King Triton sat in his grand coral throne, twirling the delicate pink flower Uma had given him between his fingers. The corners of his mouth curled into a smile as he thought about his daughter. Uma, always so strong-willed, seemed to be lost in her thoughts lately. He chuckled to himself, whispering, "Oh, who could the lucky merman be?"

His laughter echoed throughout the coral hall, but he quickly composed himself as he noticed Sebastian swimming toward him. Triton cleared his throat, hiding the flower behind his back, and called out in his most commanding tone. "Come in, Sebastian."

Sebastian, the tiny red crab who was once full of bravado, now seemed to be shaking as he scampered down the grand path toward Triton’s towering throne. His eyes darted around nervously, and when he finally spoke, his voice cracked. "Yes - yes, Your Majesty," he stammered, his Jamaican accent breaking through more than usual.

Triton watched him curiously, arching an eyebrow. "Now, Sebastian," Triton began, leaning forward slightly, his voice lowering with concern. "I’ve noticed that Uma's been acting... rather peculiar lately. Have you noticed this?"

Sebastian fidgeted, avoiding Triton’s gaze. "Peculiar, yuh say? Well, I—"

Triton didn’t let him finish. He waved his trident for emphasis, a gesture that always made those around him pay attention. "You know what I mean, Sebastian. Moaning about, daydreaming, singing to herself…" Triton paused, watching Sebastian’s reaction closely. "You haven't noticed, hmm?"

"Well... um…" Sebastian’s eyes darted to the side. He rubbed his claws together as if trying to buy himself some time.

Triton leaned back, narrowing his eyes. "Sebastian."

"Yes, sire?"

"I know you’ve been keeping something from me…" Triton's tone was soft yet commanding. It was the kind of tone that meant he wasn’t asking for a response—he was demanding one.

Sebastian took a deep gulp, his eyes widening. "Keeping… something?"

Triton’s grip tightened around his trident. "About Uma."

"Uma?" Sebastian repeated, his voice now barely more than a squeak. He crossed his legs, which were now shaking uncontrollably, as if that would somehow hide his nervousness from the king's sharp eyes.

Triton’s patience was thinning. He leaned forward, eyes narrowing further, his tone becoming sharper. "In love?"

Sebastian froze. For a moment, Triton thought he might faint. Then, with a dramatic wail, Sebastian threw himself at Triton’s beard, clutching it as if it were his last lifeline. "I TRIED TO STOP HER, SIR!!!" Sebastian wailed, his Jamaican accent thick with panic. "She wouldn’t listen, King Triton! I told her! I told her to stay away from dem humans – dey be bad, dey be trouble, I said, but did she listen? No, no, she didn't!"

Triton’s eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat. "Humans?" he boomed, his voice echoing through the coral palace like a thunderclap. "WHAT ABOUT HUMANS?!"

Sebastian suddenly let go of Triton’s beard, a nervous laugh escaping his mouth as he scrambled backward. "Humans? Who said anything 'bout humans?" He chuckled, waving his claws in front of him as if trying to erase his previous confession from the air. "Nah, nah, ya majesty, dere ain’t no humans involved! Nuttin’ like dat at all!"

Triton's eyes flared with fury. He reached down, grabbing Sebastian in one swift motion. The crab dangled in his grip, claws flailing helplessly as Triton brought him closer, his expression a mixture of concern and anger. "Do not lie to me, Sebastian," he growled, his voice dangerously low. "Is my daughter involved with humans?"

Sebastian squirmed, shaking his head wildly. "No, no, sire, please! It ain't like dat, I swear! She ain't involved, she just… well, she jus’ curious, yuh know? Uma’s always been a bit of a rebel."

Triton’s grip loosened, but he didn’t let go. "Why did you keep this from me?" he demanded. "You should have told me the moment she showed interest in those humans!"

Sebastian’s eyes softened, and for a moment, Triton saw genuine concern there. "I jus’ didn’t want to see her get in trouble, ya majesty. Uma, she… she’s at dat age, yuh know? Curious ‘bout everything. And I thought, maybe, if I watch over her, I could keep her from doin’ somethin’ foolish."

Triton sighed deeply, releasing Sebastian, who immediately scrambled to a safe distance but didn’t leave. "You should know better than to hide things from me, Sebastian," Triton said, his tone softer but still laced with authority. "Uma is like her mother. If she’s in danger or getting herself involved in something dangerous, I need to know."

Uma pov

The salty ocean water brushed against my face as Flounder guided me deeper into the grotto. The eerie, enchanting blue glow from the coral lanterns lit up the room, revealing the forgotten treasures and relics I’d collected over the years. The excitement bubbled within me; I had no idea what Flounder had been planning, but I trusted him. He always knew how to make me smile.

"Flounder, why can’t you just tell me what this is all about?" I asked, trying to keep my impatience at bay.

"You’ll see. It’s a surprise," Flounder replied, a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he swam further ahead.

As we rounded a corner, my heart nearly stopped. There, bathed in the shimmering light of the ocean, was a statue – no, a masterpiece. And it was him. Every curve, every feature, and every detail perfectly captured. Harry. My Harry. His eyes, frozen in a look of determination, his lips slightly parted as if he was about to speak, and his arm, forever reaching out to me.

"Oh, Flounder… Flounder, you’re the best!" I exclaimed, unable to contain my joy. "It looks just like him. It even has his eyes." I swam closer, heart pounding as if Harry himself were standing before me. "Why, Harry, run away with you? This is all so… so sudden," I murmured, giggling to myself, twirling around like a giddy schoolgirl.

But then, I felt it. The warmth. The heaviness of his presence. I stopped mid-spin and turned. There, in the entryway, framed by the glowing coral, was my father. King Triton. His face was etched with disappointment and anger, his trident clenched tightly in his hand.

“Daddy!” I gasped, instinctively swimming back. All the joy, all the light that had filled my heart just moments before was suddenly snuffed out.

Flounder, sensing the storm that was about to break, quickly hid behind a chest, leaving me alone to face my father’s wrath.

"I consider myself a reasonable merman," Triton began, his voice echoing like a tidal wave, each word crashing into me with the force of a thousand seas. "I set certain rules, and I expect those rules to be followed."

"But, Daddy!" I protested, desperately trying to find the words to explain, to justify, to make him understand.

“Is it true you rescued a human from drowning?” he demanded, his eyes narrowing into slits.

“Daddy, I had to,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Contact between the human world and the mer-world is strictly forbidden," he snapped, each word punctuated with rising anger. "Uma, you know that! Everyone knows that!"

“He would have died!” I cried, feeling the injustice of his words cut through me like a sharpened blade.

“One less human to worry about!” His voice was harsh, cold, and final.

“You don’t even know him!” I retorted, tears already threatening to spill over. Why couldn’t he see what I saw?

“Know him?” He laughed, a bitter, humorless sound. “I don’t have to know him. They’re all the same. Spineless, savage, harpooning, fish-eaters, incapable of any feeling—”

“Daddy, I love him!” The words slipped from my lips before I could stop them. The moment they did, I felt as if the entire ocean had frozen over. There it was. The truth. Out in the open, like a fish trapped in a net. Vulnerable. Exposed.

For a moment, Triton just stood there, horrified. As if he couldn't believe his ears. "No," he finally said, shaking his head as if trying to wake from a nightmare. "Have you lost your senses completely?! He's a human, you're a mermaid!"

“I don’t care,” I whispered, my voice barely more than a broken sob.

"So help me, Uma, I am going to get through to you!" His eyes blazed with a fury I had never seen before, and I felt my heart begin to race. "And if this is the only way, so be it!"

I saw the glow before I felt it. That terrible, searing light that seemed to scorch every inch of the grotto. His trident, humming with power, began to glow, casting long shadows across the cave walls. And then, it happened. He pointed it at the globe I’d collected – the one with the tiny human ships encased in glass – and with a flash of light, it shattered into a million pieces.

“Daddy, no!” I screamed, swimming forward, trying to shield my precious treasures. But it was no use. One by one, they fell. The silverware, the portrait, the books – everything I had collected from the human world was obliterated, reduced to nothing but splinters and dust.

And then, his eyes settled on Harry’s statue.

“No…” I whimpered, my voice trembling as I placed myself between the statue and my father. “Please, Daddy… not him.”

"Uma, get out of the way," he ordered, his voice colder than the deepest part of the ocean.

“Daddy, no! Please!” But my pleas fell on deaf ears. With one final surge of light, he blasted the statue, and I watched, helpless, as the face I had come to adore – the face that had brought me more happiness than anything in this underwater prison – shattered into nothingness.

I collapsed onto the rock, my body wracked with sobs. Everything… everything I’d collected, every memory, every piece of him… gone. Destroyed. Because I dared to love. Because I dared to dream.

“Uma, I—” I felt Sebastian’s voice try to reach out to me, but it felt so far away, as if he were speaking through a thick veil of water.

“Just go away,” I choked out, my voice raw and broken. I couldn’t bear to look at him, at anyone. I didn’t want to see the pity, the sadness, the judgment in their eyes.

I was alone, truly alone, in the ruins of my dreams.

I buried my face in my hands and let the tears fall, each one heavier than the last, sinking to the bottom of the ocean like the shattered remains of my heart.