Imara Diversifies The Beastmen World

Chapter Ninety Eight: Reflections of Being Trapped in the Depths

Ithillon thank you bestie for helping me and giving me wonder pointers and guidance and allowing me to brain dump thanks for the inspiration. 💕🫂

Story Below:

As I walked away from Qean, her words echoed behind me, filled with pain and desperation.

"Fine, leave! This is it for us, Imara! So much for friendship..."

Each syllable squeezed at my heart, reminding me of the weight behind her emotions. I wasn't unfeeling or heartless, but I had my reasons.

Friendship, like any relationship, needs to be valued and respected. Qean had so much to learn, unlearn, and discover. She had never experienced female friendships before—never even interacted with other females on an emotional level.

But that didn't mean I would let her walk all over me just because of her ignorance. I was committed to helping her see the value of real friendship, not just with me, but with other females too.

More importantly, I saw this as a stepping stone for her relationships with Wilbard and any other mates she might take in the future. Friendship should be the foundation—allowing her to experience love without making everything a transaction.

I wanted her to embrace life beyond what she had always known, to realize that life isn't just about getting what she wants. Her world, wrapped in the luxury of Wilbard's castle, was nothing more than a beautifully disguised birdcage—or in her case, a fish tank built to keep a mermaid trapped.

Tough love was necessary for her growth. I could see how much she valued our friendship, but she needed help to overcome the hurdles in her way.

One of the biggest hurdles was her relationship with Wilbard—both of them too selfish in their own ways.

In our society, females are scarce, and she needs more protection than he can provide alone. But their relationship had become a constant tug-of-war. Qean was so focused on chasing her own desires, while Wilbard wanted to keep her to himself, shielding her from everything outside. Their relentless demands on each other were tearing them apart, and in the novel, it cost them their lives.

Wilbard and the mermaid clan only fueled Qean's illusions, making her believe the world would always bend to her will. She couldn't see how much pressure she was putting on him and Jin, how close she was to pushing them past their limits.

Jin had already been teetering on the edge of madness before Qean returned to him, and in the end, it destroyed her.

I didn't want history to repeat itself.

It had become my mission to help Qean understand the importance of considering others' feelings—before it was too late. She needed to realize that relationships were not one-sided, and if she ignored the warning signs, she would lose everything.

With a heavy sigh, I took the first step in my plan, tipping over the domino that would set everything in motion.

"You know what?" I said, my tone sharp, designed to shake her. "There's something else I've been meaning to ask you, based on what you said."

I saw the way she processed my words, the gears turning in her mind. I pushed further.

"How long have you been here, Qean? What have you really gained from it? Think about it—Wilbard has kept you in this castle, holding you back, keeping you from living your life the way you should."

She had escaped one prison only to walk right into another. No wonder she struggled with friendships, lacked experiences, and wasted so much time.

Wilbard's stern gaze met mine, and I stared right back. He needed to hear this too. He had his own mess to clean up.