"I don't like her," Emily hissed with balled fists, claws digging into her palms and jaw clenched as she gritted her teeth. All of you were sitting on the rocky chairs of the palace lobby, awaiting Queen Daphne's meeting with the other politicians of Tranen to end. You couldn't help but notice that all the Traneians in power were koi. The lack of diversity made you frown. "No, I take it back. I hate her."

"Em, the only reason why you don't like Queen Daphne is because of how she... touches Jin," You said calmly as you combed your silver hair with your fingers, swinging your tail around in hopes of actually getting used to being a mermaid. Glancing upwards, you saw Jin swimming around and studying the painted designs on the palace walls, his gold tail and blonde hair making him stand out. He looked like an actual mermaid prince. "I do understand, really, but I think it would be better to control your anger."

"Sky, that darn queen was literally groping Jin! Didn't you see how uncomfortable he was?!," Emily snapped and raised her arms in the air, bubbles forming around her, veil-like fins fluttering in the water and anger was still evident in her features. "I swear, if she wasn't such an important Traneian, I would have killed her on the spot."

"Emily, you should be mindful of your words," Hoseok spoke from behind you and Emily. Turning around, you saw him in a sitting position as he floated in the water. He was holding a bunch of seashells and was examining them. "We're in Tranen. Anything you say against this kingdom's queen might be held against you."

"Hoseok's right!," Jimin exclaimed as he swam passed you, alongside Namjoon who seemed to be struggling as an orca. You then noticed that the two were the only predator fish in the group. The thunder gem bearer smiled, which was still bright despite his sharp and pointed teeth. "You should be careful. Although the queen has been kind to us, we still don't know what she is capable of."

Emily clicked her tongue. You sighed loudly, knowing that she was probably going to keep her grudge against Queen Daphne all throughout her life. Wondering what the others were currently doing, you looked around. Hoseok was still examining his seashells. Namjoon was yelping whilst Jimin, who was teaching him to swim naturally, laughed at his facial expressions. Jungkook seemed to be clenching his back, which was weird and funny at the same time because he looked liked he was gonna release poop bombs at any moment. The sight making you desperately hold in your laughter.

"Jungkook, what the neuken are you even doing?," Taehyung spoke next to Jungkook, unintentionally voicing out your thoughts. His purple tail was making multiple coils due to how long it was, pointed teeth gritted and turning downwards into a scowl. He had his arms crossed over his chest, his torso covered by a scaly textured long-sleeved top he had made himself. Obviously, the darkness gem bearer wasn't fond of exposing his skin.

"I'm trying to feel my wings," Jungkook kept clenching, his front teeth burrowing into his upper lip. "It's weird, you know? It's like my wings are there but it also isn't."

"Jungkook, you don't have wings right now," Taehyung rolled his eyes, completely ignoring the angel's remark. "You're making yourself look like an idiot."

"Thanks."

"Wha—"

You were unsure whether Taehyung and Jungkook continued to bicker or not because you had tuned out their voices. However, when you turned around, you spotted Yoongi. The axolotl mermaid was hugging his short tail, pressing it to his torso as he shivered, beady eyes looking left and right in a pattern. It was obvious that the fire gem bearer was anxious and it made sense since he was completely surrounded by water. Looking up, you saw Jin still studying the wall art, not at all aware of his friend's current situation. This made you sigh again.

No words could describe how bad you felt. You knew that Yoongi was way out of character, everyone did, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was all because of one person, that it was all because of you. Sighing, you leaned on your rocky chair and though deeply. Breaking up with Yoongi was difficult even for you but knowing that staying in a relationship without toxic for both so you chose to let him go because despite not being in love with him romantically, you still cared about him as a friend.

What you didn't think through, however, was Yoongi's side of the situation. It was obvious how he felt. He wasn't taking it well.

"You are in no control of how others feel, Sky," Being used to K's voice, you no longer jumped when she suddenly spoke in your head. "Yoongi loves you. It is natural for him to be heartbroken."

"That's very reassuring," You replied sarcastically, the guilt devouring you even more. Flicking your tail upwards, you were now lying flat on your back, the rock making you uncomfortable but you weren't really in the mood to fix your position. You felt like you deserves it. "I know that, K. I know that he loves me and the fact that I didn't return that love, despite how he treated me and how much he cared... it makes me feel like such a bad person. But— But I can't help it. No matter how much I want to love him, I don't. I can't. And I... I don't know why."

K didn't reply for a moment, leaving behind an awkward silence. After a while, she finally spoke before you could think of any more self-hating thoughts. "If you do not mind, Sky, why did you not believe Yoongi's accusations of Taehyung?"

"Because he was being ridiculous," You replied in a heartbeat before scoffing loudly at the memory. "I don't understand why Yoongi would say that. Taehyung has been kind to us— well, not all the time, but you get what I mean. I'm pretty sure that he doesn't have any bad intentions hidden under his sleeve."

"How are you so sure about that?," K's answer made you frown as you sat up with an angered expression, Emily glancing at you weirdly. "It was unnecessary for you to be as angry as you were."

"Listen here, K—"

"Sky," You were cut off by K, which fueled your anger. Still, knowing that the others were around and would find it weird for you get angered for no reason, you calmed yourself down and balled your fists instead, tail swaying rapidly. "You must understand that not everyone is as honest and straightforward as you are."

"What are you trying to say?," You asked with deep breaths, in attempts to be cool and complacent. If it wasn't obvious enough, you were failing.

"Not just human beings but all other living creatures lie, whether in simple or complex ways. Helians are known to be master manipulators and also great liars. I know because I am a Helian as well," You listened closely to K, noticing that her monotonous voice was slowly cracking, as if she was trying to be desperate. This alarmed you, especially because you knew that she had little to no emotions. "I cannot say that Taehyung is the same. But what I can say is that I—"."

"K...?," You breathed out, all anger washing away the moment you processed K's words, both anticipating and dreading what she was about to say.

K sighed loudly and it sounded like she was right next to your ear, the sensation sending chills down your spine. There was a silence, since you had no idea what to say, until the woman in your head shattered it. "What matters is you and Yoongi. If the two of you will not have any kind of closure, both of you will continue to suffer."

Completely forgetting K's previous statement, you turned around and saw Yoongi still hugging himself on top of a rocky chair across you. Expression softening, you realized how lonely and miserable the fire gem bearer was and with that, you made a decision. "I'm talking to him."

There was no response from K as you felt her presence leave your mind. You quietly swam to Yoongi, doing your best to not get noticed. Swimming slowly, you sat next to the fire gem bearer, who seemed to have not noticed your presence. You inhaled deeply and pushed aside your anxiety before speaking.

"Yoongi."

Yoongi's ears perked up the moment heard your voice and turned around with a bright expression, which left as soon as it came. He didn't say anything, only continued to stare at you with those dark and soulless eyes. You sighed loudly before you opened your mouth to speak.

Instead, Yoongi spoke first: "I'm sorry."

You scrunched your nose in confusion, watching Yoongi staring down at the ground. Ignoring the sensation of multiple pairs of eyes boring into your skull, you knew that everyone else was watching, but didn't let it bother you. Instinctively, you reached out to hold Yoongi's hand, only stopping when you realized that you couldn't. You no longer had the right to. "For what?"

"For still loving you, Sky," Yoongi whispered as he picked on the scales of his hands, scratching with his fish-like claws. This time, he looked up at you, the red highlights of his grey hair catching your eye. "Even after what happened between us, I still can't stop loving you. I'm... sorry for that."

Your throat closed, preventing you from replying quickly. Still, you gathered your thoughts, blinking rapidly to prevent your tears from falling because you could see how much Yoongi was suffering because of you. "There's nobody else to blame, Yoongi. You aren't at fault. I am."

Eyes widening at your words, Yoongi glanced at you once more, mouth slightly agape to reveal his fangs, gills opening and closing in a pattern. It almost looked he was hyperventilating but also anticipating your answer at the same time.

"You were all of my firsts, Yoongi," Your voice trembled because you felt like crying but you held yourself back. This situation, you were going to face it head-on and strong. Fingers digging into the scales of your tail, you continued to speak. Yoongi was still staring, you could feel his eyes on you. "You were the first wonder I found, my first friend outside the orphanage, my first boyfriend, my first kiss... my first everything. And, even though I can't love you the way you want me to, even though I can't love you the way you love me... you, Yoongi, still hold a special place in my heart. That's something that will never change."

A silence came before Yoongi chuckled lowly, until his laughs turned loud and more sarcastic. You stared at him, wondering what he was thinking since he wasn't crying or weeping, just... laughing. It was strange. Yet, it was also painful to watch. His voice was cracking when he finally replied. "Damn it, Sky. You have no idea. The way I feel about you, I've never felt about anyone before. Throughout my life, I didn't know what it was like to love or be loved but... you changed everything. And it's gonna take me a long ass time to get over this, you know? But... I miss you. I know that you're sitting right next to me but I still miss you. And I'll always be missing you. I'd... at least want you in my life. If... it's okay with you."

Your eyes went glassy and took all your willpower to stop your tears from leaking. It didn't take a genius to know that it was it, that it was officially over for both you and Yoongi. There was no turning back. Your relationship with him was never going to come back. He deserved someone better and you knew it. Still, you put on a smile because despite all the pain and sorrow, you knew that the choice was best for the two of you.

"Of course I will."

-

"Where is Queen Dolphin's daughter taking us again?," Emily grunted, an evident frown on her face.

"Her name is Queen Daphne, Em," Jin laughed at Emily's expression, knowing how much she despised Tranen's queen. He understood, after he was uncomfortable around her too, but the fact that his girlfriend was definitely reacting to this partly because of jealousy amused him. "Oh, and she's bringing us to the commoner village so we have to pass through the town of the noble and middle-class fish."

It was true. Shortly after you and Yoongi had conversed — which Jin definitely didn't eavesdrop into along with Emily — Queen Daphne appeared from the meeting room of the castle with a bright smile, announcing that the senate of Tranen had agreed to sending us to the village. Accompanying her was a younger, obviously teenage koi girl with a starfish on her dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and a black and more orange tail. She was introduced as Lilith, the queen's daughter, and was assigned to bring the group to the commoners' village. Weirdly, no guards were told to come with them.

So now, Jin and the others were swimming through the town of nobles, salmon and fighting fish hybrids glancing at them from their coral houses. Most of the Traneians were staring at Emily and Jungkook, which made sense since they too were part of the fighting fish clan. What he noticed the most, however, is that you and him received the most glares, which confused him. Why?

"Hello, salmon fish hybrids!," Jimin waved at the salmon family staring at them from a small house, flashing a bright smile with his sharp teeth. Naturally, the Traneians flinched in shock, their children screaming before they locked themselves in their coral home. The thunder gem bearer pouted, his tail flicking behind him. "Why did they run away?"

"You're a shark, Jimin," Namjoon mumbled next to him, arms crossed over his chest. Jin saw Traneians flinching at the orca as well but contrary to Jimin, the earth gem bearer only sighed (sadly) as a reaction. "You and I are both predators of the sea. It's natural for them to fear us."

Jimin's expression turned sad and after that, he no longer waved at any other Traneians. Jin sighed and instinctively ran his hand over the water gem, which had fused into his chest. Even though he knew it was inevitable, it was still weird to think that all nine of you had to temporarily be mermaids. Not to mention that Witch Cassandra was unsure when the spell would fade, which meant a possibility for the others to drown to death. The thought alone made a chill run down his spine.

Witch Cassandra and what she had told Jin and Emily. Watch out for the prettiest of fish. Those words confused him, his mind aching the more he thought about it. What did she mean? He just wished that the witch would have told them something a bit less cryptic instead. Her words made him anxious, as if the enemy was somewhere close but he had no idea who it was.

Jungkook looked at Jin's direction with a frown before he sniffled.

"Well, I don't like her already," Emily whispered since Lilith was swimming just ahead of her. Jin faced her, this time with a frown instead of a smile. "She looks at you differently. You look way too princely for your own good. A flirt, just like her mom."

"I don't think you should say that when your literally right behind her," Jungkook swam into the scene, his position the opposite, arms behind his head as his tail flapped, veil-like fins fluttering in the water. He looked up, blue eyes peaking from behind his blonde hair. After a moment, he frowned. "Wow, Emily. I didn't know that you were capable of murderous thoughts."

Emily's cheeks flush as Jin stared at her with wide eyes. She flailed her arms and tail frantically before turning towards Jungkook with a scowl. "Don't just say what I'm thinking out loud!"

"That's Jungkook for you," Taehyung swam into the scene as well, his tail forming coils due to how long it was. He side-eyed the group, Jin catching sight of his dark eyes and finned ears. The water gem bearer realized that the other resembled a snake, which was the mark of Hel. It made sense but at the same time, he didn't. Why did it look like Taehyung was representing a whole kingdom? "He's in everyone's minds. Can't really escape from him."

"Tae, have you forgotten how I discovered my mind reading abilities?," Jungkook replied with a bittersweet tone, making Jin glance at him because he definitely sensed some sadness in his voice. Taehyung stared at the angel with a blank expression. "I can't control it, can I?"

"You two seem to know each other a lot," Hoseok commented as he ran his hands across his fins, examining them. He looked up with his green eyes before showing off his heart-shaped smile. Jin squinted his eyes because, despite Jimin bearing the gem of thunder, this person was way too bright. "Kinda like childhood friends? It's what my intuition is telling me. The vibe, you know?"

Jungkook glanced at Taehyung, who swam further ahead before any response could be made. The fighting fish sighed at this and gave the others a meaningful before falling into silence. Of course, Jin found this suspicious because the darkness gem bearer was obviously avoiding the question. But he couldn't think of a reason why he would be.

"We are close," Lilith suddenly spoke, shattering the silence. She turned around, sending Jin a warm smile, which made the water gem bearer grin back awkwardly. Emily clutched his hand with a protective grip as the princess made gestures. "Just through this border is the commoners' village."

Jin followed Lilith's gaze and squinted his eyes at the sight before him. The border between the city and the village was made out of spiked rock walls that stretched out of his view, only knowing that it was a full circle after Taehyung had told them. Turns out there were three walls separating the three towns and this was the last one, the biggest one. A row of seahorse guards were lined up on both sides, armed with spears and bows, and the water gem bearer couldn't help but wonder why the gate leading to the nobles weren't as secured as this one.

"As you may have noticed, we have tight security around the border to the commoners' village," Lilith continued as she lead the group to the gates. "Ever since the Helians took over it, we made sure that nobody would come in and out of the village."

"The Helians haven't tried attacking the city yet?," You asked with a bubbly voice, which Jin noticed instantly. Obviously, the closure had made you feel more relieved and the evidence was all over your fave. Yoongi, however, didn't look as happy. He was just staring blankly into space, void of any emotion.

Lilith seemed to be ready to shoot you a glare, then she glanced at your tail and smiled. "Thankfully, not yet."

Taehyung and Jungkook glanced at each other questionably. Jin caught their expressions, understanding why they were confused. Throughout all that had happened, he knew that the common thing about Helians was that they would fight to the death with every chance they have. So, finding out that they left the main city of Tranen at peace was strange, to say the least.

Emily looked up at Jin with a similar expression and they had an understanding with their eyes. Slight pushing back the pearls in his hair, he whispered. "I know."

Lilith swam to the entrance of the gate, the others tailing behind her. Jin watched in silence as she conversed with the seahorse guard wearing the most armor and biggest helmet, giving away the fact that he was the general. After a few moments of the two conversing in Vredeian, the gates were finally opened, the wood loud creaking noises, sand mixing with the water.

Jin could see the silhouettes of rocky houses from afar, all shaped in curves and having seaweed litter above and around them. Before entering, however, he noticed Lilith with a disgusted expression on her face. Since the morals of always being polite took over him, he couldn't stop himself when he spoke. "Is anything wrong?"

Lilith looked at Jin's direction before smiling, eyes turning into crescents. Emily's grip on his arm tightened, nails barely digging into his skin. "Thank you for your concern, Seokjin. I merely have quite a distaste for the commoners and their... dirty way of living."

"That's pretty judgmental of you," Taehyung snapped, catching everyone by surprise. He had his fists balled and teeth gritted, purple mist circling around his arms. "Who are you to say that? Just because you're royalty doesn't mean you have the right to think of your people that way. If it disgusts you that much then why don't you stay outside?"

Jungkook, who was the least surprised, glanced at Taehyung sympathetically. Again, Jin wondered what their history was since it was obvious that the two shared something. But what?

That aside, Jin felt his heart ache because Lilith reminded him of himself, at how he thought he was above everyone else for being a senator's son, to the point that he mistreated his butler Sam and destroyed his friendship with Ross and Foy. It made him realize how sick of a person he was before.

And Jin wasn't sure if he was any different. What if he was a still a bad guy but he had failed to see it himself?

Jin shook his head. No, he thought to himself, he shouldn't let himself be so affected. He was the future king of Tranen and he couldn't afford to have such an unhealthy image. The Traneians shouldn't see him that way. So, he inhaled and straightened his back before putting on a smile.

Emily glanced in worry and so did you and Jungkook.

"I am only coming because it is my mother's order. If I had a choice, I wouldn't step a fin inside that horrible place," Lilith hissed, still keeping the smile on her face before flipping her hand over her shoulder and reaching for the belt tied around her hips and the water gem bearer wasn't sure he never noticed the unsheathed knife there. If Jin wasn't trying to be polite, he'd say that she looked like a brat. "Be happy that I am willing to accompany you all, despite how I do not believe in any of your abilities."

"You—," Jimin, who had seemingly snapped, attempted to charge towards Lilith but was stopped when two seahorse guards crossed their spears over his neck. Namjoon flinched.

"Ah, ah, ah," Lilith shook her head whilst raising her finger and clicking her tongue before ordering the guards to stand down. "No fighting, orange head. We are here to get rid of the Helians, are we not? Please, follow me."

Despite the tension and how Taehyung had the strong urge to end Lilith's life on the spot, the gang followed the princess inside and this time, she dragged a few guards with her. Jin glanced around, noticing that the village seemed barren and dry, which was ironic since it was underwater. Dirty moss coated all the rocks and houses, seaweed dark and green and dead. It was like he had entered a graveyard. He saw fishes of different species swimming around and watching them pass by and — surprise, surprise! — none of them were koi. They were all doing different yet usual deeds — some were selling fried sea urchins on charred seaweed sticks, others were conversing in a makeshift cafe whilst chewing on what looked like roasted barnacles, which he didn't even know were edible. There were children loitered around, either playing with wide clams or begging for food from the more fortunate.

Jin thought the buildings were weird but after staring at them for a while, it all made sense. None of them had roofs like the city did, instead they were open, allowing light to come inside. The streets were dotted with stalls of different items, garbage and wandering fish. He spotted a female fish with brown scaly skin, paired with whiskers on her cheeks pass by. Catfish? Most of the commoners were children with dry and unnaturally scaly skin, his heart sinking at the sight.

"What the— Get off me!"

Jin turned around and saw Taehyung grunting in frustration, teeth gritted and sweat dotting his forehead. He stared for a while, wondering why he looked like he was struggling so much, then he completely understood. On the eel's tail were three children, one pufferfish and two clownfishes, riding on it with glee and they could fit because of how long it was.

"They're so cute," You squealed to yourself as you swam next to Taehyung and cooed at the children, especially at the pufferfish, who was the youngest and smallest of the three. Jin wasn't sure if he was the only one who noticed that both the eel and axolotl were glancing at you secretly.

"Taehyung, they're just children!," Namjoon screamed when he noticed the murderous look on Taehyung's face.

"You little—," Taehyung turned around, ready to give a children a piece of his mind but his expression softened the moment he laid his eyes on them. Although he tried to hide it, there was a small smile on his face. Jin noted that it was boxy. "Fine, y'all can stay there unless it becomes dangerous."

"Look who turned all soft."

"Shut up, Jungkook."

"Look at the koi princess, she looks like she'll puke in any minute," Emily snickered, making Jin turn towards Lilith and see her disgusted expression. The princess didn't do anything though and turned away instead.

Two children swam forward, halting Jin since they literally blocked his path. The one in front was a boy with mud caking his blonde hair, blue eyes dark and swollen. His face was hollow, cheekbones prominent on his young face, skin barely hanging onto the bones of his arms. His tail was grey and thin, scales nearly peeling off of it. Behind the poor child was much shorter girl with an identical tail and features. Siblings.

"Mevrouw," The boy squeaked as he tugged on Emily's hair slightly, the girl's expression softening at the sight of the child. "Voedsel? Believen..."

Emily dug her face into Jin's (bare) chest, fingers digging into his skin. The koi sighed and rubbed his girlfriend's back with circles, knowing that she couldn't stand a sight as depressing the this. He stared at the children, noticing the little girl glancing at his golden scales in wonder. At that moment, he came up with an idea and plucked one of the pearls from his head.

Jin reached out to the young boy but just as he was about to place the pearl on his palm, two spears crossed before him, separating them. He was confused for a moment until Lilith came into the scene, screaming at the sardine children. "Shoo! Go away you dirty little gremlins!"

The children, including the ones on Taehyung's tail, left as soon as they came and Jin stood there frozen as he slowly placed the pearl back on his hair. Emily was literally trembling out of anger. There was a long and dragged out silence that only shattered when you spoke with a booming voice. "What is your problem?!"

Lilith turned around whilst frantically rubbing her hands together, the seahorse guards standing right behind her. "Hm? Those children were dirty. I couldn't have them share their disgusting germs with a fellow koi, not to mention a golden koi."

"Listen here, bitch," Yoongi snapped, which surprised Jin since the fire gem bearer had been silent this whole time. Lilith's eyes widened at his words, the axolotl swimming towards her rapidly, the water around him heating up. His gem flickered purple. Wait. "I don't know what's going on in that bratty and snobby little head of yours but I swear to the gods, I don't care if you're Tranen's oh-so-lovely princess. I won't hesitate to—"

"Excuse me."

Jim turned towards the unfamiliar voice, realizing that the group had made it to the town square before the sardine children approached him and Emily. Standing in front of Lilith and Yoongi was a man with grey skin, dark scales dotting his arms, chest and shoulders. Instead of a tail, he had long and dark colored tentacles that brushed against the rocky ground and since they were tangled into each other, he couldn't count how many they were. He had piercing black eyes and dark hair, which completely contrasted how a standard Traneian looked. Squid? Behind were guards with silver scales holding self-made wooden spears and helmets that were similar to bucket hats. Tuna.

"Who are you?," Yoongi hissed, obviously still pissed off at Lilith. Jimin approached the fire gem bearer and placed a hand on his shoulder to try to comfort him but the shark ended up yelping when his hand slightly got burned instead. Because of this, the axolotl's expression softened. "Jimin, I'm sorry."

Jimin nodded as a sign of being okay, making Yoongi sigh. Jin took no time to heal the thunder gem bearer.

"You lot have been making a lot of noise since you came into the village," The squid hybrid started, arms crossed over his chest. Both you and Emily stepped backwards because of the tentacles but Jin kept staring at him, trying to intimidate him. It wasn't working. "The villagers have been complaining, not just because of the disturbance but also because the children have been running around in fear. Tell me, why are there two predator species, two other koi and a mixture of others accompanying the princess in our so-called dump?"

"Mr. Squid, my name is Kim Seokjin and these are my friends. Princess Lilith has accompanied us as well. We come here in peace," Jin spoke the first words that entered his mind, since he honestly had no idea what to do in this current situation. It was obvious that this Traneian was with the Helians and was intent on capturing them. He just had to figure how to casually escape without putting anyone's lives in danger.

"My name is Alec. Peace? There is no peace," Alec cackled loudly before facing Lilith, who was just staring silently. Jin noticed noticed that the koi princess was looking away, as if avoiding having any eye contact with the squid. "Isn't that right, princess?"

Lilith didn't say anything and instead ignored Alec. Jin noticed that she looked anxious, which was strange since it didn't fit her attitude. Glancing around, it looked like everyone else was confused, with the exception of Jungkook, who was staring at the koi princess intently.

Then, Jungkook's round eyes widened, his jaw dropping. "Oh my Ma—"

"Capture them," Alec spoke before Jungkook finished his sentence and raised his palm, the tuna men charging with their spears and rolled up nets in hand. Jin followed his first instinct and swam in front of Emily protectively. "And don't even think of sparing the princess."

In a split second, there was chaos. The seahorse guards were protecting Lilith, who was just screaming like a wuss, and fighting off some tuna men. Namjoon was baring his claws and fangs, using his predator species to his advantage, whilst Jimin watched from behind him. Hoseok was trying to use his wind magic but failed and ended up getting tackled. At one point, someone had tossed a net towards Yoongi but you swam in the way and got caught instead.

And of course, this made Yoongi pissed. The water around him heated once more and he charged towards one of the tuna men. Jin couldn't see the rest because Jungkook and Taehyung both swam by.

"Sky!," Emily screamed, right before an armed tuna man tried taking her. Jin held to her arm tightly and for a few seconds, there was a tug of war. "Let go of me, you tuna bastard!"

Jin was slowly getting overwhelmed. There was too much screaming and too much chaos. Gritting his teeth, he flipped and slapped the tuna man in the face with the fin of his tail, finally getting Emily back in his grasp. Balling his fists and being unable to contain his anger, he screamed at the top of his lungs. "Everybody, stop it... stop fighting!"

There was a strong ripple in the water which hit everyone, stopping them and making them roll in the water. Some of the tuna men hit the rocky houses with a loud thud. Jin was breathing heavily, eyes ocean blue as he tried to calm himself down. Taehyung caught sight of his gem flickering purple, his eyes widening. No words were said, there was only silence.

As Jimin used his claws to free you from the net, Alec carefully approached Jin, who was still giving him a burning glare. Truthfully, the water gem bearer expected anything but to receive a bow from the other. The injured tuna men had also gathered to do the same. "Tranen's wonder, we apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you."

Jin blinked, his anger fully dissipating. He glanced at Emily, who was regaining her balance behind him, before turning back towards the squid. He bowed too and placed a hand over his own chest. "It is alright. You weren't aware and was acting purely for self-defense."

Alec glanced at Lilith, who was still staring silently, and his next words came in a whisper which Jin barely heard. Both were still bowing so it wasn't that obvious that they were conversing. "May I talk to you in private, Jin?"

Of course, Jin was alerted by this since it sounded like an invitation to be assassinated and there was a definitely a chance of him getting killed. Glancing behind him, he saw the rest of the group staring at them questionably and Lilith still avoiding eye contact with Alec. He was torn between giving the squid his trust or not, especially since he was suspected of being in the Helian side.

"It's safe, Jin," Jungkook suddenly spoke up. Jin was confused by the angel's words at first until he remembered his mind-reading abilities. The fighting fish nodded, his fins fluttering behind him. "Alec doesn't plan on lying or hurting you. He's on the good side."

Jin trusted Jungkook fully so he believed him. He glanced at Emily, shooting her a reassuring look before he nodded at Alec. The two swam away, making sure they were out of earshot until the squid finally spoke. "Why are you with the princess?"

"We came here to free the village from Hel. She was told by her mother to accompany us," Jin constantly glanced over his shoulder, checking if anyone was watching. They were too far away to see. "I'm assuming you're part of some kind of rebel group?"

Alec went silent, his expression turning into one of confusion. Jin stared back, watching carefully, and swam a bit backwards when the tentacles started slapping the ground angrily. "That darn queen. What did she tell you?"

"Huh?," Jin hummed, tilting his head to the side.

"Based on what you look like right now, I'm assuming that the queen made Witch Cassandra give you mermaid tails?," Alec questioned, to which Jin replied with a nod. He was stunned at how the squid had guessed so accurately. Clicking his tongue, Alec shook his head before rubbing his temples with his webbed hands. "I knew it. They're trying to get rid of us."

"Alec, what are you talking about?," Jin's mind was currently melting because of the way Alec was reacting and he couldn't tell if he was only acting or not.

"Jin, listen to me closely," Alec held Jin's bare shoulders, his palms cold against his skin. The squid man looked extremely anxious, making dread grow in the pit of the water gem bearer's stomach. "When Hel took over Tranen, they targeted the city of the koi first in attempts to control the mass but we broke off. Witch Cassandra was captured because she tried to overthrow Queen Daphne and Princess Lilith, who tried to mass kill the other species of Traneians multiple times. They believe that the koi are superior because of their self-proclaimed title as the most beautiful fish of the sea and the Helians are sucking up to that."

Jin blinked multiple times, still processing the information. He thought about Witch Cassandra's word and putting it in line with what Alec was saying, it all finally made sense. He held his own forehead, feeling a bit dizzy due to the revelation. "The queen and the princess... are sided with Hel?"

"Exactly," Alec licked his lips before sighing loudly and clicking his tongue. "Princess Lilith... she brought you and your friends here so you can all be killed with the rest of us. Just like what she did before."

God. Jin suddenly thought of himself as stupid for convincing the others to be polite to the queen and princess. Suddenly, all the pieces were placed together and Lilith's attitude towards him and you, fellow koi, made sense. Queen Daphne's bias made sense. Witch Cassandra's warning made sense. Everything made sense now.

However, before Jin could speak another word, there was a scream.

It was Emily's.

-

A/N - 6.3k unedited words (wheeze)

Ahhh guys i'm so sorry for posting a day late the mnet issue really brought me out of my writing mood :(( anyways here is a chapter which reveals he truth about Tranen! Was anyone surprised? :0

Anyways next werk is seven days of no classes and I'll try my best to double update! Thank you so much for loving this story because my notifs have been non-stop since T7W won in TFA omg

Does anyone have any questions about me or the fic in general? You guys can ask me on twitter ( @/prayfortaehyung ) and I'll be happy to answer! Also please follow me cos I want more army mutuals ;;

Anyways thank you and I hope you guys like this chapter cos I was wheezing throughout the whole thing lol please anticipate next week's action-packed chapter! See y'all again this weekend!

Final note: I just realized that Jungkook's arc will probably end at chap 70 which means... the whole story might reach 80+ ha ha ha bye