Chapter 53: THIRD POV.

She just wanted to get away from the smell of the food and the sound of Persephone’s giggling.

Without another word, she left the house and swam out into the open water.

Jacob’s expression couldn’t help but dampen a bit, seeing her go like that. The excitement he felt for the meal started to fade, replaced by a sense of worry.

The house felt much emptier the moment Artria stepped out. He looked at the doorway where she had disappeared and then back at the half-eaten plate she had left behind.

He didn’t understand what was wrong. He was a simple guy; he thought that good food made everyone happy. Wasn’t the food good? It was better than good! So how come she looked so bummed out? He wondered if he had said something wrong or if she was just having a bad morning.

"Is something the matter? Is the meal not to your liking?" Persephone spoke up, drawing his attention back to her.

She sounded worried, her voice soft and concerned. She tilted her head, looking at him with wide, innocent eyes.

"No... it’s not that. The food is great, really," Jacob said.

He wanted to explain that Artria seemed upset, but he didn’t want to start an argument or make Persephone feel bad about her cooking.

He looked at the entrance again and then let out a long sigh. "It’s nothing. She’s probably just... tired. Or maybe she has things to do in the village."

"I’m sure she’ll be fine," Persephone said gently. "Maybe she just needs some space. She’s been under a lot of stress lately, with me coming back and everything."

"Yeah, maybe you’re right," Jacob said, though he didn’t sound very convinced. He tried to get back into the spirit of the meal, but the mood had changed.

He took another bite, but it didn’t taste quite as amazing as the first one. Still, he didn’t want to be rude to Persephone after she had worked so hard.

"It’s nothing," he said again, mostly to himself, before taking another bite.

Persephone smiled upon seeing this. She saw that he was staying with her, even though Artria had left.

To her, It was a small victory.

She moved a little closer to him, leaning her body on his as she watched him eat. She felt the warmth of his skin, unlike her who was fully merfolk, his half human side gave him warm blood.

She rested her head near his shoulder, watching the way he chewed and the way he focused on the plate.

She felt a sense of calm she hadn’t felt in a long time. In her mind, this was exactly how things should be.

Just her and Jacob, sharing a meal, while the rest of the world, and her sister, stayed far away.

She didn’t care that Artria was upset. In fact, it made the moment feel even better.

Jacob felt her leaning on him and felt a bit awkward, but he didn’t pull away. He just kept eating, staring straight ahead, while Persephone stayed pressed against his side like a shadow that refused to leave.

The quiet of the house was heavy, filled only with the sound of the water and the private thoughts of the two left behind.

******

When Artria returned home later that afternoon, the house was quiet.

The small coral rooms that usually felt so cozy now felt empty and cold.

She swam through the entrance, looking for any sign of her friend or her sister, but Jacob and Persephone were gone.

Even the kitchen area, which still smelled faintly of the breakfast Persephone had made, was deserted.

Artria felt a sudden prick of worry in her chest. She turned around and swam back out into the village, her eyes darting left and right.

She looked around the village square, checked the common areas where the mermen usually gathered to talk, and even peeked towards Garins home, but she still couldn’t find them anywhere.

It was as if they had simply vanished into the blue.

She spent the next hour wandering aimlessly, her mind racing with dark thoughts.

Had Persephone taken him back to the cave? Had they gone somewhere to be alone? The uncertainty was eating her alive.

Only much later did she see a group of figures swimming toward the village gates.

They were laughing and shouting, their voices carrying through the water with a sense of pure joy.

As they got closer, Artria saw that it was Jacob and Persephone. They weren’t alone, though.

They were with Garin and a few other hunters who had gone hunting together.

They were carrying several large fish and some rare sea plants, looking like they had just had the most successful trip of the season.

Seeing them all so happy together, without her, left a bad ache in Artria’s chest. She stayed back in the shadows of a large coral structure, watching them.

Jacob was talking animatedly with Garin, and Persephone was right in the middle of the group, smiling and laughing as if she had been part of the hunting party for years.

"I’m telling you, I’ve never seen anyone move that fast!" Garin shouted, clapping his hand on Jacob’s shoulder. "Persephone really is a natural at this."

Garin glanced at Persephone with admiration.

" I can’t believe you spotted that silver-fin before any of us even saw a ripple."

The other hunters joined in, nodding and offering their own words of praise.

"She’s really got the instincts of a shark," one of them said. "We would have lost half the catch if she hadn’t been there to herd them back toward us."

" Thanks everyone, but I don’t think I did that much." Persephone chuckled, sounding quite humble.

Her actions only made the others praise her even more.

Artria listened to them praise her sister for her efforts more than they ever did her, and it only made her more uncomfortable and saddened.

She had lived in this village her whole life, helped with the hunting, and she had done everything expected of a good villager.