STORYBOOK 2

THE PRINCE AND THE PEARL END (ENGLISH)

Emma choked.

-"Ming and I have come to look for my brother's pearl, the one he gave to Beam as a promise of marriage. Where is it?"

The queen paled as the doctor, who had started to look green, looked down at the bottle he was still holding in his hands.

- "You... Krist..."

Krist nodded without moving his gaze from Singto. No one else mattered.

-"My brother is ill, his life is fading. He needs his pearl...that's why we came here..."- he began to say when, with a shock, he noticed how Singto's body began to shake.

Krist frowned.

-"So you... you..."

Krist , finally understanding what he was thinking, sighted. Then, after kissing Singto's hair, hugged him tighter.

- "It is true that we just came with the idea of searching for my brother's pearl but... things have changed. You and what had happened between us  changed everything..."

Singto bit his lower lip but, moments later, he smiled shyly.

- "I'm glad you found a partner, Krist... but what about Kit? He needs you... he needs his pearl. We don't have more time.. he..." - Ming then intervened, to which Krist simply shook his head.

- "Kit needs you and his pearl... nothing more," he said with a determined expression, "and for that matter...where is it? I can sense it near us but... "

Emma shook her head. Her eyes, fixed on her brother, showed fear and concern.

- "You can't take it back... you can't!" -she exclaimed as she ran to the bed trying to separate them - "Singto's life depends on it... I won't allow you to take it away, do you hear me? I won't allow it!"

Ming, with a grunt, turned towards the doctor. In front of the murderous gaze of the man, he dropped to the ground and, in front of everyone, began to beg for his life.

-"Sorry! I'm so.. so sorry... we just wanted Singto to be saved. After the accident he was dying and I... the sea witch said that if we crushed the pearl and gave it to him to drink, he could be saved"

Singto turned pale while Ming, with a cry of outrage, rushed at the doctor and began to beat him.

- "How could you? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?!"

Krist, however, looked down at the man who was nestled in his arms. Moments later he turned to Emma, who was still trying to separate her brother from him. She immediately pulled away, causing Krist to frowned slightly before looking back at Singto.

- "I see... now I understand how we could ... could... when you are not from my race. You are no longer human, at least a part of you isn't ..."

A deathly silence fell over the room. For a few seconds no one moved.

- "I... I'm not human?"

Krist sighed and sadly looked over to where Ming was standing.

- "At least now we know why my brother is dying... when a merman loses his pearl, he ceases to exist."

Ming, his cheeks soaked in tears, slumped to the ground. With trembling hands  he wrapped his arms around his legs, then buried his face between them.

- "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry Kit..." - whispered Singto, as he began to understand what was happening. Then he tried to get away from Krist. Kit, however, imprisoned him in his arms.

- "It's not your fault... none of this is...."

It was then that the doctor, with a terrified expression, looked at the bottle that he was holding in his hands and carefully lifted it up.