A Mermaid's Legacy- Sebastian Sallow x MC x Ominis Gaunt

Chapter 20- Exposure

Enemy- Violin Version by Katrin Romanova on Spotify

Yvaine POV

Fight.

It was the singular thought echoing in my mind. Under the crushing weight of the water, I thrashed and twisted, desperate to escape his hold. Despite my mermaid heritage, I was unable to breathe in this human form. The biting reality of human limitations was the same for me as for anyone else. I forced myself to hold my breath, to endure.

In the midst of the churning waters, my frantic movements stirred up a chaotic ballet of splashes, kicks, and desperate scratches. Yet, another layer of agony was being layered onto my physical struggle: the pain of resisting the transformation to my mermaid form. It was a torment of a unique kind - a synthesis of spiritual, physical, and mental suffering.

The reserve of air within me was ebbing away, water gradually infiltrating my lungs in response to a scream that bubbled up from my core. As the water impeded my breath, I felt the grasp of my strength slip away, the edges of darkness inching closer. Simultaneously, I felt a transformation coursing through me; my eyes becoming the mirror to my concealed identity. My divine abilities, often dormant, were stirring, striving to unleash themselves, to rekindle my waning vitality and initiate the healing process.

I unleashed more frenzied clawing, scratching, and desperate blows upon him, doing whatever it took to defend myself while keeping my true identity. Amidst the chaos, my voice cracked as I screamed his name, the words escaping in fragmented, incoherent bursts, as water invaded my lungs, choking my every breath.

"Stupefy!" A voice rang out.

In an instant, I found myself hoisted from the water's grasp.

"Sebastian, you've gone too far! I swear, I'll end you!" A voice roared, punctuated by the brutal sounds of blows landing and what might have been bones crunching. More shuffling ensued, adding to the chaos. Water still lodged in my lungs, and I lacked the strength to expel it.

"Is she still with us?! By Merlin, tell me she's still with us!" An anxious voice echoed, quickly followed by another incantation, "Incarcerous!" The spell was cast into the maelstrom.

"Yvaine, you must expel the water... hold on!," a voice implored, followed by the rhythmic compressions and breaths of CPR.

"That potion won't help, you fool! She was drowning! She can't swallow anything!" another voice exclaimed in desperation.

"But you don't get it! I was so close!" Sebastian's voice erupted in rage. The sound of a punch landing echoed again. "She's a bloody mermaid! Release me!" His voice cracked, perhaps interspersed with the taste of his own blood. More shouts and chaos reverberated around me.

"Sebastian... have you lost your mind? You've finally cracked...I knew you couldn't be trusted... not after Solomon!" a voice expressed, filled with sorrow and an undertone of fear.

The continued rhythm of chest compressions and breaths filled the silence. I felt the icy hand of death reaching for me.

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed within my mind, one I hadn't heard in many years.

"My child... it's not your time. You need to wake up... so much relies on you." A fresh wave of energy washed over me, granting me just enough strength to force the water from my lungs in a guttural cough. It came up like a torrent, setting my throat and lungs ablaze.

"Yvy... wake up, open your eyes... come back to me" a voice coaxed softly. But I couldn't, even if I wanted to. My remaining energy was spent expelling the water from my lungs. I felt the gentle pressure of someone gripping my hand before darkness claimed me.