"Riana…?" Lawkey muttered, his eyes still adjusting to mystical waters flowing all around him.

In front of him, the translucent figure hovering under a new glistening moonlight slowly approached him with open arms.

"Should I be glad you could recognize me in this form?"

The turquoise-haired siren, nay, Nimue, giggled as she phased closer through the water and tightly embraced Lawkey in a hug.

"!"

Taken aback, Lawkey's arms shook in hesitation. The scene almost felt like a dream, one that he would never experience even when he sleeps. The curse's nightmares would never allow it.

Which only meant…

"You… you're real…!" He proclaimed, letting go of his sword first, then embraced Riana back, pushing her closer to him.

"Silly, what else would I be?" Riana chuckled, noticing his shivering lips holding back tears.

For a moment, neither of them chose to let go of the other, ignoring everything around them. Then, a pressing thought popped into Lawkey's mind.

"Sana!" He let go of the evolved siren, only to hold her by the shoulders. "What about-"

"She's okay." The ethereal voice of Nimue interrupted, bringing with it a sudden sense of relief.

"I… I thought she was dead." Lawkey muttered, lowering his gaze. "I thought you were dead…"

"..." Riana took Lawkey's arms down and gently let go of them as she swam back.

"!"

Her translucent figure moved with elegance and grace as her arms and torso flowed through the waves, dancing amongst the sea creatures gathering around her. The light blue liquidy crown above her head shined with different reflections as she moved, as if commanding the waters to obey.

It was then that Lawkey finally noticed his current situation for what it is. He could see the blurry images of Sweet Scylla far beneath him, while waters and waves flowed around him.

All the fatigue and pain he had felt just moments ago from his recent battle were now completely gone. With the mystical waters enveloping him came a rush of rejuvenation that gave his nerves newfound strength.

I can even breathe and talk without that scallop… He realized. What is going on?

Just then, Riana guided a few fishes to the side with a slow wave of her arm, then turned back to the stunned swordsman with a smile.

Having given him a moment to find his bearings, she began to approach again.

"After the bubble exploded, we experienced something unexplainable."

"!" Lawkey widened his eyes slightly, seeing Riana's bottom half be one with water. "Did you reach ascension?"

"Ascension…" The translucent Nimue repeated with a voice that rippled across the waves. "No, this is different. My sister, Rania, always believed that Sana was a special girl."

"?" Lawkey moved his head, trying to follow the new lady of the lake's movements as she slowly swam around him as if dancing.

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"The truth is… My sister, the Golden Garden Guild, the Undine Clan… None of them knew the real potential Sana held."

As she explained while moving around him, she would occasionally extend her hand to touch his cheek or shoulder. It made Lawkey narrow his eyes slightly.

"The girl was far more special than any one of them could have ever known." Once again, Riana's form came to hover in front of Lawkey, showing off her stunning and majestic figure. "It was thanks to her that I have now become a monarch of the seas, a lady of the lake and sea, a Nimue."

"How…? A monarch of the seas?" Lawkey asked, his brows knitting in confusion. "Is she really alive? What exactly happened to you two?"

"..." Waves swarmed around the new queen of the seas, each movement speeding up the flow of the waters all around. "You don't have to worry anymore."

"!"

The bubble of water around Lawkey suddenly expanded manyfolds, bringing many different sea creatures to reside and swim around them. For a moment, even he had believed he was underwater again, deep beneath the ground.

"?!"

Then, in an instant, the water around him manifested into Nimue, into Riana's new translucent figure. He hadn't even noticed it disappear into the surroundings.

"You don't have to worry about us, about this clan, anymore." She spoke softly as her arms wrapped around his neck from behind, having finished demonstrating her point. "Sana isn't dead. She has moved on to another plane where she can reach her true potential. When the time is right, she will be back."

"That sounds awfully close to dying, tell me what really happened!" Ignoring the demonstration, Lawkey focused on his point, turning around to face the evolved siren face to face.

"I told you earlier, it is unexplainable." Riana's lips curled up into a smile. "What matters is that everyone is safe, that the clan no longer needs protecting… That you can move on."

"!"

As if to demonstrate her point once more, she allowed the outside noise to come through for an instance.

The shouts of victory coming from the merfolk far below them told Lawkey all he needed to know about the situation.

If the sirens and tritons work together to protect the clan, that was a step in the right direction. However, having an ascended, or perhaps something far beyond that stage, A Nimue on their side, the Undine Clan would surely be safe from any and all external threats.

Riana assured him that the little girl was safe somewhere else, even if he couldn't understand it. Somehow, everything that had plagued his heart and consciousness suddenly vanished.

Perhaps his involvement had been the right thing after all. Maybe taking action to defend and help the Undine Clan wasn't so bad a choice after all.

Everyone was safe, and Riana had gained unfathomable strength far beyond his own.

And yet…

Why… why do I still feel like something doesn't add up here… He unknowingly gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Can I see her? Go to her?"

"No." Riana responded softly, but made no further attempts to explain.

Lawkey narrowed his eyes. Ever since he met her again, Riana hadn't quite seemed like her past self. Something about her had clearly changed, but he knew one thing for certain.

She wouldn't lie to him about Sana's fate, nor would she be acting so joyous if Sana was truly gone.

"Riana… what's going to happen now?"

"The Golden Garden Guild will likely stop their attempts to take over the Undine Clan, or try again, only to fail." The lady of the lake and sea slowly moved forward, her figure flowing through the waves.

"I meant…" Lawkey paused, holding back his thoughts. "What's going to happen to you?"

"..."

For the first time, Riana's body jolted to a halt when she heard the words. Then, she continued her gentle swaying as she approached the cursed human.

"I have gained the knowledge and power of the sea… With this position, I have a duty, a responsibility to uphold now. Soon, I will become one with the waves, see everything through the waters, feel everything through the gentle tides…"

"Is that why… you're…" Lawkey tried to point it out, but the words got stuck in his throat.

To both of them, the situation had become clear without words. Riana's form was becoming more and more translucent, as if merging with the water.

"You have a long journey ahead of you." As she reached him, Riana held his face in her still present hands.

Her soft, liquidy touch should have felt cold and yet, it warmed Lawkey's body like a hot runestone after a winter bath.

"Tell me you can go back…" He muttered, resting his forehead on hers.

"I told you, you don't have to worry about us anymore." She tightened her grip on his cheeks. "Promise me."

"!"

There it was, that accursed word again.

"Promise me you will move on, that you will continue to be you, no matter what the curse puts you through…" She paused for a moment, hesitating to move an inch closer. "Promise me that you will not dwell on the past, that you will seek your own happiness, that you will not lose your smile…"

"Riana… tell me what I can do to help. Whatever it is, as long as you two go back to-"

"There is no time…" She cut him off, her form backing away from him as it rose up. A slight wince appeared on her lips as she began to mutter softly. "Perhaps in another life, I could have… We could have…"

"No…!" As her arms left his face, he tried to reach up towards her to no avail, the moment immediately reminding him of a similar situation from the past.

And just like back then, his heart shattered.

"Don't go!" He shouted after her disappearing figure.

"I will be watching…" She muttered with her ethereal voice as the crown on her head and the last of her form faded into the waters around, leaving nothing but a trace of a smile. "Your long journey to break this curse."

"Riana!"

"Remember, death can be a part of life too, not the end of it."

"Dammit! Come back!"

Plead as he could, he knew nothing could change the current situation anymore.

They were gone, far beyond his reach. His involvement had resulted in this outcome.

And now, once again, he had lost the ones he cared about.

Wherever there was war, death and chaos, there was a Hyking.

That was the millennial curse, the very one plaguing him and repeatedly took away everyone he loved.

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