✓ | The Borrowed Identity (Fate's Transgression Series, #4)

TBI 09: Figure

I followed him up, only showing my head to the surface.

"Selene!" It was Lutch. May bahid na pag-alala ang boses niya bago nito tinakbo ang pagitan namin. He is still on the floating bamboo. Nang makita niya na ako ng matiwasay ay agad siyang napatakip sa kanyang bibig at napataas. "Shit, they always say that mermaids have an unexplainable ethereal beauty. I guess it wasn't a joke."

Napakunot na lamang ang aking noo sa pinagsasabi niya. I roamed my eyes around looking for Valan's figure, and when I saw him coming near our direction, I tried to fix my composure.

"Look, Valan. She's too beautiful," Lutch said.

Nahihiya akong tumingin kay Valan, pero agad akong napamaang nang makitang madilim ang tingin niya sa akin. Napakurap pa ako dahil para akong nasusunog sa uri ng titig nito. Why does he look like he is about to bone dry the entire lake?

"Close your eyes, Lutch."

"Huh?" nagtatakang sagot naman ng kasama niya. Valan didn't lose another second and pulled Lutch away from my presence and turned him around in the opposite direction. Maski ako ay nalilito sa ginagawa niya.

"Mermaids have the ability to compel anyone with their beauty. Their most captivating asset, however, lies in their voice," Valan spoke, his gaze fixed upon me.

His words resonated in the depths of my being, stirring a sense of both surprise and confusion. "I had heard tales of the enchanting power that mermaids possessed, their ethereal allure capable of captivating even the most steadfast of hearts. It was said that their mesmerizing voices held an irresistible charm, capable of luring sailors to their watery depths," he continued.

As I absorbed Valan's words, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of fascination and apprehension. The realization that my voice held such influence felt both exhilarating and daunting. It was as if I had been bestowed with a gift and burden simultaneously, a power that demanded careful control and wielded immense consequences. I understood the weight of this gift, knowing that it could be used to both allure and manipulate.

"But why are you looking at me?" I said, sparking the conversation with a little curiosity. I don't understand the depth of his stares, even if it means an explanation, I could not dare unravel.

"Admiral, stop looking!" Valan's voice raised.

"Sorry, ang ganda niya eh!" agad na sigaw ni Admiral. Mukhang nakabalik na siya sa huwesyo, dahil na rin sa nakainom ata siya ng tubig kanina. "Sayang naman, I could shapeshift into a merman right now, but that requires a huge amount of energy. I wonder kung ano mukha ko bilang sereno."

"Baka maging pugita ka pa, huwag na lang," pang-aasar na sambi ko sabay tawa ng malakas, pero agad akong napatigil ng maramdaman kong umiba ang daloy ng alon. The water beneath us trembled, sending ripples across the surface as if something tumultuous was stirring deep within the depths of the lake. It was a sudden disturbance, a seismic shift that caught us off guard and heightened our senses.

Lutch voiced the question that was on all our minds, breaking the uneasy silence. "What is happening?" His voice held a hint of concern, mirroring the unease that we all felt but no one answered.

Valan's gaze shifted upward, his eyes scanning the sky as if searching for answers written in the patterns of the clouds. The sight of birds soaring in a straight, purposeful direction caught his attention, and his expression grew more serious.

"Did the Werehorse mention anything?" Valan turned to the shapeshifters, their presence a source of insight into the mystical occurrences that unfolded around us. But both of them shook their heads, their expressions reflecting their own perplexity.