Where after a mysterious dream, Geno prepares for the mission completely and waits for the people that will help them.

Geno's POV:

Why can't I speak but only think?

Is this a dream? Perhaps. But…

Where am I? I'm not in the ship anymore. Instead I'm…

… near a sandy beach, with no plants around. I can only look ahead. Near the water I see my mom. She's sitting on the sand, her tail in the water. She doesn't look at me. She doesn't even seem to aknowledge my existence.

But it's not just the 2 of us.

Next to her is sitting a young human girl, maybe tennager. She's wearing a torn red dress, her short brown hair are messed up. She seems sad. And familiar to me. What am I seeing? And what are they talking about? They're moving their lips but no voices can be heard.

"… There are 6 emotions which sirens and mermaids consider as high sins. The hardest to contain, the nearly impossible to bury and not feel at all." I hear my mom suddenly saying. All of a sudden I can hear other sounds around me, the waves, the leaves rustling gently, birds chirping.

"… We connect these emotions with the 5 element-powers in nature that establishes life and determination, the strongest of soul traits. They represent them in a way. All emotions are bad if you do not control them. But these 6 are the most destructive for us, sirens and mermaids. Based on them, the strongest curses are made."

Who is mother talking to? What kind of dream is this? What does it want me to see or hear exactly? Why am I seeing this now?

"Some sirens were from royal families, with royal blood in them. After the separation into the 4 generations, these royals became fugitives, condemned, loners, outside Loyals and Depth sirens. They weren't welcomed into any other team, nor the Bold nor the Loners wanted royal blood families between them, because they were reminding them of us, the Loyals. They were forced with their families and their children to live by themselves, without the protection they could have in a big team. And so, if they couldn't protect and raise their children, they were coming up with another solution. Thanks to the royal blood in them, more or less, they had more powers, like read anyone's character if they focused, how good or rotten soul someone has, if they have to do with someone good or bad. Desperate to save their children from the ocean's dangers and the mermaids' wrath, even with great hesitation they would ask for the help of landlubbers. The little relation with royalty they had in them, were giving them also the ability to gift the new guardian of their children with a symbol, holding a power they're not meant to have though and must have great responsibility use it for the sake of their children only. Only at times of great danger the element-power must be used and never for show, nor for fun, but most importantly never for killing if possible."

Element-power? Something
not meant to have…

"If a blessed landlubber would use their power constantly and without wisdom or thinking, the element together with it's respectful negative emotion would turn against them, consume them, eventually kill them."

"At that point it turns to be a curse then." The human girl says, who was listening all this time -from the time I started hearing- silent. My mom nods serious.

"Gift for good purposes, curse for wrong ones. This, is the history of the siren-blessed people, that existed even before our great grandparents did. The few of them that shows important connection between sirens and landlubbers, mortals." Mom pauses and looks far ahead. The girl does the same. I try to walk ahead and approach them, but my limbs are disobeying do even the slightest move.

"Young lady, you asked for my help…" Mom starts talking again after many seconds. "… You said you need power. Avenge your mother and your friends' death, or for being taken away from you. I told you and now you know the meaning and the 2 sides of the siren symbol. I wanted to warn you first, but this is the help I can offer to you. Do you think yourself able to handle my help and the consequences?"

"I've made up my mind Queen CQ. I've been through a lot of pain already…" The girl replies and at this point she lowers her head and tears start running from her half closed eyes. "… But I'm scared to loose my determination after all that happened. I can't give up. For my mother and my friends I must stay determined…" She continues, raises her head and now she has her eyes opened. I remember where I've seen these bright amber eyes. "… So yes. I want to accept the bless and it's consequences if I don't use my power right."

"I see…" My mom says even more serious. "… But for what I'll give you, I have one favor from you in return."

"What favor my Queen?" The girl asks. Mom closes her eyes for a moment and sighs.

"I won't give you the symbol just because you asked for it and wish to have enough power fight against who you and your friends consider enemies. Just like how every one of these sirens gifted common mortals with it for the purpose of making them guardians of their children, I gift you not only to help your purpose but also as a guardian for my first son." I step back a little surprised.

"So you have children to protect too? But my Queen, I don't see them with you."

"They're not with me…" Mom says even darker.

"Then? If you ask me to be guardian of your son without having him here, how am I going to do that?" The girl asks. My mom crawls a little closer to her. Her eyes are darkening.

"Because I'll let you use your power first for your own personal purposes. But there are 3 prophesies written for my sons. Sadly I don't know what happened with my 2 youngest and I keep track only of my Geno, my oldest. The first Royal Ocean Prophecy, is a story that shares from my story but next talks about him. It says that once he closes 3 circles of 7 years, he's meant to whether save the Oceans and the world, or let everything die in Purple Moon's celebration. He has close 2 circles and in 3 years he'll close the 3rd. The time comes nearer and nearer and I'm afraid he'll need support, or he won't be able do that alone. That's why I decided to find people trustworthy, brave, good souls, to become guardians for my sons, hoping also that by agreeing to tie them with my sons' fate, they'll find them faster. I've find long ago 5. People like you."

Woah…

"However Echo, daughter of the Amber-eyed witch, if I bless you and tie you with the prophecies and my sons' fate, our cases and problems will be yours too. It'll be unavoidable to meet. And when you do, you'll have to follow him, pause whatever purposes you yourself have, until he fullfils his. Do you think you can accept that too? Do you promise help my son when his time comes?" Mom asks and looks in her eyes intensively. The girl looks at her with an unreadable expression. But then she smiles.

"These are a lot of responsibilities. But it honors me to hear you think I'm capable for such thing. If it's for the protection of your sons, if it's for such purpose, I accept to help you my Queen. If it's in 3 years, I'll be older and prepared to stay by your sons side completely. You can bless me now." She says certain.

"Thank you Echo, child. Now come closer to me." Mom says. The human crawls closer to my mom. "Rest your head on my lap." She obeys again. Mom places her hand on her head. "Fall off to sleep while I sing to you. And when you wake up, the symbol will be with you." She talks again looking down on the human. She starts humming a melody.

"How interesting to see you here prince Genocide." I flinch and turn, only for my jaw to almost drop. Steps away from me is standing the same witch I've seen in my last dream. No, how-! I look again behind me, the girl that sleeps on my mom is still there.

But wait, besides I saw it before, she's younger than the other one that just appeared.

"Very very interesting." The witch behind me says and chuckles. "Your abilities are truly amazing."

"Huh?" I think, still unable to talk.

"Don't worry, if you talk through your mind I'll hear you." She tells me. I look one more time behind me just to make sure and look again at the older one.

"What am I seeing?" I ask.

"Something you weren't supposed to see from me, nearly 3 years ago."

"If I wasn't supposed to see this, whatever that is, then how did I do that? Why didn't ya stop me?" She chuckles lightly. But she doesn't say anything. She walks towards me and if I desired to move I couldn't.

"About how you got here, I'll let you figure this out yourself prince. But I let you see what you're witnessing, because, being tied with your fate means you should know a little bit more about who you're going to meet exactly. And soon enough, in 3 days!"

"So… you're blessed too."

"Yup. You must have meet priest Alter already. Me and my mother met him 3 years ago. He was already siren-blessed, before me. But not even a couple of months after that meeting, my mother died from fatal wounds that made her suffer for long. Because these pigs flogged her almost to death 4 years ago. It was miracle she escaped from them even if she was succumbing later to the wounds…" She said, lowered her head and clenched her fists.

"But not long after that I met your mother. We came to an agreement after I understood more about what was the purpose of hers, searching for guardians."

"What's the power you got exactly?"

"She didn't quite give a new one. She charged me with more than I had. But hear her." She says pointing behind me. I turn and at exactly that moment my mom stops singing. She pauses only for a moment.

"… With your own consent, you chose to get tied to mine and my sons' fate, in exchange to grand your biggest wish. I'll give you the strength to face the difficulties and avenge your loved ones… but the power in you won't heal the wounds your soul already carries. You need to keep living with them. Prove that you're worthy to carry a fragment from sirens' glory and might. Prove that you can control your demon's. Prove that you're ready to fight, sacrifice, save, for the sake of my sons and one day what you wish will come true. But the symbol won't forgive if you kill with the power it gifted you. You were borned determined. But the events tries to bury you, make your determination fade. Your friends are getting arrested even for nothing, getting tortured, eliminated, displaced. Your mother is gone. But don't get discouraged. When they try to hold you back, reply to them with even more determination! In our days, a lot of it and will is needed to change things for the best. Determination, the strongest of soul traits, just like the other 5 elements on earth that establishes the life. Despite you have it from birth, it threatens to completely fade. The symbol won't let you though. May it never fades. May it doubles in your soul and your body. May you're always armed with it and always hope. But don't let the hate, the strongest of negative emotions be your advisor and get the best of you. Don't let it awake filthier emotions towards whoever did and will do the harm. The best revenge is to never become like your enemy."

"Yes my Queen." The girl says in her sleep.

"Wake up now prince Geno. And
who knows, if you're lucky, what
you saw won't be the only thing
you'll ever see." The witch next
to me says cheerfully.

"Wha-?!" And before I can complete, everything around me shatters, the figures of my mom and younger Echo drifts away like shadows and the sky… comes down ready to stomp me.

"See you in 3 days!" The witch says cheerfully again and laughs. I see her form disappearing like a shadow.

"Geno."

I yell the time I hear that voice calling my name and almost literally fly out of the bed. I open my eyesocket and look around. I see Alter kneeled at the side of it. I look again away holding my chest. Agitated. What was I seeing? This… didn't feel like a dream.

"Is everything alright son?" Alter asks with a small smile.

"I… think…"

"What didja see?" He asks. I look away.

"I… I'm not quite sure what hit me in my sleep." I reply. His hand pats my shoulder 2 times and hums.

"I see. It is not necessary right now to tell me. You can describe after we truly start with the mission. But for now, we have to take care of the last details."

"What… time is it?" I ask.

"Around 7:00 in the morning. Get ready…" Alter replied -damnit, I lost one more sunrise!-, got up and turned his back. He was about to walk out of the room. But he stopped, turned again and pointed somewhere at the table. "… These are the clothes you'll be wearing. But first I'll call Ramirez. Wait here. I have to prepare too."

Just some minutes later…

I fight hard to stand very still and hold myself from stabbing dogface's eyeballs. Or welp, the one left from him untouched. Why? He had to bandage me. I try convince myself that I should be respecting Alter, let him prepare in peace instead of me sticking to him like an oyster. But with the dogface alone in the room it's difficult.

"Stop being a baby and leave the priest prepare his way for the mission, for f*ck's sake." The dog snarled holding bandages. I hiss again at him.

"What are you gonna do?" I ask hostile. Ramirez stayed silent for a moment before finally replying.

"I didn't just guess you had some kind of problem with your body by the blood making this big red slash stain I was seeing on your chest every day and all the bandages on your wrists. The priest explained and trusted me your situation. I'm not some sweet angel, but as doctor I'll choose to not let any comment escape from whatever I see, if that's what will irritate you. Take off your jacket and shirt. I'll have to bandage you with clean bandages so you don't stain the new clothes."

I don't know why I agreed, but with the biggest hesitation I did as he said. His reaction was... well chiller than I expected, if ya think that my torso and arms were a mess of bloody bandages. He just raised his thick eyebrows but the grumpy expression never let his face.

I couldn't think how was he gonna react next if he was seeing the scars beneath more clearly. But again I expected too much from him. Once he had unwrapped the old bandages he raised again eyebrows. Keeping his chill, silently he started bandaging me, starting from my arms. Letting him touch me even a little was torture.

"Stop squirming..." He would complain at times. I couldn't control my nervousness. It's all for the mission, ok! I agreed that I have to cooperate. But this?! How long am I gonna tolerate staying in the same room with that doct-?!

"How long are you like that?" He suddenly asks. I look at him confused. He's focused on bandaging my shoulder.

"How long what?" I ask. He growls annoyed looking up to the ceiling but quickly turns back on bandaging me.

"These scars on you, that slash." He explains.

"Why should I tell you?" I ask with sass. He just rolls his eyes and keeps doing his job. We both stay silent for many seconds.

"… 1st, I need to know more about how these cracks and scars work. And 2nd, chattering even like that makes you squirm less." I flinch, I hadn't observe that I was... calm?! I look away thoughtful. The dog doesn't say anything after that.

"… 7 years." I murmur. I feel him flinching and I look at him confused. He's staring at me, not with just raised eyebrows but maybe eyes a little bit more opened than his normal. Now that's new, I've never seen him being like that. He opens his mouth ready to say something.

"The deepest and most horrible ones, together with the slash are 7 years old." I continue, actually enjoying his surprise.

"All... these?" He asks. I nod. He suddenly holds my still unbandaged left arm looking at it focused. A little bit too abruptly for me.

"Hey yo!" I hiss and pull it away from him. He looks at me still with that half surprise.

"No way. These should have healed in less than an year…" He murmurs. It's my turn to get surprised.

"What…"

"Did fire burn you?"

People are screaming panicked and scared. But I hear almost nothing. I'm screaming from pain, holding my chest, my vision is blurry from tears, I see blurry the tall dark figure of the pirate that is approaching me with slow agonising steps as I'm crawling back.

I can't see anything from their face at all, the big hat they're wearing is hiding it. Their sword is stained with blood.

My blood.

Just when they're only 2 steps away from me, a near house explodes. Burning debris are flying in the air, other are hitting and covering me, fire swirls in a wild dangerous dance and strokes my body painfully. I let weak whimpers, I'm unable to let out any other sound. I prevent to see the pirate disappearing into thin air.

Surrounded by a dark and cold mist. I pass out…

"Pst!"

I flinch as I hear the dog doing that sound and snapping his fingers in front of my face. I shake my head left and right sharply and look at him still agitated from the memory.

"… I'll take that as a yes."

"Y-Yes what?" I ask still a little lost.

"Yes you got burned by fire. And something from the expression you had as long as I kept bandaging you tells me that it's too personal. None of my business hearing personal stuff." He says indifferent and takes 2 steps back. "Torso and arms are ready."

I look at my arms and chest. The bandages aren't too tight and despite I can feel them also tied diagonally they aren't stopping me from moving comfortably.

"Are these scars and the slash bleeding now and then?" He suddenly asks. I look at him still moving my arms to feel from all perspectives the work.

"The ones on my torso and arms only. Sometimes... If I get panicked or angered, or if I get hitted hard they threaten to bleed."

"Then this will be probably difficult for you. This mission isn't only about find that witch. You'll have to interact with people. You must not f*ck things up. In any case you have to stay calm. But now that you informed me, you'll have in your bags extra bandages, just in case. But if I were you, I wouldn't worry."

"Because you're f*cking apathetic and doesn't give a damn about anything at all?" I ask.

"… Also that. But having by your side Alter it's like you're having your guaranteed ticket of survival." Ramirez says. But he doesn't seem done yet. He looks at me intensively.

"What?" I ask.

"The disease on your eyesocket. How blurry do you see things from it?" He asks. I place my hand on my bad right eyesocket.

"I can't distinguish sh*t with it, It's technically useless." I reply looking away.

"It had better if it gets bandaged too." He says and I look at him confused.

"Why?" His look turns on the clothes at the table.

"These clothes aren't some nice gift for you. It's a disguise. Living a life in piracy has you always on stake. And if people were to learn that you recently made appearance in the crew Reapers, you would be instantly dead, killing Alter too. You're not that long with us, but either way if you come to Lisbon looking like a sickly, pale, with bloody clothes and a bright red slash stain on your chest, short skeleton they'll stigmatise you. They'll remember your face and target you much easier. Especially with that birth disease. You literally look like a little criminal. But if you look more normal, if you look like a civilised monster that's just having a bandaged wounded eyesocket, you might not make people around you that suspicious you'll blend in more easily. And especially, if you stay close to Alter, who's more social and knows better, screwing things up would look like you were actually trying to do so. Also, you won't stay forever in your disguises. If people picture you one way, the fake one, they won't know the real way you casually are."

"Ok?" I say.

"This is the art of pretending and acting. Every detail counts. Ah, also now that I remember it, you must hide as much as you can that you're a siren. Don't chit chat with the animals a lot and ignore them. Like Captain told you, sirens and mermaids aren't loved in Lisbon. Not a tiny bit and maybe more than any other land. Now wear your disguise. Then I'll bandage your eyesocket."

Now...

I look again absent-minded at the sleeves of the clothes I'm wearing. I nail my look at the pant legs. When I looked at myself in the mirror I almost didn't recognise myself. Guess I'm so used to wear white, for so long, that different colors on me feel… unfamiliar. But at least they are comfy and cover my arms and legs.

The shirt is cyan, with long flare sleeves, covering almost half of my palms. It has a hood. My scarf is still wrapped around my neck but underneath the shirt. The wide leg trousers are black, covering half of my boots, which are also black. My right eyesocket is now bandaged by dogface.

I press my hands on the gunwale and look far away sighing. Now I feel nervous about this whole mission thing. What if something goes wrong? What if I do something wrong? The dog implied it, trusting Alter will make things go smooth. But I can't help except constantly worrying.

"Oi fishstick! You'll look better on rags!" I hear Dave saying from somewhere behind me. I don't even deign turn to look at him, just groan silently. But a loud slap and Dave roaring makes me do turn.

"Stop mocking already the little guy you damn tiger!" Adrian says. Dave is holding his left cheek and snarls at Adrian. I chuckle.

"Yeah. Kapa çeneni Dave! Our sssiren is güzzzel and cute!" Yalin interfered. I look away feeling my cheeks slightly warm.

"Good morning little guy. How are you?" I suddenly hear Adrian to my left and I flinch. How is he so silent?!

"I u-um… fine I guess." I reply.

"How are the clothesss I made for you?" I suddenly hear Yalin to my right. I flinch surprised again.

"You… made these?" I ask.

"In 4 daysss, yesss. Sssewing and knitting isssn't sssupposssedly for men asss they were telling usss back in my home. Well whoever sssaid that sssiktir et onları! I learned becaussse I wanted to. And I wasss admiring my mom, Allah bless her sssoul, how ssshe wasss working with clothesss. Ssshe taught me. Sssecretly."

"I see…" I said hesitant. "They're… not bad I guess…" He laughs, whistling at the same time.

"Glad you like them even a little friend."

Friend.

Now that hits weird.

I don't know how to reply to that.

Friend?

Is he joking?

No, he seems cheerful, he seems to mean it. Why?

I… I can't tell the same. No! In fact it irritates me. Don't fall for these tricks Geno! No pirate even means anything they say. I clench my fists and look away.

"Buongiorno ragazzi!" A cheerful voice saves me from that moment. In an instant everyone's heads turn to look somewhere, only to hear next voices of awe. The 3 hyenas, which are standing some steps away from me whistles at the same time.