You snap back into reality and blink at the cafe that was now above the water. When did that happen?

You check your phone and the clock tells you that Sabo had been gone for over half an hour. It wouldn't take that long to grab a few ingredients, right?

"I have a bad feeling about this." You ran for the water and jump in, the coolness from the morning air made you shiver under the surface.

"(Name), you're stupid." Aze scoffs unimpressed. "You don't know how to swim, remember?"

"But Sabo could be in danger!" You counter, front crawling for the cafe. Sabo, you better be okay, I can't lose someone again!

Fresh lake water started choking you as you could feel your lungs getting weak from trying to hold in your breath. You grew tired halfway and sank down a few times, desperately kicking yourself up above the surface.

You imagine Sabo battered, bruised, and bloody, and forced yourself to keep on going. Your vision was blurred but you could see the shape of the building nestled on top of the water's surface. Something dark was looming under the water, brushing its rough and slimy scales against your leg.

"You're going to get eaten by that fish, you know." Aze sighs. A tick appeared on your forehead.

"Then how about helping me?!"

He smirks at your temper and suddenly your body felt numb and prickly. "Happy?" He chuckles as a strong force pushes you forward from behind.

The cafe was dripping wet. You carefully step inside and gape at the waitresses sitting on giant floating bubble cushions. They greeted you with smiles and handed you a menu.

"Sorry, I'm just looking for a friend." You confess, scanning the entire room. There was no sign of the blonde teen anywhere and you begin to panic a bit.

Aze senses this and frowns. "You won't find him if you start panicking now, (Name), focus."

You nod to him and head for the counter where you had last seen Sabo. The mermaid with purple hair that was with him earlier informs her that a pretty woman with glasses asked to talk with him privately.

"Do you know where they went?" You ask her.

The mermaid nods and points to the window showing the forest ahead and tells you that she saw them heading in that direction. You bow and thank her, leaving through the back door leading to the Northern Woods.

As you walk, you call for Sabo and trudge deeper into the thick forest within each minute. The trees were noticeably taller than the ones back in the academy grounds. Their towering height made you feel smaller, vulnerable to hunting predators lurking about. It sent a cold chill through your blood.

"I don't sense his energy anywhere." Aze comments. "He could already be de-"

"Don't. Fucking. Say It." You growl at him.

The air was bitterly cold and you could clearly see your breath as you exhale. You look back to see how far you have gotten and notice that the lake was no longer visible.

"We should head back (Name)." Aze suggests worriedly. "He could have gone back and searched for you as well."

You return your gaze ahead and see that the Northern Woods were thicker and darker onward. Aze watches your expression and furrows his brows.

"(Name), please." He begs.

You sigh, knowing he was right, again. "Fine."

You turn around and go back the way you came, following the trail of fresh footprints you had left behind. You rub your arms and blow out a cloud of mist. Damn, it's cold. You shudder slightly and fasten your pace. You survey your surroundings warily, feeling a strange presence behind the trees.

You stop and listen, hearing an eerily familiar growling sound.

"Shit. Run for it (Name)!" Aze's scream rang in your ears. At the same time, a burly figure leaps from above the trees and roars.

You broke into a run and started screaming. The figure was large, ferocious, and evidently not happy about you wandering into its turf. You could hear pounding footsteps sprinting after you, followed by another roar.

"Watch out!"

Your body went numb and you felt a soft touch on your back. Then a loud crash sounded from behind you, followed by a pained cry. You gasp at the sound of breaking wood. "What was that?!"

"Don't worry about it," Aze says. "Just keep running."

You nod and ran faster.

The cafe started to descend as you appear at the shoreline. You halted and caught your breath. Whatever was following you was no longer there it seems.

Wiping sweat off your forehead, you glance around and see a small fishing boat full of plastic bags docked by the shore with a memo stuck to the oars.

Dear visitor,

We needed to go back underwater soon so we have left your requested supplies here with the boat. Inside one of the plastic bags has the change that your boyfriend failed to receive earlier. Come back soon!

xoxo Mermaid Cafe staff

"B-B-B-Boyfriend?!?!" You gawk at the memo and reread it for what seemed like a million times.

Aze sighs at you and mumbles something about your easily-distracted mind and its incompetence to remain focused of the fact that your 'boyfriend' was still missing.

"D-D-Do we really look like a couple when we're together?!" You turn pink and various romantic images swirled in your mind, making Aze gag since he too can see them.

"Just get in the boat already." He groans, mentally drained from the unwanted scenes in his domain.

You stuck out your tongue at him and get in the boat and grab an oar, rowing to the other side of the lake. Sabo was still nowhere to be seen which made you worry a bit. Although you know that he was perfectly capable of defending himself with his pyrokinetic abilities, you couldn't help but think of the worst case scenario.

What if he got mauled by that thing back in the woods?

What if he froze to death and became a Sabocicle until the second Ice Age?

What if that woman captured him and seduced him and—

You pause, trying to register the possibility in your brain. You grab the other oar and start rowing furiously back to the other side. "Oh HELL nAw!!!"