The fish just smiled. Then, without explaining anything, they turned and swam away.
Kaya had no idea what was going on, but sothing about their movent made her feel like she had to follow. So she did.
They didn’t go far—just about 500 ters. Then they stopped in front of a pile of ordinary stones.
That was it?
Kaya stared, annoyed. Why am I here? Why did I even listen to fish? she thought, crossing her arms.
But just then, a strong vibration hit her back.
She spun around fast.
The black fish had slamd into one of the stones—all together—and the impact sent a powerful wave through the water.
She didn’t have tools or machines, but deep down, she felt it.
That sound—deep and sharp—this might be enough, Kaya thought. A slow smile crept onto her face.
She turned to thank the little black fish.
But froze.
There was nothing.
Not a single fish in sight.
She spun around, confused. They were just here. All of them.
Gone.
Suddenly, the little lord and a few rmaids swam toward her.
The little lord stopped, looking half out of breath and half annoyed. "Can’t you tell us before running off? Do you know how long we’ve been searching for you?"
Kaya looked at him, still dazed. "The black fish brought here," she said, pointing at the stone.
He looked around, puzzled. "What black fish?" Then glanced at the others. "Wait... do we even have black fish in this part of the ocean?"
One of the rmaids muttered under his breath, just loud enough, "Maybe she couldn’t find anything... just making an excuse."
The words weren’t ant for everyone, but they echoed loud and clear.
Kaya’s eyes snapped to him.
Without a word, she clenched her fist—and slamd it hard into the stone.
WUMMM.
A powerful wave pulsed out from it, striking the group.
Several rmaids flinched, grabbing their ears from the sudden vibration.
The one who spoke looked stunned.
Before he could recover, the little lord stepped forward, smiling.
"Very good," he said, voice sharp. "Now we’ve found the excuse I’ve been searching for."
About twenty minutes later, once the rmaids had cald down, one of them finally asked, "What is this, exactly?"
Kaya didn’t even hesitate. "The way to get those sharks out of your tribe."
She stood confidently beside the stone, explaining her plan—how to use the vibrations to irritate the sharks, draw them out, and force them to leave. She outlined where the rmaids needed to position themselves, what they’d do, and how timing would be everything.
They listened closely. Even the little lord, for once, didn’t interrupt.
By the ti they finished discussing the details, night had already fallen. The sea was darker now—almost pitch black except for the pale silver of the moon filtering through the water above. Unlike land, the ocean swallowed light whole. It felt deeper, quieter. Still.
After settling the plan, they swam back.
And that night—maybe out of guilt, or maybe because soone had finally gained so sense—the dinner was better.
There was still seaweed, but at least this ti, it looked edible. There were even strange water fruits—round, glowing faintly, and completely unfamiliar.
Kaya didn’t trust them, of course.
So, naturally, she made the sparrow try them first.
When he didn’t fall over dead, she took a bite.
Not bad.
Sweet, even.
For the first ti since coming to this ridiculous underwater ss, Kaya actually felt like tomorrow might be not that bad.
Wrong thinking. Completely wrong thinking.
Kaya now found herself swimming right in front of the tribe—face to face with the sharks.
Her body trembled.
What the hell? They said there’d be a dozen. Maybe a little more.
But this?
This was two, maybe three dozen.
Too many.
And every single one of them was glaring at her, eyes blazing with fury. They didn’t even bother shifting into human form to speak—just stayed in their beast shape, baring teeth.
That alone said enough.
But Kaya didn’t back down.
She slowly raised a finger—just one.
On cue, the rmaids struck the stone with their tails.
WUMM.
A powerful wave burst through the water, crashing into the sharks like a hamr. It worked—several of them flinched, tails curling, bodies arching back in clear irritation.
Kaya felt a spark of hope flicker.
It was working.
They were in pain, backing off. She could see it.
But in that mont of victory... sothing small slipped past her notice.
The faint scratches on her neck—the three tiny, nail-like slits that looked like gills—one was gone.
And the second was fading.
She didn’t feel it right away.
Only a slight tightness in her chest.
A shallow gasp.
Then she was fine again.
Or so she thought.
She was too focused. Too locked in. Too ready to win.
To even realize—she was starting to lose her breath.
The mini-sharks were starting to back off—but not all of them. So were still pushing through the vibrations, their bodies fighting against the pain like it was nothing.
And now... they were looking straight at Kaya.
Their eyes glowed red—furious, wild.
One of them shot forward.
Kaya barely dodged, the shark’s fin grazing past her arm.
Before she could catch her breath, another rushed in from the side. She twisted again, avoiding it by inches. It was like a wave of attacks—one after another, relentless.
Maybe the herb pouch was still doing sothing, because not all of them were coming too close. But she could tell—its effect was fading fast. The scent wasn’t spreading fast enough through the water.
She didn’t have ti to think.
Kaya made a split-second choice.
She yanked the pouch from around her neck and tore it open with her teeth, scattering the entire mix into the water.
It was harsh. Wasteful. Risky.
But it worked.
The scent burst outward in a thick cloud. Almost instantly, the sharks recoiled—writhing, snarling, swimming backward in pain and confusion as the mixture burned into their senses.
They fled.
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