The Siren's Flute

Dream

I am currently in a room. Damien said that this would be my temporary quarters. I honestly didn't think that sirens do sleep. I mean, we're underwater, and we have tails...

I saw Ariel sleeping underwater in the Disney movie, but I didn't think that it was real because it was only a cartoon. I actually have a bed here. It's not the same as what we have on land, of course, but it's still a bed.

The room overall looks pretty simple. It was simple yet pretty. However, no matter how grateful I was to survive the day and have a room to stay, I don't think I would be able to fall asleep in this situation.

It's still foreign to me. Everything is. No matter what, I still lived my entire 17 years of life as a human. And I actually miss my mom a lot. I feel like I've gone abroad alone as an OFW. I feel so lonely here.

I decide to rest in bed, hoping that it will help me ease my loneliness. Unfortunately, it did not help me at all. The bed was made out of seaweed, which is why it was quite soft, but it was really awkward for me. Ugh. I miss my bed. I tried changing my position often to help myself fall asleep. Because if I don't sleep, I don't think I'd be able to cope with this kind of life.

I really thought it was going to be easy since I'm a siren myself. But, ugh, living on land is much better. I think I'm much more of a human than a siren because if I were not, why would I have a hard time coping with this kind of life?

It must be because I was both tired and overwhelmed; I found myself dozing off to sleep slowly by the minute. Slowly being pulled inside the realm of dreams...

I woke up in an unfamiliar environment. However, it seems like I am in another kingdom, considering the color of the scales. I was slowly wandering the place, but I found out that all the other sirens could not seem to see me. I tried approaching them, but they only ended up passing through me like I was never there in the first place. That was when I knew I was dreaming. Although scared and frightened, I also felt curious about the dream that I was seeing.

One thing I noticed was that every siren that I encountered was female. It does not seem like there are any males around in this kingdom. Amazingly, although I felt a sense of unfamiliarity, I also felt like I was finally where I belonged. Everyone had rose gold scales, such as me. However, they weren't as vibrant. Compared to my scales, their scales look dead, as if they weren't happy to be made of gold at all. Compared to the Kaklisma kingdom, this place looks lifeless.

I got enchanted by a huge coral, which I know is a house for them, but before I could even reach it, I was stopped in the middle of my attempt to get inside when sirens started gathering in front of the huge coral that I was trying to get into.

And, there were no tritons visible.

Every single siren gathered in a very military-like posture and lines. It's like this place is synonymous with military bases or camps on the land. I scanned everyone as they stood in their places like statues, not moving and very focused on a single point.

Out of curiosity, I followed the direction that they were all looking in. It was on top of the huge coral, with a huge hole shaped like an arched window, and a balcony made of what looked like dying corals. Not even a few seconds later, a siren adorned with the brightest rose-gold scales emerged out of them all. She was wearing a tiara made of antipatharia, also known as black coral, and had an eel circling around her like it was her pet.

She was strikingly beautiful. Her eyes shone in the dark even though they were the same color as mine. Her body is also exquisitely slender, and yet, you'll never even think twice about starting a fight with her because of how powerful her aura is. She seems capable of annihilating an entire race if she wants to.

Instinctively, I knew I had to hide from her, or she'd devour me instantly.

I acted lowkey behind another siren, making sure that I stood as firmly as the others so that I wouldn't get noticed. Of course, I am still aware that I am in a dream, but that is just how scary she is. It feels like she'd notice me even in the dream.

After a few seconds of silence, she started giving a speech in front of everyone. Looking down as if she is the most powerful being in the whole ocean and everyone is just inferior to her.

"I have come to announce that I am declaring an all-out war against our so-called sister, the Kaklisma Kingdom." She started. Although her body was stiff, her eyes scanned everyone in the crowd. "They have dared to break the trust that I have given them. Their GREED betrayed the trust that I have in them and stole what was rightfully ours!" Her voice boomed all over the place as she angrily declared her feelings of betrayal, disappointment, and wrath towards the Kingdom of Kaklisma.

This made me feel confused, as I had thought that "we" were the enemy instead of them.

"Starting today, prepare yourselves for battle. We will eradicate them all. Not one alive. And we will retrieve the flute which was wrongfully stolen from us." She continued.

Flute? I thought to myself.

I thought...

"For Aerktyr!" She shouted, which everyone chorused. "For Aerktyr!" Chorused by the sirens, they raised all their right hands while forming a fist, reflecting the determination of their leader. Simultaneously, the bracelets they all wore on their right wrist glowed, and it lit the previously gloomy place and showed a vast kingdom full of dead coral houses and electric eels.

One word to explain: catastrophic.

The place looked like it was rotting. And, looking closely at their leader or, might as well, their queen, a long and huge gash of black is seen present in her abdomen up to the tip of her tail, exactly right in the midline. I wasn't able to see her earlier as it was dark, and she was really far from where I was. Although her scales were the brightest out of them all, they did not show the gash at all. But now, it was clear as the sky. She must have been attacked viciously, considering the length of the gash.

I was unconsciously staring at her and her gash when she suddenly turned in my direction and stared at me eye-to-eye. Sh*t. I subconsciously exclaimed.

Before I could even run away, I started having difficulty breathing. We remained staring at each other while I was gasping for breath.

"Ahh..." I mumbled. Trying to speak with her or simply just asking for help. "Pl...ease," I let out. This time, I was already holding my neck in an attempt to expand my breathing, but instead, it looked like I was strangling myself.

"You..." was the only thing she said before I passed out.

I jumped out of my slumber as I was heavily breathing in an attempt to catch my breath.

I immediately rose and hurriedly went outside the room. It seemed like everyone was still asleep, considering the quietness of the hallway. As there is no concept of day and night down here, everyone simply wakes up according to their instinct. Impressively, though, everyone seemed to have the same instinct since no one, not even one Triton guard or siren, was around.

How can they sleep without fear of being attacked? I questioned in my mind.

I can still remember the events from my dream. It's as vivid as it can be. I don't think staying here any longer is going to be safe. I swiftly made my way out of the castle when I passed through the same room in which I was almost killed by a siren named Leia.

In the middle of the room, the flute that was playing an enchanting sound stood afloat. Like earlier, I can hear a certain frequency coming from it. It was like it was calling me. And I did.

The moment one of my fingers had contact with its surface, I knew right then and there that it was a huge mistake.

But it was too late for me to even regret it.