I was in that hallway of doors again. This time, however, whenever I approached a door, the pendant at my neck would glow brightly. The dark blue stone—the colour identical to my eyes—vibrated against my shirt as I glanced at it. How had I never noticed that before? My heart pounded as I swam to one of the doors. As I reached for the handle and opened the door, a nightmare came to life in front of me.

David and Bella were in front of me, the former shielding the latter from an imposing, very angry merman. This was David and Bella's father, I realised with a chill. He swam towards them drunkenly, his eyes bloodshot as he fixed them on David. My eyes widened as he suddenly drew back his hand and slapped David, the latter's head snapping to the side. His eyes watered as he kept a protective stance over Bella.

A startled gasp escaped me as I lifted a shaking hand to my mouth. Thankfully, no-one could hear me. Tears filled my eyes, spilling down my cheeks. Before I could so much as open my mouth—not that I could even attempt to lift my hands and sign—the door suddenly slammed shut, leaving me dizzy and disoriented in the hallway.

What I saw as I opened the next door made me sink to the ground—start sobbing, begging for it to stop. I saw myself, not as I was now—a wife and beloved queen—but a wretched, cruel mermaid who delighted in the torture and suffering of others. A mermaid who looked at the horrors of war and destruction and smiled. I saw myself, I realised with no small amount of horror, as Tiger Shark's—a murderer's—daughter.

I backed out of the room, pale and shaking. The pendant's glow quickly subsided, the stone becoming dull again as I struggled to breathe, to push past those images of myself. I threw myself awake, cold sweat on my forehead. Jay didn't so much as open an eye, his breathing deep and even. I rubbed shaking hands over my face as I quietly got dressed and swam outside. The sun was just beginning to rise over the water, the rays staining the surface yellow.

A coldness had settled over me, causing shivers to run down my spine. I continued swimming, my head downcast, unable to meet any eyes that looked my way. No matter how hard I tried to force my thoughts elsewhere, those images were burned into my mind, permanently on display. I swam until I couldn't anymore, until my lungs begged for water.

My head felt impossibly heavy, but I lifted it nonetheless and saw that I was floating in front of Aegrem's new school. An exhausted, but happy smile appeared on my face as I stared at it.

Purple-and grey banners rested on concrete blocks, the latter stacked on top of one another creating a rectangular, multi-floor building. Complete with multiple windows and rooms on the first and second floors, it was perfect for the little mermaids and merboys that would be occupying it. The glow of lava torches was visible even from outside, giving the inside a cozy atmosphere.

A mermaid only a few years older than me swam out to greet me, her whiskey-coloured eyes bright and ivory-coloured skin smooth. Her ginger hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She smiled and bowed as she swam up to me. My notepad was in my hand before she even finished bowing.

It looks amazing. Do you already have a lot of students? I handed the notepad to her, a smile on my face.

Her grin was as wide as mine. Yes, Your Majesty. My name is Jessica Campbell. I'm one of the teachers here. We had almost 200 merboys and mermaids sign up the first day. I have no doubt we will fill up quickly. Would you like a tour? She extended a hand toward the front door.

I nodded, following her into the school. As soon as we got inside, however, surrounded by walls—the only door to the interior of the school being on the far side of the hall—I immediately felt my heartbeat speed up, my breathing quicken. Instead of being frozen however, and letting the panic and fear overwhelm me, I simply smiled at Jessica, gesturing for her to lead the way.

I focused on breathing—in through the nose, out through the mouth—until my heartbeat calmed and my breathing was back to normal. Before I knew it, we'd finished the tour and were heading outside. I tried not to look too relieved at being out in the open water.

As I parted ways with Jessica, I knew there was somewhere I needed to go. My hands were clenched into fists at my side as I swam through Aegrem, past all the buildings before coming upon a familiar swath of seafloor. A lone gravestone, multiple water lilies resting in front of it, loomed before me.

We were originally from Nepptheas—all our family had been—but Aegrem was our home. I knew Meri would have wanted to be buried here. The inscription, short and sweet, brought me to tears. Here lies Meribella 'Meri' Singh, beloved daughter, sister, friend, and sister-in-law, loved by everyone she met. A beautiful soul taken from these waters too soon. May she feel no pain as her soul rests for eternity.

It was hard to believe it'd been two years since her death. I swiped at my cheeks, not surprised to feel tears on them. After I'd composed myself, I began the long swim home. Before I'd even gotten a few meters from the gravestone, a familiar merman approached me, his green eyes not filled with malice, but sympathy. Relax, Noah signed, his hands moving fluidly through the water. I'm not here to hurt you. Jay doesn't know I'm here. I just wanted to pay my respects.

I nodded, then swam away. The swim home seemed to last an eternity. The waters were nearly dark as I swam up to our door, opening it with a trembling hand. Jay opened the door, scanned my face, and gripped my hand as he led me to the bedroom. I was already crying before he'd even shut the door. His green eyes were filled with worry as he gazed at me.

Talk tomorrow? His hands were steady as he signed, a sharp contrast to my own, which were trembling so violently I knew signing wasn't an option. I nodded, then shut my eyes, craving sleep, but dreading it as well.

Seeing Meri's gravestone was too much. Jay wrapped his arms around me as he settled into bed. I fell asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.

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