Chapter 12: Great Danger

[Ocean]

I slowly stood up and moved to the door’s edge, poking my head out to confront them about what they were talking. However, I was not expecting them to be conversing at the far end of the hallway.

I stood there, confused, watching them as they left.

How was I able to have heard them talking when they were clearly too far away?

What is happening to me?

Why do all these strange things suddenly happen to me?

Is what Quillan said true? Am I not a human?

What am I then?

A witch? What is a witch?

My feet staggered backwards, my palms clutching my ears, trying to muffle the confused voices on my head. My heart tightened at the possibility of being not what I am.

Why can’t I remember anything?

Who am I?

Where did I come from?

My knees collided with the foot of my bed, and I collapsed instantly. My eyes are welling up with tears.

I don’t know how long I lied in there crying to myself. Is Seraphina going to hate me if it’s proven that I put her son in danger? Will Aria hate me as well? What about Arzhel? Will he deny me?

Thousands of thoughts raced through my mind, but none were answered.

Should I leave this place? But, where would I go? Arzhel didn’t even come to see me after their conversation.

“Ocean?” Aria’s voice ripped me out of my reverie. I didn’t turn around to face her, but the side of my mattress dipped as she crawled over to my side.

“You’re shaking like a leaf.” I wipe my tears away and sit up, turning to face her. My eyes were puffy and red, as was my nose.

“I’m sorry for what my uncle did.” I shake my head, disagreeing with what she’s said. I don’t want her apologizing for things she didn’t do.

“Aria, you don’t have to apologise.” My voice came out hoarse and my nose was stuffy from crying too much. I look at the girl, at her bright green eyes and innocent rounded face.

She doesn’t have to involve herself in this situation.

“Aria, will you still accept me if I am not a human?” Seraphina didn’t say it straight away but I had a hunch that the conversation was going there.

She snorted at my question, like she found it ridiculous.

“Ocean, what kind of question is that? Of course I will. Didn’t I tell you I don’t think you’re human?” I didn’t say anything, but my head dipped down. She had told me that when we were at the meadow side, but I didn’t think she was serious. I thought she was only joking.

I just looked at her sideways, which elicited a sigh from her.

“Ocean. You accepted us for who we are. You weren’t scared of us the first time you saw what we were.” Aria is a smart girl who speaks like an adult despite her young age. I knew she said that to cheer me up, but it didn’t lift the heavy feelings that had lodged in my heart.

“What if Seraphina believes I’m a danger to everyone? What if Arzhel denies me? Aria I don’t know what I would do if I would lose any of you. You’re the only people who accepted me here.” Dread started to crawl up again, anxiety was eating me inside.

What if Quillan decides to lock me up because he believes I did something terrible to him?

I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my sanity if that happens.

“Arzhel would never deny you, Ocean, and Baba will not hold you responsible for things that you did not intend to happen.” I wasn’t able to hear Arzhel’s reaction to Seraphina earlier. Is he thinking that I, too, am a danger?

“Your room is in shambles. You should sleep in mine tonight.” My eyes automatically swept around, seeing the splinters of wood from the busted door and the pieces of wall crust that had collapsed where Quillan had punched it, leaving a large crack.

It would be more troublesome if I sleep in Aria’s bed, and the worst part is that it is in the same wing as Quillan.

“Aria, I think I’ll be fine here. You don’t have to be worried about me.” I politely declined her offer. She was about to argue with my response, but I gave her a reassuring smile.

“Okay, please let me know if there’s something else I can do for you. I’ll get you some dinner tonight.” She said, and jumped out of my bed, then went to the doorway. She stops for a moment and turns her body around.

“Are you sure you’re going to be fine?” In response to her concern, I nodded and smiled meekly. Before departing, she returned my smile.

I was once again left alone with my thoughts.

Later that night, it was Seraphina who brought me dinner. Aria was about to do it but she insisted, and Arzhel temporarily repaired my door. He promised to repair it straight away tomorrow. He didn’t stay long because he still needed to patrol the territory, and even though he said he was angry at Quillan, he couldn’t deliberately disobey his orders.

Actually, I didn’t expect them to visit me after what I heard in their conversation. Just like what Aria had said, nothing had changed the way they approached me.

“Ocean, I don’t know what exactly happened between you and my son, but you know you can tell me everything, right?” Seraphina said, seated in front of me, carrying a tray in her lap with empty dishes on it.

I know she’s referring to last night and the song that sent Quillan into a berserk a while ago.

“Last night, I thought I was dreaming.” I started, trying to recall how it happened.

“At first, I woke up with a call, it was beckoning me. I’m not sure how it happened, but my body unconsciously followed it.” I remember a gust of cool wind fluttering my nightdress and the full moon.

“It was like a song, an enchanting song. It took me to the edge of the cliff, whispering into my ears. Telling me to jump and be with the waters.” Quillan told me that I was singing as well, and I did notice that my throat was scratchy after he yanked me off the cliff.

“I didn’t realize I was answering with my own song until Quillan saved me from falling and told me I was singing.”

He saved me and I never got to say thank you, but I don’t think that’s necessary right now.

“Do you recall anything about the song?” She asked, I tried to ponder again with my memories about last night. Then a familiar melody began to play in my mind.

“It was as if the entire ocean life was singing.”

It was mesmerizing. Even now, I could still recall each note as though it permanently imprinted into my brain.

How it sinks in to me right now how fitting the name Aria gave to me.

Ocean.

My thoughts shattered with Seraphine’s loud gasps.

“Oh, moons above!” The tray she was carrying almost slipped from her when she looked at me with wide eyes. My brows knitted at her reaction.

“Seraphina what is it? Is something wrong going on with me?” Her hands were trembling as she placed the tray on my bedside table, and the cutlery clanged in response.

“Aside from last night, have you had something unusual happen to you recently?” The memory from the stream flashed inside my head, about the thing that linked through my fingers.

“I went to the stream to take a bath the last time I was doing laundry. While soaking, I noticed a thin layer of leathery membrane linking my fingertips. It looked like duck feet.” Her hand moved to her chest, and she was saying something to herself that I couldn’t understand.

Is she scared of me? Am I that dangerous?

“Is there anything else? No scales, or anything showing up in your body?”

What scales? Why would scales be showing up on my body?

What am I? A fish?

That reminded me of the salmon I was cleaning. I did feel strange at the time.

“There was this moment when Sam asked me to help her in cleaning the fish. I went a little cannibalistic over a fish.” I admitted. She was there when I was fighting myself not to devour the whole fish meat, raw.

“Don’t you really not recall any memories from your past?” I dug further into my mind, but it just took me to the middle of a storm and a shipwreck. I look at the old woman and dejectedly shake my head.

She stood up and took the tray again, her hands were still trembling but I can see she’s trying not to show it.

“Take a rest now. It’s been a stressful day for you. Arzhel will be here tomorrow to properly fix your door. Good night, Ocean.” She said before leaving, and I looked at her and spoke to her before she could take a step outside my door.

“Seraphina, if anything happens and it turns out that I am a great threat to all of you. Please don’t hesitate to kill me.” She stiffened for a second, then sagged her shoulders before turning around to face me.

“Ocean, don’t talk like that—”

“Please.” I didn’t let her finish what she wanted to say. I can clearly see that in the near future, I’ll be a great danger to them. Her eyes were filled with emotions, but on top of them all was sorrow.

That is something I do not want to happen.

I’d rather die than harm the people I’ve grown to love and care for.