“Back to mock or to kill?” The figure hovered in the water on the other side of the glass wall, her hair was hidden by a cloak.

Sera saw her eyes dart across her clothes, they widened when they saw her eyes and stopped when they saw her hand.

“You’re not part of those who kidnapped be, a thief or an explorer perhaps then?,” She stopped talking when she noticed Sera was still frozen in surprise, “Or someone else entirely, who are you?”

The figure clothed in white and red drifted down towards the slate bed and only then did Sera realise she was expecting a response.

“I’m Sera, I’m a pati-” She closed her mouth like a fish before trying again, “I’m… lost in this place.”

“Lost?” Her tone asked if Sera was serious.

“Ye-” Before Sera was able to finish the word, a voice nearly blew her off her feet.

The figure froze for a moment before her chest rose.

“How can you be lost here? You cannot come anywhere near The Ancient Temple without months of preparation, even when I was kidnapped here the path was a maze.” The trapped woman tensed before speaking again, enunciating each word.

“So. Who. Are. You.”

Despite not being the one imprisoned Sera could feel the walls begin to press down on her, as if she was the one trapped in the cell.

“I…” Memories of running through endless halls, strapped to a chair and forced to listen to teachers for what felt like hours and therapy that would never end, what did it amount to?

“I don’t know who I am, except for my name. I am Sera.”

As Sera spoke she stopped facing the ground and began to look at the white and red figure again.

“I am Loretta… Aquo.” Her figure changed somehow, but Sera couldn’t tell how.

“So tell me Sera, how do you not know who you are if you found your way through the temple to me.” Loretta continued with a grace that she had hidden before.

“Your clothes for one tell me that you are either lying or have stolen the academy’s gear, so Sera. Will you tell me who you are?”

The question seemed to hang in the air but on the inside Sera was struggling.

“I-” At that moment Sera thought she could lie to the prisoner, as she had done to those who had confined her but… Loretta was almost in the same position she had been in for years, if anyone knew Sera’s past and placed her here the outcome would be predictable if not certain.

“I’ve been sent to this world by Amet, I don’t know who this person I’m living inside is, I don’t know where I am, and I don’t know who you are.” Sera walked to the opposite side of the glass where Loretta was sitting.

“But I need help and answers. Do you believe me?”

At that moment Sera felt a weight fall off her shoulders and the room returned to being just that, four iron walls with a piece of glass in the middle of it.

Loretta’s hood fell back as she pushed off the slate bed.

“I do,” Sera felt her shoulders relax, but then Loretta continued talking, “Not because of your story, but out of necessity.”

“Sera if what your saying is true and a god did send you to this world then another calamity is coming to Temporous.”

“And worse, I’m in the middle of it.”

Her gills on her neck shivered before she looked at Sera’s hand.

“I’m Loretta Aquo, princess of the Aquo kingdom. Sera the people who brought me here were in haste, they didn’t have the time as we do. Do you follow?” Loretta brought out a pouch from the inside of her outfit.

Sera felt dizzy and almost fainted at the words, almost lightheaded before turning around and diving for the water.

“W-wait,”

Ignoring the princess’ words she met the water just as her headache met it's peak, her body sloshed in the water almost headbutting the wall before her hands caught her.

Her mind was on fight and flight mode before she realised the entire time she was holding her breath.

Feeling embarrassed her face flushed as Sera felt more like an idiot by the second, “Sorry.”

Pushing herself out of the water the princess looked shocked, but Sera quickly spotted her lip turned up and quivering, feeling embarrassed again she tried to shrug it off but failed.

“I do follow Loret-Princess. What should I do?” Unable to feel any more self-conscious Sera pretended to look at the gold coins in the corner of the room.

Clearing her throat she began with the same grace she held before, but this time her attitude towards Sera was softer “First I’ll explain what Temporous is and where you are, then why I’m trapped here instead of getting married and lastly-”

Loretta brought out a red stone with two black beads in the middle of it, as she did an interface appeared above the stones.

PID Interface

Recipe repair module (½)

As Sera read the invisible text Loretta caught her eyes moving and her arm grip the stone.

“Or perhaps we should start with the artefact? Go towards the coins.” As Loretta moved towards the coins the menu disappeared, Sera followed delayed.

As she got close again the menu didn’t appear, but Sera didn’t need it.

“You might be wondering why there are coins here, I tried to bribe the assassins that brought me here, but they didn’t even touch the coins I left.”

Loretta put the artefact back inside the pouch before putting the pouch close to the glass wall, her gills opened wide for a moment before her arm began pushing again the wall.

The entire wall began pulsing as if it were alive Sera nearly jumped back, but Loretta kept pushing, her arm began glowing but violently, almost uncontrollably.

Sera stared enthralled, unaware that her oxygen was nearly out as well.

She began shoving with both arms her whole body shaking as her arms began leaking red, then a low-pitched scream came from her threatening to break both of their eardrums but not before it was through the barrier.

Then it happened.

The bag almost began to burn, but the water kept it from combusting, then with a final shove it catapulted into the pile of coins.

“Are yo-” Her voice broke again, and before she knew it her feet were already directing her to the water elevator.

“Don’t… worry.” Loretta’s voice came from behind her, Sera nearly stopped but the second her hand touched the water she couldn’t help but meet it’s embrace.

“I knew I should’ve done this part last, but I couldn’t help myself when I saw your eyes moved above the artefact, you can see beyond… like the legends say.” Loretta’s gills pushed out dark water as her body trembled.

“It’s the PID, and it can help you escape… soon.” Sera looked at the barrier but saw no interface, she would find a way.

Loretta chuckled, looking more mature than before, now that Sera looked closely her face looked mystical. Like a mermaid her skin was flawlessly white and her hair was red, matching her clothes.

“Maybe Sera, but what I said about time doesn’t mean that time is endless, just that we have a bit more of it. Now, about Temporous…”

As Sera listened she learned about this world’s past from the perspective of the nerieads, which was the race she was now from.

Apparently they were chased from their original aquatic world by a race of the concealed, their name is all that’s remembered from their enemies as the very mention of them gave nightmares to all who had witnessed them.

In their escape they were given passage from their realm to Temporous which was less than 1000 years old at the time, since then they had split into three kingdoms.

The Aquo kingdom, the first aquatic kingdom which used to be the largest until recently. Nerieads had all gathered in the Aquo kingdom but as time passed they moved to other kingdoms or had fled to the unconquered deeper seas. The royal family has governed over the Aquo kingdom since the first civil war between the nobles.

The Depth kingdom, an amalgamation of multiple tribes which had left the Aquo kingdom in search of better lands, instead found bloodshed and a much crueller reality. The Depth kingdom has many mysteries which even Loretta is unaware of, it’s currently governed by Narkissa Depth.

And lastly the cursed kingdom, their kingdom’s real name was the Iconoclasts which means destroyer of the old traditions to find new ones. However, they had all died off due to the curse, which caused their offspring to have… defects. The lived nearby the Ancient techs and tried utilising the technology, however as time passed they grew sickly and ill, eventually leading to the Iconoclasts collapse and the remaining Iconoclasts to be hunted down.

“The reason why I’m trapped here is… unknown to be honest.” Loretta finished her long explanation on a sad note.

“You don’t know why?” Sera lay immobile in the water elevator, as she spoke her voice quivered unnaturally.

“I have a few ideas, but marrying into the Depth kingdom should put my father’s Kingdom, the Aquo’s and the Depth’s at peace.”

“...” Sera opened her PID Interface.

PID Interface

Database:

Aquo Kingdom:

The Aquo kingdom, the first aquatic kingdom which... [Expand]

Depth Kingdom:

The Depth kingdom, an amalgamation of…[Expand]

But only found what she had heard was recorded in the database section.

“Loretta… Then what should I do?” Out of idea’s Sera asked the princess but got a different answer than she expected.

“Tell my father or brother that I am trapped here, though without the artefact the kidnappers had they won’t be able to break through this barrier,” Loretta stopped for a moment, thinking of something before continuing.

“You should also tell them that I can survive her for one year maximum before I’ll starve, hibernating and rationing what little the kidnappers gave will be… enough.” Loretta began to lie down on the slate bed.

“Good luck Sera, if you don’t have any questions please leave soon. I need silence to fall into the deep sleep needed to hibernate.”

Feeling a bit guilty that the princess had done so much to help her she left the water elevator and walked over to the gold coins and the forgotten pouch.

“Thank you princess.” Sera began pilling the coins into the small pouch before walking back to the elevator.

“Call me Loretta… and Sera,” Sera turned back to Loretta, “You have a pack on your back as well.”

“Thank you-” Sera thanked her before Loretta interrupted her.

“Don’t let me stop you.”

Walking into the water elevator, she gave a small wave to the prone princess before pressing her finger in the air and flashing away.

“If…” Loretta began as the last bubbles escorting Sera left, “Amet’s involved, how many other gods are as well?”