https://youtu.be/Qih2w_mjVEw

• Ariadne •

For the last time, no. I won't marry him, Mother! I exclaimed through the telepathic bond. When I'm ready, I'll find a husband.

You don't have forever, Aria. We may live for centuries, but it would mean the world to me if I knew you were in safe hands should anything happen to me, she replied without looking up from the bountiful harvest of leafy greens in her arms.

We arrived in South Korean waters shortly after I was born. We came from the busy town of Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands, where my biological father lived. It took some time for my mother to adjust to our present, and she was still adjusting, and accept that Scotland was no longer our home.

The South Korean selkie were not as welcoming of us as I previously expected. To them, my mother was the traitorous human sympathizer. Her half-shifted form was proof that nothing good could come from interacting with humans.

The bottom half of her body was that of a seal's, reminiscent of a mermaid's tail, whereas the top was completely human. My eyes wandered down until they gazed upon the jagged scar that ran from her waist to the bottom of her tail. It was an imprint of my mother's past and what she deemed to be my future if I didn't live as the God of the Seas, Llyr, intended.

As if she noticed I was in deep thought, she turned around and caught me leering. My eyes quickly darted away and instead of continuing to lecture me, her mouth turned up into a sad smile that said it all. She regretted the decisions she made in the past and even though she did her best to push past it like it never happened, the memories would be forever etched in her partially shifted body and her mind like a resistant plague.

And I, the half-breed, was no better, as I spent most of my time in my human form. Ruminations of "the rain doesn't fall far from the clouds" spread like wildfire. I hated it here, but I hated being underwater. Nothing could compare to the sun's rays on my flesh or the first inhale after rising out of the seas.

Aria, Mother addressed me once more. Her soft, hazel eyes landing on my own. You spend a significant amount of time with him. Why are you so against the union? Do you not trust him? Do you not trust me to have your best interests at heart?

It's not that, mother. Raen is a friend. I could never see him as anything more than that. It would be like marrying the brother I never had.

Mother rolled her eyes in annoyance, unamused. Adria and Seirus were friends before their marriage and they're still happily married. If I thought the marriage wouldn't have worked, I wouldn't have arranged it. We don't have many options here. I know you're aware of how our people treat us, and you should be grateful to have someone like Raen. Like Adria and Seirus, you can grow to love him. You must. There is no other option.

I can't marry someone I don't love.

Love doesn't exist, Aria. You know this, and yet you continue to fill your mind with these flippant fantasies. For Llyr's sake, you're not getting any younger and I won't be around forever to protect you. You will need to find a suitor eventually to secure your future. Do you want to end up like me? A selkie with no prospects, no future, no support, all because of a human?

The selkie were a dying race with a fractured history. In the past, humans hunted my people for their sealskin. Before our cloaks' magic was revealed, the humans only meant to use us for clothing. Although I wasn't born then, I could understand the sacrifices my people had to make in order to survive. They gave up their homes and became aquatic nomads, always wandering but never truly settling.

Mother's black hair billowed out from the sudden surge in the current, her eyes twinkling with a distant sadness. I hated seeing her look so vulnerable. It only made me feel horrible for simply existing. I didn't get to spend time with my father, but I knew that the pain he caused her cut like a knife.

Both species had an equal capability of being good and bad, right and wrong. I wrapped my cloak around me tightly before throwing myself into Mother's warm embrace. She gently stroked my hair, murmuring the same melody she always sung when we needed cheering up. I only want what's best for you, Ariadne. You're the only one I have left. I can't lose you too. Put these thoughts of the surface world out of your mind. Everything you need is here. Trust me, there is nothing up there but misery and pain.

Her words were powerful enough to render me speechless. I didn't want to marry Raen, but I also didn't want to disappoint Mother. I wanted to tell her I didn't want to stay. There were many lovely things above these waters that I wanted to see, to explore.

Why don't we move after the wedding ceremony? I'm sure your aunt would love to see you again and you've always talked about wanting to meet with the pods in Africa, she suggested.

Do we have to leave? Would it be so bad if we were to stay a little longer?

What are you up to?

I just wanted to collect more seashells before we leave.

Nothing. I was going to see Raen.

I turned to leave, thinking that was the end of the conversation. But she pulled on the cloak, tugging me backwards. Make sure you shift into your seal form first. You know the pod doesn't like it when we traipse around like that. It makes them wary.

Yes, Mother.

After a lecture from my mother about the differences between seal and human forms and Raen about going up to the surface world, I finally made it to the surface. Sitting atop a magenta coral bed, I thought of what would await us in Africa. I could remember the delicious food and the chaotic waters filled with a variety of underwater creatures.

Knowing how Mother was, she would be furious if she knew what I was up to. My trips to surface world initially started out with me popping my head in and out of the water. Shortly after, it escalated to me lounging on the water's surface, enjoying the comforting warmth that the sun offered.

It bothered me to lie to her, but living the life that I had now had been a lie. I wanted more than this aqua prison, but I was also just as afraid of the surface world. The cage that I was in now would be nothing compared to what would come in the world above. If only I could show that to my people.

Raen had come close to tattling on me, but in order to get him to promise he wouldn't oust me to my mother, he made me swear I wouldn't go to the surface without him.

He had been dull as of late, ruining any sensible amount of fun ever since I told him. It was bothersome, but his concern was reasonable. Still, I couldn't help but understand why he would feel the need to put both of our lives at risk. He was just as likely to get into trouble.

After letting out a deep sigh, I sat up and used my legs to propel me towards the surface. Even though I could swim faster if I shifted into my seal form, I liked how the water lapped against my skin every time I ascended. It was refreshing and relaxing, like a soft lullaby lulling me to sleep.

As long as we kept our cloaks wrapped tightly around our bodies, we could breathe underwater like any other sea creature. It was the magic in our cloaks that could protect us from any underwater dangers, but rendered useless on land.

Before I reached the surface, I felt something grip onto my ankle to slow me down. Glancing down, it was none other than Raen. Despite being in his seal form, I could see his quickly forming frown.

Where are you going, Aria? You said you would wait for me, his deep voice filled my mind as he released his grip on me.

You took too long.

A flurry of bubbles surrounded him as he quickly shifted into his human form. It wasn't long before I found myself staring into his silvery eyes, full of disappointment. I'll tell your mother that when someone catches us.

Did she tell you the news?

What news?

I narrowed my eyes, trying to find a spark that would tell me whether he told the truth. He was always good at maintaining a stoic expression, so I came out and tell him, hoping that it would be the end. I'm to marry you by the new moon.

And you don't want to?

No, I can't.

Why? Haven't you heard what the females in our pod say? They say I'm quite the catch!

I elbowed him in the side in response, finding no humor in his joke. What do you mean 'why?' You're my friend. I see you as nothing more than that. How can you possibly be alright with marrying me?

Is that is the only reason?

I don't love you.

You could grow to love me. He looked expectantly at me, but I met his words with silence. As if he could sense my budding trepidation, he quickly changed the subject. I'm joking. Of course, we're only friends. Where do you want to go to first today? The market?

I laughed nervously and turned around slowly, letting my hair fan around the sides of my face to hide my expression. My heart was pounding, and for a moment, it terrified me that Raen had planned to push me into a loveless marriage just because of what Mother had said. Even though I felt reassured by his words, it seemed like he didn't truly mean them because deep sadness lurked within the depths of his gaze.

Let's stay near the beach. If I have to watch another fish get its head chopped off, I swear to Llyr—

You'll throw a fit. Yes, I know. You really shouldn't involve Llyr's name. He may come to collect on that oath one day, he interrupted me with a bright grin.

I shivered in exaggeration, being sure to emphasize my disgust with a crinkle of my nose. It was nice that we could continue to joke around as if we didn't discuss our marriage minutes ago. I wished we could have escaped reality for a while longer.

Aria... Raen warned for what I could only hope be the last time.

I'm just getting some seashells, I responded, inching closer to the shore.

No. You know we can't get too close. A human could spot you and it would be difficult for me to explain to your mother why I returned without you.

I looked around, turning my head from left to right, noting that there was no one in sight for a significant distance. What humans? Raen let out an exasperated sigh which caused me to add, I promise I won't stick around. I just want to get some seashells before we leave.

You can gather them in a much safer place, like the ocean floor, he grumbled.

And step on a sea urchin? You're as loony as that kelpie that thinks he's a descendant of Sagittarius!

He sputtered as if I'd thrown a spear at him. I used his speechlessness to my advantage by moving closer until I could feel the soft sand beneath my feet. Trudging along the shores, my small satchel filled with seashells.

Aria! Raen called in my mind. His eyes were wide with terror for reasons I couldn't immediately fathom.

Following his gaze, my eyes landed on a human who was staring at me with perplexity. The first instinct in my mind was to run because I thought I would surely die. All he had to do to capture me was alert his people and they would descend upon us like eels.

However, to my astonishment, he continued to stare at me like I was some sort of enigma. He didn't call more humans over, which piqued my curiosity. I wanted to know more about this human, but I knew that the longer I stayed, the more likely someone else would notice my presence and lead me to my downfall.

Aria, hurry before more humans appear! Raen pleaded, fear laced in his voice.

"Kangmin-ah!" another voice sounded from the distance. Another human.

I watched the human turn his head toward the unfamiliar voice and used that as an opportunity to make my escape. I quickly ducked my head under the water and swam towards Raen.

What took you so long? Do you have a death wish? Raen asked, angrily.

Nothing. I thought I saw something in the sand, I replied absentmindedly. His lectures fell flat on my ears as my thoughts kept circling back to the human man on the beach. He seemed different from what our people made his kind out to be. His demeanor held no deceit or malice, but it was the sorrow in his eyes that made me curious about who he was and who brought such sadness to his face.