A massive tank filled with silver-scaled fish that darted in synchronized patterns, their movements creating mesmerizing spirals of reflected light.

Children pressed against the glass, their excited chatter echoing off the curved walls.

Neville glanced down at their joined hands, then up at Grayson’s face.

"We’re not in the crowd anymore," he pointed out, trying to sound casual about it.

Grayson’s thumb traced a small circle against the back of his hand.

"Hmm~, yeah. No," he agreed. "We’re not."

But then Grayson didn’t say anything more, nor explain anything. His expression didn’t give anything away either.

Neville’s heart suddenly felt complicated.

’Okay, fine. This is fine. This is totally normal. Friends hold hands all the time. Colleagues hold hands. Bosses definitely hold hands with their secretaries on fake dates. Nothing unusual here whatsoever.’

[Host, you’re really adorable, adorable. ♡^▽^♡]

’I know, but don’t be so weird about it.’

✦ ✦ ✦

Somewhere in the shadows between a maintenance closet and a family restroom, Lilianna adjusted her oversized sunglasses and tried not to shriek in horror.

"They’re holding hands," she hissed into her concealed earpiece. "Zero, they’re holding hands."

[I can see that.] Chronos’s voice came through with an undertone of amusement that made Lilianna want to strangle him. [It’s rather sweet, actually. The general looks so... soft.]

"This isn’t the time for commentary! The plan was to subtly embarrass the omega, not—THIS!" She gestured violently at the couple currently strolling past the jellyfish exhibit. "Also, how can he just release dominant pheromones in a public space?! And for that Slut no less! Do you understand what that means?!"

[That he’s protective of his date?]

"That he’s serious!" Lilianna’s perfectly manicured nails dug into her palms. "The general doesn’t do things halfway. If he’s willing to make a scene like that—"

[Lilianna.] Chronos nonchalantly said. [I already told you that since the beginning.]

Lilianna took a deep breath, unable accept this situation.

And maybe, just maybe, testing his reactions under pressure.

"I know." She pulled out her light brain, fingers dancing across the surface, unconsciously saying what she was going to do out loud. "The cleaning robot in Section 3. It’s heading toward the tunnel exhibit."

[The tunnel? Where are you?] Chronos asked in a hurried voice, [What are you going to do with all that glass and water pressure?]

"Relax. I’m just going to splash some water on him. Make him look undignified. It’s nothing dangerous."

Then, Lilianna sent a message to the person she had contact with.

"Do it now," she hissed. "Just a splash. Make him look like a drowned rat before they reach the VIP lounge."

The confirmation ping returned.

Then the warning sirens started.

Not metaphorical sirens. Actual, literal warning sirens, blaring through the aquarium’s speaker system with the kind of urgency that made parents grab their children and staff members reach for their emergency protocols.

A high-pitched, lethal whine cut through the alarm—

Lilianna’s blood turned to ice.

"That’s not—I didn’t—"

She grabbed Chronos’s shirt, who literally ran after her, yanking him toward her with enough force that his sunglasses went askew.

"Zero, something’s wrong. That’s not what I had told him to do. This has nothing to do with me!"

Chronos’s friendly demeanor evaporated instantly. His eyes sharpened, giving a dangerous aura.

"Where?"

"The tunnel. They’re—"

Horror dawned on her face.

✦ ✦ ✦

In the blue-tinged darkness of the underwater passage, the lighting made everything feel slightly dreamlike.

Neville knew something was wrong the moment they entered the aquarium.

It wasn’t the noise, though that was certainly odd, but rather the constant undercurrent of chatter that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

He already knew that it wasn’t coming from the crowd, since it had already thinned to a comfortable spacing.

Now that they entered the tunnel, Neville was finally sure what it was.

It was the fish.

More specifically, it was the fact that the fish were talking to him.

’—new visitor! New visitor!

’Do you see his scales?’

’Does he have scales?’

’What scales? He’s got legs, dummy. Humans have legs.’

’No no no, look CLOSER.’

’Hmm... he does smell like us.’

’What do you mean by smell? I can’t smell any!’

’No!—stupid!’

’Can’t you feel it?’

’Oh! OH!’

’He felt familiar!’

’Yeah! Like those silver head guys!’

>>I do have silver hair in my mermaid form. But who else does?

’Is he—is he one of US?’

>>I’m not a fish, I’m a mermaid in human form.

’Impossible. The two-legs don’t have our kind anymore.’

’Yeah, the elders said so.’

’The elders are old and boring.’

’But he does smell like those silver head guys!’

>>Who were those silver head guys?

’No!—This one smells like home!’

’Don’t act too creepy about it!’

’He smells like OCEAN.’

’No—he’s human, not ocean.’

’No, I mean he smells like the ocean.’

Fishes began to cluster around, trying to get a ’whiff’ of what little leak his pheromones had.

’—yeah 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

’And—’

’—Why is he holding that other two-legs’ fin?’

Neville blushed firmly, preventing his eyes from drifting to Grayson’s way.

’Is that a mating thing?’

’I think that’s a mating thing.’

’They’re mating?’

’Ugh—go away.’

’Right, don’t mate in front of us. I have standards.’

’HOW ROMANTIC.’

>>We’re not mating, thank you!

A school of silver fish darted toward the glass, their tiny faces pressed against the barrier with expressions of intense curiosity.

Behind them, a larger blue fish that Neville vaguely recognized as some kind of deep-sea species swam closer, its bulbous eyes fixed on him with unsettling focus.

’The deep one is here.’

>>The deep one?

’The DEEP ONE.’

’Tell the others!’

More fish appeared. Then more.

A rainbow-spotted eel slithered out of a decorative rock formation, joining the growing audience.

A pair of horned seahorses drifted down from an upper current, their tails linked as they watched the spectacle with interest.

’He’s holding fins with an alpha!’

The horned seahorses said, snickering on their own.

’—alpha?’

’Can you eat alphas?!’

The other species began another set of chaos, forcing the horn seahorses to explain angrily.

’No! I mean—The scary guy!’

’Did you see? Did you SEE?’

Then the other horned seahorse teased.

’That alpha smells strong. Dominant.’

’Oh!—Good choice, deep one!’

’Are they going to mate?’

’Can we watch?’

’BERTHA. You can’t just ASK if we can watch them, mate!’

’Why not? The last two legs that came through mated in the corner behind the coral display.’

The horned seahorse couldn’t disagree as it seemingly recalled that day.

’—It was very educational.’

Neville choked on air.