles, Ursula loomed over the magical bubble.
Her eyes narrowed as she watched Ariel reading the slab.
"This is ridiculous!" she snarled, slamming her webbed hand against the coral table, sending a squeaky shrimp flying.
"In my day, we hunted those Merlions! Skinned 'em! Grilled 'em! Chewy, but satisfying."
She snatched the panicked shrimp from midwater and popped him into her mouth with a wet crunch.
"Mmph! And now look at me!" she muttered through the bite. "Wasted away, banished, starving! While he and his flimsy little fish-folk play scholar in my oceans!"
With a flick of her massive tentacles, Ursula floated downward into the shadows, arms spread in theatrical fury.
"Well, I'll give them something to celebrate soon enough."
Her glowing eyes pierced the dark.
"Flotsam! Jetsam!"
Up in the reef shadows, the two eels twitched. Jetsam, startled, bonked his head against the ledge with a soft donk.
"Bring that little red-headed brat to me," Ursula purred.
"I want to make her an offer… one she won't refuse."
The eels twined together in a slow spiral and slithered off into the currents.
Back in the lair, the scrying bubble fizzled to black but Ursula's white, glowing eyes lingered for a moment longer before they too vanished into the dark.