Chapter 7

Lalisa opens her eyes to the unfamiliar surrounding. All that she can make out is black.

Where am I?

She tries to move but realizes she is sitting and is inside something. She touches the barrel she is in, it's wood.

Her eyes widen in realization, and she panics, which is not helping her get anywhere at the moment. She kicks the walls of the barrel.

I am away from the little mermaid. How am I going to save her? Will I even get out of this barrel in time? Why isn't this breaking anyway? Shouldn't it be easy for me to break wood?

Ah! Please! Please break!

The barrel starts moving on it's own, she feels the barrel she is in, fall, resulting a sharp pain shoot up her right arm.

Lalisa starts kicking the barrel harder, when it stops after hitting a wall.

Are they moving me somewhere else again? Hyung would never find me if they keep changing my location like this.

Where am I? Will anyone even know I am closed in a barrel somewhere? Is this how it ends? Father and hyungs must be worried about me! I can't cry. I don't want them to listen to me cry.

Jimin hears a soft knock on his door, making his heart beat faster. He opens the door slightly, looking at the figure in front of him.

"May I get in?" Jungkook asks when Jimin looks at him, lost, unmoving.

"Yes, yes." Jimin nods and opens the door wider. He has never let anyone in his house. And he does not know why he was letting Jungkook in. Even after knowing he is a merman and not trusting him. "She is asleep," Jimin says softly looking at the little mermaid.

Jungkook sighs heavily not knowing what to do.

"I," Jungkook looks into Jimin's eyes not able to decide whether he should ask Jimin for this. He would have never bothered him if Rose's house was safe. Which was not anymore.

"I can take care of her and keep her here as long as you want. Safe," Jimin speaks looking down at his hands when he notices Jungkook lost in his thoughts, as if something was eating him from within.

He looks up at Jungkook, who looks revealed as well as grateful for what Jimin said, not able to form words again.

"I do not want to drag you into any of this. But I also don't have any other choice. I know you might have a lots of questions and I will even answer each one of them. After all I owe you at least an explanation to whatever I am doing." Jungkook thanks him standing awkwardly.

Jungkook knew Lalisa was not in this village anymore. Wook must have certainly taken her somewhere far. And Jungkook suspected, Wook might take her to the palace. Wook had always wanted to sit on a human throne as a child. Merpeople always laughed it off. Thinking it was just his childish dream which would disappear as he grows. But as Wook grew, his obsession for the human throne doubled. He dreamed of ruling on land.

But the sea is greater than land. Jungkook had thought when he was little.

What Jungkook feared more, was Wook marrying Lalisa. Wook wanted Lalisa as much as he wanted the throne. Jungkook has never let any man near his sister, and Lalisa was oblivious to Wook's obsession towards her. Jungkook loathes himself for failing to protect her from the sick merman.

"I will not be around for few days," Jungkook tells Jimin directly, not knowing where to start. He wanted his sister near him, safe, as soon as possible. And he will have to search for her in other villages too.

Jimin continues to stare at him, not interrupting.

Jungkook gives up explaining Jimin what and why he is doing whatever he is doing. He will unfold everything to Jimin when he finds Lalisa. For now he has to thank Jimin for what he was doing for him.

"I will come back after I find my sister." Jungkook tells him and turns around to get out.

Leaving a confused and shocked Jimin behind again.

"Find his sister? A mermaid?" Jimin whispers when Jungkook disappears. Is that why Jungkook was panicking? Was his sister abducted with the little mermaid? What was going on? Is Jungkook involved in some criminal activity? Why are people after his family? First his daughter then sister. What is going on here? Or is it because human thugs know that they are water creatures and are after them just because of their greed?

Even if a merman had killed his family, did not mean every merman was cruel. Jungkook might be a really good merman, just trying to protect his family from human thugs. Or pirates?

Does it not make sense that pirates must have seen Jungkook's sister and daughter in the sea, and abducted them and brought to the land? And Jungkook is here to find them?

Jimin presumes his mind is going to keep assuming things that might not even make any sense, and shakes his head sitting down beside the mermaid, folding his knees and bringing them to his chin.

I hope everything goes well and Jungkook finds his sister. Jimin wonders if he might have been of any help to Jungkook if he were a soldier? Would Jungkook have even told me about him being a merman if I were a soldier? Although he haven't confirmed it himself yet. But if I were a soldier, would he still have trusted me with this little mermaid? But even if I am not a soldier, should I not help him?

He looks up at the door, not knowing if he should help a merman or...

He looks back at the mermaid.

If Jungkook is someone I shouldn't trust, then even this whole empire can't trust him. What is the right thing to do? Helping a water creature by hiding his daughter? Or handing her over to the king?

The words, 'I trust you', start ringing in Jimin's head again and he closes his eyes, the flashes of his past running in his mind.

Meanwhile, in the Indian ocean,

"Ka - li - a," a gravelly voice sings breaking the word 'Kalia' and singing the 'a' at the end of it. Calling one of the sharks. Which did not make any difference because he called every shark 'Kalia'.

'Master,' a shark comes swimming towards the voice, 'Kim Jae Wook, the merman, did not find her,' he says, knowing what his master was going to ask him.

"Do I trust him?" The voice sings, laughing in his hee-haw, "No I don't," he swims deeper under the ocean, his voice disappearing deep inside the ocean, "Kali - a," he calls again and another shark nearest to him, bows in front of him.

"What do royal mermaids taste like?" His hee-haw laugh sounds dangerously low and the shark nearest to him knows, his must not answer and let the lord continue, "Follow the merman," he commands licking his lower lip.

The shark lord knows Wook would never tell him about where the mermaid is. He is just some other pawn to get him closer to the mermaid.

I will know the moment, the mermaid gets in water.

I will eliminate Wook when he finds her.

"Follow him and find out if he has found her."

"I am hungry," the shark lord's devious eyes twinkle, his smile revealing his sharp teeth, "Lalisa."

"Hunting?" A raspy voice asks and Jungkook need not hear it twice to know who it belonged to. He swings his trident and looks up at the roof of a hanok he was passing by, "Apparently, me?" the voice half laughs.

Jungkook's eyes turn red in anger when they find Wook's, standing on the top of a hanok, looking down at him, smirking.

He lifts his trident, and before he throws it at Wook, asks coldly, "Where is Lalisa?" Jungkook does not even want to wait for Wook's answer and instead wants to beat him till his death. But he would not find Lalisa that way.

He moves closer to the hanok, and to his surprise, Wook himself comes down, standing in front of him, with a safe distance between them.

"Eliminate me and you shall never see her again." Wook talks calmly which makes Jungkook angrier.

Jungkook clenches his jaw and takes his trident down. He had planned on killing Wook whenever his eyes would find him. But now, with Lalisa in danger, he is not sure what he is supposed to do.

"I won't kill you. Just give her back." Jungkook breathes, talking as calmly as possible.

Wook chuckles and Jungkook's grip tightens around his trident. He feels like he might burst any moment and kill the dastard in front of him.

"Take this as a warning Wook. I see a scratch on her, and I -"

"You doubt me prince," Wook cuts him off, "You doubt my love. Why would I hurt my Lalisa?" Jungkook feels bile rising up his throat, hearing those words from the scoundrel about his sister, "You should thank me instead. I did not hand her over to the shark lord. Sure I helped him get unleashed, but I would not give him Lalisa." Wook continues in a mock tone.

"So it's true. You betrayed us and became a slave to the shark demon."

"Why do you say that?" Wook furrows his brows dramatically, "That's totally wrong. I am betraying the shark by not letting him know about Lalisa. I am doing you a favor. Would you not betroth me to Lalisa? "

"You are sick! Where is she?" Jungkook asks, knowing very well that was a stupid question and Wook would never tell him.

"Seek and you shall die." Wook whispers and starts running away.

Jungkook follows right behind, 'Wook! I will help you sit on the human throne! Tell me where she is!' Jungkook says, so that only Wook could hear.

"The sea."

Jungkook stops dead in his tracks, his face pales in fear, his eyes wide, Wook's figure growing smaller as he runs.

You sent her to the sea.

'Help me eliminate the land king and the royal family of this empire, prince' Wook's voice reaches Jungkook, bringing him out of his shock, 'and I will bring her back to the land. Shark lord does not know where she is. YET. Now it's only me who can help you bring her back safe.'

Royal family of land.

Taehyung stands on the quarterdeck of his ship, looking at the far end of the sea, squinting his green eyes. His hair flowing, backwards, revealing his forhead.

The ship was steady till now. But the the waves look angrier than before, making the ship dance.

Hoseok orders one of the soldiers to go to the mast above and check for any pirate ship. He joins Taehyung, resting his arms on the barrel in front of him.

"What has got your attention?" Hoseok asks when he notices the lost look in Taehyung's eyes.

"Hyung," Taehyung waits for few moments, forming something proper that would explain what he was feeling. It was impossible to hide his feelings from Hoseok, but he did not know what was bothering him, "I feel uneasy."

Hoseok studies Taehyung's face for a couple of seconds and looks ahead at the sea, "You know His Majesty loves you right?"

"It's not the sea hyung. It's not about father sending me here, to the sea. And I love my father too. I would do anything he commands me to. I would do it even if it costs me my life and you know that. But this is not about it. I keep feeling like I should have visited mother before coming here."

"You talk as if this is your last battle. You won't depart this life when I am by your side. At least not by the hands of mere pirates." Hoseok smiles smugly.

Taehyung returns his smile. That was not what he was feeling uneasy about. Pirates were his least concern. He would die a soldier, and he had no complains about it.

Little did he know, it was not him who was destined to die today, but his family.

"I will be in my cabin hyung." Taehyung smiles and starts making his way towards his cabin. He hears a loud thud below the wooden surface he is standing on, and looks around.

Instead of ordering any of his soldiers, who are all busy doing some or the other work on the ship, he himself goes down to check it.

The ship moves, waves getting stronger.

A barrel comes rolling towards him when he steps down the last stair and stops at his footstep.

He bends to put it back but stops when he hears pounding from inside.

He breaks the opening of the barrel, his brows set in an angry furrow. Not knowing what to expect out of the barrel.

His face softens as soon as he sees a girl curled inside the barrel, her mouth, hands and feet tied back, looking up at him her crystal green eyes defeated.

"Lalisa?"

Seunghyun and Yoongi stare at each other, their jaws locked.

"Hyung, we are wasting the moment in this juvenile natter. We have no clue about her. Just let's find her first." Namjoon interrupts their stare.

Yoongi, Seunghyun and Namjoon had departed ways with the king, Sehun and Seokjin to find Lalisa. If his father had known about his sons relationship with each other, he would have never allowed Seunghyun and Yoongi to be together to find Lalisa. Namjoon wished it was Seokjin with him instead of his Seunghyun hyung. Seunghyun hyung wouldn't have at least said anything in the king's presence, and would have obeyed every command if he where with the king instead of Seokjin.

"We wouldn't even be on land to start with if that sister of yours had not sold her mind and stepped here!" Seunghyun says for the umpteenth time now, "And you know what? I am going back to the sea. Go seek her yourself."

"Go back to the sea and then what? Die?" Yoongi provokes him.

"And what do you think would happen to us on land? That good-for-nothing human king knows who we are. And you trust him to just let us go?" Seunghyun jabs his index finger in Yoongi's chest, "And you want us all to die for that sister who couldn't even keep herself low even on land? The shark finds her and she dies! With the whole merfolk. Or. Father hands her over and we live."

"Hyung!" Namjoon yells angrily for the first time on Seunghyun, "You wouldn't even be sitting on the throne after father if he knew this is what you think about Lalisa. We are supposed to protect her!"

"Protect one half mermaid and what?! Put the whole merfolk in peril?"

"You are right," Yoongi speaks and Namjoon looks at him in disbelief, "I shouldn't trust humans."

'Oh.' Namjoon thinks. For a moment he thought, Yoongi agreed with Seunghyun about Lalisa.

"Hyung?" Namjoon asks puzzled when Yoongi starts walking in the opposite direction.

"I am heading to the palace Namjoon. Seunghyun hyung is right. I cannot trust humans."

"But father - "

"Stay close to Seunghyun hyung. Don't let him near the sea." Yoongi commands and disappears.

Seunghyun rolls his eyes at his younger brother.

Not like Yoongi did not trust Seunghyun with Lalisa. He knew Seunghyun was short tempered and said things he did not mean. But if he was being serious about going to the sea, Namjoon will stop him. They can't afford to loose their future king, and their eldest hyung.

Jungkook follows Wook, and every step he takes towards the palace, makes his stomach churn. His thoughts all tangled so much that he is not able to come up with any idea for saving his sister as well as the humans. He cannot kill innocent humans. They are not even responsible for what happened and is happening.

If he kills the land king himself, will not his people suffer? But he has to save his sister.

Wook would turn this piece of land into hell.

What am I doing? Yes, I want to save my sister. But killing innocent lives is not how I should do it....

This is not what my hyungs have taught me. This is not what father would want me to do. Where are you all?

"I know you can do it Jungkook," Yoongi had told him the day he was coming to the land to find Wook, "We have raised you well. You are stronger than you think. I know you won't disappoint us." Seokjin hyung had smiled ruffling his hair.

I am a disappointment, ain't I hynug? I was not careful enough and I underestimated our enemy.

Jungkook snaps out of self pity and shakes his head. What am I doing?

Jungkook furrows his eyebrows in anger and looks at Wook's back determined. This is not who he is. He will not give up and he certainly won't harm innocents. He has to fight Wook.

Jungkook stops following Wook and Wook turns to look at him.

Wook notices the look in Jungkook's eyes and steps back. Jungkook smirks when he senses fear.

"You know you will loose your sister forever if you harm me right? And to get her back safe, you are supposed to kill the royal family."

Jungkook have had enough. He was not someone who you would order around. No. Wook was just provoking him more and more. Who was he to command the prince?

Jungkook throws his trident at Wook's foot and Wook falls on his buttom, hissing in pain, trying to get the trident out of his foot. He watches in horror as Jungkook, even before he could react, starts punching him and he tries to get him off his body.

Jungkook holds Wook's hair forcefully, "I will spare you if you get her back right now."

"My people will kill her if you kill me," Wook hisses, the fear gone, "Right now, she is with fifty men. And who knows? Some might join if they hear her cry."

Jungkook punches Wook in the face and lets out a painful scream.

Wook pushes him away, "The sooner you eliminate the royal family, Lalisa -"

Wook stops when Jungkook punches the land angrily.

Where are you hyung? I need you. What am I supposed to do?

Jungkook gets up slowly, not able to picture his sister anywhere near men. How am I supposed to save her? Is this the only way?

"How did you get here?" Taehyung helps Lalisa get out of the barrel, his eyes wide and filled with concern.

His eyes scan her face and the rest of her to check for any possible injury. What happened?

She looks exhausted and scared at the same time. She looks around her confusingly and again looks at Taehyung, holding her elbows. Lalisa stumbles back, away from Taehyung immediately taking his hand away from hers and stares at him as if his touch burned her.

This is the first time I am talking to her, and, like this...? This is the closest I have been to her, but, this is not how I thought I would get close.

"Are you alright?" Taehyung steps ahead but stops when he notices Lalisa stepping back, "What happe - " His voice is cut off when he hears a loud bang, with people screaming curses and the whole ship shakes.

"Stay here! Don't come out." Taehyung commands hurriedly, assuming what might have happened and runs out.

The pirate ship had attacked them and their mast was already broken with one soldier dead even before the battle begun. Half of the pirates were already on their ship, attacking his men. He glances over at Hoseok who is killing pirates on the pirate ship.

Taehyung locks his jaw and takes a knife out from his waist band aiming it directly at a pirate's head who is about to attack Luhan from behind him. His knife kills the pirate immediately and he gains the attention of a pirate with one eye and half leg beside the dead body of the pirate he just killed.

The half legged pirate smiles sickly and lunges forward at Taehyung, his sword cutting through the air and stopping with a loud clink when met with Taehyung's. Taehyung pushes the pirate's sword away and swings his own to aim for his neck but the pirate is fast enough to stop him mid air and shove Taehyung in the wooden wall of his cabin.

That was fast.

The pirate wastes no time and swings his sword above his head to kill Taehyung and move to his next prey. Taehyung grabs the opportunity to swing his sword and cut the arm of the pirate which is holding the sword. The pirate screams and Taehyung cuts off his throat next, immediately attacking another pirate making his way towards him.

He kills every pirate coming his way and swears to not let anymore of his men die.

He heads for the main mast fighting everyone off, where Luhan is and kills the pirate Luhan was fighting, "Don't be careless Luhan! This is a war. Don't make me worry for you and keep looking at you when I fight. You are distracting me."

Taehyung kills another pirate who was aiming for Luhan, "You need to look everywhere."

The screams and men swearing fills the air and Taehyung fails to notice Lalisa is no more where she was told to be.

Lalisa looks at the figure going out of the dark room she is in.

Was he involved? Did he tie me in here? But he looked concerned. He was confused when he saw me. And how am I supposed to believe those innocent green eyes want to harm me? Lalisa thinks.

She looks around herself again.

Where am I? I have to get out of here. I must save the little mremaid.

Lalisa decides she will not think about where she was and what had happened and why she was abducted. For now, she was not tied and wasn't inside a barrel anymore and there was no one around. She must run.

The screams of men reach Lalisa's ears when she stops thinking, making her heart pound. The floor beneath her moves, making her stumble.

Earthquake?

Is that why everyone is screaming and crying?

She pushes the door open from where the man who just untied her had gone.

She stops breathing and thinking looking at the sea in front of her. Everything feels like is happening in a slow motion for her and yet feels like whatever happening is happening very fast. She looks at the sea horrified.

One thing. Just one thing. I was told to never go to the sea and I couldn't even do that! I disappointed my father and the merfolk again. This is the end.

She feels anger raising inside her, cursing the people who might have sent her here.

She looks around and pales even more. The man she had thought was innocent and a good human being is killing people mercilessly. And not only him, everyone here are killing each other!

He is a monster. Lalisa thinks and steps back closing her eyes when he kills another human.

Why did I have to witness this? Why can't humans be trusted? Why cannot they live in peace? And why am I on a ship!

"A woman!" Taehyung hears a pirate laugh menacingly and his eyes widen in fear when they land on Lalisa standing on the quarterdeck, opposite to him looking at him.

I told you not to come out!

He slams his fists in the chest of a pirate nearing him and then his sword kills him.

The pirate who just saw Lalisa licks his lower lip moving to her.

Taehyung increases his pace and is stopped when another pirate attacks him. Taehyung keeps his eyes on Lalisa trying to kill the pirate attacking him.

His sword penetrates inside the pirate's stomach and Taehyung does not wastes his time taking it out and moving his feet to get to Lalisa.

He holds her hand, "I told you not to get out!" he whispers and is about to pull Lalisa to get her to his cabin when the pirate who had seen Lalisa come out, lunges his sword at Taehyung.

Taehyung gets no time to think as he witnesses a dagger getting pierced into the pirates chest and he falls down.

He looks at Lalisa, surprised, whose hand is still hanging in the air, shaking.

His surprised look vanishes when he notices the look in her eyes. As if she is thinking of herself to be some criminal. Oh, how direly he wants her to be proud of herself, but now is not the time.

"I am your only redemption, prince. You have two simple choices. Your sister or the human royal family." Wook smiles wickedly.

But Jungkook had already made his decision.