The soft bluish light filtering through the cracks in the rocky ceiling was the first thing he noticed.
Kael opened his eyes slowly, his breathing still heavy from sleep.
For a few seconds, he simply gazed at the small stalactites and natural cracks adorning the cave's ceiling.
The sound of dripping water in the distance filled the silent cave with a calm rhythm, and the atmosphere was permeated with the damp, clean scent of living rock.
But a few moments later, a strange warmth on his chest caught his attention.
As he looked down, his entire body tensed.
There, deeply asleep, with a peaceful expression and a slight smile on her lips, lay Marie. Her soft breath caressed his skin, and her arms wrapped around his torso as if clutching a treasure.
Kael froze. Literally.
'W-what is she doing on top of me…?' he thought, his face burning red up to his ears. Each second felt like an eternity, his heart pounding as he tried not to make any sudden movements.
With an almost painful slowness, he moved his hand to Marie's back, trying to loosen her grip to shift her without waking her. But the moment he tried to move her...
Marie furrowed her brow.
And squeezed her arms tighter.
'E-eh? No no no…!'
Kael tried again, even more gently this time.
Her furrow deepened. Marie let out a soft whine, like a child having her favorite blanket taken away.
'This can't be happening… If she wakes up like this… she's going to kill me from embarrassment!' he thought in desperation.
And as if the universe was mocking him, in that exact moment, "mini Kael" also decided to wake up early.
'No, no, no! Now is not the time for that! Focus, idiot!'
But before he could come up with a solution, he felt a slight movement on his chest. Marie was waking up.
With a soft sigh, she stretched slowly over him, tightening her embrace even more as she made a small, dreamy, sweet sound, as if she'd just had the best dream of her life.
Kael lost his breath.
Because this time, Marie... was wearing nothing.
Nothing.
Not even her shells.
'WHAT?! BUT WHAT—?!'
Kael's brain collapsed for a second. His thoughts turned to mist. The sight before him was dangerous... very dangerous. His entire body froze. He couldn't move. He didn't want to move.
Marie, still half asleep, slowly opened her green eyes, still clouded by sleep. When she saw Kael, a small smile blossomed on her lips. Without a word, she leaned toward him… seeking an embrace.
Kael panicked.
Without thinking, he ripped off the shirt he was still wearing—though it was torn and dirty, it could still cover something—and clumsily placed it over Marie's body.
She looked at him, confused, while he gasped at how quickly he'd had to move.
Marie, as if nothing had happened, returned his embrace tenderly.
"Good morning… Marie slept very well," she murmured in that soft, musical voice of hers.
Kael felt his soul leaving his body.
"M-Marie! Why were you… without your shells… on top of me?!"
Marie looked at him with those always-innocent eyes, tilting her head.
"Kael is warm… Marie likes it. And Marie doesn't like sleeping with her shells. They leave marks on Marie if she sleeps with them."
Kael fell silent. Processing. Fighting with every fiber of his being not to combust spontaneously.
'Her logic… it's devastatingly simple…'
Not wanting to think more about it, he slowly got up—just in time before someone else could greet her— lifting Marie in the process as if she were a princess.
She didn't resist. She just rested her head on his chest while wrapping her arms around his neck.
Kael walked toward the water, placed her gently on the surface, and let her glide into it.
"Alright, alright… I'll let you go this time. But go put on your shells. You shouldn't be showing your body to anyone, Marie," Kael tried to scold her gently, something that clearly… didn't work.
Marie looked at him as if she didn't understand.
"Kael… is the only one who has seen Marie without her shells."
Kael turned all shades of red.
'Does she realize what she's saying?!'
Coughing quickly to change the subject, he tried to speak more calmly.
"A-anyway… put them on quickly! Yesterday you told me you wanted to show me some things, right? If you change fast, we can go."
At that, Marie's eyes lit up with excitement. With a big smile, she dove in quickly.
Seconds later, she emerged. This time wearing her shells… though she still wore Kael's torn shirt.
He, however, was now shirtless.
Kael sighed.
'…It's worth it if it keeps me from seeing… so much.'
Marie raised one hand, clearly wanting Kael to take her. Without hesitation, Kael gently took it, and the mermaid pulled him into the water.
When Kael opened his eyes underwater, he saw Marie looking back at him with a sweet smile. Then she started moving, pulling him by the hand she held intertwined with his.
'I should feel happy not needing to breathe… I guess,' Kael thought as he sensed no need for air, while ignoring the darker thoughts swirling at the back of his mind.
Marie guided him along a hidden route, crossing several areas and passing many spots.
After swimming for a while, they arrived at a cave hidden among the rocks. Inside was a small area where the water reached just above their knees, allowing Kael to speak again.
Marie led him to a spot in the cave where there was a fascinating collection of objects—rusty necklaces, broken utensils, old clothes, and a shattered mirror.
"Did you find all this by yourself?" Kael asked, observing everything with curiosity and a hint of awe.
Marie nodded happily, her posture clearly proud, as if shouting "Praise me!"
Kael simply looked at her amused.
Marie showed him each object in her small collection, telling him in a simple but charming way how she had found them. Laughing, pointing, speaking in her broken language that became more fluid with each word she said.
But then, as she held a small broken pearl necklace, her expression changed. Her smile vanished. Her gaze became melancholic.
Kael quickly noticed.
"Marie… what's wrong?"
She hesitated. Then spoke slowly.
"Monster… followed Marie. Found Marie's home… Marie… had to escape. Couldn't take things… many stayed there."
Kael realized that must be why Marie used to stay on Floor 25 though he remembered her living somewhere on Floor 27. He whispered softly—"…I see."
Understanding what happened, he approached and hugged her, strong but gentle.
"It's okay. Everything will be fine. We'll get them back. I promised to help you, right? Trust me. You are not alone."
Marie, looking slightly dazed by the sudden hug, then, without holding back, hugged him back, her smile full of tears. A different kind of smile. More intense. More pure.
After hearing more of Marie's stories about her objects, Kael found among them a black shirt of roughly his size, and a well-preserved black cloak with grey borders.
Seeing his interest, Marie quickly offered them to him.
Kael, though he didn't feel cold—likely due to one of this body's many constitutions—still didn't want to go bare-chested. He accepted and put both garments on.
When he finished, Marie applauded.
"Kael looks handsome!"
Kael looked away, uncomfortable. But he couldn't help smiling.
After that little moment, Marie began asking him questions about the surface world. Kael, with his blurry memories, tried to answer as best he could. He spoke of the sky, birds, Orario, the smell of rain on city streets.
Marie listened with bright eyes, taking in every word as if they were legends from another universe.
At a certain point, Kael decided to teach her new words: "Earth", "clothes", "walk", "family"… each attempt from Marie was clumsy, adorable, and rewarding. They both laughed when she messed up, and celebrated each small success with applause and smiles.
But not everything was peaceful.
Every now and then, Kael would see something.
A reflection.
A flash.
Dix. In the water. In the broken mirror. In his mind.
Though he tried to ignore it...
The guilt tormented him.
After a moment of silence, he decided to tell Marie that he'd been feeling down for a while.
Everything.
Since he woke in this world—he didn't try to justify what he did, or so he wanted to believe.
That he killed. That he lost control.
When he finished, there was a small silence between them.
He expected rejection. Fear. Abandonment.
But Marie, quietly, placed her hand on his chest, right where his heart still beat.
"Marie believes… Kael is a good person. Kael… only wanted to help. Kael… is never mean to Marie. Marie believes… in Kael."
Upon hearing those clumsily said words, Kael felt a knot in his throat. He said nothing. He let himself slump forward, nearly resting his forehead on her chest.
Marie responded by gently hugging him, pressing his head softly.
No more words were needed. Their presence was enough.
A few hours later, after they finished playing with Marie's things, they decided to return to the main cave.
But when Marie led the way, holding his hand, something happened.
Marie stopped suddenly.
Kael looked at her, confused.
She… was trembling.
Her face, usually bright and smiling, was now pale and terrified.
Before he could ask why, Kael sensed the shift.
A pressure in the air. Dense. Oppressive.
A presence.
Chaotic. Monstrous.
Then...
Footsteps.
Above them.
On the ceiling.
A monster... no, something worse.
Marie froze. Kael, seeing her panic, hugged her from behind and covered her mouth. He managed to pull them both behind a nearby column.
The footsteps drew closer.
And just when it seemed they'd be discovered...
The footsteps stopped right above them.
Eternal seconds passed.
Then, bit by bit, they receded.
The pressure in the air faded.
Kael exhaled a sigh of relief he didn't even realize he'd been holding.
'…Moss Huge, huh?' Kael realized immediately—if there was something Marie feared more than anything, it was that being that roamed the Water Palace searching for her.
'It was strong… very strong, in my current state I can only dream of wounding it before it kills me,' Kael thought, frustration at his weakness in his eyes. But realizing this wasn't the time, he said...
'That doesn't matter now... first things first, let's get out of here,' he said, looking at Marie, who although apparently fine...
Remained frozen.
Kael tried to shake her gently. Nothing.
He turned her around and looked into her eyes—blank, as if her mind had fled when she sensed the monster.
He tried shaking her again, harder this time—same result.
And knowing it was useless to speak underwater, he didn't try.
Seeing the situation and fearing the monster might return...
He had only one option left…
Kael closed his eyes, a second before surrendering to his decision.
'Fuck it,' he thought, clenching his teeth as he leaned toward Marie.
His face drew close to hers, slow but determined. His lips parted as if about to kiss her... but that was never his intention.
At the last moment, Kael subtly shifted and, with controlled precision, sank his fangs into Marie's neck.
'If this doesn't work... slap me all you want later, just react… please,' he begged mentally as his teeth pierced her soft, warm skin.
But then, Kael's world turned red.
Marie's scarlet blood flooded his mouth—sweet, warm, intoxicating. His mind began to blur into a dense fog of desire before he even realized it.
What had begun as a desperate attempt to make her react… was morphing into something more primal.
His hands, once firmly planted on Marie's shoulders, slid down to circle her neck. Embracing her. Holding her close as if he never wanted to let go.
And Marie… responded.
The first sensation was pain. Brief. Sharp. But almost immediately, a wave of warmth coursed through her body, like an electric current shimmering beneath her skin.
It was strange. And addictive.
Without realizing why, her body responded on its own—one hand slipped to Kael's back, gripping him tightly, the other buried itself in his hair, as if afraid he'd pull away. Low, vulnerable... sweet moans escaped her lips.
Their bodies began to sink slowly until they reached the floor of the cavern. Marie's back pressed gently against the rocky bed while Kael, still lost in the taste and power of her blood, remained over her. His lips stayed on her neck, drinking, almost in desperation.
Marie didn't stop him. On the contrary, her hands pressed him closer. As if she didn't want him to stop.
But bit by bit, the energy that once radiated from her began to fade.
Her hands lost strength. Her once-firm, warm body started to feel fragile, lighter…
And Kael didn't notice. His mind stayed trapped in that haze.
Until...
"…Kael…"
A soft voice, barely a whisper, slipped from Marie's lips. A fractured calling, laden with vulnerability and tenderness.
Kael's eyes snapped open wide.
His body froze. His mind jolted as if thrown back into reality.
'W-what… what was I doing?' he thought in horror.
Then he took it all in. The cavern floor, the still water around them. Marie's defenseless body beneath him, her face flushed and eyes dazed, her breathing erratic… those eyes, staring at him as if asking permission to go on. As if wanting more.
Kael glanced at his body… and saw the signs. Where there once was emaciated skin clinging to bone, now there was muscle. Where he'd appeared as a malnourished teen, now he looked like a sculpted youth, carved by gods while he drank Marie's blood.
But that didn't make him happy.
Not at all.
'Oh no…'
His heart in his throat, he carefully gathered Marie in his arms like a broken treasure. In his mind, only one thought remained—get her somewhere safe.
Protect her.
Even from himself, if need be.
But a new problem appeared. He wasn't a creature of the water.
He had no tail. He couldn't swim as she did. She had always been the one dragging him with her speed, pulling him by the hand. And now… she was barely conscious.
Kael cursed himself in silence. He didn't know what to do. How would they reach the cave in this state...?
Then he felt it.
A tingling on his back. Something pulsing inside him. Something… new. Powerful.
'It's true… I have wings.'
When he transformed after drinking some of Ranye's blood, a small wing had appeared on his back. Tiny. Fragile. Decorative at best.
But now... with his body overflowing with the blood he'd previously lacked, he knew this time would be different. Instinctively, he closed his eyes.
Marie, barely conscious but dazed, watched him. With still-blush cheeks and trembling breath, she noticed something on Kael's back beginning to shift.
Two black, majestic wings unfolded slowly, as if feeling the world for the first time.
Kael opened his eyes. He looked at Marie, who stared in astonishment. He gave her a small smile.
Then, with a powerful downbeat, they both shot through the water as if it didn't exist. His wings sliced through the liquid with impossible force. It was like flying in the sky… under the ocean.
In seconds, they reached the cave.
Upon landing on dry ground, Kael folded his wings and gently laid Marie on the floor. Her breathing was weak. Her life force faint, like a flame on the verge of going out.
Kael was in a panic—he didn't know what to do. He'd never encountered anything like this. He didn't know how to "return" the energy he'd taken. He never bothered to do more than absorb?
Suddenly, an idea struck Kael.
'If I can absorb energy… then I can give it back, right?'
Kael placed both hands on Marie's stomach.
It was a reckless notion.
Without precedent.
But he didn't have time to doubt.
He closed his eyes and focused.
Inside him he felt two energies—an overwhelming darkness, like a bottomless pit in the center of his body… and a flickering white light near it. Marie's energy.
The darkness was devouring it slowly.
But as if sensing Kael's intention, the white light began rapidly flowing toward his hands and into Marie's body. At first, it was difficult. But then… the energy obeyed.
A soft white glow began to emanate from Marie's body. The entire cave lit up with that gentle radiance.
Kael felt the energy in Marie stabilize. The flame grew. Life returned.
When he sensed the energy balanced, he opened his eyes.
Marie lay with her eyes still closed, but her breathing was even. Her skin regained its color. Her body, her form… even seemed brighter. Alive. Almost as if... purified.
But before Kael could process those thoughts...
Marie's eyelids fluttered. Then they slowly opened.
"Where… am I?" she murmured, dazed, looking at the ceiling.
Kael didn't even respond. He knelt beside her and hugged her tightly.
"Marie, I'm sorry! It was my fault! I shouldn't have done that! I didn't know… I didn't know what I would've done if I'd lost you… I'm so sorry!"
His body shook. His voice broke, as if he feared everything might vanish at any moment.
When Marie heard that, her eyes glistened—she remembered. She remembered what happened. But more than that... she felt Kael. Trembling. Vulnerable. Scared.
And she smiled. A little, tired smile—but with immense warmth.
Slowly, she returned the hug.
"Marie… forgives Kael. Marie could never be angry with Kael. Kael is the only one in the world who cares so much about Marie. So… Kael must stop trembling."
Saying this, she released him slightly, just enough to cup his face in her hands. She looked him directly in the eyes with that radiant, pure smile that almost hurt.
"Kael is someone special to Marie."
And without giving him time to respond, she drew his face to her chest and wrapped him in an embrace.
"Yes, Kael?"
Kael, his head against her chest, closed his eyes. His body still trembled faintly, but not with fear.
He let out a small whisper—
—"Yes…"
Marie smiled even more and gently stroked his hair, tenderly.
And Kael, cradled by that warmth, could only think—
'…For some reason… I just feel more guilty.'
Marie just kept smiling, as if she hadn't been about to die a few moments ago.
Kael continued to feel guilty, but deep down I was also happy that in the end everything seemed to have gone well
They both remained clinging. Embraced. Feeling each other's presence. The warmth.
The tranquility of the cave slowly returned... giving them a bit of peace in their hearts. Both with growing feelings for each other... which they would soon realize.
But that's another story.