A long queue had formed near the registration area. The mermaids weren’t just standing still, they were swaying, dancing slightly as they moved forward. Some were singing softly under their breath, their voices blending with the ocean currents like lullabies.

Children darted between their legs, giggling as they chased glowing jellyfish-like lights floating low near the ground. Every time they touched one, it burst into tiny sparkles before reforming again in the water.

It felt like the ocean itself was celebrating.

I blinked slowly, trying to take everything in at once.

"This is..." I whispered under my breath, but my words got swallowed by the atmosphere.

Thyrian’s arm stayed firmly around my waist the entire time. Like he was afraid I might disappear into the crowd of water and light if he let go for even a second.

I glanced at him and noticed he wasn’t even looking at the festival properly. His eyes were more on me than anything else.

"Are you going to stare at me the whole night?" I asked softly.

"Yes," he answered immediately, without hesitation.

I rolled my eyes slightly but didn’t push him away.

We moved forward slowly through the crowd until we reached the main celebration hall.

That’s when I saw the tables.

Long floating crystal tables stretched across the center, filled with food I had never seen before. There were glowing sea fruits that looked like apples made of glass, plates of soft coral cake layered like clouds, and shimmering wine in tall seashell glasses that reflected light like stars trapped underwater.

My stomach instantly betrayed me. I hadn’t even realized I was hungry until now.

Thyrian noticed immediately. "You’re looking at the cake, aren’t you?" he asked quietly.

"I am not," I replied too fast.

He gave me a knowing look and guided me toward the table anyway.

I didn’t resist.

The cake was placed in front of me by a smiling attendant mermaid, and I took a careful bite.

The moment it touched my tongue... My eyes widened. It melted instantly. It was soft, sweet, and slightly floral, like ocean blossoms soaked in honey.

"What is this?" I whispered, stunned.

Thyrian chuckled softly. "Ocean blossom cake."

"It should be legal to taste this good," I muttered, taking another bite.

He poured me a glass of the shimmering wine next. I hesitated, then took a sip.

It was light, without a hint of bitterness... it tasted amazing... It felt like drinking cooled moonlight mixed with fruits.

I didn’t even realize I had finished half the glass until Thyrian gently tilted it away from me.

"You’ll get drunk," he said.

"I won’t," I protested.

"You will," he repeated calmly.

I frowned at him but didn’t argue further.

His hand stayed on my waist the entire time, pulling me slightly closer whenever people passed by. I didn’t mind... not really. It felt grounding in a place that was otherwise too vast, too alive, too strange.

Just then—

A familiar presence caught my attention. I looked up and saw Thyrian’s parents sitting slightly elevated near the royal viewing platform.

The queen noticed me first. Her gaze softened slightly, then she raised her hand in invitation.

"Come," she said gently.

Thyrian hesitated for only a second before guiding me forward.

The closer we got, the heavier the atmosphere felt. It wasn’t hostile, but not fully welcoming.

I sat beside Thyrian as his parents observed me quietly.

The king didn’t speak at first. His eyes were sharp, analyzing me from head to toe. From his look, I knew he didn’t fancy or like me.

The queen, however, seemed different. She studied me like she was trying to understand something she couldn’t quite place.

"You’ve caused quite a stir since arriving," the king finally said.

"I tend to do that," I replied calmly.

Thyrian’s fingers tightened slightly on my waist.

The queen exhaled softly. "You are different from what I expected."

"Good or bad?" I asked.

She paused. "Unexpected."

I nodded slightly. "I get that a lot." There was silence for a moment, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was just heavy... and then Seth appeared.

He walked in slower than before, less arrogant, but still carrying a bit of lingering pride. He stopped a short distance away and looked at me.

Then, unexpectedly, he bowed slightly. Hmm, so they all planned to be on their best behavior. So I wouldn’t curse them out.

"I apologize for my earlier words," he said.

The hall around us quieted slightly. I blinked slowly, acting innocent. I turned to Thyrian, and he didn’t seem surprised. He just acted like his brother never existed.

I guess they wouldn’t want to cause a war. I nodded slowly. "Apology accepted," I said simply.

Seth straightened up but didn’t argue or insult me this time. Instead, he stepped back and disappeared into the crowd. That felt very strange! It all felt staged... he was very convincing, though.

I didn’t dwell on it too long, though, because something else caught my attention.

The registration area...mermaids were no longer just signing names, they were writing wishes.

Each mermaid and merman held a thin white paper that never got wet despite being underwater. They used long feather pens—strange glowing feathers attached to ink tips that floated slightly in their hands.

Every time they wrote a word, it shimmered before settling onto the page like it had weight in magic instead of ink.

"What are they writing?" I asked softly.

"Festival wishes," Thyrian replied.

I watched closely as a little mermaid girl wrote something and smiled before releasing her paper into the water. It floated upward, dissolving into glowing particles that rose like fireflies.

It was beautiful...

Then I noticed something else. Near the side of the hall, mermaids were lighting small burners. Not fire exactly... Blue-green flames flickered gently above coral bowls, burning incense sticks that released glowing smoke underwater without disappearing.

The smoke twisted and formed shapes: flowers, waves, even tiny fish before dissolving.

"How is that even possible?" I muttered.

"Magic currents," Thyrian said simply.

Of course.

Everything here is magic. I leaned slightly forward, watching everything with growing intrigue.

Kids were now running around with glowing ribbons tied to their wrists, laughing as they chased each other through floating lantern streams.

Mermaids danced slowly in circles, their tails leaving shimmering trails in the water like paint strokes.

The music became louder and a bit lighter... Even though his family were horrible people, they were good rulers...

That aside, I gently tapped my foot on the floor when I paused... A strange chill ran down my spine.

I froze slightly. It felt like something was watching... My gaze shifted toward the main entrance of the hall.

Something felt off. I narrowed my eyes, and they widened with shock. "What is that..." I whispered.

Thyrian noticed my change instantly. "Raven?" he asked, but I didn’t answer, because I saw it.

A pair of large eyes, staring from the edge of the hall. Hidden between the glowing shadows of the ocean pillars.

My heartbeat slowed, and the hologram popped up—

...[WARNING: Unknown Deep-Sea Entity Detected]