Chapter Twelve: Hurt and Mistrust

"This is it." Susan said before sliding off the car.

They're in front of the Chinese museum and ready to take the steel of courage, but awkwardness seems to lay between Meria and Joseph that anyone on arm length will feel the discomfort.

After Joseph decided to take Susan's words that night, he decided to drank the alcohol she gave him and talk to Meria.

"Joseph?" Meria is looking out her window when he entered. They decided to take Susan's offer to stay the night. Luckily for Joseph, he don't have to face the gorgeous silver haired woman because their room is separate.

"Hi" he greeted meekly as he closed the door beind him. "I'm just checking if your fine here."

That's not completely a lie, although that's not what his purpose on paying her a visit in the middle of the night.

Meria nodded and sat in the chair beside the window. "The world is so dark outside and I'm not a fan of darkness but then I find it beautiful."

He smiled. Of course with the alcohol in his system, his emotions are uncontroled but when he's near Meria he seems to calm dowm. He seems to do more than he can do. He becomes better with her. She appreciates things on it's beauty and she manage to find it on anything. He sat in front of her.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" she looks at him. Her ocean colored onces against his emerald eyes. He is still amazed how her eyes can pull someone on the depths of it.

When he thought about it, there is really nothing he wants to ask. He wants to talk to her, that's it.

"I--" he thought of something to say. "I was wondering how people--I mean mermaids live in Oceana."

She smiled sadly and look out the window again. "Unlike humans, we don't use technology, but we have our own kind of communication. We have families, we have duties and responsibilities, and we live freely." she said as if remembering those moments in her head. She look back at Joseph.

"In Oceana, we believe in loyalty and honesty. Loyalty to the sea and honesty to yourself." she look at him straight in the eye that made Joseph choke in his own spit. He recovered immediately. "Unlike humans, mermaids don't feel the urge to lie all the times."

It's as if she knew, he thought. He became the victim of his own question.

"What do you do if someone lies to you?" he asked nervously

"Nothing." she answered. "But forgive. Life has it's own way and sin is it's own punishment."

He couldn't find the words to say. There was silence before she spoke.

"I saw you with Vanessa..."

Those words seems to send Joseph's heart to somersaults for the worst reason. As if his world crumble down before his eyes. He's doomed.

"I--I'm sorry..." he choked out thinking how did she react seeing him with Vanessa. "I wasn't thinking...I'm sorry..."

When Meria saw the scene before her, she decided to leave Susan alone with them. Seeing Joseph with another woman is like piercing through her heart. She can't breath for a moment. Her eyes burned and her limbs went weak.

She couldn't understand why. Why she felt that way? Why is she affected by thier actions?

She felt betrayed.

She know enough to know that humans do that things for pleasure outside the thing they call marriage.

The first time they kissed, it sends a thousand volts through her, but she didn't know how to acknowledge that feeling so she decided to let it go. She wasn't expecting that herself.

He's so good to her that she wasn't sure if it's true.

"Humans tend to be sly and cunning to get what they want. Be careful." Agnes told her that made her heart ache once more. The thought of the only human she had trust is betraying her pained her.

Then she realized that she wasn't human. She's a mermaid and she belong to the sea. Not to land or anyone from it.

Now she already experienced it first hand, she will not allow herself to fall to the traps of human deciet.

She's in land to save her world. And that's what she'll do from now on.

***

"How did you know that the steel of courage is here?" Meria asked Susan while they're walking the halls of the museum.

"I've lived the longest among everyone in here. I'ved been through wars and countries across the world to write the history. That includes the person who owns the steel a long time ago." Susan explained.

"It must belong to someone important to be part of the written history." she said, "Only those powerful has made a mark that people recognize." bitterness visible is her tone

"The general who owned the steel is different." Susan's expression hardened not liking Meria's words. "She wasn't powerful, but she was brave. She fought for the country that betrayed him, and died on it's land with honor."

"She?" Joseph curiously asked. They almost forgot that he's there. They stopped and looked at Susan waiting for an answer.

"She's my mother. She's a warrior on one of the dynasty in China a very long time ago." she said with sadness in her eyes.

Meria was surprised to hear her words. That must be very long ago. She can't imagine how Susan went through everything. How she manage to keep going when everything she knows has to die. She's immortal. She realized that already but now Meria realized that the life Susan has is both a blessing and a curse she won't wish for anyone.

They continued after a while. Susan doesn't seem to talk about her mother. They respect that.

Susan is talking to an old man in the Museun and Joseph wasn't in sight.

She walk down the halls of paintings and think of the possibilities that might happen while she's looking for the things she need. She look at her hand and saw the ring her mother gave her to keep her safe. Joseph has one too.

Pushing the thoughts aside she tried to connect with Agnes. Luckily she did.

"Why can't I reach you last time?" she's annoyed yet happy that she got to talk to Agnes again. "How's my father? The Oceana?"

"Your father is gaining back his strength while the poison is still unstoppable." Agnes said with a hint of worry in the end. "How are you?"

She's glad to hear that her father is fine and recovering, but worried about Oceana. She love the sea dearly and the people in it. She needs to hurry up.

"I am fine here. We're in the other side of the world to find the cure."

"It's only days before the red moon comes, Meria." Agnes said in worry. "We are all praying here that you succeed."

She sigh. She doesn't want to let them down. She will do everything to save the Ocean. Everything.

Meria's connection to Agnes was cut when she crashed with a woman. Or was it someone bumped her.

"I'm sorry." they said in unison before looking at each other. They chuckled.

Her head faced the person. Standing before her is a slender woman with a long black hair and dressed perfectly in red.

She seems different and familiar.

The lady smiled and an image of a witch flased in her mind making her recognize the lady.

The lady's smiled turn to smirked. Pleased that Meria recognized her.

Time really has it's own pace.

"Lides."

The witch of the dark sea.

"The one and only." Lides smirked. Her eyes shine in confusingly delight. "How's the king doing?"