The vault smothered them in its cold, somber confines—completely cut off from the ocean above.

A bone-chilling silence pervaded the place, every ripple vibrating their eardrums before being swallowed up by the walls. The very air, pulsing with audible breaths and the beating of hearts, was heavy with foreboding—or it was merely a projection of their inner seascape.

"This place is kinda creepy." Dea shivered, afraid to make noise lest it would awaken an otherworldly entity.

"It's because of the unnatural quiet," Oomie said, her voice decaying into nothingness without even a hint of an echo. "There's no ambience that we're accustomed to. No biological noise, no city sounds, no reverb..."

"I'm not gonna be surprised if we start seeing things," Hima whispered. "You know, like in The Exorcism of Anemone Pearl."

"Oh, shuddup, Hima!" Dea shouldered past her.

She grinned. "Scaredy seal."

"Guys, focus," Oomie cut in, kicking her flukes to propel herself in the shallow pool. "Time's running out."

They paddled up to the shelves that melded into the concave wall. Every plop and even the tiniest squelch was a blaring gong in Dea's ears.

"Wait, we blindly go around checking these for info on the Sea Witch?" Dea asked, eyeing the lines of folders. "There are so many."

"We don't have a choice." Oomie sighed. "There must be some kind of organization, but I dunno what these labels mean."

"Three pairs of hands to find it at least." Hima extracted a file, prompting the others to follow suit.

Dea leafed through sheets of paper, her fingers squeaking on the glossy surface. "Whoa, I think I came across some intel on a northern state."

"Calliathron probably has surveillance networks and spies there." Oomie leaned sideways for a quick glance. "And everyone's trying to tap into encrypted data, though I've heard the other cities have solid defenses—as good as ours."

"Yeah, these must be the profiles of spies—or special forces?"

"The Stingrays, no doubt. It's an elite commando and intel unit. Most don't even know of its existence. Their identities are only known to the Regent and my dad."

"Ooh..."

The seconds ticked by with agonizing urgency while they labored away folder by folder, but to no avail. The data they unearthed ranged from fascinating to incomprehensible, but there was no mention of a Sea Witch.

The maddening quiet ate away at Dea, feeding the desperation that escalated with each passing minute. Her grandiose fantasy of meeting the human and the possibilities it would open up were all built on a precarious foundation—there were just too many variables on top of a phantom Sea Witch. Now, it all threatened to crumble down.

"Four minutes," Oomie announced, the words rending the silence. "We need at least two minutes to get up to the top level. It's not as fast as the slide."

Hima groaned and sped up her efforts. "Two minutes then."

Dea skimmed through the folders, barely registering what her frantic eyes were reading. C'mon, c'mon, there has to be something!

Another minute elapsed.

"This is useless—maybe the Sea Witch doesn't exist." Hima slapped a folder shut, making her jump.

"We better go." Oomie swam backward. "We tried at least. Sorry, Dea."

Dea shook her head and grabbed yet another folder that was directly behind the swivel chair.

"Dea," Hima hissed. "We gotta go—c'mon!"

"Wait."

"There's no time—"

"No, I found something!"

"What!"

As the other two crowded around, Dea could barely keep her excitement at bay. Her spine tingled, and her whole form quivered.

The folder contained files on notorious political figures and wanted individuals. There were code names, numbers, dates and snippets of data that were hard to make sense of. The seriousness of this escapade struck home, but she was just too close to quit. Her trembling finger traced down the page in tandem with her probing eyes and turned to the next.

"Wait," Oomie said, shooting out a hand to stay hers.

"Holy mackerel," Hima managed in a breathy whisper. "There!"

Dea's gaze zeroed in on the words—so intense was her focus that everything else receded to blurriness. She gasped.

"The Sea Witch..." Hima leaned closer, giving her head a shake as if to ensure she wasn't dreaming. "She's real."

"Guys, we don't have time," Oomie barked. "We gotta go. Now!"

Dea jerked to her senses. She whipped out her ogi and snapped a photo of the page. Then she smacked the folder shut and jammed it back into the shelf.

"Good thinking." Hima nodded.

Dea cast one last look at the folders and pivoted on her tail—only to bump into Oomie. "What—"

"Sh."

Oomie stared at the section of water visible through the archway. Reflections scattered off its cerulean blue surface and stained the bottom of the slide.

Suddenly, a noise flitted into Dea's ears. Hima jerked next to her.

It was an eerie click of electronics, followed by a soft splash—clearly audible in the deadened vault. Dea's heart pounded a thunderous beat as she flicked a glance at Hima, whose eyes widened like a giant squid's.

Without warning, a spectral face rose from the water, black hair clinging to pale cheeks.

Both girls shrieked. Oomie stumbled back.

Any wild ideas of ghost mermaids vanished when the rest of the figure emerged, with a gun at the ready. "Freeze!"

Three more black-clad merpeople streamed in and surrounded them. Oomie and Hima held up their arms. Dea just stared, shell-shocked.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The words fired out like flechettes, making the three mermaids jump.

A stone block of a face stared them down from a high-backed chair. With his rigid bearing and sharp eyes, Talmus Mora brought to mind the Regent himself.

A wave of panic rolled over Dea. She inwardly shrank. Her tongue struggled to untwist itself while her head whirled. It was as if she was tossed back into a tempest, though she would take the ocean's wrath over this any day. She threw a glance at Oomie, who had on an expression as cool as the clear blue water that lapped against them.

On Dea's other side, Hima hid her trembling hands behind her back and attempted to mimic Oomie's stoic stance, but her face appeared locked in an awkward grimace like a walrus unable to scratch its itchy bottom.

"I'm waiting," Talmus Mora rumbled.

The stocky merman, reminiscent of a whale, dominated the office. He exuded a commanding aura that smote the very air into submission. It didn't help that four security guards surrounded them—so tense that one fluke out of line would make them snap.

The last of Dea's mental fortifications crumbled under the intimidation, and she blurted out in a shrill squawk, "I'm sorry, Mr. Mora. It's my fault—"

"It was a dare," Oomie interrupted.

Dea's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes swiveled in the small mermaid's direction.

A black cloud descended on Mora's face. "What?"

"I agreed to break into the Nautil—the vault on a dare." Oomie hesitated. "I was curious as well, so I put this elaborate plan into motion. I'm sorry about it, Dad."

The frown etched deeper, and his booming voice thundered, "A security breach of this nature has repercussions for this whole city and my office! It's a crime that carries a minimum of five years in prison. You think this is a game? Dragging these kids into this madness too—are you out of your blasted mind?"

His anger rolled out in a shockwave, resounding off the walls. Even one of the stony-faced officers winced. Dea wilted, her panicky eyes flitting to the airlock.

Oomie weathered it in an admirably composed fashion, though her hand betrayed a tremor.

The merman leaned back, a loud sigh emanating from the twin blowholes of his nose. "I won't see my only daughter behind bars."

No one breathed a word.

"So...this stays in this room." Mora's eyes moved from one to the other as if he dared anyone to contradict him, and when no one spoke, his gaze settled on Oomie. "Grounded until further notice. You'll be driven to CSU and back for your classes."

Dea sagged as guilt bloomed in her gut—a runaway mold that devoured any and all relief. This is all your fault!

"How did you find out?" Oomie asked, an undercurrent of curiosity evident in her tone. "I planned everything to a tee."

As if in response, a mini bot piped up in a chirpy voice, "Would you like me to fetch some more cherry juice?"

All eyeballs turned to stare at the little bot, floating patiently by the table with a smiley face on its display. Dea wanted to facepalm. Of course! We forgot to send him off.

"Yes, your plan was perfect until the security center detected this bot waiting outside my office when I wasn't home," Mora said. "Right after an inexplicable complication sent the sensors offline. I was alerted immediately after."

Oomie sighed and shook her head as if she wanted to kick herself.

Mora turned to the guards. "Summon Kaku and Luva into my office. Now."

"Sir, yes, sir!"

Oomie spoke up, "Just so you know—not their fault. It's not to do with anyone's incompetence or—"

"Perhaps not. But this is a clear indication that we need a security upgrade." He paused. "At least to defend against my own daughter and her smarts."

Silence fell again.

Mora's attention landed on the other two girls and lingered on Dea for a prolonged moment. "And these two foolhardy friends."

Foolhardy? Dea mustered up the remnants of her courage and puffed out her chest, arms behind her back. Look who's got a sea rod up his butt. This army look and intense eyes must be in vogue for VIP dudes.

The show of defiance seemed to amuse him, judging by the hint of a smile that darted over his face.

Then he rubbed a hand on his temples and turned to another guard. "Get these blasted brats out of my sight."

Dea and Hima barely managed a few words of farewell with Oomie before being whisked away to a waiting vehicle—an inconspicuous black submersible.

The ride home turned out to be a bleak affair, the whole escapade taking its toll on Dea. The worst was the guilt that gnawed away at her insides for getting Oomie in trouble. A torrent of thoughts surged up, but she held back from uttering a word—not when they had company.

She glanced at the rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of the driver—a classic merman in black who could've passed for a bot. Don't insult bots! Her thoughts strayed to Oomie's happy bot assistant, and a weak smile tugged at her lips. In her peripheral vision, she spied Hima lost in her own reverie.

As they drove on, Dea sat back in a heap, listening to the bubbling drone of the vehicle. Highway buoys streaked by in neon blurs, while flashes from incoming vehicles fueled a burgeoning headache. In the distance, the cityscape glimmered like a colossal bioluminescent creature, though she was in no mood to admire the scenery.

Eventually, they dropped off Hima at a neighborhood not far from hers, and a moment later her ogi pinged.

Hima: I'll call you later tonight! And get hold of Oomie too.

When it was her turn to get off, Dea murmured an awkward "thanks" before disembarking, though no reply was forthcoming. Mermen can be logs too. Maybe it's a guy thing.

Blobs of illumination dotted the dark waters—smart domes come alive for the night, their occupants preparing for dinner and family time. She swam up to her little mobile home, its glow spilling out onto the coral wall.

Dea spotted a floating mass at the front of the house. On closer inspection, it turned out to be the sea cow getting his power nap. She suppressed the giggle that bubbled up.

As soon as she was through the airlock, she broke into a quiet dive, attempting to steal into her room without disturbing Gramma.

She made it as far as the door.

"Dea Rhodoreef! Where in the blazing geysers have you been? Do you know how late it is?"

Dea halted mid-dive and stared at Gramma's scowling face, freshly surfaced from an evening nap. "Sorry, Gramma! I told you I'd be late. I was at Hima's and didn't realize the time passing by—"

"Here, you can't go gallivanting around after six! I almost got a heart attack last time you took off and got yourself blown away in a cyclone! If you wind up in hospital again, I'm not coming. And what will the neighbors think! When you lollygag in other people's houses and arrive home at this ungodly hour. And what's that vehicle that dropped you off?"

"I booked a Fluber Ultra." Her lips tweaked into an uncertain smile. "Couldn't find a tuk."

Gramma clicked her disapproval.

The reprimand continued for a good half an hour, long after Dea inched through the door and sequestered herself in the room. It might even have gone on longer, but she was too wrapped up on her newly acquired lead.

Hima called later that night as promised. "Dea! Did your Gramma eat your head off?"

"Sort of." Dea grinned. "Your mom?"

"Same."

They giggled.

Dea fidgeted in her seat when Oomie jostled to the forefront of her mind. "Hey, where's Oomie?"

"She's alright. She went to play some Empire Ocean to cool off. She'll join the call in a bit."

"I feel so bad about—"

"Hey, listen, she's just as excited as you are about this whole thing. And she chose to help us! Anyways, she'll come online soon, and we can beg for forgiveness."

"Okay..."

Hima leaned closer to the camera, blue eyes shining in the glow of her screen. "Did you get a chance to look at that photo you took?"

A smile materialized on Dea's face. "Yep."

"And?"

"There were weird numbers. And it was just a smaller extract of whatever info they have on this Sea Witch."

"Oh." Hima drooped in her chair.

"But..." Dea said, savoring the dramatic effect of her revelation.

Curiosity reignited, her friend leaned even closer. "But?"

"I figured out that the numbers are coordinates!"

"Whoa, Dea, this is big! Oomie's sacrifice is not in vain!"

"Mhmm."

"Where do they point to?"

Dea's smile widened as a thrill coursed through her. "An abandoned mining station in the deep."

Location: Coral Reef

https://youtu.be/rbDzVzBsbGM