DYLAN'S POV
I opened the door to the ancient mansion which I had vowed not to enter anymore but I have entered it not once but twice now. I can say someone should leave his or her past behind because the future may hold something great that the eyes cannot see.
I turned back and ushered Marvin and my comes aunt in. "Dylan you must complete the reason why we have come here quickly, it is midnight and the power of the moon is at its peak. You have to dip the gem in the sacred water after praying" Marvin said while I walked up to the altar which was built in a corner of the large room. "I will join you then" I heard my aunt's voice while I smiled.
In the middle of the altar was a small pond, it was designed so beautifully with seashells that shimmered like the stars high up in the sky. It all made me remember when my father used to bathe in it and Marvin also did the same on the night of the unfortunate incident.
The moonlight reflected off the small pond, casting a silvery glow over the surface. Amid the stillness, a ripple spread out from the center, ruffling the mirror-like surface. causing the glistening pond to stir. I dived into the water then I assumed my merman form immediately while Marvin and Aunt took their seats beside the pond and closed their eyes as well before I closed mine.
I opened my eyes as soon as I felt the gem exit my forehead, I gazed up into the sky from the small opening where the moon reflected directly into the pond. I picked up the gem right in front of my head and dipped it into the water then I closed my eyes and concentrated on the ritual.
Marvin called out my name after a while and I opened my eyes to see him, he told me the ritual had ended and I looked high up to the sky and found no moon. I understood the ritual was completed, I bent downwards and picked my gem as I consecrated it back in my forehead. "That is the end, let us leave quickly before anyone wakes up," Aunt said as I found my way out of the water quickly.
*****
I stormed into Marvin's room as I called out his name. "Marvin! Marvin, what's wrong? why can't I assume my merman form? I had gone to relax in the water for a bit and I couldn't assume my real form" I told Marvin as I bit my fingers non-stop. "where did they go? how?" he asked me as if I knew the answer to the question and that pissed me off a little. "I swear I don't know" I replied shortly after some hesitation. It has been two days since I noticed that happened "You have to know, how do you protect yourself now?" he asked me as he sat on the mattress without a reply.
"I don't know, the Isnamerman can lose his powers only when his gem is tampered with. Something must be wrong with your gem one way or the other, so someone in this house must have done it according to what's coming to my head right now" he paused for a moment while I stared at him with my two arms crossed on my chest "And it was done when you were performing the ritual on the moon night. When we had gone there to the mansion I vividly remember that you were still with your gem, so who else was there when you removed the gem?" Marvin asked as he lay on his bed.
I racked my head as I tried to remember who was present "The only people there were myself, you, and aunt" I replied
"Aunt!" Marvin explained. "yes and since then I have been feeling weak somehow for the past two days" I explained further and then the grin on Marvin's face explained everything I needed to understand. Marvin suspected Aunt, why?
*********
Aunt paced up and down in her room while I looked on from outside. She ranted all over since morning and that gave me goosebumps ".... so if Bola did not send the message to threaten me, then who?" Aunt asked herself but I gave a readymade answer as I opened the door and responded, "Yes I did". She turned back and stared at me immediately I responded to her rhetorical question.
"I had instructed Marvin to send a text message using Bola's phone to the chief of the traitors and it turned out to be you. My suspicions were right, so you are the mastermind! my very own aunt" I said as I closed the door and moved closer to her. "so you meet me on the road was no coincidence but part of your plan, now I understand everything. But why are you doing this aunt?" I asked her but she gave no reply then she turned her head downwards.
"Answer!" I shouted then she held me and tried to drag me to the bed to sit which I stopped as I threw off her hand. "I don't need to sit before understanding what you want to say or what you have done. Where is my gem?" I asked her with a serious voice while I found within. "I will tell you all about it but not now, my mission has to be complete" she replied with a grin on her face. "Why not now and what mission?" I asked. "You will find out later when I strike," she said as she touched my skin with the gem in her hand and I screamed while she hurriedly found her way out of the room. "I won't spare her" I swore as I suffered in pain.
******
Marvin walked closely beside me as I hurriedly chased Aunt up the mountain she headed. I and Marvin both gave a hot chase as we trailed Aunt's footstep to her destination, she had stolen the colo gem for her evil upcoming deed but I won't let us do it. Now I am just a mere human since my powers aren't working, they are connected to the gem already. "Aunt Aunt!" I called out and she finally stopped as she turned around to face is with a cold smile displayed on her lips while I ran with Marvin to her side.
I began to tremble at the sight of my aunt, but Marvin spoke in a steady voice. "Give us back the gem, Aunt, and we will leave you in peace" but Aunt only laughed, a harsh and bitter sound that echoed through the still air. 'I will never give it back,' she said. 'And you will never defeat me.' With that, she raised her hand, and the stolen gem began to glow with a terrible light.
"Aunt, why have you done this?" I asked her. "You are not in any position to ask me that question, you both came here to avenge Theseus' death but here you are saving the country who killed your father" she answered. "Aunt, look I understand your pain and we also thought it through before we did it. This country did nothing to us, some people are trying to kill the people in this country and it was the same people who took father's life so not everyone is a culprit. Today is a new year today, we will end your story and start a new story today of our brotherly love and affection", Marvin explained the situation to her.
"The other day I followed you to the old mansion, I exchanged the gem right there in front of your eyes. You two do not need to give me an explanation, I know everything so I don't care. That night when everything got ruined, one of the men died and I tried to look for the rest of them but I found none. Even the reason why I lost my powers is still unknown to me, I looked for you both knowing you were alive but to no avail, and after that, I swore to kill everyone so I joined hands with the traitors" Aunt explained her intentions and deeds.
Marvin knew we had to act quickly. As the gem's light grew brighter, he raised his hands and began to chant an ancient spell. A wave rose from the water, and I also joined in the chanting. Together, we focused our magic on Aunt, who struggled against our power. But it was too late - the wave crashed down upon her, and the stolen gem was swept from her grasp. We both watched as the gem quietly flew towards me and consecrated itself in my forehead while the fake one came out and fell, it flowed with the water current as it went down far beneath the waves beyond no one's reach.
Marvin turned to me, a look of relief on his face. But his smile faded as he saw the fear in my eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked. I pointed to the shore, where the woman's body lay motionless in the sand. She was no longer moving, but a strange, dark aura surrounded her. Marvin's eyes widened in alarm. "We must leave this place," he said. "Now!" I said.
As we both turned to leave, we heard a low, sinister chuckle. We froze in terror as Aunt's body began to rise from the sand. The dark aura around her grew even stronger, and her eyes glowed with a crimson light. "You cannot escape me," she hissed. "I will find a way to reclaim the gem, and then I will destroy you both". She threatened.
Marvin stood his ground, his eyes blazing with determination. "We will not let you harm us,' he said. "We have the power of the sea on our side." As Marvin spoke, I felt a surge of strength. He began to chant once more, and the water around us began to churn and foam. Aunt screamed in rage as the waves rose higher and higher, crashing against the shore with all their might. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the storm subsided.
We both stood on the shore, our hearts pounding. We had never faced such a powerful adversary, and we both knew our victory was far from certain. But we also understood we had to try. For the sake of the sea, and for the sake of all who lived upon its shores, we had to stop the woman's evil plans. Slowly, we turned back towards the waves, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
As we turned, I saw something that filled me with dread so I called out to Marvin "Marvin" I tapped him on the shoulder "Look over there" I pointed as he also looked back. Aunt was still standing on the shore, but she was no longer alone. A massive shape was rising from the sea behind her, and as it emerged, both of us saw that it was a creature unlike any we had ever seen before while we lived in the sea. It towered over us, its eyes glowing with the same crimson light as Aunt's. "What is that?" I whispered with my voice shaking.
Before Marvin could reply to me, the creature spoke. Its voice was deep and rumbling, like the sound of the sea during a storm. "I am the Kraken," it said, "and I am the servant of the one you call the woman. I was created to destroy all who stand in her way, and you are no match for my power". We two mermen looked at each other, their hearts sinking and I understood that Aunt must still have some little powers left for the Kraken to show up just like that. I knew we had to find a way to defeat the Kraken, but how could we hope to match its strength?
Just as the Kraken began to move towards us, I felt something stir within him, my powers had been fully activated and it was high time I pulled in all the stunts. I looked down at my hands, and to my amazement, I saw that they were glowing with a light that matched the Kraken's crimson eyes. "What is this?" I whispered. Marvin smiled, my eyes shining with pride. "It is the power of the sea, my young friend. And it is yours to command" he revealed to me.
I felt the power of the sea flowing through me more than ever before, and I knew what he had to do. "Kraken," I said, his voice ringing with confidence, firm, cold, and full of command, "you are a servant of darkness, and you shall not harm us or any who live in the sea. I Dylan the Isnamerman command you to return to the depths from which you came". The Kraken roared in fury, as my words held. The creature shuddered and shook, then slowly sank beneath the waves, leaving only silence in its wake.
We stood on the shore, looking out at the calm waters that had once been so turbulent. Marvin turned to me, a smile on his face. "You have done well, my Friend", he said. "You have shown great courage and strength, and the sea has responded in kind. You have earned the respect of all who dwell beneath the waves". The younger merman felt a rush of pride, and I bowed my head in respect since he was my senior.
As we both turned to leave, we heard a faint splash behind them and I wondered what that could have been again. We turned back and saw a small figure standing on the shore. It was a young girl, no more than ten years old, with long dark hair and bright green eyes. She looked at us curiously, then spoke. "Who are you?" she asked. "We are the guardians of the sea," Marvin said and I was shocked as to why he said that, we were supposed to keep our secret. "I am honored to meet you," the girl replied. "My name is Marina, and I have always dreamed of meeting the ones who watch over the waters because I have heard a lot about you" she added.
The girl's eyes widened as she took in the two of us not afraid, and she stepped closer to us. "I have heard many stories about you again," she said. "My father is a fisherman, and he has told me tales of your bravery and strength. I have always wanted to meet you". I looked at the girl in surprise for her bravery "Your father speaks of us?" I asked. "Yes," she replied. "He says you are the guardians of the sea, and that you protect those who live upon its shores. He has told me many stories about you" Marina blushed as she completed her words.
Marvin smiled, and he knelt so that he was at eye level with the girl. "Tell us, child," he said. "What is your favorite story that your father has told you?" Marina's face lit up as she replied. "My favorite story is the one about the day the sea turned red". We both looked at each other in surprise. "We have never heard this tale," I said.
"Long ago, the sea turned red. The fishermen were frightened, and they wondered what could have caused such a strange phenomenon. They searched for an explanation, but they could find none. Then, the next day, a young girl went down to the shore and picked up several pearls that were there" she said. "Is that the end of the story?" Marvin asked. "Yes, it is," she said.
Marvin gave me a sign and I understood well what he intended, I bent down in front of Marina and erased her memory of everything she saw and said. She won't remember our faces but can still remember the beautiful tales her father had told her. She fell unconscious then I laid her down on the floor as we both jumped into the sea. We have to find out more about the red moon night they talked about somehow, how come we never knew about it?
I arrived home and it was already morning, I walked into the mansion slowly but as I entered I met Doris and Mandy sitting in the living room. "Good morning" I greeted, "Morning" they both responded as I headed upstairs to take a quick bath and I hid my sad state. "Wait" I heard Doris' mother, Mandy call out to me, she stood up and walked towards me "Your mentor I mean the aunt that you brought home isn't in her room, where did she go?" she asked me.
"Ohhh, aunt yeah I forgot to tell you. She went early this morning so I went to drop her off", as I was saying I saw Marvin enter the house "and Mr. McMasters accompanied me, she wanted to stay for a few days but an urgent matter came up suddenly. She sent her regards to you all, does that answer your question?", I asked her because she possesses a spooky nose at times. I looked up and saw Sonya who stormed into the house, "what does she want?" I said then Mandy also turned around while Doris stood and bowed as she greeted her.
"Hey, Sonya", Mandy greeted as she walked towards Sonya. "It's so nice to see you again," she said as she extended her hands and body to hug Sonya which she denied vehemently as she placed her arm in between them. ", I came into your house today not to greet you but to abuse you. Why is it that you only surround yourself with useless and non-profitable people?", she fired at Mandy. "Will you just calm down and tell me the full details" Mandy answered her in a cool tone. "Fine, could you believe I went to Anabella's house to get her married to Thomas but she refused," Sonya said.
"But I remember that Thomas is already married to Emily now," Doris said. "But the marriage isn't working out at all, I thought I could save my son from that marriage by filing a divorce so they can go their separate ways" Sonya explained. "Give them some time, it is a new marriage, it will work out" Mandy consoled while Sonya hissed and made her way through the door.
"Anyways problem never stops in this house and strange things as well. So complicated people. Even Doris who was opposing her parents is now on their side after I wiped her memory" I thought as I walked upstairs.
"Don't ever stop reading frenemy 🥺"