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Time passes so fast and before I know it, the day to my engagement with Derek is just a night away.

The whole week had been so bizarre. Layla and I could barely make any eye contact. Everytime I looked at her, I felt more guilty than ever and something told me she did the same even if there wasn't any expression on her face that would indicate it.

Derek and I were in our own sulking net because technically none of us both want to get married to the other.

I had no idea why I was even going along with all of this. But what else am I supposed to do. . . .

Return back to Seagill? A good choice. But what of Layla then? Try to talk Layla out of the whole coronation thing? But for that the latter had to speak with her in the first place—the chances of it, by the way, were next to none.

Zander. . .

Well, I hadn't spoken to him at all and avoided him as much as possible the whole week again. He'd tried to speak to me on occasions but I'd fleed by answering one word answers.

It bought a fresh tinge to my heart whenever an expression of hurt would flash over his face. But I knew talking to him would just make everything more complicated than it already is.

Layla seemed to be distant lately. She didn't clinge around Zander as much and there were moments I'd find her staring into nothingness as if she's lost in her own mind while no one's paying attention.

The look on her face, the frozeness when she'd be like that was. . . .I don't know why it made me feel so uncomfortable. Something just didn't seem right when she was like that.

Getting back to present, I was in the gardens again roaming with Derek by my side.

"You found whatever you're looking for?" I asked conversationally.

Zander had tried to speak to me a lot of times and when I'd kept dodging it, he'd asked Derek to tell me that they were finding something and that's why he was with Layla. Once the thing was found, they'd leave the isle and everything behind and if Layla tried to strike, they'd bring demon war to her little isle.

I hadn't known how to react to it. Whether to feel relieved to get rid of here or somehow feel sad to leave Layla behind. I know she'd done some pretty bad things by killing innocents to take revenge from me but. . . .

She must've suffered so much for seven hundred years. Even if I don't know much about what happened to her, I knew enough about the slave established to deem it as a horrible place for anyone to be at.

If only someone could've located how the establishments were kept hidden so well, we could save so many people....

Derek shook his head snapping me out of my thoughts, "No. The thing we want is in a God territory. And it's really risky to go there uninvited after already being warned once and thrown out. There are chances the said God would capture us there forever as punishment. And trust me, I don't wish to be the permanent member of that territory."

"You speak as if you're going to the kingdom of the dead," I muse.

Derek gives a bland look to me before muttering under his breath, "You couldn't be more right."

I raise a brow in question before letting it go, "So what's the plan?"

"Same old, try try till you cry. Or probably find yourself signed dead, in my case." He grumbles before his eyes focus on me, "You should speak to Zander, you know. He's. . .well not himself recently. Just say a hello maybe?"

I stop on my steps, the familiar guilt eating at me. Dropping my gaze down, I let out a sigh, "I don't know what to tell him." I say honestly.

Derek stares letting me continue,

"Everytime I spend a moment with Zander, it feels like I'm betraying Layla. I know we're mates and we're supposed to be together and all that. But. . .She really loves him, Derek. I've noticed it from the very first day here. Trust me, Layla is not a bad person. Circumstances have just turned her into the way she is now. She's broken. She's needs someone who'd get her back from her shell. She needs someone strong to hold her when she shatters. I feel like if she gets back with Zander, maybe she'd. . ."

"Become better?" Derek asks and when I pass him a silent nod, he sighs and steps in front of my path facing me.

Gripping my shoulders, "You can't fix a broken piece of glass no matter how strong of a glue you use to mend it together. Layla has to heal herself on her own. Sure with proper care, she'd get there faster but trust me, Zander is not the one. Not when he's too busy heartbroken over being separated from you and being forcefully tied to Layla. If you really love your sister, than spare both her and yourself from misery. She deserves someone who'd give her his whole. And you need to fix your head up from the baseless guilt party and go tell Zander about what you really feel. Conversation is the key afterall."

I open my mouth to object but Derek just rolls his eyes and shoots me a stern look, "Don't you like him?"

"I do but-"

"No buts then. Go and get married already. And spare my humble soul here too." With that, he literally walks behind me and starts pushing me towards the castle.

With a groan, I start walking on my own without his urging and Derek lets go.

"Okay, good luck!" He cheers as we make our way inside the castle, up the stairs and to Zander's room.

I turn to give him the stink eye but he's already gone.

Rolling my eyes, I turn back to Zander's door. When I bring my fist up to knock, I pause and start contemplating whether I should make a run for it and ditch the whole idea.

But before I can ponder on it much, the door swings open on its own.

My eyes widen at the sight of Zander on the other side of the door, half-naked with a towel loosely wrapped around his torso and his deep grey bedroom eyes set on me.

Water droplets trickle from his wet hair down his neck down his abs and all the way to the dangerous dip of a 'V' where his towel hung.

God damn.

Who even baths at this hour?! He has no right to look like sin incarnate just standing like that!

I forget my ability to speak for a while and when I'm finally able to snap out of openly ogling him, "I kinda...."

Zander stares wordlessly as if trying to figure out whether I was truly here. He looked so hopefull for a moment that my eyes softened.

Just tell him.

"I like you." I begin before mentally face-palming myself.

Ugh. Why am I so unromantic? I just spurted that out as if I were giving a thesis answer. He'd expressed in such poetic words and then there's me.

My cheeks heated and I began to blabber, "I mean, I know I've been a bitch the last few days-"

Before I can utter another word, he grabs my wrist and pulls me inside.

Shutting the door behind me, I don't even get the chance to react as he pushes me back against the door and then his lips are on mine.

.

.

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Poseidon in his human form clad in a crisp business suit sat in front of a desk staring down at the papers in his hands with keen interest. The light from the lamp over the table brightened the dark confines of the makeshift cave the God spent most of his time at.

Apollo who was slouched on the hay a few steps away shifted his attention from the green algae in his hand to the Sea God.

Tossing aside the vile creature on the muddy ground, he spoke, "Don't you think you should tell your daughter about her parents and everything. She deserves to know. I think if they know the truth and the whole story of why Marilla was given the throne, a lot of things between Layla and her would be sorted."

And Layla would stop being so damn confused and sad all the time.

He didn't add that sentence in front of Poseidon knowing Poseidon wasn't too friendly when it came to Layla.

The blue-haired God had his reasons ofcourse. Apollo understood why he didn't trust Layla but somehow he didn't understand how her mother's actions made Layla any less untrustworthy. It wasn't like the daughter had done anything wrong.

But then, to each their own. It was Poseidon's way of dealing from a heartbreak. He didn't get to have a say here.

Poseidon shifted his attention from his files and gave Apollo a long look, "I don't understand how I would explain that she's a half-goddess and the whole thing with me and her mother and Layla's death without sounding crazy."

Apollo raised a brow at that, "You do realize your daughter takes a lot after you than her mother. Same stubborn assess and always confused how to express things. Like come on, she likes lover boy but for holy heaven's sake, would never admit and keeps pushing him towards Layla. I almost pity the guy. And you, wouldn't even tell your daughter that you're her real father and are containing back her powers."

"It isn't like I can give her all her powers back without Zeus sensing the strong energy and finding out that I have an offspring who could compete with his children. He'll kill her without even thinking twice." Poseidon gave him a hard stare in return that had Apollo rolling his eyes.

"The Prime of all Gods is a bitch, that's a known fact. Even as his unfortunate son, I'll agree. Hades doesn't give a flying fuck about Zeus though. You shouldn't either, Poseidon."

"It's because Hades has nothing to loose. He knows that Zeus could never hold anything over him because he doesn't simply care about anything much. Hades doesn't even meddle in any of the other gods business. But me, I have much to loose, Apollo. And you know that."

'And my daughter is one of them.' Apollo understood the unspoken words.

He sighed, "I know. But you could just let Marilla and Layla know about what happened that day at the isle. It wouldn't risk Zeus finding out anything until and unless Marilla is not using her powers or screaming about it to everyone. I don't think she would. So you should tell her-"

Apollo paused mid sentence as something flashed in front of his eyes.

Overly bright images of a heavily decorated throne room followed by a dagger plunging into some woman's chest.....blood drowning the carpeted floors.....then water. A lot and lot of water—a sea of it.

Apollo blinked back as his vision cleared and he found Poseidon standing right in front of him glancing down in question.

"What's it?" Poseidon asked instantly to the other God.

Apollo was the god of lot of things. Music, dance, truth, knowledge, medicine, prophecies....

There were so many things he got a hint of before it happened but it were never concrete exactly what it was. It just gave him an omen. And this one wasn't particularly good.

"Tomorrow is the engagement ceremony. The throne room will be decorated. I saw a lot of blood and....sea water. Merfolks live in the sea. Which means. . ." The God joined the pieces together before his eyes flashed up to Poseidon in shock, "Someone's going to die. And it's going to be a Merfolk."

Who's gonna die?👀

Imma give one normal chapter next before I dump everything on y'all togethaaa💀🌚