(Chapter 76:Mira's Pov)
The air bubble flickers.
I snap out of my daze, realizing just how much time has passed. The magic keeping us alive in this underwater kingdom is thinning, the shimmering walls around me pulsing like a heartbeat struggling to keep up.
"Caelyn," I say, my voice sharper than intended. "We don't have time for... this."
Caelyn pulls back abruptly, as if waking from a trance, his breath ragged. The Mer King doesn't move, though. His expression is unreadable, but there's a spark in his eyes—a victorious gleam, like he's won something just by touching Caelyn again.
Caelyn looks away, running a hand through his damp hair as if trying to erase what just happened. "We had a deal," he mutters, his voice hoarse.