Where another dream once more comes to fill Geno with wonder and questions. Or is it?

No one's POV:
-

Geno opened eyesocket, only to realise... he was surrounded by black again. But this time, no one was around.

It didn't take long for the silence to become unbearable for him. Together with the darkness, it made him nervous. The silence always meant something bad. The calm before the storm or something. What was to come?

"Geno?"

A woman's voice was heard from somewhere behind him. Geno turned around hesitantly.

Then his jaw almost dropped.

Short rosey hair...

That was the most noticeable characteristic with which Alter had described the siren who gave him the symbol! Except she was standing on legs, covered by a long skirt which almost seemed to be covered... in scales? Nonetheless, Geno stared at her shocked and surprised.

"You..." He said quietly as he took a hesitant step towards her. The siren smiled. But her dark eyes were filled with melancholy.

"Dear... Oh, you've grown up..." She said, sounding a little emotional. Although Geno had never see her before, at least as far as his memory recalled, something in her voice felt somewhat familiar to him. He didn't know why. Hesitantly he took another step towards her.

"... Who are you?" He asked.

"You're right to ask. You don't remember me, you were very little then..." She said looking down. But quickly she looked again at him.

"What do you mean? How do you know about me?"

"The sea animals and birds. They would tell me about you and your brothers..." Huh...

Wait, she knew about his brothers! But before Geno could ask, the siren covered her face with her hands and started sobbing. It was bound for the small skeleton to feel awkward yet at the same time... sorry for her? He stayed motionless unsure of what to do.

He walked closer to her. He didn't know why, he just felt he had to. He stood next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She raised her head and looked at him a little startled and surprised. Geno felt even more awkward but the questions were drowning him and he couldn't stay silent.

"Hey look. I... I don't know what's going on but... Can you tell me what's it you know about me and my br-?" The siren suddenly hugged him and for a moment Geno was ready to push her away... But he didn't. That hug felt fond and nice and... safe. Which also made him feel somehow even more familiar with her.

"I'm sorry. You don't remember me and you don't understand. But me... it's just... I've missed you so much and I can't... I can only see you like this..." She said letting go of him slowly and waved her hand, showing the void around her. "You found at last your first guardian."

"He did first though. Kinda..." Geno said shrugging his shoulders. He looked around thoughtful before his attention turned again on the woman. The atmosphere in which he was in reminded him greatly of when he would meet with that slim and dark figure that would keep him company. So it was fair to wonder...

"Are you... dead?" He asked. The other didn't seem surprised by the question.

"No. This is not the monster afterlife."

"Is it a dream?" Geno asked then.

"Yes, but at the same time more than that."

"Hmmm... I've never dreamt of you before or see you. But why now? How?"

"It's part of my magic capabilities that we manage to meet like this. Magic which I've given Alter so communication could be possible for us."

"So that's why the figure told me to let my guardian close. It knew somethin' better than I could. Hunh..." Geno thought.

"Physically I can't approach you however. Oh Geno... I wish I could be close to you in real life. But I can only see you in your sleep. Like this." She waved her arm around the place before looking again at Geno. "But this is not what is the most important now. There are things that must be told about your current situation. For as long as you're in the ship and follow on this journey."

"As long as I'm in the ship! Sorry?! But I want to leave! Why should I stay with the pirates?! They're all a bunch of rude jerks and-"

"They are the only ones brave and bold enough who can lead you towards your destiny and to accomplish the mission that falls on your shoulders." She cutted Geno off, who looked at her surprised. The siren was very serious now. "It's not something that I control. It's out of anyone's control about what will happen in less than 3 months to the world... Your guardian has told you. Right?" She asked then.

"Yeah." Geno nodded. "He informed me about what's goin' on and that apparently I'm the only one who can stop the evil plans of the mermaids-. Wait a minute, IN LESS THAN 3 MONTHS?!" He observed as he raised hands in the air. "And I'm supposed to be ready by then?! And since that whole thing is unavoidable, why wasn't I kidnapped and informed earlier at least?! I'd have more time to prepare!"

"Because only when you were at the right age your Fate would call you up for the destiny. Once you turned 21, would be the right time for your other powers to awake and for you to proceed on your journey, to discover yourself and... the past." The woman looked away for a fleeing moment before looking again at Geno.

"Okay, but why didn't I start remembering whatever it is I have to remember any earlier?!"

"Because the oblivion in which you were living for the past 14 years is what made the mermaids unable from locating you at Hondarribia. It's this oblivion that hid your siren nature and made you and your brothers impossible to be found by the mermaids. If your siren nature was revealed any earlier, if you were to start remembering the past then, they would sense you and... kill you."

"Is it also the reason as to why any other times I came in contact with water I would never form any tail?" Geno asked raising brow. The other nodded. "And how do you know I was living in such oblivion? Unless..." He felt the realisation slowly creeping in and he looked at the pink-haired siren intensively.

"Because..." The woman inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "... I made sure to erase your memories and hide your siren nature."

Geno clenched his fists.

"And that's why I can't remember anythin' before my first 7 years? I get that you're a siren Queen and all, but ya sure interfere with my life an awful lot. Why? Who are you really?" He asked daggering his eyesocket. The woman pressed her lips together tightly. But before she could say anything, was when the low snake-like whistling sound was heard, which caused her and Geno to look around startled.

"I'm afraid to give you the answers..." She admitted as she looked at Geno. "... But no matter what happens, even if they become the reason you end up despising me, you deserve them." Geno looked at her raising brow. Why was she so concerned if he hated her or not? "But until next time we meet. It's not safe. She managed to find us, she's here." She sounded scared. "Morganna..." A name, which despite whispered, Geno heard it.

"Morganna? Who the heck is Morga-?!"

"You must wake up! Now!" The woman said and before Geno could protest, she pushed him back with force. Geno obviously fell backwards and felt the floor sucking him down. He panicked and started squirming to stay on the surface, to no avail.

"Wait! No! Mo-!"

~

Geno opened his eyesocket abruptly. Cold sweat had bathe him. He opened his mouth but no sound came out. He pressed his hands on his chest, feeling his soul pounding hard. His breath was fast and abrupt. He tried to take deeper breaths. After some seconds he managed to stabilize himself.

The beats got slower and he started relaxing. A minute later, he focused and looked around him. He was still in the priest's hermitage but now there wasn't much light. He was hearing random rough voices outside, foosteps from above. He guessed that the pirates were awake and doing probably their jobs.

"What time is it?" He thought as he stood up- his legs had returned! For some reason, despite being in a pirate ship, Geno couldn't help but feel a little bit of delight for seeing his legs back.

He sat back on the bed and kicked his feet a tiny bit joyfully as he stared at them. Stars he didn't like it having the tail and what had happen during the time he was with it. Mainly for how... out of control he had felt. Only Alter had managed to calm him down...

"Because... I made sure to erase your memories and hide your siren nature."

If he had always been like that, he needed time to get used to being a siren... And with the dream, or whatever it really was he saw, Geno had more to be concerned about. He had to talk with Alter... did he have to? He huffed, he had already decided.

The tall skeleton was the closest he had to a face who had interacted with that pink-haired siren. Geno had no choice but to learn trusting him if he wanted to learn stuff. For now though, all the small skeleton could do was be delighted by the fact he had his feet back.

"Welcome back my feet!" He thought. His eyesocket caught something resting on the edge of the bed. Geno held it in his hands. Fabric, something neatly folded. He unfolded it.

A pair of black shorts with a white stripe on each pant leg from the outer side was revealed to him. Ah yes, right. Alter had said he would bring him this. Geno wore the shorts, trousers for him with how smol he was and looked down thoughtful.

He hadn't wore any other color for so long, but he couldn't complain for being given free clothes. Comfortable too. Geno looked around the hermitage. Only then it really occured to him Alter wasn't around. Where had he gone to?

Sometimes in the silence
I can hear you sing
And feel your loving presence
Ever near
There's something strong between us
Like a force that I can't see
A bridge connecting us
Invisibly

Geno stood almost on guard hearing a calm deep voice singing. He recognised soon that Alter was the one who was singing, silently admiring how incredible his voice sounded. After all this voice couldn't just psalm.

I know that you are near me
Though we're far apart
I see your face before me everywhere
I know that you can hear me
When I'm calling from my heart
I know that you are always there

Except from his voice however, Geno realised that he was approaching towards the hermitage. He didn't know why he panicked, climbed back on the bed quickly, covered himself with she sheets and pretended that he was still asleep. But he kept his eyesocket half-opened.

Sometimes I think that you must be
An angel passing through
There was never anyone
As beautiful as you

Geno felt Alter entering the room with slow steps. Then approaching the table and the sound of the stool quietly creaking gave Geno the hint the priest had sat down. He sounded... melancholic and sad.

I know that you are with me
In everything I do
And follow every footstep
Of my way
You are my guardian angel
And you will forever be
The one who's always walking
Close to me

I miss you in the moonlight
And the morning sun
I miss you every hour
Of the day
There's never been a moon gone by
Without you on my mind
A part of you will always stay

Sometimes I think that you must be
An angel passing through
'Cause there was never anyone
As beautiful as you
Somehow I know that you must be
An angel passing through
Oh there was never anyone
As beautiful as you

There, Alter's voice sounded a bit less sad. Geno had almost think that the song ended, until the priest sighed and started singing the last lyrics, the melancholy returning in his voice.

Seasons come and seasons go
But you will always be
More than beautiful to me
You're more than beautiful to me

Why had he even sung such song? Geno stayed as motionless as possible, thinking. He heard Alter's quiet sigh.

"Ya can stop pretending to be asleep now." He said calmly. Geno flinched. How did he-?! "... The shorts aren't here anymore. I can only assume ya whether wore them on, whether ate them."

"Pfff-." This time Geno couldn't keep pretending to sleep as the comment Alter did caught him off guard. He took the blanket off him and sat on the edge of the bed to face the taller. They looked at each other silently before Geno look at Alter more serious and curious.

"That song ya were singin'... it was nice. Sad though. What for?" He asked. Alter lowered his head looking away. He sighed and took from his pocket his prayer rope, clacking the beads.

"... I like it's meaning. It's beautiful, quiet, the lyrics are full of love and tenderness and... I sing it when it reminds me of things I left behind. Of faces dear to me..." Alter's expression gained one more spec of sadness.

"... Separated, or..." Geno asked hesitantly.

"... Some separated, some... gone to the afterlife." Alter answered many seconds later.

"Maybe... you think that I don't understand how it feels loosing a loved one. But I know the feeling more than you would ever think."

Geno didn't know why he remembered that exact phrase of Alter's, from their first day of proper introduction and when revealing the first things about what was going on with the world. But after all as it seemed, he wasn't lying then.

"... I... see..." The small skeleton said quietly as he looked away. He heard Alter slowly standing up and snapped his head to look at him. He was smiling gently now, despite the melancholy was still in his eyesockets.

"... Ya sure slept heavily." He commented.

"How long was I out?" Geno asked. Alter looked up for a few seconds to think.

"... You slept for at least 10 hours."

"Whaaat?!" Geno yelped. "And why didn't you wake me up?!"

"You didn't ask me to." Alter stated. "Besides you looked like you needed it. The past few days have been a bit rough and chaotic for you, 'specially today. It is certainly no little thing that we all, but especially you, discovered you're a siren... And Reaps asked me to make sure ya rest anyways."

"Did that creep watch me in my sleep?!" Geno yelped feeling unsafe, causing Alter to laugh.

"As far as my knowledge and magic reaches, I didn't sense him anywhere near the hermitage. Throughout the day he was in his headquarters and a few times wandered around the deck, at least when I would stay away from the hermitage to take care of some task."

"... Just these?!" Geno asked, his eyesocket daggering suspiciously as he nailed it at Alter

"As far as I know." The taller said shrugging his shoulders.

"Hmph." Geno did and looked away crossing his arms.

The 2 stayed quiet again for many seconds as Geno thought. And realised. He had to ask Alter in case he would enlighten him some more. Help him understand and remember more. Not just his past, but perhaps if he would finally talk about the pink-haired siren. Say already who she really was!

Also however of what would happen to him, if he would be allowed to roam around the ship.

"Say. Didja ask your Captain if I'm free goin' around the ship? With me bein' a siren and all." He asked staring at Alter more intensively.

"Ah yes. He actually didn't mind at all he said. You're free to walk around the ship, but preferably with me by your side."

"Ah. That easy." Geno just commented. "Of course and he ain't concerned about me escapin', he has my damn necklace, the very thing that doesn't let me walk away, rather swim away from here." His thoughts however had much more to express.

No matter. In the current situation he was, until he found a way to retrieve back the necklace, he had to focus on trying to get answers.

we have 2820 words. goodbye readers, have a great day/night (or whatever) and stay determined of course! *pat pat pat*