He couldn't move.

It was as if his body had finally decided to give up, every ounce of strength drained. He couldn't blame it. Years of pushing one hundred and seventy pounds of muscle to their absolute limits, the scars from old wounds marking his torso like a battle map. He had trained for years to achieve the ultimate physical design, but all it took was one bullet to undo it all.

And now, as the icy waters dragged him down, all that training seemed meaningless.

Fear gripped his chest, the thought of who would be next on the traitors' list flashing through his mind. His partner. His sister. They wouldn't stop until she was gone. The thought sent a jolt of panic through him, the kind that made him want to scream even as his lungs begged for air.

Move. His mind screamed, but his body refused to listen.

The cold water seeped into every crevice, numbing his senses, dragging him further into darkness. His vision blurred, his thoughts scattering like leaves in a storm. A strange calm began to settle over him, and for a fleeting moment, he considered giving in. Perhaps this was what he deserved—a final reckoning for all the lives he had taken in the name of duty.

But somewhere deep inside, a spark of defiance flared. No. Not like this. Not yet.

Just as his body was ready to surrender, he felt something. Hands. They gripped his arms firmly, pulling him upward, toward a dim light that pierced the water above. He couldn't tell if it was real or if the demons of his past had come to drag him to Hell. Either way, his body went limp, his mind surrendering to unconsciousness.

__________________________

Warm lips pressed against his, forcing air into his lungs. A pair of hands pressed rhythmically against his chest, each motion sending sharp jolts of pain through his body. Voices shouted above him, frantic and urgent.

"Keep applying pressure!"

"He's human! We shouldn't save him!"

Water rose in his throat, and his body reacted on instinct. Coughs wracked his chest, water spilling from his mouth as his vision slowly cleared. The world around him came into focus, though his mind still felt heavy and sluggish.

The first thing he saw was a pair of silver eyes, striking and otherworldly. They stared down at him with a mix of caution and curiosity. Dark markings curled across pale, pearly skin, glinting faintly in the moonlight. Another face appeared beside him—soft, brown eyes filled with worry and framed by golden locks plastered against delicate, almost feminine features.

Agent 12 groaned, his hand instinctively clutching at his shoulder. Pain flared, sharp and unrelenting, forcing him to sit up despite the protest of his body. "Where am I?" he rasped, his voice hoarse.

"In the Northern waters," the white-haired figure answered simply.

Agent 12 frowned, the words foreign and nonsensical. "Northern waters?" he repeated. "What's that supposed to mean?"

As his surroundings came into focus, his confusion deepened. Caps of ice protruded from the dark sea like jagged diamonds, glittering coldly under the faint light of the moon. He exhaled sharply, watching small puffs of warmth leave his lips, and realized with alarm that he was soaked to the bone, the chill sinking into his very core.

He shivered violently and turned his gaze back to the two figures. That was when he noticed—their legs weren't legs at all. Scales shimmered where their skin met fins, forming long, sinuous tails. One was black, sleek and powerful, while the other was a golden orange that almost glowed in the pale light.

"What are you?" Agent 12 murmured, his voice barely audible, his mind struggling to reconcile what he was seeing.

"Mermen," the white-haired one answered, his silver eyes never leaving Agent 12.

The word struck him like a hammer. Mermen? They weren't real. They couldn't be. Yet here they were, undeniably real and staring at him with intelligent, calculating eyes.

The white-haired merman leaned closer, his expression scrutinizing. "Who are you?"

"Agent 12," he said reflexively, his voice rough.

The merman tilted his head, his lips twitching into something between amusement and skepticism. "That's not a real name. You're not James Bond."

Agent 12 blinked, taken aback. "You've seen James Bond movies?"

"Yes," the merman deadpanned. "The ones with Daniel Craig."

"How...?"

Marcus didn't answer, instead turning to the golden-haired merman. "Go to Caspian. Tell him what's happened and bring him here. Quickly."

The golden merman hesitated, casting a wary glance at Agent 12 before nodding and disappearing into the dark waters.

"Alright," Marcus said, his tone suddenly firm and commanding as he turned back to Agent 12. "What's your real name? And how did you end up here?"

"That's confidential," Agent 12 muttered, wincing as another wave of pain surged through his shoulder.

Without hesitation, Marcus's hands tore at the ruined fabric of his suit, exposing the torn flesh beneath. His sharp intake of breath was almost imperceptible, but Agent 12 caught it.

"Jesus Christ," Marcus murmured, his silver eyes narrowing at the severity of the wound.

Agent 12 knew he was losing too much blood. His heart pounded weakly, and the edges of his vision began to darken. Despite the pain and confusion, he couldn't help but fixate on the strange, almost familiar face before him.

"Who are you?," he muttered, his voice barely a whisper as the darkness closed in. 

But before he could hear an answer, unconsciousness claimed him once more

******

Roni could hear himself mentally scream as his golden tail propelled him forward with frantic speed.

A human!

Of all things! The very creatures Ava had strictly forbidden him to interact with. She had drilled it into his mind—stay hidden, stay silent, stay away from the surface. And yet, the one time she allowed him to bend the rules, he found himself face-to-face with the infamous two-legged monsters.

His instincts screamed for him to swim straight back to Ava, to bury himself in her warm embrace and tell her everything. But Marcus's commanding tone still echoed in his mind, sharp and unyielding. It compelled him to obey. It left him no choice but to burst into Caspian's study.

"Your Royal Majesty!" Roni cried, his voice high and trembling with fear.

The sudden outburst drew immediate action. A pair of Onyx guards materialized before him, their spears pointed directly at his chest. The cold menace in their dark eyes froze Roni in his tracks, his words choking in his throat.

"That's enough. Let him in," King Caspian ordered, his voice calm but edged with authority. The guards hesitated for a moment, their suspicious gazes lingering on Roni before they stepped aside, their spears lowering with reluctant grace.

Roni trembled, his golden scales flickering faintly in the dim light of the study. He felt his stomach twist into knots, the image of the bloodied human still fresh in his mind. The sight of his bare chest, soaked in crimson, and Marcus's tattooed hands pressing desperately against the wound played over and over in his head.

"Well? Speak up," Caspian barked, his tone cold enough to make Roni flinch.

Roni swallowed hard, his voice catching in his throat. "M-Master Marcus said you need to come to the surface," he blurted out, his words tumbling over each other in his panic. "He says it's urgent."

Caspian's dark eyes narrowed, his tall form rising from his chair with a fluid grace that was somehow more intimidating than any abrupt movement. "Take me," he commanded, his voice as unyielding as stone.

Roni's tail stiffened, and every fiber of his being screamed for him to defy the order, to swim away and hide in Ava's embrace. But the king's presence loomed over him, leaving no room for disobedience. Reluctantly, he nodded and led the way.

____________________________________________

When their heads broke the surface of the icy water, the sight before them chilled Roni to his very core.

Blood was everywhere.

The human lay sprawled on the surface of a rocky outcrop, his bare chest slick with crimson. Marcus knelt beside him, his tattooed arms coated in blood as he pressed pieces of the man's torn clothing against the wound in a desperate attempt to staunch the bleeding.

Caspian's gaze hardened, his black eyes unreadable. "What is this?" he demanded coldly.

Marcus's head snapped up, his expression flickering with relief. "Caspian," he said breathlessly. "Thank goodness you're here. I... I don't know what happened. I found him like this, and he's losing so much blood. We have to—"

"Let him die," Caspian interrupted, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

Marcus's silver eyes widened in shock. "Caspian! You can't be serious! He's a human, yes, but he's—"

"He is a threat," Caspian growled, his voice steady and laced with disdain. "You of all people should know that."

Roni's instinctive fear deepened as he inched backward, desperate to return to the safety of the ocean. But a sharp glare from Caspian rooted him in place, freezing him as effectively as if the king's words were chains binding him to the spot.

"Please, Caspian," Marcus begged, his voice trembling with desperation. "The god... the god is telling me he must stay."

Roni blinked, the word reverberating in his mind. God? His heart thudded against his chest. Whatever this was, it went beyond a simple accident. This was something Ava needed to know immediately.

Caspian's expression darkened, his gaze flicking from Marcus to the bloodied human. After a long moment, he sighed, his tone sharp and unyielding. "Slave," he commanded, his eyes locking onto Roni. "Return to the palace. Go to the east quarters and summon Queen Aceso and Morgan. Tell them to come at once."

The blood drained from Roni's face. First a slave, now a royal messenger for the Onyx King, he thought bitterly, but he dared not voice his frustrations. With a hurried nod, he slipped back into the water, his tail propelling him as fast as it could carry him.

As he swam, his mind raced. He had to warn Ava. A human, a god, and now the Onyx King himself entangled in something far larger than anything Roni could comprehend. This wasn't just dangerous—it could bring ruin to his people.

He only hoped he could reach Ava in time.