The war beneath the tides
1369 Words
Chapter 3: The War Beneath the Tides
The river did not sleep that night.
It breathed.
Slow. Heavy. Watching.
Beneath its surface, far below where moonlight could reach, the world changed. The gentle ripples Elira knew masked something ancient—something vast and unforgiving. A kingdom lay hidden in its depths, carved from stone and shadow, illuminated by pale blue currents that glowed like trapped stars.
This was where Kael belonged.
And tonight… it felt nothing like home.
He descended through the cold water, his powerful tail slicing through the currents with practiced ease. But his thoughts were not on the path ahead—they lingered at the surface.
On her.
Elira’s smile.
Her warmth.
The way she said his name like it mattered.
Kael clenched his jaw.
Fool.
The moment his feet touched the smooth stone of the riverbed, the guards were already waiting.
Three of them.
Tall. Armed. Silent.
Their eyes followed him with thinly veiled judgment.
“You were summoned,” one of them said coldly.
Kael didn’t respond. He simply moved past them.
He already knew.
The great hall stretched before him, its towering pillars wrapped in coral and age. The water here felt heavier, like it carried memory—like every mistake ever made had settled into its depths.
At the center stood the throne.
And on it—
The ruler of the deep.
An elder merman, his presence commanding and suffocating, with eyes that held centuries of war and loss. His long silver hair floated like a ghost around him, and the markings along his arms glowed faintly, pulsing with power.
“Kael.”
The voice echoed without effort.
Kael stopped a few paces away, bowing his head slightly. “My lord.”
“Look at me.”
He did.
“I hear,” the ruler continued slowly, “that you have taken an interest in the surface.”
Kael said nothing.
“That you have touched a human.”
Silence.
The temperature seemed to drop.
“Answer me.”
“Yes,” Kael said finally, his voice steady. “I did.”
A ripple of murmurs spread through the hall.
Disapproval.
Anger.
Fear.
The ruler leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening. “Do you understand what you’ve done?”
“Yes.”
“And yet you did it anyway.”
“Yes.”
That answer lingered.
The ruler studied him carefully, as though searching for something deeper beneath his defiance.
“Tell me,” he said quietly, “what is her name?”
Kael hesitated.
That hesitation cost him.
A sudden force slammed into him, throwing him backward across the stone. He hit hard, the impact echoing through the chamber.
“WHAT. IS. HER. NAME.”
“Elira!” Kael shouted, pushing himself up, breathing harder now. “Her name is Elira.”
The hall fell silent.
The name felt foreign here.
Too soft.
Too human.
The ruler leaned back, his expression unreadable. “You speak it like it means something.”
Kael’s voice dropped. “It does.”
That was the moment everything changed.
The ruler stood.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
“You forget yourself.”
Kael rose to his feet, despite the pain. “No. I remember exactly who I am.”
“And what are you?” the ruler asked, his voice dangerously calm.
Kael met his gaze.
“A protector.”
“Of what?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
And that silence was answer enough.
The ruler’s eyes hardened.
“You are not a protector of humans.”
“They are not all the same,” Kael said, his voice firm now.
A wave of energy surged through the hall—angry, violent.
“They are the reason this kingdom hides in darkness!” the ruler roared. “They hunted us. Slaughtered us. Turned our kind into stories and monsters!”
“And now you defend them?” another voice snapped from the crowd.
Kael turned to see a warrior step forward—tall, scarred, his eyes burning with hatred.
“They poison the waters,” the warrior continued. “They destroy everything they touch.”
“She doesn’t,” Kael said.
The warrior laughed harshly. “You think she’s different? That’s how it starts.”
Kael’s patience snapped. “I’ve seen her. She’s kind. She—”
“She’s human!” the warrior interrupted. “And that is enough.”
Tension crackled through the water.
The ruler raised a hand, silencing the room.
“Enough.”
He stepped down from the throne, moving closer to Kael.
“You have broken the oldest law of our kind,” he said quietly. “You made contact.”
Kael held his ground.
“Yes.”
“You formed a bond.”
“…Yes.”
A long pause.
Then—
“You have started a war.”
The words hit harder than any blow.
Kael’s breath caught. “No—”
“They already know,” the ruler said. “The currents carry everything. Your weakness has been seen.”
Kael’s heart dropped.
“Elira…” he whispered.
“If the others reach her before you do,” the ruler continued, “she will not survive.”
Kael didn’t wait.
He turned and shot upward through the water, faster than he ever had before.
⸻
The forest felt wrong.
Elira noticed it immediately.
Too quiet.
No crickets. No wind. No gentle rustle of leaves.
She stood near the riverbank, her hands clasped tightly together.
“Kael?” she called softly.
Nothing.
Her heart pounded.
“I know you’re there…”
Still nothing.
She took a step closer to the water.
Then another.
“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t disappear on me.”
The surface trembled.
Relief flooded her face—until she saw what emerged.
It wasn’t Kael.
Three figures rose slowly from the river, their forms darker, sharper—less human, more… something else.
Their eyes locked onto her.
Cold.
Hungry.
Elira froze.
“Where is he?” one of them asked, voice echoing unnaturally.
“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered.
A faint smile curled across one of their faces.
“Lying won’t save you.”
The water behind them began to churn.
Elira stepped back, fear gripping her chest.
“Stay away from me.”
“Oh,” another said softly, “we don’t want to hurt you.”
A pause.
“Yet.”
Before she could run—
The river exploded.
Kael surged upward between them, his eyes blazing, his body tense with fury.
“DON’T TOUCH HER!”
The force of his arrival sent waves crashing against the shore.
“Elira, run!” he shouted.
She didn’t hesitate.
She turned and ran into the forest, her heart racing, tears blurring her vision.
Behind her—
War began.
The water roared as Kael lunged forward, striking the nearest attacker with brutal force. They collided, crashing back into the river with a violent splash.
The others followed.
Claws. Teeth. Speed.
This was no longer hidden.
This was open.
Savage.
Kael fought like something unchained, his movements sharp and relentless. Every strike carried desperation—every defense, fear.
He wasn’t fighting for pride.
He was fighting for her.
One attacker lunged from below, slashing across his side. Pain tore through him, but he didn’t stop. He grabbed the attacker, driving them into the rocky riverbed.
Another seized him from behind—
“YOU’VE DOOMED US ALL!” the warrior snarled.
Kael twisted, breaking free, his voice raw. “I’LL PROTECT HER!”
“You can’t protect what doesn’t belong to this world!”
A powerful удар sent Kael crashing into the shallows.
He struggled up, breathing hard, blood mixing with water.
But he didn’t back down.
He couldn’t.
Because somewhere beyond the trees—
Elira was running.
And if he fell here—
They would find her.
The river surged again, darker now, more violent than before.
This wasn’t just a fight anymore.
It was the beginning of something far worse.
A war between two worlds.
And right at the center of it—
A girl who only wanted to love…
And a boy who was never meant to be loved back.
Moon's ink🔏
- Writer
