Uma’s heart pounded as she stared at the shattered remains of her grotto, where all her dreams had been reduced to nothing but broken stone and twisted metal. Sebastian and Flounder's voices were fading, but their words still lingered in her mind. She clenched her fists, trying to fight the sense of hopelessness threatening to overwhelm her.

Then, out of the darkness, came the smooth, serpentine voices.

“Poor child,” one hissed.

“Poor, sweet child,” echoed the other.

Uma whipped her head around, her eyes narrowing as two eels—one greenish-yellow and the other a sickly pale blue—slithered closer, their bodies writhing and coiling around each other like ribbons of smoke.

“Who are you?” Uma demanded, her voice harsher than she intended. She needed to appear strong, even when she felt anything but.

“Don’t be scared,” the blue one said.

“We represent someone who can help you,” the green one added.

Uma’s heart skipped a beat. “Help me? How?”

The eels’ eyes glinted. “Someone who can make all your dreams come true,” they whispered together. “Just imagine—”

“You and your prince,” the blue one crooned.

“Together, forever…” the green one finished, their voices blending together into a haunting harmony.

Uma felt the tiniest flicker of hope ignite within her. But she pushed it down. “I don’t understand,” she said, shaking her head.

“Ursula has great powers,” the green one whispered, its voice sliding into Uma’s ears like an oily secret.

Her heart stopped. “The sea witch?” she gasped, taking a step back. “No, that’s—I couldn’t—” She shook her head, trying to clear it of this madness. “No! Get out of here! Leave me alone!”

The eels exchanged a glance, and for a moment, Uma thought they might retreat. “Suit yourself,” said the blue one with a sigh.

“It was only a suggestion,” the green one added, flicking its tail toward the remnants of the statue of Prince Eric. The broken face rolled to a stop by Uma’s feet, the empty eyes staring up at her.

She stared at it, her heart aching. What if… What if there was a way?

“Wait,” she whispered before she could stop herself.

The eels grinned.

---

Sebastian’s frantic voice was echoing in her ears as she swam past him, ignoring his cries. “Uma, what are you doing here with this riffraff?” he demanded, darting around in front of her, trying to block her path.

“I’m going to see Ursula,” she replied, her voice as cold as the sea around her.

Sebastian’s eyes went wide, and he grabbed onto her fins. “No! No, Uma, you can’t! She’s a demon, she’s a monster!”

Uma felt a surge of anger well up inside her, mingling with her desperation. “Why don’t you go tell my father?” she snapped, wrenching herself free. “You’re good at that.” Before he could respond, she swam forward, following the eels.

She didn’t look back.

---

The lair loomed ahead, dark and foreboding, shaped like the gaping maw of a sea monster ready to swallow her whole. As Uma drew closer, an eerie purple light began to glow from within, mixing with tendrils of pink smoke that curled out into the ocean like fingers reaching out to ensnare her. Fear gripped her, but she forced herself to keep moving.

“This way,” the eels hissed, gliding ahead of her. They led her through the jagged teeth of the entrance, and as she crossed the threshold, Uma’s gaze fell upon the garden of polyps writhing and twisting in the water. Their mournful faces, frozen in perpetual torment, made her stomach turn. She jerked her arm away as one brushed against her.

“Come in, come in, my child,” a voice purred from the shadows. “We mustn’t lurk in doorways—it’s rude.”

The voice sent a shiver down Uma’s spine, and she turned to see Ursula descending toward her. The sea witch was even more terrifying in person, with her massive, tentacled body and sharp, piercing eyes. But there was also something strangely captivating about her. The way she moved, the way she smiled—it was as if she were drawing Uma in, wrapping her in invisible tendrils.

“You’re here because you have a thing for this human. This, er, prince fellow,” Ursula said, raising an eyebrow. “Not that I blame you—he is quite the catch, isn’t he?”

Uma felt her cheeks heat up. “I—”

“Well, angel fish, the solution to your problem is simple,” Ursula interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. “The only way to get what you want is to become human yourself.”

Uma’s breath caught. “You… you can do that?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“My dear, sweet child,” Ursula said, her smile widening. “That’s what I do. It’s what I live for. To help unfortunate merfolk like yourself. Poor souls with no one else to turn to.” She moved closer, her eyes gleaming. “But before we proceed, there’s something you should know.”

“What?” Uma asked, suddenly wary.

Ursula’s expression softened, and for the first time, Uma saw something other than cruelty in her eyes. “You remind me of someone,” the sea witch murmured. “Someone I once lost.”

Uma frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Ursula took a deep breath, and for a moment, the mask of malice slipped away, revealing something raw and vulnerable beneath. “Years ago, I had a daughter. A beautiful baby girl. But when I was banished from the kingdom, your father—King Triton—took her from me.”

The world seemed to tilt, and Uma felt as though she were drowning, the words refusing to make sense. “No,” she whispered. “You’re lying.”

“Am I?” Ursula countered, her voice gentle but insistent. “Look at yourself, Uma. Haven’t you ever wondered why you felt so different? So out of place?”

Tears stung Uma’s eyes, but she shook her head stubbornly. “No. It’s not true. It can’t be.”

“It is,” Ursula said softly. “You are my daughter. My precious child. And I’ve waited all these years to be reunited with you.”

Uma’s heart was pounding so hard it hurt. “If you’re my mother,” she choked out, “then why didn’t you come for me?”

“Because Triton kept me away,” Ursula growled, her eyes flashing with anger. “But now, you’ve come to me, and I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted.” She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Stay with me, Uma. Let me help you. Let me give you the life you deserve.”

Uma looked into Ursula’s eyes, searching for the truth. And in that moment, she saw it. The pain. The longing. The love.

And she knew.

“Alright,” Uma said, her voice trembling. “I’ll do it.”

Ursula’s smile widened, and Uma couldn’t help but feel that, despite everything, she’d finally found where she belonged.