The servants of the underwater kingdom sprang into action as soon as Juvia returned home, preparing for a concert in her honor to celebrate her seventeenth birthday. Her sisters fussed over her, ensuring she looked her best, while Panther Lily busied himself setting up the stage and instruments. His excitement for the event was unmatched in the entire ocean; he believed this concert would be the pinnacle of his musical career, and his efforts had certainly pleased the king.

"I'm really looking forward to this performance, Lily," Gajeel said.

"Your Majesty," the sea cat replied, "this will be the finest concert I have ever conducted. Your sisters will be spectacular."

"Yes, especially Juvia," Gajeel agreed.

"Indeed. She has the most beautiful voice."

As Panther Lily climbed the podium and raised his baton, a curtain of bubbles rose to reveal the five young mermaids. Meredy began with the calliope, while Chelia played the flute and Sherry strummed the harp. Magnificent music filled the castle, as the four mermaids swayed to the melody, their sweet voices far surpassing those of any land-dweller. Yet, it was Juvia who sang with unmatched harmony; no one on earth or in the sea possessed a voice more beautiful than hers.

"Between the here, between the now
Between the North, between the South
Between the West, between the East
Between the time, between the place.

From the shell,
The song of the sea.
Neither quiet nor calm,
Searching for love again.

My love."

Juvia loved to sing; it was a special talent that connected her to her mother's spirit. Her voice had the power to make the other merfolk forget their doubts about her and see her as the true princess she was. Creatures of the sea—merpeople, fish, crabs, sharks, and clams—would pause to listen, captivated by her melody. Even the coral was said to sigh with pleasure at the sound of her singing.

"Between the winds, between the waves
Between the sands, between the shores.

From the shell,
The song of the sea.
Neither quiet nor calm,
Searching for love again.

Between the stones, between the storms
Between belief, between the seas.

I am in tune."

The merpeople erupted in enthusiastic applause, their cheers echoing with joy. They praised the five sea princesses for their magnificent performance, and Gajeel beamed with pride. Few things brought him as much happiness as hearing his sisters create music that filled his life with song.

"They truly are wonderful, dear," Levy remarked. "It's a shame you never perform with them."

"I just don't have it in me anymore, honey," he replied, his voice tinged with melancholy.

"I'm not so sure about that," she countered. "After all, you taught them how to make music."

Gajeel sighed, a wistful smile crossing his face. "It wouldn't be the same without Mom and Dad."

Levy offered him a loving, understanding look and took his hand. "Let's not dwell on sad memories today. It's your sister's birthday, Gajeel. This should be a happy occasion." She kissed his cheek. "Now, come on. Let's start the party."

Gajeel nodded and followed his wife into the banquet hall, where the royal family and their guests gathered to dine, converse, and celebrate. Chelia and Meredy played games with merfolk their age or younger, while Sherry spent the evening by her fiancé Ren's side, eagerly discussing her wedding plans with friends. Meanwhile, Juvia sat quietly, lost in thoughts of the wondrous sights she had encountered in the surface world. It was everything she had ever dreamed of and more. She had even met a human capable of kindness, defying all expectations. If only she could share this with her family.

Just then, Conlan appeared, happily swimming into Juvia's lap with something in his mouth.

"Hello, Conlan," she greeted, her eyes lighting up. "What do you have there? A birthday present for me?"

The little water horse dropped a vibrant Red Sea flower into her hand, adding to her garden. Juvia smiled and hugged him close, her heart swelling with joy.

"Thank you, Conlan. You're always so sweet."

He beckoned her to join him, eager to make up for the time she had spent away. She happily obliged, engaging in games of chase and fetch, her laughter echoing with joy, unknowingly captivating the mermen around her. Many approached, asking her to swim with them, but she politely declined each invitation. It wasn't that she was opposed to the idea of falling in love and marrying a nice young man; she simply questioned whether they genuinely liked her. After all, many were part of the crowd that gossiped about her.

"No merman is perfect," Sherry said after the party had ended. "Not even my darling Ren. But I must admit, he comes pretty close."

"I'm not looking for a perfect merman," Juvia replied. "I just want someone who appreciates me for who I am and doesn't think I'm strange."

"Well, strange or not, you're beautiful enough to win them over. If you give them a chance, they'll see beyond your quirks."

"But I don't want him to overlook my quirks. I like them."

"Love does require some compromise, though."

"How much would I have to change?"

"It's hard to say. It all depends on who you fall in love with—or rather, who you kiss first."

For those unfamiliar, a kiss was how merfolk discovered their true love. Once a mermaid kissed someone for the first time, she would love that person forever, even if they were no longer alive. When Gajeel and Levy kissed at age ten, and when Ran and Sherry shared their first kiss on her sixteenth birthday, both couples knew they had found their soulmates.

"Hopefully, you won't fall for anyone who wants you to change so much that you'd have to see Aunt Selene," Chelia said.

Sherry shot Chelia a glare, while Juvia and Meredy glanced around nervously to ensure Gajeel wasn't nearby.

"Chelia, you goose!" Sherry scolded. "You know we're forbidden to speak of her. Just mentioning her name puts Gajeel in a foul mood."

"Oops. Sorry, I forgot," the youngest mermaid replied. "But may I ask why we're not allowed to talk about her?"

"I've wondered about that too," Meredy chimed in.

"We know Gajeel banished her years ago," Juvia said. "But why? We were so young when it happened. You're the only one of us who probably still remembers."

"I do. But Gajeel made me swear I'd never tell. It was just too horrible. All I can say is that she wasn't anything like us, or Father, or Mother. If you know what's good for you, you'll pretend she was never part of our family."

Selene was the younger sister of Metalicana, but while he was born a merman, she was born a cecaelia—half woman, half octopus. Her unique nature, much like Juvia's, made her a target of ridicule among her kind. However, unlike Juvia, Selene allowed the taunts and mockery to fester into jealousy and hatred. When she and Metalicana became students of Zeref, Selene excelled in magic, spells, and potions, surpassing her brother's abilities. She was convinced that she would be the one chosen to wield Zeref's power and rule the ocean.

Yet, despite her remarkable talent as a sorceress, Zeref recognized the darkness in her heart. He understood that she would use his power to inflict harm rather than to protect. Thus, he chose Metalicana, the kind-hearted yet less gifted sibling, to rule the seas.

Furious and bewildered, Selene could not comprehend Zeref's decision. She saw no merit in selecting the seemingly talentless Metalicana over her, a gifted sorceress with a cruel soul. In her anger, she became one of the two traitors who ignited the great war, attempting to steal her brother's trident during the chaos. However, her nephew and Zeref's other students overpowered her, banishing her to the deepest trench of the ocean, where the malevolent sea witch has remained ever since.

Before her exile, Selene managed to steal two crucial items: a magical shell that served as the source of her witchcraft and Zeref's book of Ancient Spells. With these, she plotted her long-awaited revenge.

"Oh yes, my adorable little nieces," the sultry, statuesque sea witch chuckled, peering at the girls through a magical, reflective surface. "Pretend I don't exist and that you have nothing to fear. It will only make my revenge all the more delightful."

She turned to her henchman, Nebaru, a shape-shifting imp currently disguised as an eel.

"Just think, Nebaru: soon I'll be picking off my goody-goody brother's children one by one. And that wretched nephew of mine will suffer the worst. Unbelievable! My own flesh and blood, and what does he do?"

"Toss you out on your suction cups," Nebaru replied.

"But I must be patient. Vengeance is a dish best served cold. Soon, I'll present that overgrown brat's head on a platter, garnished with a lemon wedge."

"Just as you did with your brother and his wife."

"I didn't have to kill them, you know. If Metlicana had simply given me the trident as I demanded, I would have left him and his wife in peace. But no, he refused because of my past. Because I disgraced our family. Because I killed innocents and sent young soldiers to their deaths. Because I ensured his precious children would grow up in a world where harmony between our kind and humans is impossible. So melodramatic."

"Yes, oh sorceress of the seas," Nebaru agreed.

"Gajeel is the only thing standing in my way. If only I could find his Achilles' heel—the soft, vulnerable underbelly beneath all that armor. But how? What can I do? Nebaru!"

"Yes?"

"Start giving me suggestions, or I'll turn you into a handbag!"

"Okay!" Nebaru stammered, nervous. "Um... poison?"

"Already tried that. He's immune."

"Blackmail?"

"Not good enough. It has to be something he'd forsake the entire kingdom for."

"His family?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, excitement bubbling within her. "If he truly is my brother's son, there's nothing he wouldn't do—or give up—for the sake of his wife or sisters. It's perfect! It's beyond cruel! It's almost too easy! Nebaru! Keep a close eye on those lovely mermaids of his! Surely, at least one can be of use to me!"

"Yes, your wretchedness. But first, I'm needed in Lazan City. Lord Zash has requested my presence."

"Very well. But when you're done, return here and find out everything you can about Gajeel's wife and sisters."

"Yes, oh beauty of the brine."

With that, Nebaru slithered to the ocean surface, leaping from the water and transforming into a parrot, flying toward Lazan City to serve his other master.