" The Boss .. " - A Shark Tale Story ( Mr Sykes x Don Lino )

Figment of your Imagination

Don Lino stood frozen, his massive frame rooted to the spot, still feeling the reverberation from his tail smashing into the wall. His mind swirled with confusion, disbelief, and an emotion he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years—grief. Elena's voice echoed in his ears, soft but haunting. The weight of it sent a cold shiver down his spine.

"This isn't real," Lino muttered again, trying to steady himself. His heart pounded violently against his ribcage, but it wasn't fear—it was something else. Something darker.

He turned toward the vast expanse of the ocean outside the window, staring at the dark waters that stretched endlessly beyond the reef's borders. A part of him wanted to follow the voice, to dive into the shadows and find the source. But he knew better. This was a trick. It had to be. Elena was gone, and no amount of longing or madness would bring her back.

Still, the eerie sensation lingered. He felt the pull, the way her voice had reached into the very core of him, stirring up old memories, old wounds that he had buried deep beneath his cold, hardened exterior.

"What the hell is going on?" Lino whispered, his voice low and rough.

Just as he was about to turn away from the window, a soft knock echoed through the chamber door.

"Boss?" A familiar voice called from the other side. It was Razor, the hammerhead lieutenant.

Lino's body stiffened. He took a deep breath, forcing the mask of control back over his face. He couldn't afford to show weakness—not now, not ever. The reef relied on his strength, his leadership. There was no room for doubt.

"Come in," Lino commanded, his voice returning to its usual authority.

Razor swam in, his rough face showing concern as he eyed the cracks in the wall where Lino had struck it. "Everything alright, boss?"

Lino nodded curtly. "What is it?"

Razor glanced around the room, clearly sensing something was off but wise enough not to comment. "Luca said he was sent out on an errand. Told me to check in and see if you needed anything."

Luca. The name struck a nerve. The argument from earlier still lingered in Lino's mind like a bitter taste. Luca had dared to question him, to overstep his boundaries as if he knew better. The octopus was always useful, but lately, he had been too bold, too willing to push back.

"No," Lino growled, his voice harsher than intended. "I don't need anything. Just make sure the shipments are on schedule."

Razor, unfazed by the tone, nodded. "Consider it done. We've also got word that the swordfish gang from the eastern trench wants to meet tomorrow to finalize the alliance. Everything's in motion."

"Good," Lino muttered, though his mind was only half on the conversation. "Make sure they know who's in charge."

Razor gave a toothy grin. "They'll learn."

With a final nod, Razor turned and left the room, leaving Lino once again alone with his thoughts.

The silence of the room pressed in on him. Lino paced back and forth, his mind spinning. The conversation with Luca had unsettled him more than he cared to admit. Luca had always been loyal, sharp, and indispensable to the operation, but now... now there was doubt. Luca's words had cut deeper than any knife, stirring up the very fears Lino had been trying to suppress.

Was he losing control?

The whispers, the shadows, the strange events unfolding around the reef—it was all too much. And then... Elena. Hearing her voice again after so many years felt like a knife twisting in an old wound, one that had never truly healed. He had loved her with everything he had. When she was taken from him, a part of him had died too, buried deep beneath the ruthless exterior he had built to survive.

But why now? Why, after all these years, was her voice haunting him again?

Lino slammed his fist against the wall, the impact shaking the room. "No," he growled, anger coursing through him. "This isn't real. It's just in my head."

Yet the doubt lingered, clinging to the corners of his mind.

Suddenly, a faint sound drifted through the water, soft at first, but growing louder as it filled the room. It wasn't a whisper this time—it was a song. A melody he hadn't heard since... since she was alive.

Lino's heart seized in his chest. His eyes darted to the window, searching the dark waters outside, his body tense and coiled. The song was unmistakable, a haunting lullaby that Elena used to hum when they swam together late at night.

"No..." Lino whispered, his voice cracking for the first time in years. "This can't be happening..."

The song grew louder, wrapping around him like a current, pulling him deeper into the memories he had tried so hard to forget. He felt her presence again, felt the warmth of her touch, the way her fin used to brush against his.

Without thinking, Lino swam toward the window, pressing his nose against the cool glass. His breath fogged the surface as he stared out into the abyss, searching for any sign of her.

"Elena?" His voice was barely a whisper, a plea carried on the water.

But there was nothing. Only the dark, empty ocean staring back at him.

Lino clenched his teeth, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and longing. He couldn't afford this. He couldn't let himself be consumed by the past. Not when there was so much at stake. But the pull was too strong, the song too familiar.

And then, just as quickly as it had begun, the song faded, leaving behind an eerie silence.

Lino's breath came in ragged gasps as he struggled to regain control. His massive body trembled with the effort of holding himself together. But deep down, he knew something was wrong. This wasn't just stress, or grief, or the weight of his responsibilities. There was something else—something darker, something lurking beyond the reef's borders that was now making its way into his very mind.

He had to figure out what was happening. Before it was too late.

But first... he had to get control of himself.

With one final glance out at the dark ocean, Lino turned and swam away from the window. His thoughts churned like a storm, but one thing was certain—whatever this was, it wasn't over. And he wasn't going to rest until he found out the truth.

As he made his way back toward the center of the hideout, a chill ran down his spine.

The abyss was calling, and it had the voice of someone he loved.