Splash!

  A glint caught the attention of Shui Yi, the mermaid princess. She darted toward it, heart racing, but before she could reach it, the object shot past, embedding into the ocean floor. Thunk.

  She stared at the spear as bubbles rose. But before she could move, something crashed into her—a solid weight slamming into her arms, sending her tumbling. Her tail flailed in the water, struggling against the force. Heavy. Warm.

  Her fingers curled around the figure, anchoring it tightly. Her hands immediately went to work, patting his face. She squinted, surprised by the chiseled features before her. His high nose, full lips, and perfectly sculpted jawline. But his most striking feature was the lack of fins.

  Her brows furrowed as she felt along his waist. No tail... He's not a merfolk.

  Her heart skipped a beat as his shallow breaths faltered. Panic surged. He's struggling to breathe! Instincts took over, and she tried to help, unaware that more than air was flowing between them. The energy inside her—her very essence—seemed to flow into him, intertwining with his in an inexplicable connection. Her lips tingled with the contact, and a soft, ethereal glow enveloped them both. There was an invisible thread tugging at her heart, but she couldn't make sense of it.

  Then silver locks veiled her vision. What happened to my hair? Her hands trembled as she touched the unfamiliar strands of her hair. She couldn't hide it now. Her mind spiraled into chaos. This wasn't just an accident—it was a catastrophe.

  "What did I do?" she whispered.

  Her eyes darted back to the unconscious stranger. His breath was shallow, his body still heavy, but his energy was starting to stabilize. His body seemed to hum with a gentle, healing energy—he was recovering quickly, but she had no idea why.

  Her heart clenched as her thoughts returned to her situation. Her father would find out. She couldn't let him see this—he'd banish her.

  Long Fei's eyes flickered open, his senses clouded. He could feel it—the pulse of a strange connection, the poison within him fading away. His lips still tingled; an unfamiliar warmth. The energy flowing through him differed from any magic he had ever encountered. He could feel her essence, her panic, her fear, intertwined with his confusion.

  He exhaled slowly, his body was sluggish. He'd never experienced anything like this before.

  He took in the mesmerizing woman before him—hair like woven moonlight cascaded to her waist. He quickly averted his eyes toward the ground, surprised to see her fishtail. They spoke at the same time, then immediately clamped their mouths shut.

  She clutched her head. Her father had a grudge against non-merfolks!

  "You can't stay. If my father sees you…"

  Stolen story; please report.

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. She didn't even realize what she'd done. He had received something precious from her. His body is slowly healing, he can feel it. Yet here she was, more worried about hiding him than the bond she unknowingly formed.

  He weakly smiled and concurred. "If it will ease your worries..." he murmured. The immortal's body pulsed with exuberance as his form began to shrink. The water around him rippled in shimmering light as he transformed into a sleek eel. A strange warmth lingered on his lips as he floated in the water, still processing what had just happened. This wasn't like any injury he had before...

  She gaped in disbelief. "You—what just happened?" Her voice trembled as she reached out, touching the now-squishy eel. What was this? How could he...?

  He watched with mild amusement as an eel. He gave her a nod, encouraging her to take him with her.

  "Did I accidentally curse you too?"

  The eel sighed and rested his eyes, falling into a deep slumber.

  Her fingers trembled as she held the eel close to her chest. She listened to his heartbeat to check that he was still alive. The gravity of the situation settled in—she needed to hide him.

  She frantically swam toward the palace, holding the eel to cover her face as she passed her people.

  Whispers spread like ripples in the ocean as Merfolks gasped and gossiped as they saw their princess dashing through the town.

  ***

  The mermaid princess paced back and forth in her coral bedroom chamber, her mind in a whirlwind of hysteria. Her hair—her beautiful and unmistakably white hair—was the one thing she couldn't hide. Her thoughts raced as she searched desperately for a solution, clutching her hair. Rumors would have reached her father by now, and he will demand answers.

  Her eyes flicked to the bedside, where the small eel lay. His breathing was getting better; he was recovering. She could sense his energy through the water. But she was still in a state of disarray. She couldn't ignore her dilemma, she should at least attempt to hide her hair.

  A garden of seaweed in her courtyard came to mind. She dove into the garden, frantically trying to braid seaweed to cover her silver hair but it slipped through her trembling fingers.

  ***

  In her frantic state, the mermaid struggled with a crab, its sharp pincers snipped at her hand. She yelped as it jabbed her, but Long Fei quickly flicked his tail, sending a gentle gust to blow the crab away. His golden eyes gleamed with silent amusement as he watched her struggle. Despite her chaotic disposition, he calmly closed his eyes and continued cultivating.

  ***

  Shui Yi thought it was serendipitous that the small critter tumbled away, but she could still feel the sting. Then, the current around her churned, magic swirling in the water as a warning that the trident was near. The blast of a trumpet echoed through the sea. No, not now. The King was coming—she didn't have any more time. Her heart pounded, but her hands worked faster, trying to fix her hair.

  The trumpet blast echoed like thunder, vibrating the water around her. It was too late—her father was already here. The waves surged as his presence loomed closer.

  "Shui Yi, open the door," her father's booming voice erupted the water. With a shaky breath, she reached for the door handle, her hands trembling as she braced herself for the impending storm.