Fear. Anger. Guilt.

These emotions rage war inside of Y/N as she sees her mother in the grip of the monster.

Fear for her mother's life. Anger at her ocean curse. Guilt over the pain dealt out because of her.

"Let her go," Y/N says with newfound resolve, rising to her feet.

"They kept you from me," the creature spits, "And now, they must pay."

His pointed fingers begin to dig into her mother's throat, causing the woman to splutter and gasp.

Y/N gives out a panicked cry, but he ignores her, bent on exacting revenge.

Desperation fills Y/N, and before her survival instincts can stop her, she throws herself off the stairs.

Her ears ring from the shock of the jump as she hits the water. The flood cushions her fall, but she still hits the hallway floor with a thud. Her shoulder groans with the impact.

Grimacing, she surfaces, and finds herself face to face with the merman.

He is even more stunning up close, so otherworldly is the being before her. It is terrifying.

Toned arms grip hers, black eyes smouldering. She isn't getting away this time.

Y/N lowers her gaze to peer over his shoulder, spotting the outline of her mother's feeble form hunched over the bottom of the stairs. The silhouette is taking shuddered breaths.

Y/N lets out a small breath of relief. Her plan of distraction had worked.

"If you leave my family alone," Y/N raises her chin to once more meet the sea monster's stare, "I will go with you."

"No, Y/N," her mother cries out, barely a whisper, "don't—"

"Let them go, and then I will be yours," Y/N bargains, her brave facade faltering when she is unable to stop her voice trembling any longer, "Please."

A single tear begins to roll down her cheek.

The merman tilts his head ever so slightly, then brings a hand up to Y/N's face. She flinches, expecting a blow. None comes.

She feels a gentle touch as he brushes aside the tear.

"It pains me to see your sorrow," he replies in that silken tone of his.

For a moment, she thinks she sees a gleam of sadness in his onyx eyes.

Then he blinks, and any hint of compassion disappears into a glare of jealousy.

"But I refuse to share you."

A sharp, needle-like spine embeds itself in Y/N's thigh. Faraway screams echo in her ears, and she barely realises they're her own before her vision fades to darkness.