《=|Reborn|=|VHope|=》
《=|Merfolk|=》

°•●•°

Have you ever looked at the sea and wondered why humans have discovered not even ten percent of the ocean?

It's massive, mighty, and beautiful.

Hoseok stares at it with a smile. His hair is dripping wet, their mossy green highlights slowly pulling away into his human brown hair.

It reaches his neck, tied up into an incredibly messy bun.

His green eyes fade back to their deep chocolate orbs, his toes wiggling in the water.

He has always had this strange longing to be in the water.

It's strange, but that's why he lives on his own on the far away beach. He doesn't like to be with people. He doesn't particularly dislike them, most of them are just... pissing him off.

He slides a hand through his brown hair, sighing deeply as he leans on his knees.

"I know something is out there..."

He smiles to himself.

"Whether you understand us or not... I know there is something in there. Something smart. So don't be afraid to come out. I won't hurt you..."

With that he gets up, getting ready for the night to sleep.

And at night, those alive at sea, truly live.

°•●•°

"Father, you know our lives cannot be strained."

"You are a danger to our kingdom!"

"I am not!"

"Your magic is too strong and too rabid to be allowed!"

The prince bares his four sharp fangs, gills spreading as he tries to pull at the heavy thorned coral bars.

"My magic is not yours." He growls. "My magic is from my mother! Whom you have banished! If you simply cannot accept the way I look like my mother, than you never should have married a shaya!"

"You do not speak to me with that tone, young gem!"

"You still call me a gem after all you have said to me?" He scoffs. "I gave you chances to change. I tried to change myself for you! So I could be the perfect heir! Brother left, and sister is far too young!"

"Taehyung Enakai! I warn you!"

"OH SHUT UP!!"

The water stirs at the burst of the prince's deep voice, his angry eyes glaring daggers at his father.

"You trap me... Your own son. Your own son! Our people see you as our great saviour and protector of the merkingdom! And yet you are afraid of me?! Why?! I would never harm you, father!"

"They all say that." The king tells him, turning and taking his leave.

It's no use talking to a merman with the brain of a shark.

Although in some aspect, his son is right. He is afraid. He has hurt guards only with the use of his magic, unknowing why it would work underwater. The king is afraid.

For himself, but also his two other children.

His youngest daughter, magicless, but a perfectly fine and well-behaved mermaid.

The oldest son, who left the throne to study medicine, usually distancing from the family.

And the middle son... Taehyung. Locked up behind bars because his magic could not keep itself in his own hands.

Taehyung is a prince. The next heir. And yet the king cannot figure out why after twenty lonely years, his son is still not able to control the fire in his veins.

Not only was Taehyung different in magic wise, but he also camouflaged with the water.

His hair was ocean blue, just a bit as the sky above at day, his tail mixing with different shades of aqua, turquoise, and sea blue. His fins were advanced and sharp. They showed no elegance, unlike the rest of his family.

He was muscular and slightly on the skinny side, with broad shoulders and a deep voice that could intimidate anyone.

Taehyung was a danger.

The king's wife was a shark. A strong mix between a mermaid and a shark. Even though the king wished for a perfect mix between them, his wife left him when his power grew, and refused to give him more children to see his goal.

She told him she was no baby making machine, and left.

He made it look like an attack and banished her from the kingdom, only for her to leave with a satisfied smile.

The only one she could ever visit was the middle son.

She only said her last goodbyes, until the guards had caught her and threw her out without another last word.

Taehyung was only three back then.

For that he has never forgiven his father. Not to this day he hasn't.

But he is not heartless. He won't hurt his father simply because he wants him hurt.

No, no.

He will hurt him where it really hurts.

He'll go and look for a wife. A perfect match for him. Someone with equal as much of a dangerous power.

It shouldn't be too hard. He heard that the sirens deeper in the sea had magic just like his.

So that is where he will go as soon as he gets out.

°•●•°

Hoseok hums to himself as he grabs himself a cup of coffee, staring out into the ocean.

Today is his birthday.

His twenty fifth birthday.

He's officially been alone for ten years.

He smiles as be steps outside, the warm sun shining on his face. He takes a sip, the water as calm as ever.

He doesn't quite pay attention to his surroundings.

Why should he?

He screams out in pain when something extremely hot pours all over his hand.

He looks down at his dripping fingers, smoke coming from the sand below.

But all he sees is... sand.

And an empty hand, the mug disappeared, the coffee dripping all over him.

He cusses to himself and grabs a towel, cleaning his hand, whining at the burn on his fingers.

He looks it over...

Until it dissolves.

Hoseok's eyes grow wider in fear as the towel in his hands slowly breaks into ashes, blowing away in the wind.

"W-what...?"

He's scared. Scared to touch something, scared to feel something.

He rushes outside, sitting by the ocean as he sits there, hands digging into the sand and toes digging into the water.

Maybe it's all just a dream?

But Hoseok shakes his head and digs it into his knees, sitting there, shaken, until the night falls over him.

Having been scared an entire day, Hoseok finally gets up, slowly, and still shaking, hesitantly grabbing his swimming stuff.

To his relief, it stays.

He hasn't been in the water all day.

As soon as he has everything on, he takes a dive into the unknown. Exhaling a deep breath at the cold ice water around his body.

There is a ringing in his ear. A ringing that calls his name. Something as if it needs help.

Hoseok dives down again, trying to look for it, but he can't make it further down than a few peddles until the pressure almost bursts his head.

He takes a deep breath when he comes back up, gasping and screaming out in sudden pain.

He looks down at his legs, unable to feel them as his eyed widen. He's horrified, scared.

He tries to keep himself up and swim to shore, but without his legs, the weight is simply too heavy.

He sinks down, taking a final deep breath, watching with disgust and suspicion at his lifeless legs, noticing a little something.

His knees... Where his knees are supposed to be.

They're gone.

As he sinks deeper, it becomes darker and darker, but it takes so long for him to pass out.

Hr wonders why he hasn't. He doesn't even feel dizzy.

He reaches out to the surface, but ends up touching his legs, frowning.

They're so... cold. So exposed. As if his skin is thinner, so think it barely covers his bones.

He can't feel them as individuals. He can't feel them as legs. He feels them. Thick veins pressing under his finger, pressing on skin to feel a strange bone or something soft, which hurts as soon as he presses down on it.

His last exhale is spend with a scream in pain. His eyes shut tightly, his hands reaching for the sides of his neck.

He can feel his skin ripping apart without a knife, edging, burning, nerves pulling at his skin as he feels the sensitive edges flow past his fingertips.

This is it. His last breath.

But when he opens his eyes after minutes. He still isn't dead.

The surface is impossible to reach, yet he still hasn't died.

He feels his neck, inhaling deeply and exhaling. The little rips on either side of his neck open and close.

He looks up and to his sides. He can see...

He looks down at his legs, screaming again at the disgusting and pulsing state it is in.

His legs...

You can see the outline of what once had been. But they're morphed together, glued almost. The pulsing underneath it so obvious now that he notices it he can feel it.

It's a long, slim, veiny extension of what his legs once had been, splitting into bones within and organs.

He doesn't know what happened to him, all he can do is scream in pain and cry at his miserable state.

He falls deeper and deeper, no longer paying attention to his ex-legs.

Not even noticing the mix of scales that start to grow on him, the fin that start growing from his back and his tail.

He's... numb.

Wherever he is, whatever happened...

He can't go back.

He shuts his eyes, gills opening to let out a loud exhale, waiting to pass out or die.

He sinks, and sinks, until he hits something. A rock of some sort. But it hurts.

"Hey!! Get off of my house!!"

Hoseok squeaks in fear, rolling around with wide eyes to look.

"Y-you... m-mermaid...?"

"I said to get off my roof!"

The woman who yells at him swims up and grab a him by his arm.

But the moment Hoseok gets pulled off, he drops down. He tries to stand but has no idea with a tail like this...

"Get up and go home. For a grown man, I swear..." The woman shakes her head.

"W-wait!" Hoseok yelps quietly, hesitant to talk. "How... do I move this thing?"

The woman raises her brow. "You just swim. You're not a child are you? Or do I have to throw you off the cliff so your instinct kicks in?"

Hoseok gulps and shakes his head. "I'll figure it out..."

"Good. Now leave my house alone."

With a sigh, Hoseok looks over. He gasps at the sight of houses, places, and a castle in the far distance.

But then he hears an alarm, and a few mermen in armor swim over him, to the castle.

Wondering what it means, he sees everyone get into their homes.

What...?

"Why are you still out here?!" Someone screams at him. "Go home!"

"B-but what's going on?!"

"It's a shark attack!"

Hoseok's eyes widen in fear, turning to see. Sure enough. The dead white eyes are soon noticed by him.

They move closer and closer, slowly passing over him.

But when Hoseok squints his eyes he can see something. A woman...? A tiny shark, maybe.

But when he sits up, she looks right at him.

Hoseok's eyes widen, his instinct to flee bursting in him as he desperately tries to swim away with his messy movement.

But the woman grabs his hand.

It's gentle...

Hoseok looks up, almost in tears. "Are you going to kill me?"

"No." She smiles. "You clearly aren't from here."

Hoseok watches her nervously as she drags her hand down his scales. The woman is shaped just like a mermaid, only with the tail of a shark.

"Are you... a mixed breed?"

The woman nods. "They hate me here for it."

"Why?"

"I am not like them."

Hoseok looks down slightly as the woman retreats her hand.

"Can you swim?"

Hoseok shakes his head hopelessly. "I don't know how to move..."

The woman nods slowly, again touching his tail and just slightly lifting the fin, sliding her hand underneath.

"Can you feel this?"

"Y-yes, I can, b-but...--"

"If you feel it, you can move it. Just try to focus. It's just like a child, activated by pure instinct."

Hoseok gulps, looking at his tail. "I... I'm not... I'm not from here..."

"I thought so." The woman smiles. "If you are not ready yet, you can come with me."

Hoseok nods quietly. He wants to learn but from the one experience he had around the people here, they don't want him here.

The woman calls one of the sharks towards her, causing Hoseok to gulp nervously.

"She's friendly." The woman tells him. "They do what they want, but never hurt people on purpose."

Hoseok nods and reaches his hand out to pet the approaching shark, who pushes her nose against the palm of his hand.

"Hold onto her fin. She'll take you to my home."

Doing as she says, Hoseok looks back at the kingdom of which he sunk in.

But then he remembers the surface. He pulls his hand away.

"I-I'm sorry... I can't touch you..."

"Why?" The woman asks.

Hoseok gulps, looking down. "When I touch things it turns into ash... I'm scared if it kills animals too..."

The woman looks around for a bit before smiling at him. "You can follow her. She has a white spot on her tail so you can't miss her."

Hoseok nods. "But... I can't swim..."

The woman grabs his shoulder, smiling kindly. "You can do it. I know you can. Perhaps..." She thinks a little but shakes her head. "I'm sure you'll be okay, just try it."

Hoseok nods again, nervously grabbing onto the shark's fin. Surely for a few minutes... it won't hurt.

°•●•°

Taehyung huffs as he stares out of his bars. He's angry. So incredibly angry. He's shaking, rage showing in him as his blue eyes are burning into those of his father.

"Your mother is trying again."

"Good. Let her in."

"You're truly hopeless." His father shakes his head. "She will never reach the castle."

"One day she will." Taehyung snarls. "One day she'll dethrone you!"

"I'd like to see her try."

Taehyung growls at him as a guard approaches.

"Your majesty. She's leaving."

"So soon?" The king smirks. "Looks like she's giving up on you, little shell."

Taehyung scowls angrily. "You do not have the right to call me that!"

His hands smoke, his fangs bared and slotted. With a loud growl he slings his arm towards his father, a flame of blue following his hand until it explodes.

The guard quickly takes the king under his shield, frowning at the prince, who's shaking in anger.

"LEAVE!!" Taehyung screams. "LEAVE ME ALONE!!"

The king leaves with a scowl.

That child is gonna be a problem.

°•●•°

It's been days for Hoseok. He arrived safely. He hasn't thought one second about the surface and land.

He feels at home in the water. At home with the sharks and the woman who helped him.

He's still a little clumsy still when it comes to swimming, but at least he knows how to swim and move his tail.

He talked to the woman about how he came underwater, but she had no clue. She did know, however, that most merfolk came with survivability.

A power or an ability that usually comes from their parents or an offspring of it.

But Hoseok's reason for the decay he caused is unknown.

"What is your ability then?" Hoseok asked her.

And she showed him what should be impossible.

Fire. Blue, hot fire in the warm water.

"My middle son has it."

"You have a son?"

"I have three kids." She smiles. "Two sons and one daughter."

"Where are they?"

Her smile falls into a frown. "The kingdom. Their father kept them."

"Oh... You divorced?"

"I was banished."

"What?! Why?!"

"I could not gift him with a child who had a combination of our abilities." She sighs. "And because I didn't want more children, he banished mr. and made it look as if I attacked him."

"So you're trying to prove them wrong..."

She scoffs. "No. My middle son has my ability, but he's a merman. Much more destructive and iron-willed than a mermaid. The king was afraid after he accidentally hurt his siblings and locked him up. I want to get him out. No matter the cost, no child must be locked up by their father."

Hoseok frowns. "Are you still going back there?"

"Every day."

"Let me go with you."

She looks up at him. "Why?"

"I want to go." Hoseok says. "I fully agree that no child has to be trapped. Besides. It'll give me a good reason to swim."

With a sigh and smile, she nods. "Maybe you're the push I need to save him."

Hoseok returns a smile. He's happy. Happy that this happened. Happy that through the trouble and pain of getting a tail and gills, he has found a home.

And so they've decided to go that night. Perhaps they can sneak in then.

°•●•°

The water is calm around him. He looks back at the woman, who nods at him.

She has given him instructions.

While the kingdom will focus on her, he can sneak inside from the back and find the way through the guard's room.

He can do this.

He gives the woman a final smile and quickly rushes towards the castle, swimming along the walz and looking through the kelp windows.

He scowls at the guards parading the halls.

He quickly finds the room he's supposed to be in and slips through the kelp, whining at the scales that get stuck.

But once he's through, he immediately grabs the first chest armor he sees and slips it on, not caring if it fits or not.

He flinches in fear when the door opens.

"Who are you?"

Hoseok slowly turns to look with a hesitant smile. "O-oh... I'm a new recruit..." He mumbles quietly. "S-sorry..."

The merman scoffs, his cold eyes burning right through his. "If you think I'm stupid you have another scale to pay."

Hoseok's eyes widen when the merman smacks one of the spears into his hands with his tail, pointing the tip right at his neck.

"I've worked under the king for over ten years. If anything, I'd know."

"I-I swear--!!"

"Shut your mouth. My ears are going to fall off."

Hoseok frowns. Surely... It could work...

Taking a deep breath, he grabs the base of the spear, he bites his lip, focusing his energy.

Sure enough, the spear fades into ashes right at his touch, freeing him from the sharp edge.

The guard jumps back in fear at the sudden decaying object, staring at him.

"Who are you?!"

"I'm not here to hurt anyone." Hoseok says. "I'm here to bring right to those who deserve it."

"Seokjin! We need your help! Another shark attack is on its way!"

The guard turns angrily. He growls and grabs another spear. He grabs Hoseok's arm tightly and pulls him with.

"I'm letting you out this once, even though I have no idea how you got in."

"I'm not going out!"

"Find your home and hide!"

"My home is not here!" Hoseok screams. "I'm sorry..."

He places his fingers on Seokjin's arm, hearing the merman gasp.

His grip loosens and Hoseok flees down into the chambers, leaving the guard to slowly decay.

The last thing the guard can do is call out weakly for help, but it's not heard, his ashes swirling in the water.

Hoseok rushes down. No guards to be seen. The shark attack really takes all guards.

He follows the sound of growling and grunting, soon finding the cells.

At the end of the rows is a single man. A single trapped.

Hoseok slowly swims closer, taking the armor off him and staring at the merman inside.

Even though his back is turned, Hoseok can see a little bright blue flame.

"You're her son..."

The merman turns to him, growling as he swings his arm out, a burst of blue fire following for Hoseok's head.

"I'm with your mother." Hoseok says softly. "I'm here to get you out."

"And how will you--"

The merman cuts himself off as Hoseok places his hands on the bars, watching as they dissolve into ashes.

"... That works."

"Come on." Hoseok chuckles. "Your mom can't keep it up for long."

"I knew she would be coming for me one day."

Hoseok gives him a bright smile. "What's your name anyway?"

"Taehyung! Yours?"

"Hoseok!"

The prince smiles at him. "Let's get out of here!"

°•●•°

But sadly they don't get far, as the guards have split up after their commander never showing up.

Hoseok scowls at each of them, clenching his hands to fists. "Let us through."

Even Taehyung growls at each of them, his hands burning with blue fire at his fingertips.

"The king has commanded us to capture you."

"Both of you."

Hoseok scoffs, turning to look at the prince. "Permission to sink the castle?"

"Granted."

Hoseok presses Taehyung's hand on his wrist, which the prince gladly takes, and swims over to the walls. Hoseok presses his hand against the stone, watching as from his fingers, the wall spreads in black, slowly decaying into nothing.

The smoke and ash surrounding them is enough for them to get away, calling out to Taehyung's mother who quickly catches up to them.

Once far enough, they waste no time to hug.

Hoseok feels proud. He feels happy.

"Thank you, Hoseok." Taehyung mumbles. "Thank you..."

"It's nothing. The people should have known."

"The people don't like me." He snarls. "But it's fine. I can start a new kingdom somewhere else, far away."

His mother nods. "We do have a single problem." She says.

"Which is?"

"No merfolk or siren will accept a king without a queen..."

Taehyung smiles a little, looking at Hoseok. "We don't have to."

Hoseok looks at both of them. "What?"

Holding onto his hand, Hoseok flinches and almost pushes Taehyung away, sighing in relief when he only grabs his palm.

"You can be my queen."

"Wait what?"

Taehyung gives him a bright smile. "You don't have to love me, but your help will always be with me. The best way I can thank you is to give you the best I can offer."

Hoseok shakes his head at first, but seeing Taehyung's pleading eyes can't have him refuse.

This underwater life...

Hoseok might just stay here forever.

《=|THE END|=》

Questions of the Chapter:

What is the reason that Hoseok lived alone?

Why did he only transform on his birthday?

Why was Taehyung imprisoned but not his siblings?

Why was the king so cold to his son?

Why would Hoseok help Taehyung's mother?

Not spelling checked.