Every full moon kemi vanished no one in jebu questioned it not the old women who whispered behind their wooden stalls not the fisherman who avoided the shore at night but Toby the new contractor in town noticed he noticed how kimy always locked her doors Before Sunset how she never ate fish and how her skin never seemed to dry then one night curiosity became something more he followed her through wind dirt paths past swaying palm trees and down to the Forbidden Shore where the waves lapped hungrily at the sand there under the silver glow of the
full moon he saw her kneeling before the water Whispering the river Priestess Stood Beside her silent as the tide and then the ocean stirred a dark shape emerged from the waves it was not human glowing eyes pierced the night locking onto him then the creature spoke Toby we have been waiting for you his blood ran cold he wasn’t supposed to be here he wasn’t supposed to hear this but it was too late this is a story of fate of Forgotten debts and of a man who was never meant to escape the ocean’s grasp before we dive deeper into this
epic tale we’d love to know where you are watching from tell us in the comments and if you love high stakes fantasy filled with mermaids magic love and sacrifice don’t just watch be part of our adventure like this video share it with someone who loves powerful stories and hit that subscribe button because tomorrow we’ve got an extra special story lined up for you and trust me you won’t want to miss it Toby had always been a man of logic he believed in bricks and cement in numbers and blueprints as a contractor his world was
built on firm foundations not on Whispers of spirits or stories of mermaids so when he arrived in the quiet Village of jebu for his latest construction project he paid little attention to the uneasy glances of the villagers or the way the wind carried murmurs of old fears jebu was a small settlement by the coast a place where the salty Breeze wrapped around clay huts and palm trees swayed like dancers in an endless Rhythm it was peaceful far removed from the noise of the city Toby had left behind but something about the village
felt strange his new house a simple yet sturdy Bungalow sat on the edge of the village close enough to hear the waves crashing at night it was there that he first noticed his neighbor kemy she was beautiful tall and slender with skin so smooth it shimmered under the sunlight but it wasn’t her beauty that caught his attention it was the way her skin always seemed damp as though she had just stepped out of the ocean even when she walked under the the blazing sun she never dried Toby found it odd then there was the matter of her diet one evening
after a long day at the construction site he sat outside peeling roasted corn when kemy walked past good evening he called out offering her a piece she smiled but shook her head no thank you he noticed she never accepted food from anyone more importantly he noticed something else the way she avoided fish entirely in a village where fish was a staple kemy never so much as looked at it the villagers whispered about her but never in full sentences just fragments of warnings and nervous glances she’s different she doesn’t
belong she but no one ever finished their sentences Toby brushed it off he wasn’t one to indulge in rumors but then became the full moon and everything changed the days in jebu passed slowly The Village had its own Rhythm calm and steady like the waves that kissed the shore Toby settled into his work overseeing the construction of a school the villagers were kind but reserved treating him like a guest who would eventually leave but kemi remained a mystery one afternoon as he walked through the marketplace he saw her again
she stood in front of a fishmonger stall her arms crossed tightly over her chest the old fisherman Baba a held up a large catfish its silver scales glistening this one is fresh Baba a said caught at Sunrise Camy took a step back shaking her head no I Baba aide his wrinkled face twisting in disappointment you never buy fish Camy why the entire Market seemed to pause women stopped pounding yam Traders halted their bargaining Toby standing at a distance felt the weight of their silence km’s voice was quiet but firm I
just don’t like it she turned and walked away her long dress swaying behind her the villagers exchanged uneasy glances before muttering amongst themselves Toby frowned it was unusual yes but did it really warrant such suspicion he was about to move on when he felt a hand on his shoulder newcomer a voice rasped Toby turned to see an old woman wrapped in a faded Shaw her eyes clouded with age studied him carefully you live next to her Don’t You Toby hesitated before nodding the old woman leaned in her breath smelling of cola
nuts watch her she whispered especially on the night of the full moon a shiver ran down Toby’s spine though he couldn’t explain why the full moon was only three nights away Toby told himself it was nothing Superstition old women and their stories but when the night of the full moon arrived something in his bones told him to stay awake The Village was silent except for the distant sound of waves the full moon hung high in the sky casting Long Shadows over the Huts then just past midnight Toby saw her kemy she moved quietly slipping out
of her house like a shadow her feet were bare her long dress Whispering against the ground Toby felt a strange pull in his chest he should mind his business he should go back to sleep but his feet moved before his mind could stop them he followed her through the narrow Pathways of the village past the empty Marketplace until she reached the shore Toby hid behind a cluster of palm trees watching kemy knelt before the water her hands trembling the air around her felt thick heavy with something unseen and then from the darkness
another figure emerged an old woman dressed in a tattered red wrapper the river Priestess Toby’s breath caught in his throat the Priestess bent down dipping her fingers into the water she whispered something in a language Toby didn’t understand and then the water stirred a shadow Rose from the depths Toby’s body froze as he saw it glowing eyes long dark hair floating like seaweed a mermaid her gaze snapped toward the trees and she spoke his name Toby Toby’s stomach clenched how did she know his name KY flinched at the sound turning toward the
trees as if she too had just realized he was there the mermaid drifted closer to the shore her glowing eyes locked onto him Toby she called again her voice soft as the wind you carry the blood of those who wronged us Toby’s mouth went dry the Priestess turned to kimy you know the rules she said a sacrifice must be made Kim’s body trembled please she whispered not him the mermaid smiled bearing sharp teeth this time the ocean chooses Toby stumbled back his mind racing sacrifice ocean bloodline none of it made sense but the
Priestess turned to him now her old eyes filled with something he couldn’t place you should not have followed her she said simply the waves crashed against the shore and deep beneath the water something waited kemy found him the next morning sitting on his doorstep his hands gripping his knees she didn’t speak at first she only stood there staring at him with guilt-ridden eyes finally she whispered you were never supposed to see that Toby let out a sharp breath what was that his voice was hoarse who was she kemy looked away
a de Toby frowned when I was a child she said slowly I drowned in the ocean I don’t remember much just the feeling of sinking the cold the darkness I thought I was going to die she closed her eyes but she saved me Toby felt the hairs on his arms rise the mermaid kemy nodded she pulled me from the water placed me back on land but nothing comes for free her voice trembled she told me that a life had to be given in exchange for mine every full moon a sacrifice must be made Toby felt his heart thud and if you don’t give her
one ky’s lips parted but no words came then in the silence a single tear slid down her cheek she will take me instead Toby swallowed hard last night the mermaid had spoken his name this time she didn’t pick a random victim she had chosen him Toby’s hands trembled as he poured himself a cup of water the clay cup clinked against the wooden table the sound louder than it should have been in the Silence of his small home kemy stood near the doorway her arms wrapped around herself she looked exhausted as if carrying the weight of her secret had
drained her completely Toby took a sip his throat dry then he spoke so you’ve been offering people to the ocean his voice was quiet but the accusation was clear KY winced it’s not like that then explain it to me because from where I’m standing it sounds exactly like that she let out a shaky breath and took a step forward I don’t choose them Toby the mermaid does I don’t even know who it will be until the moment she calls their name Toby scoffed and what you just watch stand there and let her take them kimy flinched her
fingers gripping the fabric of her dress you think I want this her voice cracked you think I don’t wake up every morning wondering whose turn it will be who screams I’ll have to listen to next Toby clenched his jaw he wanted to be angry he wanted to call her a monster but the pain in her voice made it impossible she wasn’t just a bystander she was a prisoner too I tried to stop at once KY whispered looking away years ago there was a boy a traveler like you who had no family in jebu the mermaid called his name and I refused to bring him to
the shore Toby leaned in what happened kemy swallowed hard the next morning I woke up with salt water in my lungs my skin was cold my lips were blue I couldn’t move her voice dropped to a whisper she was dragging me under Toby’s stomach Twisted kemy shuddered the Priestess found me just in time she took me to the river and begged the mermaid to spare me the mermaid she was angry Toby frowned but she let you go kemy nodded but her hands trembled she warned me she said if I ever disobey her again she wouldn’t just
take me her voice broke she would take someone I loved Toby inhaled sharply the weight of her words sank in she hadn’t just been following orders she had been trapped forced to choose between strangers and people she cared about Toby clenched his fists why me kemy hesitated I don’t know she never explains why she picks people Toby narrowed his eyes that’s a lie Camy froze Toby took a step toward her last night she said something she said I carry the blood of those who wronged her K’s breath hitched you know what that
means Don’t You Toby pressed Camy turned away her shoulders stiff Toby exhaled sharply tell me Camy silence then finally she whispered you need to speak to Baba a Toby frowned the old fisherman she nodded he knows the truth Toby’s pulse quickened he didn’t know what truth she was talking about but he knew one thing for certain if he didn’t find out soon the ocean would take him before he ever had the chance Toby wasted no time if Baba ad had answers he needed to hear them before it was too late the sun was beginning to set when he
reached the Old Fisherman’s Hut a small wooden structure near the docks the scent of salt and drying fish clung to the air mixing with the distant smoke of evening cooking fires Toby knocked a long pause then slow shuffling footsteps the door creaked open revealing Baba Aid’s weathered face his eyes clouded with age but still sharp with wisdom scanned Toby from head to toe you the Oldman rasped I was expecting you Toby’s breath caught you were Baba ad didn’t answer instead he turned and hobbled back inside close the door behind you he
muttered Toby stepped in and did as he was told the inside of the Hut was small and dimly lit a single oil lamp casting flickering Shadows on the walls dried fish hung from wooden beams and the floor was covered in woven mats Baba a lowered himself onto a stool groaning as his old bones creaked he motioned for Toby to sit across from him Toby hesitated Camy said you know the truth the Oldman exhaled through his nose that girl has carried a terrible burden he said shaking his head but she was right to send you here Toby leaned
forward tell me what did the mermaid mean when she said I carry the blood of those who wronged her Baba ad stared at him for a long moment as if deciding whether to tell him at all then he spoke a long time ago before your father’s father was even born there was a man named obat tund he was a great warrior a leader among his people Toby frowned Oba tund I’ve never heard heard of him Baba a chuckled dryly you wouldn’t have your family does not speak of him not anymore Toby’s heart pounded what did he do Baba Aid’s eyes
darkened he waged war against the ocean Toby blinked what the mermaids of old had a pack with the people of jebu Baba ad continued they protected our Shores come the storms and in return We honored them with gifts pearls woven silks the finest carvings it was a peaceful time the old man’s hands clenched into fists but obat tund was greedy he believed the mermaids had Treasures Beyond human imagination Gold Gems things hidden beneath the waves he wanted them for himself Toby swallowed hard so he attacked them Baba
ad nodded grimly he led Warriors to the shore they captured a mermaid bound her in Iron chains and dragged her to land he demanded she reveal the location of their Treasures Toby’s breath felt shallow she refused Baba Aid’s eyes met Toby so he killed her a shutter ran through Toby’s body Baba Aid’s voice grew softer the ocean never forgets her sisters cursed his bloodline they swore that his descendants would one day pay for his sins Toby’s chest tightened his descendants Baba ad nodded You Toby Toby’s Vision blurred for a moment his
great-grandfather his ancestors had done this he shook his head that was centuries ago I had nothing to do with it Baba ad side it does not matter to them blood is blood and the ocean always collects its debt Toby felt sick is there a way to stop it he asked a way to break the curse the Oldman hesitated there is but it is not easy Toby leaned in Tell Me baba Aid’s voice dropped to a whisper you must enter the ocean yourself Toby’s stomach dropped and you must face her Toby felt as if the walls of Baba aidid’s small Hut were
closing in on him the weight of the fisherman’s words settled on his chest heavy as a stone you must enter the ocean yourself and face her his mouth was dry what does that mean Baba a let out a long breath and stared at the flickering flame of the oil lamp between them it means exactly what I said Toby leaned forward you want me to just walk into the water and do what Baba Aid’s weathered hands tightened on his knees you must find the mermaid not just any mermaid her the one who calls your name Toby’s stomach
churned and then the old man’s lips pressed into a thin line you must must listen Toby frowned listen that’s it Baba Aid’s gaze sharpened when the ocean comes for a man it does not do so without reason if she has chosen you then she has something to say and if you do not hear it Toby she will take you instead the flickering lamp cast Long Shadows on the walls making Baba aidid’s face look older almost skeletal Toby inhaled sharply what if I refuse Baba ad didn’t blink then you will not see another full moon a deep
cold silence stretched between them Toby’s heartbeat pounded in his ears the thought of stepping into the ocean to seek out the very thing that wanted him dead made his skin crawl but the alternative was worse his fingers curled into fists how do I find her he asked Baba ad studied him for a moment before nodding he reached behind him and pulled out a small Leather Pouch Toby watched as he loosened the strings and tipped it over a pile of smooth polished Stones tumbled onto the wooden table they were deep black glistening like wet
onx these are agar Stones Baba ad said they come from the riverbed blessed by those who still honor the old ways they will guide you Toby hesitated before reaching out the stones were cool against his palm Baba ad placed his hand over Toby but be warned once you step into the ocean you will not return unchanged a chill ran down Toby’s spine but deep inside he already knew his life would never be the same again the night air was thick with humidity as Toby made his way to the shore he he could hear the distant crash of waves against the
sand steady and endless The Village was quiet most people were already inside their doors shut tight as if they too feared the call of the sea he gripped the pouch of Agra Stones tightly in his fist each step toward the water felt heavier like something unseen was trying to pull him back then just as he reached the shore kemy she was waiting for him she stood Barefoot on the sand the Hem of her dress damp from where the waves had kissed the shore Moonlight reflected off her dark skin making her look almost ethereal Toby stopped you knew I would
come kimy exhaled slowly Baba a told you didn’t he Toby nodded he said I have to find her Kim’s jaw tightened you don’t understand Toby she isn’t just a spirit she isn’t just a mermaid Toby frowned then what is she kemy hesitated then in a voice barely above a whisper she said she is the first one Toby’s breath caught what kimy took a shaky step forward the mermaid who calls your name she was the first to be taken the one your ancestor killed Toby stomach Twisted she’s the reason this curse exists KY continued she’s been waiting Toby
waiting for someone with obat Ton’s blood to finally face her the waves roared louder Toby clenched his fists then let’s end this kemy grabbed his wrist Toby wait but it was too late Toby took his first step into the ocean the water was Ice cold even in the warm night air it crawled up his ankles then his calves the Agra stones in his hands seemed to hum as if reacting to the touch of the sea the moment the water reached his knees he heard it a voice soft calling Toby come his breath hitched somewhere in the darkness of the
ocean something was waiting for him and this time he would listen Toby stood at the water’s edge his heartbeat thundering like distant War drums the waves lapped at his legs cold and Alive Whispering against his skin Toby come The Voice slithered through the night air a haunting Melody that sent a shiver down his spine behind him kemy gripped his wrist her fingers were trembling Toby you don’t understand if you go in you might never come back his jaw clenched then tell me how else do I stop this kemy hesitated I I don’t know but there has
to be another way Toby turned to face her this thing has haunted my bloodline for centuries if the only way to end it is by facing her then that’s what I have to do Cam’s Eyes glistened under the Moonlight filled with fear and something else something he couldn’t name then let me go with you Toby shook his head no this is my fight kimy swallowed hard her lips parting as if to argue but in the end she said nothing she simply let go of his wrist stepping back as if she already knew she couldn’t stop him Toby took a deep breath then stepped
forward the water curled around his waist the current pulling pulling and then the ocean swallowed him whole Toby didn’t have time to panic the moment the water closed over his head the world shifted he should have been sinking instead he was floating no falling light twisted around him not like the murky depths he expected but something ancient ethereal the deeper he fell the quieter everything became the weight of the ocean pressed against his chest yet he could still bre breathe the Agra stones in his palm pulsed guiding him
downward and then he saw her she was waiting for him she did not move she did not blink she simply existed in the space before him suspended in the Deep like a shadow caught between worlds her skin was darker than the night sky her hair floating around her like seaweed caught in a gentle currant her eyes her eyes were glowing a piercing gold that burned straight through him seeing everything his past his fears his bloodline sins Toby’s breath hitched he knew who she was the first one the one his ancestor had
betrayed the mermaid opened her mouth but no words came out instead the water around him vibrated the ocean itself speaking in her voice you have come Toby swallowed hard I his voice barely carried in the water I need to know why me the mermaid’s eyes narrowed why do the children of the guilty always ask Toby stiffened because I didn’t do anything to you the water grew colder neither did they she whispered and yet they still drowned Toby’s pulse pounded in his ears faces began to appear in the water around him ghostly
flickering the lost souls the ones she had taken Toby’s stomach turned you could have taken my ancestors but you didn’t why wait the mermaid drifted closer so close he could see the faint Shimmer of scales on her collar bone because you are the last Toby’s breath caught the ocean does not seek vengeance it seeks balance she continued and you child of tund are the last of his line the debt ends with you Toby clenched his fists so I’m just supposed to die for something I didn’t do the mermaid tilted her head or give
me another Toby’s blood ran cold what the Golden Glow In Her Eyes pulsed like Embers a life for a life yours or an others a slow sinking horror settled in Toby’s chest this was the choice this was why she whispered in his dreams why kimy had been forced to watch strangers disappear every full moon the mermaid had never needed to take him she wanted him to choose and the full moon was Rising the ocean was waiting Toby’s mind reeled the water around him felt heavier pressing against his skin like the ocean itself was waiting for his answer a life
for a life his or anothers his pulse pounded in his ears that’s why you took them isn’t it his voice was raw carried by the currents the ones who disappeared they were sacrifices the mermaid’s golden eyes gleamed KY chose them Toby’s breath hitched no that wasn’t possible kimy who stood at the shore terrified for him kimy who had begged him not to enter the water kimy who had tried to stop him from coming here she wouldn’t would she Toby swallowed hard she didn’t have a choice the mermaid’s gaze remained steady didn’t she the words echoed in
his skull twisting unraveling something inside him kemy had told him the truth she had said the mermaid demanded a sacrifice every full moon but she had never told him how the sacrifices were chosen Toby clenched his fists what if I refuse he asked his voice barely above a whisper the mermaid’s expression didn’t change then the ocean will claim what it is owed the current around him began to shift growing colder darker the flickering spirits of those those who had come before hovered in the water watching waiting Toby’s heartbeat
hammered against his ribs he had to choose Toby didn’t know how long he floated there trapped between the past and the present between Justice and survival all he knew was that the ocean was patient it would wait it would not let him go then just as he felt himself slipping a voice muffled distant Toby his eyes snapped open the water around him trembled the spirits wavered their ghostly figures flickering in and out of existence the mermaids gaze lifted turning toward the surface Toby kemi his heart lurched she was
calling for him the mermaid’s lips curled slightly she has come to see what you have chosen Toby’s breath hitched had she come to save him or to ensure he didn’t Escape he didn’t wait to find out with a desperate kick he surged upward the ocean resisted currents dragging at his limbs like unseen hands the Agra stones in his palm burned pulsing against his skin as if pushing him forward the mermaid didn’t stop him she didn’t have to she knew he wasn’t running he was going to the shore and he was bringing her answer with him Toby broke
the surface with a gasp the night air filled his lungs thick and humid he blinked water streaming down his face as he searched the shore and then he saw her kemy stood at the water’s edge Barefoot and breathless the full moon hung above her Casting a silver glow over the sand her eyes locked onto his for a moment neither of them spoke then Toby stepped forward you knew he rasped kemy flinched Toby you chose them he said his voice horse the people who disappeared you his throat tightened you picked them didn’t you
km’s lips parted then slowly painfully she nodded Toby’s stomach twisted at first I didn’t KY said her voice shaking when I was a child the ocean took people at random it didn’t matter who they were but then she gave me a choice Toby swallowed hard km’s eyes filled with tears she told me if I didn’t choose she’d take me instead the ocean whispered at their feet Toby exhaled shakily so every full moon you decided who would go km’s shoulders trembled I didn’t want to but I was afraid Toby I didn’t want to die Toby’s hands
curled into fists he wanted to be angry he wanted to yell to blame her to call her a murderer but he couldn’t because if he had been in her place if the ocean had demanded his life would he have done anything different the mermaid’s words echoed in his mind a life for a life and now it was his turn to choose Toby stood Frozen the waves licking at his ankles his breath shallow kemy had chosen again and again and now the ocean waited for him to do the same the full moon cast a cold glow on km’s face highlighting the tear tracks running
down her cheeks Toby she whispered her voice barely holding together please you have to understand Toby clenched his fists understand what that you fed innocent people to the sea that you let them disappear without a second thought his voice cracked raw with something deeper than anger hurt Camy shook her head fiercely I did think about it Toby I think about them every day I see their faces in my dreams I hear them scream when the waves take them I her voice broke I tried to pick the ones who wouldn’t be missed the ones who
didn’t belong strangers Outsiders it was the only way I could live with myself Toby felt something sharp twist in his chest the ones who didn’t belong the moment he arrived in jebu he had been an outsider would kemy have picked him eventually had she already planned to the ocean stirred at their feet the whispering waves curled around Toby’s legs a silent reminder that time was running out a life for a life Toby turned away staring at the endless black Horizon you knew she would pick me didn’t you his voice was quiet kemy
hesitated I I hoped she wouldn’t Toby scoffed bitterly but you knew kemy swallowed hard she’s never chosen someone with your bloodline before but this time her voice trailed off Toby exhaled sharply his heart pounding he had two choices let the ocean take him or find someone else his stomach turned there has to be another way km’s breath hitched if there was don’t you think I would have found it by now Toby squeezed his eyes shut he had always believed in logic in reason but here on the shores of a cursed ocean there was no logic no
fairness only the law of the Sea and the Sea wanted blood the waves surged higher creeping up Toby’s Cales pulling at him the mermaid was waiting Toby’s mind raced there had to be something anything that would break the cycle you said it started with my ancestor he said suddenly kemy blinked what my ancestor Oba tonn he did something to her Toby turned his pulse quickening that’s why she’s been taking sacrifices to punish his bloodline right kemy nodded wearily Toby inhaled deep then maybe I can end it maybe I can give
her what she really wants KY frowned Toby what are you saying Toby didn’t answer instead he took a step back into the water the moment he did the wave surged forward she was waiting a shiver crawled up his spine but he didn’t stop he let the tide pull him deeper past his knees past his waist km’s voice Rose in panic Toby what are you doing Toby ignored her he had made his decision he wasn’t going to run he wasn’t going to choose another victim he was going to face the mermaid and he was going to end this the water closed over
Toby’s head pulling him down down into the deep the ocean swallowed him whole but this time he wasn’t drowning he was summoned the moment he opened his eyes she was there the mermaid hovered before him her golden gaze burning into his soul you return Toby’s jaw tightened I need to know the truth the mermaid tilted her head you already know it Toby’s fingers curled into fists no I know what happened after I know about the curse the sacrifices but I don’t know what started it I don’t know what obat tan did to you
a strange Stillness settled over the water for the first time the mermaid looked hesitant then slowly she drifted forward her fingers brushed against his forehead and suddenly the ocean vanished Toby wasn’t underwater anymore he was standing in the past a grand Kingdom stretched before him its golden Towers gleaming in the sunlight the smell of salt and incense filled the air people bustled through the streets Merchants shouting children laughing and at the center of it all stood obat ton Toby’s breath caught the
men was tall his dark skin gleaming with oil his robes embroidered with the patterns of the sea but there was something cold in his eyes something ruthless the crowd gathered before the palace steps their murmurs growing anxious Toby turned following their gazes and his heart nearly stopped a woman knelt before the king she was bound in Chains her hair damp her dress torn but even in her captivity she was breathtaking her skin shimmered like fish scales in the sunlight her golden eyes burned with Fury Toby’s stomach
dropped it was her the mermaid but here before she was a spirit before she was a curse she had been something else a prisoner the king raised his voice for defying the will of the Kingdom for luring men into the sea you are sentenced to death the crowd erupted in cheers Toby’s blood ran cold this wasn’t punishment this was murder he watched in horror as the the guards lifted the mermaid dragging her toward the shoreline she fought thrashing wildly but the chains held firm obat tund followed behind his eyes burning with
Triumph and then he raised his blade Toby screamed but no one could hear him the sword plunged into the mermaid’s chest the water turned red her mouth opened in a silent cry her golden eyes locking onto OB Ton’s face and then she vanished the crowd cheered the king turned his expression smug but he didn’t see it didn’t see the way the ocean trembled didn’t see the way the waves began to rise Dark and hungry didn’t see the golden eyes flickering beneath the water until it was too late the last thing Toby saw before the vision
shattered before the past crumbled into the Pres was the ocean itself rising up against the king and then Darkness Toby gasped as he was ripped from the vision his body slamming back into the present the water roared in his ears his lungs burning for air he kicked upward breaking the surface with a violent gasp the night was unchanged the moon still hung above the waves still whispered against the shore but everything was different now he knew the the truth obat tun had not been the victim he had been the villain the
mermaid had not been a monster she had been wronged kem’s voice broke through the chaos Toby she was still standing at the shore eyes wide with fear what happened what did you see Toby staggered toward her his breath ragged she was a prisoner he said his voice horse Oba tunned he killed her K’s expression froze the curse isn’t just Revenge Toby continued it’s Justice she’s been taking sacrifices because she was denied hers she’s been waiting all this time to make the bloodline pay km’s face paled Toby if that’s true then she swallowed hard she
won’t stop until you’re dead Toby exh Ed shakily not unless I stop her first kemy grabbed his arm you can’t fight her you saw what she is she’s not just a spirit she’s the ocean itself Toby clenched his jaw he knew kemy was right he couldn’t fight her the way he would an enemy on land but there had to be a way because he wasn’t going to be the next sacrifice and he wasn’t going to let anyone else be either Toby paced along the shore his mind racing the ocean shimmered in the Moonlight come now but he knew it was
only waiting Camy stood a few steps away watching him finally she spoke what are you thinking Toby exhaled I need to talk to her again Kim’s eyes widened what no you barely made it out alive Toby turned to face her but I did and now I know what she wants kmy shook her head fiercely She Wants You Dead Toby you saw what she did to the others she doesn’t care about Justice she just wants blood Toby hesitated was that true everything he had seen told him that the mermaid had been wronged that she had once been innocent until Oba ton took her life but
centuries of Rage of Sorrow of waiting had they Twisted her into something worse was there even a chance of reason or was he already doomed KY stepped closer lowering her voice you don’t have to do this she pleaded you can still leave the next full moon isn’t for another few weeks you have time to run Toby shook his head if I run someone else will die in my place kemy flinched Toby softened his voice you’ve spent your whole life being forced to choose but I won’t let this continue he met her eyes I need to end
this kemy bit her lip torn between fear and Hope finally she nodded then I’m coming with you Toby stared what kimy crossed her arms if you’re going to face her you’ll need me I’ve been dealing with this curse longer than you have I know the water’s better than anyone Toby hesitated he didn’t want to put her in danger but he also knew he couldn’t do this alone all right he said at last we do this together kemy exhaled so what’s the plan Toby turned to the Sea his heart pounding we call her the waves curled at their feet as
Toby and kimy stood at the shoreline side by side kimy took a deep breath the first time she appeared to me I was 8 years old she murmured I was drowning and she saved me but I think she saved me for this for her game to make sure there would always be someone to give her what she wanted Toby swallowed hard he clenched his fists stepping forward the cold water swirled around his ankles sending a shiver up his spine then he spoke I know the truth now he called out his voice strong I know what happened to you what was taken from
you and I know why you’re doing this the ocean stirred Camy stiffened beside him Toby Toby didn’t stop you’ve punished my bloodline for Generations he continued Ed you’ve taken life for life but I need to know is there another way silence then the waves shifted the water shimmered darkening thickening and slowly she Rose the mermaid emerged from the sea her golden eyes burning her black hair floating around her like an ethereal Veil the air grew heavy the waves whispered Secrets Toby took a shaky breath you’ve taken so much but
has it given you peace the mermaid tilted her head no Toby’s heart pounded then let me end this the mermaid’s gaze sharpened you cannot undo what was done Toby swallowed no but I can make it right the mermaid watched him for a long moment then she raised a hand and the ocean surged forward wrapping around Toby and km’s legs pulling them under the last thing Toby heard before the water swallowed him whole then prove it Toby’s World dissolved Into Darkness as the ocean pulled him under for a moment there was silence no
waves no struggle just the cold Embrace of the sea wrapping around his body like an unbreakable chain then the whisper began soft voices rising from the depths they slithered into his ears echoing in a language he didn’t understand he felt them in his bones curling around his thoughts like tendrils of mist beside him kemy gasped bubbles spilling from her lips she clutched his arm eyes wide with fear and then the mermaid appeared she was no longer floating gracefully in the water now now she loomed over them her golden eyes piercing through the
Gloom like twin lanterns her presence was suffocating the sheer force of it pressing against Toby’s chest like the weight of a thousand Tides you wish to make it right she said her voice curling through the water but will you pay the price Toby clenched his jaw I won’t let this continue tell me what I have to do the mermaid’s gaze flickered to kemy and you little betrayer will you atone for your sins kemy trembled but she didn’t look away if there’s a way to fix this I’ll do it the mermaid studied them both then
nodded slowly the water around them shifted dark shapes moved in the depths circling like Hungry Sharks The Whispers grew louder turning into a rhythmic chant that made the ocean pulse with energy then the mermaid raised her hand if you wish to end the curse you must face the trial of the deep a chill crawled down Toby’s spine what does that mean the mermaid’s lips curled into something that was not quite a smile you will see the ocean roared and suddenly the world collapsed Toby crashed onto Solid ground with a force that knocked the breath
from his lungs he coughed struggling to push himself up the weight of the ocean was gone he was somewhere else the sky was red the air thick and humid towering trees stretched into the heavens their leaves glowing in Eerie blue the ground beneath him was soft covered in Moss that pulsed faintly like a heartbeat beside him kemy groaned rolling onto her hands and knees where are we Toby shook his head pushing himself upright I don’t know of voice echoed through the air the first test begins now the mermaid’s voice but she was
nowhere to be seen Toby’s stomach Twisted what do we have to do he called the answer came in the form of a low rumbling growl Toby and kimy froze from the Shadows of the strange Forest something moved a shape large hulking with glowing eyes that burned like fire it prowled forward its breath coming in heavy guttural snarls KY grabbed Toby’s arm Toby he swallowed hard the creature stepped fully into the light it was unlike anything he had ever seen its body was a twisted Fusion of land and sea part Panther part serpent with dark scales
shimmering beneath a thick Mane of coarse fur claws like sharpened bones scraped against the ground and its long tail slithered behind it like a whip but its eyes its eyes were human and they were filled with rage the mermaid’s voice whispered once more face the sins of your ancestors the creature lunged Toby barely had time to react before the Beast was upon him he Dove to the side rolling across the mossy ground just as claws slashed through the air where he had stood kemy screamed scrambling back the creature turned its glowing eyes
locking onto Toby Toby’s heart pounded he didn’t have a weapon he didn’t have a plan but he did have knowledge if this is a test he said breathing hard then there has to be a way to beat it K’s eyes darted around wildly Toby that thing is trying to kill us do you really think there’s a riddle to solve Toby clenched his fists I think it’s more than just a monster the creature growled circling them Toby stared at its glowing eyes the way it moved the way it watched him then realization hit him his ancester Oba toned this thing it’s him Toby whispered
K’s eyes widened what Toby took a step forward the creature snarled Toby didn’t back down you were the Great king of the past he said his voice steady you built a kingdom but you also built a curse you brought this upon yourself the creature froze for a split second its human eyes flickered with something recognition Toby took a deep breath you were a king he said again but were you ever sorry the air grew heavy the creature’s breathing slowed for the first time it hesitated Toby stepped closer you have haunted my family for
Generations but your time is over you need to let go the creature let out a deep shuttering breath then its form began to shift the Monstrous featur softened its glowing eyes dimming the fur receded the scales fading and and standing before them was a man oband his face was etched with sorrow his eyes filled with something that had never existed in life regret I was wrong the ghost of the king murmured and now I pay the price a sudden gust of wind tore through the air the moment it touched obat tund his form
dissolved turning into golden light scattering like dust into the sky silence fell Camy exhaled shakily Toby you did it Toby swallowed he didn’t feel like he had won because this was only the beginning the mermaid’s voice echoed through the strange world one trial has ended two remain Toby’s blood ran cold the next test was coming and he wasn’t sure he would survive it the Red Sky pulsed above them like a dying Ember the ghostly remains of obat tun had vanished but the ground beneath Toby and kemi still trembled Toby wiped his damp
forehead his mind racing one test down two to go KY clutched his arm Toby that wasn’t just a test that was that was something real he was real Toby swallowed yeah his heart was still pounding he had seen the fear in obat Ton’s eyes the regret that wasn’t just a challenge it was a reckoning then the voice returned you have seen the face of the betrayer now you must see the faces of the betray the moment the mermaid’s voice faded the world shifted a cold wind howled through the air carrying voices no Whispers thousands of them K gas her
grip on Toby tightening what’s happening Toby turned in horror as figures began to emerge from the Shadows men women children they walked Barefoot Across The Strange Land their bodies flickering like Candlelight some were missing limbs others had deep wounds that still bled Their Eyes Were Hollow their mouths moving soundlessly as they reached for him Toby’s breath caught in his throat he knew who they were the sacrifices the people taken by the ocean the ones who had died because of his bloodline one by one they came closer
their hands stretching toward him kemy took a shaky step back Toby what do we do Toby clenched his fists he wanted to run his body screamed for him to turn and flee but he didn’t because he owed them this he owed them the truth slowly Toby stepped forward I see you he whispered The Whispers stopped the ghosts stilled their Hollow eyes fixing on him Toby swallowed hard I know what was done to you I know what my ancestor did and I know what the Mermaid has done in return He exhaled I won’t ask for forgiveness I don’t deserve it but I will end this
silence then a woman stepped forward her skin was pale her eyes sunken but there was something familiar about her kemy gasped that’s that’s the first sacrifice Toby’s stomach Twisted this woman she had been the first taken by the ocean after obotan betrayed the mermaid she stopped in front of Toby tilting her head then in a voice as fragile as the wind she asked how Toby hesitated how how was he supposed to break a curse that had lasted for centuries but he had made a promise he would find a way I don’t know yet he
admitted but I swear I will the woman studied him for a long moment then she did something unexpected Ed she smiled it was small faint but it was there the wind picked up swirling around them one by one the spirits faded into light dissolving into the air and then the mermaid’s voice echoed once more one trial remains Toby exhaled his body was exhausted his mind was spinning but he wasn’t done yet because the final test was coming and this one would decide everything the world around Toby and kemy twisted once more the Red Sky
darkened to an Inky black the ground beneath them dissolving into nothingness they were falling plunging into the depths of the unknown then with a sudden Force Toby crashed onto wet Solid Ground he gasped blinking against the Mist that coiled around them kemy was beside him coughing as she struggled to her feet they weren’t in the strange glowing Forest anymore they were on the shore a vast Endless Ocean stretched before them its Waters unnaturally still the waves did not crash the tide did not move it was as if the entire sea was holding its
breath then a ripple a shadow slithered beneath the surface and slowly the mermaid Rose this time she was different she was larger her body stretching high above them her golden eyes burning with something ancient and all- knowing dark tendrils of water spiraled around her and in her hands she held a single blade long curved and shimmering like Moonlight on the sea Toby’s breath hitched this was it the final trial the ocean had brought them here for one last judgment the mermaid’s voice echoed low and haunting you have faced the sins of your
ancestors you have seen the weight of the lost now you must make your choice Toby’s hands curled into fists what choice the mermaid slowly raised the blade a sacrifice Camy stiffened beside him no the mermaid’s golden eyes locked onto Toby One Life must be given into the sea only then will the curse be broken Toby’s stomach Twisted he knew it he knew this was coming KY turned to him shaking her head frantically there has to be another way but the mermaid’s voice was like steel choose Toby the water ched violently behind her
give the ocean a soul or be claimed by the tide yourself Toby’s mind raced if he didn’t do it the curse would continue more people would die kemy would be taken next the ocean’s hunger would never end but if he did if he took another life he would become the very thing he swore to stop the mermaid extended the blade toward him decide before the moon Falls Toby’s pulse pounded in his ears his hands were shaking he had come so far there had to be another way there had to be then suddenly a voice whispered soft barely audible but it
wasn’t the mermaid it came from the sea Toby’s eyes widened the water was speaking and it was telling him something something that might change everything The Voice from the water was faint like the wind slipping between the trees it wasn’t loud like the mermaid’s command it didn’t demand it beckoned Toby’s breath hitched as he turned toward the sea the water which had been eerily still now shimmered with an unnatural glow KY clutched his arm did you hear that she whispered Toby nodded the voice was calling only to him the mermaid narrowed
her golden eyes ignore the Whispers of the Dead she warned you must choose Toby there is no other path but the voice persisted soft gentle ancient there is another way Toby’s pulse quickened another way he took a shaky step forward his bare feet sinking into the wet sand the ocean lapped at his ankles alive in a way he had never felt before kemy held on to his arm Toby what are you doing Toby didn’t answer he stepped deeper into the water the mermaids gaze darkened enough she hissed her voice crackling like a thunderstorm she raised the shimmering
Blade the water around her Rising like massive hands ready to crush him I have given you a choice obey or perish but Toby’s feet kept moving the deeper he went the clearer The Whisper became the curse is not just blood it is memory it is Regret to break it you must not take life but give back what was stolen Toy’s breath caught in his throat give back what was stolen then he understood this wasn’t about sacrifice it was about restoration he turned to the mermaid his voice steady the ocean never wanted blood did it the mermaid’s grip on the
blade tightened you know nothing boy but Toby did know he could feel it in his bones in the very pull of the water around him the ocean had never asked for Endless sacrifices it had wanted atonement obat tun had stolen something not just a life a promise he had betrayed the mermaid and severed the bond between Land and Sea the punishment had been centuries of suffering but if the curse was about a broken bond then there was only one way to break it not with death with an offering Toby turned to kmy his heart pounding we have to
return what was taken kemy frowned what does that mean Toby clenched his fists I think I know he turned back to the mermaid stepping forward until the water reached his waist you said I must give a life to the ocean his voice was unwavering now then take mine kemy gasped Toby no but he wasn’t offering his death he was offering his servitude I will restore what was lost Toby said firmly the bond between Land and Sea I will be the bridge the mermaid Ma’s eyes flashed the ocean rumbled for a moment the world paused then the water
Rose and everything changed the wav surged forward swirling around Toby’s waist than his chest the air crackled with an energy older than time itself KY screamed his name but her voice was swallowed by the Roar of the sea the mermaid hovered above him golden eyes burning the blade in her hand shimmered reflecting the Moonlight that hung full and heavy in the sky you would offer yourself her voice was laced with something unreadable anger curiosity Amusement Toby stood his ground though his legs trembled beneath the weight of
the moment yes the mermaids gaze sharpened do you even know what that means Toby swallowed I don’t know everything but I know this he gestured to the Endless Ocean the curse isn’t about blood it’s about trust about a bond that was broken if I have to give my life to restore it then so be it K’s hands clutched at the edge of the shore Toby don’t do this we’ll find another way but Toby knew there was no other way he had felt it in The Whispers of the water in the weight of the spirits that had spoken to him him this wasn’t just about
sacrifice it was about making amends the mermaid studied him for a long moment the waves crashed the night trembled then she smiled not a kind smile not a cruel one just knowing very well the water lurched before Toby could react the waves dragged him under Darkness swallowed him whole the cold was unlike anything he had ever known it wasn’t just water it was history memory pain Toby thrashed but unseen hands held him down pulling him deeper shapes moved in the shadows watching waiting and then he saw them the spirits
of the taken the sacrificed the Lost they floated all around him their eyes glowing like dying Embers and then the first woman the first sacrifice drifted forward her voice was like a ripple on the water will you take our place Toby’s chest burned his lungs screaming for air but he forced himself to nod the spirits whispered the ocean shifted and then they reached for him pain it shot through Toby’s body like fire like lightning like the fury of a thousand storms his veins pulsed with something ancient something
powerful his skin burned then cooled he felt the pull of the ocean the weight of the land and then he breathed not air not water something else his eyes snapped open and he knew he was no longer just a man he was something more something new the bridge had been restored and the ocean had chosen him Toby’s lungs expanded but no air rushed in he didn’t need it the water was part of him now it pulsed in his veins whispering in his mind like a living thing he was no longer sinking he was floating weightless suspended in the deep and he could see
not just with his eyes but with something else he could feel the water stretching for Miles the current Shifting the life that pulsed beneath the waves schools of glowing fish darted past him their bodies forming strange patterns in the dark a massive sea turtle drifted lazily above him its shell covered in ancient carvings then the spirits surrounded him again watching waiting Toby’s heart pounded what am I now a voice soft and gentle rippled through the water you are the offering you are the bridge Toby turned the first
sacrifice the woman who had spoken to him before was in front of him again her hair floated around her like a veil her Hollow eyes filled with something unreadable bridge to what Toby asked his voice echoing strangely through the water to peace she answered the curse was never about blood it was about balance and balance can only be restored with a keeper one who walks between Land and Sea the realization hit him like a wave he wasn’t a sacrifice he wasn’t just a men anymore he was the ocean’s chosen it’s new Guardian Toby’s fingers clenched and
if I refuse the woman’s lips curled into something that might have been a smile then the ocean will take another Toby swallowed hard he knew who they meant kemi Toby felt the pull of the ocean inside him calling him home but his heart still belonged to the land to kemi to jebo Village I can’t stay down here forever he murmured the spirits drifted closer their presence pressing against him then go the woman whispered but know this the land will never truly be your home again you belong to the tide now Toby’s stomach Twisted would he ever be
the same would kemy look at him the way she used to did he even have a choice he turned kicking his legs pushing himself upward the water swirled around him resisting at first then guiding him the surface came into view a blur of silver light then he broke through the first thing he heard was Kem screaming Toby the shore was Wild Waves crashing violently against the Rocks the wind howling through the trees kimy stood kneed deep in the water her arms outstretched her eyes full of panic and then she saw him he staggered
forward coughing but something was different his skin glistened unnaturally as if kissed by the Moonlight itself his eyes once deep Brown now had a faint golden Shimmer km’s breath hitched Toby what happened to you Toby opened his mouth but before he could speak the mermaid Rose from the water behind him kimy stumbled back her eyes wide with Terror but the mermaid did not attack instead she studied Toby with something that almost resembled approval the ocean has spoken she murmured you are ours now Toby turned to her his
heart pounding then let the curse be broken the mermaid smiled slow knowing it already is a great wave surged forward crashing against the shore but it did not destroy it cleansed the air shifted the tensent that had held the village in its grip for centuries dissolved the curse was truly over but at what cost Toby’s gaze flickered to kemy he wanted to run to her to tell her everything was okay but deep down he knew the truth he wasn’t the same man who had entered the water and he never would be again Toby stood in the shallow
water his breath heavy his skin still tingling with the ocean’s touch the waves around him hummed almost as if they recognized him as their own Kim’s hands trembled at her sides she took a cautious step forward her eyes searching his face Toby is it really You Toby swallowed hard he wanted to tell her yes he wanted to say that everything was fine that he was the same man who had moved to jebu that nothing had changed but the truth burned on his tongue like salt I his voice caught it sounded different the same but layered with something
deeper something ancient he shook his head and tried again it’s me kemy but I don’t think I’m the same anymore km’s brow furrowed what do you mean Toby looked down at his hands his skin was still Brown and warm but the water never dried from it clinging like a second layer when he flexed his fingers he felt something Beyond his body the currents the shifting Tides the pulse of the ocean itself he wasn’t just a man anymore he was connected to something far greater I belong to the ocean now he admitted softly kemy
stiffened no no you’re still here you came back she grabbed his arm her fingers pressing into his skin as if trying to grab around him keep him with her the curse is over you don’t have to go back the mermaid behind them watched in silence her golden eyes unreadable Toby wanted to believe kemy was right that he could stay that everything could go back to normal but as he turned his gaze toward the shore he felt it immediately the land rejected him it was faint but it was there the pull of dry Earth no longer f felt
natural the ground beneath his feet seemed unfamiliar too solid too still he felt like an intruder in the world he had once called home and worst of all the ocean called to him its Whispers curled around his mind reminding him of his duty he was not just Toby anymore he was the ocean’s Chosen and the ocean never let go a sudden shout broke through the night Toby they turned villagers stood at the edge of the shore their faces a mix of awe and fear some held torches their flickering Flames barely holding back
the creeping Darkness they had seen everything the curse ending the waves pulling back Toby rising from the Sea The Village Elder Baba daryen stepped forward his staff pressing into the sand his old eyes scanned Toby lingering on the faint golden Shimmer in his ireses by the spirits Baba daryen whispered the ocean has claimed you the villagers murmured some in reverence others in fear one man stepped forward a fisherman named gay his voice wavered with uncertainty does that mean the curse is truly over yes Toby answered he knew it with
every fiber of his being the ocean was no longer hungry for blood The Village was free but another voice cut through the relief then why is he still here Toby turned toward the speaker a woman clutching her child her eyes wary if the ocean has claimed him why has it let him walk among us is he still one of us or her voice trembled is he something else Toby felt the weight of every Gaze on him the truth was he didn’t know Camy stepped forward her jaw tight he’s still Toby but was he the villagers weren’t sure
and deep down neither was he that night the village held a gathering in the Square Flames flickering in the Moonlight Toby sat apart from the others kemy beside him though the villagers no longer looked at him with fear there was a distance between them an unspoken question hanging in the air what was he now and what would he do next Baba dyen finally broke the silence Toby the ocean has marked you you are not like us anymore his voice was not cruel but it carried a deep sadness you stand Between Two Worlds now
Toby’s hands curled into fists but I’m still human I still remember my life my home he glanced at kemy at the desperate hope in her eyes I still love Baba dyen nodded perhaps but can you stay the word struck deep Toby thought of the way the land had felt beneath his feet the way the ocean had whispered in his mind the truth was undeniable he didn’t belong here anymore his heart clenched he turned to kemy his voice raw What if I don’t want to leave Tears welled In Her Eyes then don’t the mermaid’s voice drifted
through the night smooth as the tide you cannot run from what you have become Toby looked at kimy one last time then he turned his gaze toward the Sea The Waves shimmered beneath the Moonlight waiting calling the wind carried the scent of salt and damp Earth Toby’s body achd not from EX exhaustion but from something deeper a force was pulling him stretching him between two worlds his heart longed for the land for the village that had welcomed him for kemi but his blood his very Soul now belonged to the ocean the villagers
murmured among themselves waiting for an answer he didn’t know how to give stay or go Camy reached for his hand you don’t have to leave Toby squeezed her fingers but even as he held her he felt the ocean pulling at him like an invisible rope the water at his feet shimmered beckoning the mermaid stood nearby silent and watchful then Baba daryen spoke the ocean does not give back what it has taken a cold shiver ran down Toby’s spine another villager an older fisherman stepped forward his voice wavered with uncertainty but if the curse is broken
does it matter if he stays the mermaid finally moved she drifted forward her golden eyes gleaming it is not a matter of if he cannot stay km’s breath hitched why the mermaid’s gaze didn’t waver because he is no longer Like You Toby swallowed hard the villager’s expression shifted from Curiosity to fear some took a step back others whispered among themselves no longer like them Toby looked down at his hands his skin looked the same but it wasn’t the water clung to him never drying the tide whispered in his ears he
could feel the currents deep beneath the surface as if they were part of his own heartbeat he was changing kemy gripped his arm no he’s still Toby he still one of us the mermaid tilted her head is he Toby’s heart pounded could he still call this place home could he pretend he was just an ordinary man he already knew the answer the night stretched on thick with tension Toby remained seated as the villagers debated his fate some feared him now others wanted to honor him but it didn’t matter because he didn’t fit
here anymore the land the air it felt foreign the weight of a human life felt heavy unnatural and the Sea it called him at the edge of the Village Square a boy approached a child no older than 10 his small hand reached out his wide eyes filled with wonder instead of fear are you a spirit now the question lodged itself deep in Toby’s chest a spirit Spirit it Amun something in between Toby exhaled slowly I don’t know the boy’s brow furrowed where will you go Toby lifted his gaze toward the waves I don’t know that either but he
could feel the answer forming as the first light of dawn touched the sky Toby stood at the shoreline kemy by his side The Village remained behind them watching in silence no one dared to come closer Kim’s eyes were red her hands clenched into fists please don’t do this Toby cued her face gently I don’t want to leave you then stay her voice cracked he wished it were that simple but even now the water reached for him curling around his ankles like an embrace it knew he didn’t belong on land anymore more Toby swallowed the lump in
his throat kemy you saved me more than once but if I stay the ocean will never let me rest a tear slipped down her cheek then take me with you his heart achd you can’t come where I’m going the mermaid swam forward waiting Toby turned to kimy one last time he pressed a kiss to her forehead breathing in the center of her of Earth and warmth and home then he stepped into the sea the water Rose curling around his body wrapping him in its Embrace he took one last look at kemi at the Village then the waves took him for a
moment there was only silence then a shimmer a ripple and Toby was gone the ocean had claimed its own Toby did not feel the ocean around him as water it was something else a living force a pulsing presence that welcomed him like a long lost child he did not sink he became the pressure that would have crushed him and did not touch him his lungs did not scream for air the deeper he went the more he understood he was not drowning he was transforming shapes swirled in the dark a school of glowing fish a massive manta
ray gliding like a shadow the ocean was not silent it whispered it thrived it watched then through the shifting Waters the mermaid appeared she was no longer just a lone Spirit of the sea behind her dozens of others hovered their eyes gleaming like stars in The Abyss the ocean Court Toby knew without speaking he had been brought before them for judgment the mermaids surrounded him their forms shifting like water itself some looked like Warriors their bodies adorned with the bones of ancient sea creatures others bore the presence of
something far older Guardians keepers of Forgotten laws the eldest among them a figure draped in flowing seaweed studied him her voice rippled through the water ancient and heavy the ocean has taken many her golden eyes locked onto him piercing through his soul but you are not like the others Toby straightened I didn’t ask for this a second mermaid sleek and shadowy tilted her head neither did the first sacrifice neither did the ones who followed but here you are the elders gaze did not waver the question is not whether you
wanted this but whether you will accept it Toby’s heart pounded what am I the mermaid exchanged glances then the eldest spoke you are the bridge the words struck something deep inside him the bridge between what Toby asked between land and sea between the old world and the new the curse is broken but balance must be restored Toby frowned balance the shadowy mermaid drifted closer her voice a whisper in the dark the ocean does not forgive Toby but it does not forget either Toby’s pulse quickened what does that mean the elders
expression did not change it means that the ocean does not simply take it gives it chooses she reached out touching his forehead with a single finger and suddenly he saw the water around him shifted and sudden certainly he was not in the present he was watching a memory he saw a village not jebu but one like it older Untouched by time he saw Warriors standing at the shore blades dripping with the blood of something that had once sung beneath the waves he saw the ocean weeping and then Rising the curse had not begun with a
single mermaid sacrifice it had begun with betrayal Toby gasped as the vision shattered his mind reeling the mermaid’s voice was calm now you understand Toby’s fists clenched the curse wasn’t punishment it was Vengeance the Elder nodded and Vengeance always leaves scars Toby took a deep breath the weight of Truth sinking into him what do you want me to do the elders golden eyes burned decide what comes next Toby floated in the dark depths the weight of the ocean pressing against him not as a burden but as a responsibility the land will never
accept me he murmured perhaps not the Elder’s voice was soft but it will need you Toby frowned what do you mean the shadowy mermaid circled him balance is fragile the curse is gone but what happens when men grow bold again when they forget Toby’s stomach Twisted he had seen it in the vision humans always return to the shore with greed if there was no one to guard the balance what would stop the cycle from repeating Toby’s hands curled into fists the ocean’s Whispers grew louder he understood now he had been chosen not to be a prisoner not to be a
sacrifice but to be a guardian the Elder mermaid extended her hand the choice is yours Toby will you take the ocean’s gift Toby hesitated if he said yes he would never be the same never fully human but if he said no the balance could be lost forever he thought of kemi he thought of the village he thought of everything that had led him here then slowly he reached forward and took the mermaid’s hand the ocean roared a surge of power rushed through him his skin shimmered his veins pulsing with something more than blood
he felt the tides the pull of the moon the heartbeat of the ocean itself he was no longer just Toby he was the guardian of the deep and his story had only just begun Toby’s body thrummed with Newfound power the ocean was no longer just water it was a voice a presence a home he could feel the tides shifting miles away sense the silent songs of the deep sea creatures and hear Whispers of Forgotten truths carried by the currents the Elder mermaid still held his hand but now she looked at him with something different in her gaze respect
you are no longer bound by flesh alone she said you are of the deep now but do not mistake power for immort ality the ocean gives but it also takes Toby nodded feeling the weight of her words settle deep within him I understand the shadowy mermaid the one who had first spoken of balance studied him carefully do you the land is still in your heart you will feel its pull you will long for what you left behind Kim’s face flashed in his mind her dark eyes filled with sorrow her hand gripping his arm begging him not to leave his chest
tightened what if I go back Toby asked the Elder mermaids expression darkened you may return to the land but you will never be one of them again you walk Between Two Worlds now that is the price of the ocean’s gift Toby clenched his jaw he had already known the answer before he asked but hearing it aloud made it real his life would never be the same the ocean around him stirred as if it sensed his uncertainty the other mermaids drifted back into the Shadows leaving only the Elder and the shadowy one before him you
are the first Guardian in centuries the Elder said the last was lost to time we do not know how he fell only that the ocean cried for him Toby frowned what happened the shadowy mermaid answered this time men forgot their place and the guardian lost himself Toby’s fists clenched would that be his fate to watch over both worlds only to lose himself in the end he pushed the thought away what do I do now the Elder smiled faintly you listen she placed a hand on his forehead and suddenly the ocean spoke it was not words it was feelings memories
warnings he saw fishermen casting Nets too deep too greedily he saw Whispers of something dark stirring in the abyss he saw the land forgetting the cost of their sins and beneath it all he felt a pull a presence watching from the deepest part of the ocean something was waiting something old Toby gasped pulling away the Elder mermaid studied him you understand now don’t you Toby nodded the balance is still at risk the shadowy mermaid circled him then you must decide will you remain in the depths or will you walk among men once more the ocean’s
current carried Toby upward toward the shimmering surface every part of him still felt the sea but his heart his heart still pulled toward the land toward her as his head broke through the waves the sky above was painted with the colors of dawn the village of jebu stood in the distance its fires still burning from the night before Toby knew what he had to do he had to go back but this time he was not just Toby the contractor he was Toby guardian of the deep and his return would change everything Toby emerged from the ocean
with slow careful steps the water slid from his body but his skin remained damp refusing to dry completely his senses were sharper than before he could hear The Whispers of the Waves behind him the rustling of palm trees swaying in the wind and the distant heartbeat of the village yet as he walked toward the shore a Sinking Feeling settled in his chest he was home but he was not the same jebu had not yet woken for the day but there were Signs of Life faint flickers of light from cooking fires the rhythmic pounding of grain against Stone
the soft hum of morning prayers Toby hesitated would they welcome him would Cy as he took another step forward a voice cut through the silence you shouldn’t be here Toby turned sharply standing a few feet away was Baba daryon The Village Elder his dark eyes held no warmth only fear Toby opened his mouth to speak but Baba Darren raised a hand I know what you are now Toby’s breath caught in his throat you you saw Baba dyen nodded solemnly the ocean does not give back what it takes his gaze drifted to Toby’s damp skin to the way the water clung to
him unnaturally you are not one of us anymore the words cut deep Toby clenched his fists I’m still Me baba dyren took a step back are you Toby felt the ocean stir behind him as if it too was waiting for his answer the village began to wake doors creaked open voices carried in the air and before long people started to gather then a single voice Rose above the murmurs Toby his heart nearly stopped kemy she stood at the edge of the crowd her eyes wide with disbelief her braids were loose from sleep and her hands trembled as she
stepped forward for a moment time seemed to freeze Toby saw the confusion in her eyes the hope the fear then in a voice barely above a whisper she asked you came back Toby took a shaky breath I had to kemy swallowed hard what what happened to you the villagers leaned in listening Toby knew the truth would frighten them but he couldn’t lie I became something else he admitted the ocean changed me a gasp rippled through the crowd Baba dyren shook his head I warned you he said to Camy he is not one of us anymore he belongs to the Sea km’s
expression crumbled no she turned back to Toby shaking her head you said you’d come back you said Toby stepped forward but the villagers flinched as if he were some creature instead of a man KY didn’t move Toby’s voice was quiet I’m still me kemy her eyes searched his and for a moment just a moment she believed then from somewhere in the village a voice shouted demon and the first stone was thrown the stone struck Toby’s shoulder sending a dull ache through his body he barely flinched it wasn’t the pain that hurt it
was who had thrown it not a warrior not an elder a young boy a child no older than 10 with Terror in his wide eyes stay back the boy screamed his small hands shaking as he reached for another rock you’re not human you should have stayed in the ocean murmur of fear and anger rippled through the crowd more villagers reached for Stones sticks anything to drive him away Toby’s chest tightened they had already decided he was no longer one of them km’s face Twisted in shock stop it she cried throwing herself in front of him
arms sprad spread wide he’s not a demon Baba Darren’s voice rang out kemy move away from him she turned to face the Elder desperation in her eyes he’s still Toby the Elder’s face was Grim no child he is something else now Toby swallowed hard I came back to help the Villager stepped back some clutch charms Whispering prayers of protection others kept their eyes on the water as if the ocean itself might rise up and take them next Baba Darren exhaled then prove it Toby’s heart pounded how the Elder pointed to the
Horizon the ocean was calm now but something lingered beneath the surface you say you are here to help Baba Darren said then face the darkness that comes from the Deep Toby frowned what Darkness a fisherman stepped forward his face pale something is coming he whispered the sea has been Restless since last night the fish are gone the wind is wrong the ocean it is watching Toby felt the tide pull at his skin he knew the fisherman was right something was stirring beneath the waves something old Toby turned back toward the water his senses
heightened the ocean spoke to him now in ways he was still learning to understand and it was whispering of danger his veins pulsed as he reached out feeling the shift in the currents something was rising and it was not alone a chill ran down his spine get everyone away from the shore he murmured Baba dyens frowned deepened why Toby’s voice was Grim because something is coming a sudden Roar shook the waves the villagers gasped as the water began to churn the ocean was no longer still it boiled the waves Rising higher
and higher too fast too unnatural then from the depths a figure emerged Toby’s breath caught in his throat it was not a mermaid it was something worse a being of the deep its body covered in Black glistening scales its eyes glowed like molten gold burning with ancient rage Tentacles rippled from its arms and its mouth asterisk asterisk Jagged sharp too wide to be human asterisk asterisk curved into a smile Toby had never seen it before but he knew it the ocean had shown him this creature in his vision it had been waiting and now it had come for
him the creature tilted its head its glowing gaze fixed on Toby you should not have come back it said the villagers screamed some ran others stood Frozen in Terror kemy grabbed Toby’s arm what is that Toby’s voice was tight something that shouldn’t exist the creature let out a slow rattling chuckle you were the ocean’s gift but you do not understand its cost Toby clenched his fists who are you the being smile widened I am what the ocean left behind and then it attacked the creature lunged Toby barely had time to move
before a whip-like tentacle lashed toward him cutting through the air with terrifying speed he Dove to the side the attack missing him by inches but the force of it sent sand exploding into the air screams erupted from the villagers some ran others stumbled backward their eyes wide with Terror kemy get back Toby shouted but kemy didn’t move she stood Frozen staring at the monster with a look of disbelief what what is that the creature let out a slow chilling laugh she does not know its Voice slithered through the air deep and
unnatural poor child you have lived beside the ocean your whole life and still you do not know its Secrets Toby positioned himself between kemi and the Beast his pulse pounded in his ears he could feel the ocean calling to him the water churned behind him waiting the creature grinned revealing rows of needle sharp teeth you are the ocean’s Guardian now it sneered but do you even know what you are guarding against Toby’s jaw clenched he didn’t have time for riddles leave this place he warned now the creature’s laughter grew
louder or what you think you can fight me Little Guardian Toby’s fists clenched the ocean had given him power but he had never fought some like this before still he had no choice he had to protect the village even if the village no longer wanted him the villagers watched in horror as the creature lashed out again Toby dodged barely avoiding the blow but this time he felt something shift inside him the ocean stirred a wave crashed behind him the water surging forward as if answering his call Toby’s eyes WI widened the ocean is mine
to command he took a deep breath and stretched out his hand for a moment nothing happened then the water moved a massive wave shot forward from behind him crashing toward the creature with unstoppable Force the Beast let out a furious Roar as it was knocked back into the sea Vanishing beneath the surface the villagers gasped Toby’s chest Rose and fell with heavy breaths he did it but then the water began to boil K’s grip tightened on his arm Toby the ocean split open and the creature rose again it was angrier now
and this time it wasn’t alone dark shapes Rose from the depths more creatures more beings from the abyss they had been waiting watching and now they had come Toby’s stomach turned to ice there were too many The Village could not fight them all he had to end this now the ocean whispered in his mind urging him to act but how Toby gritted his teeth there was only one way he had to go deeper he turned to kemy his voice urgent take the villagers get them as far from the shore as you can she shook her head no I won’t
leave you you have to he insisted trust me kemy hesitated then nodded as she ran to gather the villagers Toby turned to the creatures and then he stepped into the sea the water welcomed him and the depths pulled him under the moment Toby stepped into the ocean the water claimed him it wrapped around his body pulling him down faster than any natural current should he didn’t resist he couldn’t because something inside him had already changed he didn’t struggle for air he didn’t need to the deeper he sank the clearer his vision became the darkness
of the Abyss should have swallowed him whole but instead he could see strange glowing creatures slithered past him their form shifting in and out of focus the water wasn’t cold anymore it was alive and it was waiting for him a shape loomed ahead Toby’s breath caught it was not a natural formation a massive structure sat at the bottom of the sea covered in Coral Barnacles and twisting seaweed it looked like an ancient Temple but older than anything humans had ever ever built and at the entrance they were waiting the creatures from the surface
stood in a circle their glowing eyes fixed on him but they were not alone more beings taller stronger covered in armor made of shells and Bone emerged from the Temple’s entrance their bodies moved unnaturally shifting between solid and liquid their limbs flowing like water one moment and hardening like Stone the next at the center of them all stood the first creature the one who had attacked jebu it smiled you came it whispered its voice curling through the water like smoke Toby clenched his fists I didn’t come to
talk he said the creature chuckled oh but you should listen because you are one of us now Toby’s heart pounded I am nothing like you the creature stepped forward then why did the ocean bring you here Toby hesitated and for the first time since stepping into the sea fear crept into his heart the water around Toby hummed with energy the creatures began to Circle him their bodies moving like shifting shadows in the dim light you don’t know what you are do you the leader mused the ocean touched you marked you and yet you still think like a land
Walker Toby’s fists clenched I am human human the creature laughed you were Toby’s breath came faster no he refused to believe it but deep down he knew something was wrong the way the water obeyed him the way his skin never truly dried the way the ocean had called him back refusing to let him go the leader watched him carefully there is no escaping what you are becoming it whispered Toby shook his head I am not one of you the creature smile widened not yet then they attacked the first strike came from behind a tentacle
lashed out aiming for Toby’s ribs he twisted barely dodging but another clawed hand came from the side striking him hard the force sent him tumbling through the water but he didn’t sink instead dead the ocean caught him Toby’s eyes widened the water itself slowed his fall pushing him upright stabilizing him it was helping him a surge of power flooded through his limbs Toby didn’t question it he moved the creatures came at him all at once Toby dodged the first then punched forward but this time the water followed his strike a shock wave rippled
through through the sea slamming into his attacker and sending it flying back the others hesitated Toby’s heart pounded he could fight them no he could win the ocean was his weapon and he was ready to use it Toby’s body moved like water fluid yet Unstoppable he had never fought like this before the ocean responded to his every movement pushing him forward pulling him back shielding him from attacks it was no longer just a battlefield it was a part of him the creatures lunged but Toby was faster one came from above its claws
extended Toby Spun calling the currents a sudden blast of water shot upward striking the creature midair and flinging it into the temple walls the impact cracked Stone the others hesitated but the leader the one with glowing eyes merely watched Toby turned toward it his fists clenched you said I was becoming one of you he growled what does that mean the creature grinned you already know Toby’s pulse pounded no it wasn’t true but why hadn’t he needed to breathe why did the water obey him so easily why did the ocean feel like home
the leader tilted its head the ocean does not give power for free it whispered it changes those who belong to it Toby shook his head I don’t belong to the ocean the leaders grin widened then why do you hear its voice Toby staggered back because he did hear it even now beneath the waves the ocean whispered to him calling urging changing and for the first time Toby was afraid the creature surrounded him again but this time Toby’s mind was spinning he wasn’t just fighting them he was fighting himself the leader watched him struggle
you are standing at the edge it murmured you can still choose but soon the choice will no longer be yours Toby clenched his fists I will never become one of you the leader chuckled then why are you still here Toby’s breath caught the truth hit him like a wave why hadn’t he swam back up why hadn’t he run why did the ocean feel like his home more than the village ever did he was no longer fighting to escape he was fighting to belong a deep Rumble shook the sea floor the temple walls groaned the ocean itself was Shifting
The Leader smile faded it looked upward eyes narrowing it seems you are not the only one being judged today Toby frowned what do you mean then a voice ancient and vast filled the waters Guardian you have come the other creatures bowed Toby’s breath hitched a shadow moved above him something colossal was descending from the depths something greater than all of them the leader turned back to him you are about to meet the one who decides Toby’s chest tightened this wasn’t just a fight anymore this was the ocean’s judgment
Toby stared upward his heart hammering the shadow in the water was growing larger a figure vast ancient terrifi inly powerful descended from the depths the pressure in the water shifted the creatures around him bowed their heads silent even the leader who had taunted him moments ago lowered itself in respect and then a voice so deep it shook the water itself spoke again Guardian do you know what you are Toby tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come because he didn’t know his fists clenched I am Toby he forced out I’m
just a man the ocean rumbled no not anymore Toby’s breath came faster then what am I the being moved closer for the first time Toby saw its face it was not a mermaid not a monster it was something older its body shifted like the waves flowing between solid and liquid its eyes were endless like the Deep itself and when it spoke Toby felt the tide move inside him you are the ocean’s air Toby froze no he whispered The Voice did not waver you carry its blood its power its memory Toby’s hands trembled that’s not possible the being’s
gaze darkened then why do you hear the call Toby swallowed hard because he did hear it and for the first time he could not deny it the ocean churned around him Toby wanted to run wanted to deny everything but deep inside he already knew the truth his mother had always told him stories about the sea about the ancestors about the ones who walked the shore but belong to the water he had never believed them until now his hands curled into fists if I’m really what you say then why don’t I remember the being’s gaze
darkened because the ocean does not give without taking Toby staggered back memories ones he didn’t recognize flashed through his mind a temple beneath the waves a storm that drowned a kingdom a child Carried Away by the tide never seen again Toby’s breathing came fast and shallow that’s not me he whispered that’s it is you the oceans whisper curled around him and for the first time Toby realized he had never truly belonged to the land because his blood had always belonged to the Sea Toby’s chest Rose and fell in Rapid
uneven breaths he was was n just any man he wasn’t just a contractor who had come to jebu for work he was something else something older something connected to the tide itself the massive being before him this entity that even the creatures feared had called him the ocean’s air Toby shook his head no no this isn’t possible the being’s glowing eyes did not blink the ocean does not lie to Toby his name spoken by a voice so vast so ancient made the water tremble you are saying I belong here Toby’s voice cracked I don’t
I was born on land I grew up on land my mother he stopped a memory faint fragile his mother sitting by the river her voice soft as she told him stories of the Sea of the Lost Children of the ones the tide called back the ones who had been taken Toby’s hands clenched into fists no he whispered I was never taken I the being’s eyes glowed brighter you were given Toby froze the weight of those words hit him like a crashing wave his mother’s warnings the way she had always feared the sea the way she had whispered prayers When the tide Rose too high she
had always known she had always known Toby’s breathing was ragged the being stepped forward the water around them stirred the ocean never forgets its own Toby’s Vision blurred what had she done what had she been running from Toby’s hands trembled tell me everything everything he demanded the being tilted its head are you ready to know Toby’s jaw clenched I have to the ocean shifted then the voice spoke once long ago there was a woman who loved a man of the shore but she was not of the land she was of the sea a daughter of the
tide Toby’s heartbeat stopped The Voice continu continued she abandoned the water she ran she bore a child half of the land half of the sea but the ocean does not forget its own Toby’s fingers dug into his palms it came for her it came for the child the water stirred but the mother begged she made a bargain the ocean would not take the child not until the time was right right Toby’s knees felt weak no no this couldn’t be the voice rumbled you were never meant to stay on land Toby you were only borrowed and now the tide has come to
claim you Toby’s mind was spinning he wanted to deny it but the truth was clear his mother had not been afraid of the sea because of superstition she had been been afraid because it had been waiting for him and now it had come to take him back Toby’s fists shook no he wouldn’t Just Surrender I am not a prisoner he said his voice was steady but his heart was pounding if the ocean wants me it will have to take me by force the great being regarded him then it smiled you misunderstand Toby frowned what the ocean is not here to
take you it is here to see what you will choose the words sent a chill through him you mean his throat felt dry I have a choice the being nodded become what you were meant to be or return to the land and deny your blood but know this if you turn away now the ocean will never call you again Toby felt the weight of those words the truth was no longer a secret he was born of the sea it would always be inside him but could he turn his back on everything he had known could he deny what he was the water around him hummed
with energy the choice was his and the full moon was Rising Toby’s mind swirled like the ocean current a choice the ocean was giving him a choice but was it really a choice at all if he stayed he would become something more than human if he left he would turn his back on everything written in his blood his heart pounded I don’t understand he muttered why now why not sooner the ancient being regarded him with those endless glowing eyes because the ocean does not take before its time Toby’s hands trembled time for what he asked the water stirred
for you to remember then the ocean opened his mind A Rush of images Toby’s Vision blurred he was no longer in the temple no longer in the present he was somewhere else long ago a storm raged Over the Sea lightning flashed Illuminating towering waves the ocean churned violently thrashing against the shores of a forgotten Kingdom and in the water a child drifting alone Toby’s breath caught it was him he saw his tiny hands reaching out his lungs burning as he tried to scream but instead of drowning the ocean carried him gentle
waves wrapped around him like arms lifting him instead of pulling him under the storm roared the tide claimed him and then a whisper a voice from the depths you will return when it is time the vision shattered Toby gasped his body jerking as he was pulled back into the present he was still in the temple still surrounded by creatures of the sea Still Standing before the being that called itself the ocean’s will but now now he knew the truth the ocean had never been his enemy it had been waiting for him Toby’s breathing was
uneven he looked down at his hands they were shaking the water around him felt different now it wasn’t just a body of liquid it wasn’t just something that carried life it was alive it had carried him it had protected him it had waited for him to return Toby lifted his gaze to the massive being before him you knew all along he murmured the being nodded you were never lost only waiting to be found Toby swallowed hard he had spent his entire life believing he was ordinary that he was just a man but now now he wasn’t sure who or what he really
was the water hummed the creatures around him waited the oceans will gaze down at him patient and eternal Toby’s heart pounded the choice was before him stay and become what he was meant to be or leave and never hear the ocean’s voice again he closed his eyes he thought of his mother the sacrifices she had made the fear she had carried she had bargained for his life but had she ever truly believed he could escape the ocean’s call Toby opened his eyes and he spoke the ocean waited the creatures around Toby held their breath even the
ancient being the oceans will stood silent patient Toby inhaled deeply the choice was his and for the first time he knew what he had to do his mother had made a bargain to keep him away from the sea but he was never meant to escape it he had always belonged to the water Toby lifted his chin and faced the great being I accept he said I will take my place the water shuddered a deep hum echoed through the ocean floor a sound so ancient that it made the very Temple tremble the creatures bowed the oceans will regarded him for a long
moment then nodded then the sea welcomes its air and just like that the transformation began a strange warmth spread through Toby’s chest the water around him glowed he felt light his veins pulsed with something powerful something endless the ocean was not just a place it was not just a force it was alive and now Toby was a part of it he gasped as his senses expanded he could feel the waves far beyond the temple he could hear The Whispers of the deep he could sense every living thing in the ocean from the smallest fish to
the mightiest sea beasts Toby’s fingers trembled as he looked down at his hands the skin was still his but now it shimmered with an iridescent glow his lungs filled not with air but with breath that belonged to the water itself he was no longer just a man he was both land and sea he was the ocean Heir the oceans will watched him carefully you have accepted your truth it rumbled but now you must prove your worth Toby tensed how the water around them darkened and then a roar echoed through the depths a shadow moved Toby turned
sharply his new senses tingling with warning something massive was approaching and then it emerged a colossal Sea Beast its body was covered in dark Jagged scales its eyes glowed with Fury Toby recognized it instantly it was the guardian of the deep the one who had hunted him before the one who did not believe he belonged here the oceans will spoke this Beast has watched over the ocean for centuries it does not recognize you if you wish to remain you must prove yourself to it Toby clenched his fists he would not
back down he had spent his entire life running from the truth now he would face it headon the Sea Beast lunged Toby moved instinctively For the First Time The Water did not resist him it moved with him he dodged just in time twisting through the currents like he had been born to do it the Beast roared and turned its massive tail sending shock waves through the ocean Toby’s heart pounded he had to end this not with brute strength but with understanding this creature was not just attacking him it was testing him Toby extended his
hands and let the ocean’s energy flow through him his voice was steady I am not your enemy he called I am one of you the Beast snarled it charged again and this time Toby met it head on their energies collided a deep rumbling sound filled the ocean and then the Beast stopped its glowing eyes locked onto his it saw him now not as an intruder not as a land dweller but as one of its own the creature let out a deep growl and then it bowed its massive head Toby released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding the oceans will
spoke once more you have proven yourself the water brightened you are no longer just a child of the land you are now a guardian of the deep Toby’s heart swelled he had done it he had embraced his Destiny the ocean was his home now but there was one last thing he had to do Toby looked upward toward the surface the oceans will understood you wish to say goodbye Toby nodded to the people who cared for me the ancient being smiled then go the ocean will always be here when you return Toby Rose through the water he broke through the surface
as the full moon Shone down upon the waves and standing on the shore waiting was kept her eyes widened as she saw him Toby walked toward her the water dripping from his skin you came back she whispered he smiled I had to she hesitated are you still You Toby reached out took her hand I am he said but I am also more K’s eyes filled with tears I Thought I Lost You Toby shook his head you never did she squeezed his fingers what happens now she asked Toby looked back at the waves the ocean was waiting I belong to the Sea now he admitted but I will never
forget the land or the people I love KY exhaled shakily then promise me something anything she met his gaze promise me you’ll never disappear again Toby smiled I promise the ocean roared behind him the tide called to him but now Toby knew he would never be lost again because the ocean was not his prison it was his home and he had finally found where he belonged
