Oceanum Collis

•Chapter 55• No Time to Die

Hayes looked up when his sister approached them. Serena sat next to her friend on her knees. She grabbed the mermaid's hands. "You saved me." She said. Valeria looked at her friend with blue eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes. So beautiful, yet so vicious. "It was the least I could do, right?" Valeria replied. Serena wouldn't smile. After everything she has done to them, to her, Valeria could never be trusted again. But she was still her friend in a certain way. No matter how angry, a friendship doesn't end like that so quickly. Serena looked down at their hands. They started to get colder. The elven princess looked up at Valeria again. "We both knew this was coming, Serena," Valeria spoke up. Serena brushed her thumbs over her skin. Valeria's skin was slowly losing its softness, and Serena noticed it. "I know." She whispered. Hayes looked at his sister. "What's happening?" He asked in a lowered voice. Serena wouldn't take her eyes off her friend. Asher caught up with them, placing his hands on Misty's shoulders. She looked up at her best friend and gave him sweet smile. "She's dying." Serena started, "She was as soon as she stepped on land." She added. Asher furrowed his eyebrows. "What?" He said. Serena shut her eyes for a few seconds. A small tear rolled out from under her closed eyelid. "Mermaids get only one chance on land. At least twenty-four hours. Some last only two days, some last months. But once they get out of the water, and their tail dries, there is no going back. Ever." Serena tells them. "Why?" Misty questioned. "No one knows why." Valeria cut in. She looked up at the group of friends. "My father tried." She started, "My mother was captured by pirates. Those pathetic human sailors. They captured her for others to pay a lot of money as if she was some kind of freak." She tells them. She looked at Serena again. The elven princess' eyes were hurting. It was getting very difficult for her to look at her now. She was dying. She was going to leave this world. Forever. She was going to die and she was telling the most heartbreaking story of all time to make it even worse. 

"My father loved her so much. He wasted his only chance to get on land and trade his life for hers. But they wouldn't take it. Of course not, why would they? They caught a mermaid after all. A freak." Valeria continued, "So he went on board the ship and freed my mother. But he could never return. And he wasted it all on that woman." She spoke. Hayes shook his head. "He did it because he loved her. Love sometimes makes you do crazy things." He tells her. Valeria glared at him. "He was stupid to love her." She said. "But what happens now?" Misty questioned. "Well, once all the fluids have left my body, my skin will turn to stone. I become a stone statue," Valeria explained. Everyone except for Serena looked at her in shock. Serena continued to brush her thumbs over the top of Valeria's hands. "She's running out of time." She said. The two friends looked into each other's eyes again. "Serena," Valeria started. Serena shook her head. "You don't have to say anything." She tells her. "No." She said sternly, "You have to tell my brother. He begged me to stay. You have to tell him we succeeded. He has to know it wasn't a waste of chance. Please, Serena, tell him." Valeria added. Serena nodded as she squeezed her hands tightly. "Tell him," Valeria repeated. "I promise." She replied. Before she knew it, Valeria's skin had completely dried up and turned into stone. The stone was creaked and broken almost everywhere. Tears rolled down Serena's cheeks as her brother wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Asher knelt behind Misty and hugged her tightly as a couple of tears rolled down her cheeks as well. "Goodbye, dear friend," Serena whispered. The loss she felt right now was indescribable. There were no words that could explain this feeling. Absolutely nothing. Something so important was torn away from their lives. "My dearest friend," Serena whispered. Serena took a deep breath before wiping away her tears. She got up from her knees. "We should go." She said. Asher and Misty looked up at her. Hayes nodded and stood up as well. "Orlando needs us." He said. 

Inside the walls it was silent. All of the humans had hidden inside their houses, away from the dangers that came in from outside the walls. The dangerous creatures that broke the thing that kept them safe all these years. "They must be so frightened," Hayes spoke up. "I'm surprised so many survived," Misty added. Asher supported his best friend as they walked through the streets. She held onto him as tightly as she could. As if she was scared to let go of him ever again. "So, you and Serena, huh?" Misty whispered. Asher blushed and looked at her briefly. "What can I say?" He replied quietly. She smiled and patted his back. "Your dad's gonna like that." She tells him. Asher's eyes widened as he thought of what his father would do to him. He let out a sigh and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'm going to die," he tells her. They looked at each other. Misty let out a quiet laugh and patted his back again. "I think killing you is his least concern at the moment." She reminds him. Asher nodded and turned his attention back to Serena in front of him. "As if I would let him." He said. Misty smiled at him as she noticed him looking at Serena with loving eyes. "You're absolutely smitten," Misty tells him. Asher couldn't keep his eyes off the girl. "Okay, cut it out. It is starting to get creepy." Misty tells him. But he didn't stop. She smacked the back of his head. Asher growled at her. "Guys," Serena spoke up. The two werewolves turned their heads toward her. They stood in front of a body. The emperor's body. He was dead. Erix was truly gone. "Not very pretty, I know." A voice spoke up behind them. They all turned their heads toward the sound. Orlando was standing in front of them with a kind smile. Misty was the first one to jump up and embrace him. "You're alive!" She exclaimed. Orlando quickly wrapped his arms around her. Serena was the second one to hug the young man. "Thank the lord." She said. The two boys also joined their embrace. "We're so glad you're alive," Serena informs him. "Well, I'm glad you're all still here." He smiled at them. Asher and Hayes also smiled at him. Asher ruffled his hand through Orlando's hair, messing it up. "So, what do we do now?" Hayes asked.