"Kai," his brother Atlantis said with visible relief, "I've been looking everywhere for you!" Atlantis swam nervously next to him, holding his green royal cape and emerald crown that was trimmed with gold. His fingers gripped the fabric tightly as if trying to hold onto some semblance of control in the midst of the chaos.

Kai's expression darkened as he turned toward his brother. The worry was evident in his eyes, but it was quickly masked by a sharp tension. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice tight. He was still reeling from the events of the last few weeks—the growing unrest, the invasion that had barely been averted, and the overwhelming weight of responsibility now pressing down on him.

Atlantis, sensing his brother's simmering irritation, chuckled nervously. "Our kingdom hasn't been invaded, thanks to your swift actions, but..." His voice trailed off, and he hesitated before continuing. He knew Kai's patience was thin, especially now. "The counsel is... uneasy, brother. They're becoming increasingly concerned about your lack of a mate."

Kai groaned, his frustration palpable. "Not this again," he muttered. "What are they saying now? They're going to force me into a marriage with some princess, aren't they?"

Atlantis shook his head, the concern deepening in his expression. "No, they said they'll remove you from the throne entirely. They're talking about replacing you with Raius, the head of the counsel."

A growl rumbled in Kai's throat, a sound like distant thunder. "This is getting out of hand. That merman only wants power. He doesn't care about the kingdom."

Atlantis could feel the heat in his brother's voice, but beneath his irritation, Atlantis felt a deep unease of his own. As they swam through the shimmering underwater city toward the royal palace, Atlantis couldn't shake the image of Raius. His beady black eyes, gleaming with ambition, were unsettling. But what disturbed Atlantis more was the pressure building in his own chest—the pressure of his position in this kingdom, the expectations, and the personal conflict he could no longer ignore.

He glanced over at Kai, who was swimming with a kind of relentless determination, his focus set on the palace. Atlantis followed, but his thoughts were elsewhere, swimming in a much darker current. He thought about his own place in the kingdom—the expectations for him, the constant reminder that he was second in line, a role he never wanted.

But it wasn't just the throne he was running from. It was the pressure to fit in, to live up to the standards set by their people. They demanded that the royal family marry for the kingdom's future—male and female, king and queen, heirs to the throne. And yet... Atlantis had never felt drawn to mermaids the way everyone expected him to.

He thought about the girls he'd known, those mermaids with their shimmering scales and bright eyes. He could admire their beauty, he could appreciate their grace, but there was something missing—a connection he just couldn't find.

No, Atlantis realized, it wasn't them. It was the other merfolk—the mermen. He had always felt a deeper pull toward them, a strange sense of belonging that he couldn't quite explain. Perhaps it was their strength, their presence, or something deeper. Something in the way their eyes would linger a little too long. Something in the way their touch felt less like formality and more like warmth.

There was one in particular.

Atlantis shook the thought away before it could go any further, refocusing on the matter at hand. His feelings were a secret he couldn't afford to acknowledge, especially now, with the counsel growing more desperate. The idea of Raius on the throne was an unbearable thought, but Atlantis couldn't escape the pressure to keep his true desires buried deep within him. In this kingdom, there was no room for weakness or deviation from the norm.

They arrived at the palace, and Atlantis snapped back to the present. Emerald columns spiraled from the sand, adorned with white crystals that shimmered in the glowing light of the underwater city. Kai barely seemed to notice the grandeur of the place as he moved swiftly through the hallways, his focus sharp, as if the palace itself was no more than an obstacle in his way.

Atlantis followed closely, and as they entered the throne room, a cold tension filled the air. Kai strode in without hesitation, his powerful presence commanding the space. His scepter gleamed in his hand, but Atlantis knew it was the heat of his anger that would truly draw everyone's attention.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kai bellowed, his voice shaking the water. The counsel, gathered in clusters around the room, froze. The emerald throne at the end of the room, designed to resemble twisting serpents, seemed to loom over them as a symbol of Kai's power. But the air felt heavy, and even the most hardened of the counsel members were avoiding his gaze.

Atlantis stood at his brother's side, but his mind was elsewhere. The thought of Ren on the island alone—vulnerable, exposed to the storm brewing above—pulled at him. The weight of the situation hit him like a sudden wave. He couldn't focus fully on what was happening in the throne room, the increasing tension between his brother and the counsel. All he could think of was Ren. His thoughts had been so clouded by fear and worry for her, he almost didn't notice when Raius stepped forward.

Raius was a towering figure, his long golden hair flowing like a river of light, and his black eyes glittering with an unsettling hunger. He was everything Atlantis had feared in a ruler—cold, calculating, and always searching for the next way to gain power. His gaze flicked to Atlantis, and Atlantis forced himself to look away, to avoid the tightening in his chest.

"You know the law, King Kai," Raius said, his voice smooth and authoritative. "If a king does not marry within five years of coming of age, he will be dethroned, and the next in line shall rule."

A murmur rippled through the room as Raius's gaze flickered to Atlantis. "And that would be me," he continued, his words like daggers, dripping with self-assurance.

Kai's face twisted in fury. "You?" He almost spat the word. "What about my brother, Atlantis? He should be the next in line, not you."

Atlantis immediately tensed, his heart racing. His brother's words felt like a sharp blade twisting in his chest, and for a moment, he wished he could disappear, blend into the stone of the palace walls. "Kai, I can't," Atlantis whispered, barely audible. The pressure was suffocating, and his voice felt too thin, too weak to fight the growing tide of expectations.

Raius laughed, and the sound made Atlantis flinch. "Your brother," Raius said with derision, "isn't even fit to lead. He's too soft. He can't even bed a woman, much less rule a kingdom."

Atlantis's cheeks burned with shame, his heart dropping into the depths of the ocean. He knew the truth of it—he'd never been suited for this. But Raius's words stung in a way that made him question everything. The merfolk didn't understand, didn't know why he preferred the company of mermen over mermaids. The thought of them... it left him feeling lost, as if he didn't belong anywhere.

Kai's roar brought him back to reality, a loud, angry sound that cracked through the tension. "Don't you dare!" His voice shook with rage, and Atlantis could feel the storm above, a reflection of his brother's fury.

But amidst the chaos, Atlantis's thoughts lingered. He glanced at the counsel, at Raius, but his mind couldn't help but drift back to that merman. The one with the deep blue scales, the one who had always made Atlantis's heart beat faster. But Atlantis couldn't afford to acknowledge it, not now. Not ever.

The storm rumbled above, and the thunderclap that followed was a sign to everyone in the room that their king was enraged. Kai took a deep breath, his anger still simmering beneath the surface.

"I'll find a wife," Kai spat, his eyes dark. "When is the deadline?"

A mermaid in the back, elderly and wise, spoke up. "Ten suns from now," she said, her voice calm but firm.

Kai nodded sharply. "Agreed." His eyes were stormy, but Atlantis could see the weight of the situation sinking in. His brother was being cornered, and he had no choice but to comply.

Atlantis opened his mouth to speak, but his voice came out stronger than he intended. "What are the requirements?" he asked, trying to focus on the task at hand, to escape the heavy thoughts clouding his mind.

Raius glared at him, his voice dripping with disdain. "She must be a female, capable of producing a suitable heir."

Atlantis's mind raced. There had to be a way around this. A way that would change everything.

And then, a thought formed—a plan that might just work.

He let the corners of his lips curl into a sly grin