Siren's Kiss

61: A Reunion

"You've got quite the interesting family history, you know," Hawk remarked with an air of casual kindness. Drake shot him a glare, which Hawk promptly ignored.

Ciel let out a long sigh. "I don't remember anything when I transform. And I doubt anyone who's crossed paths with the Azure Kraken remembers much about me either."

They continued on, retracing the same path they had taken to the Fountain of Rumination. The journey back to their companions felt much smoother this time. It was as if the cave had already served its purpose—the first test was complete.

Ciel felt a surge of confidence now that he had fully embraced his true self. He explained to Rowan, Hawk, and Purity how his mother, Nerissa, had no voice above the sea, and how the other sirens had always seen her as the weakest among the princesses.

"Yet yer grandmother still picked her to wed yer father," Purity scoffed as they crossed another passageway, the cavern seemingly guiding them in the right direction.

By now, they had come to understand the island and its intentions. Rather than question the journey, they decided to trust it. The distant rumbling above reminded them of the fear those left behind at the cave's entrance must be feeling, but they placed their faith in the Phoenix God, who had led them this far.

"I get it now," Purity chimed in again. "The old queen saw yer mum's so-called weakness as an edge. She didn't want to hand over the crown to Cyraeni and held tight to her own power."

"How did your grandmother even become the god Lexios?" Hawk asked, still baffled. "That's just plain cheating!"

"The real question is... what were they betting on?" Rowan added thoughtfully. "And if Lexios is also Lady Maris, that means he shares your blood, Ciel since Cyraeni is her son."

"As a mortal, yes," Lyra explained. "But as a divine being, it's more complicated. Gods operate differently. They can manifest in different forms across worlds, and across universes. Lady Maris is just one aspect of Lexios, the immortal god. She exists independently when the god isn't using her body or voice."

"These gods are just full of—"

"This place... this Lost Isle... it's the same island from my memories," Ciel interrupted. "When I was born, the island was destroyed."

Lyra nodded. "But it wasn't you who destroyed it, Your Highness."

"Wait, you've known about this the whole time?" Rowan accused, his eyes narrowing.

"No," Lyra shook her head. "I'm terran, one of the ancestral races that the God Nerevarus used to shape the inhabitants of this world. Our time has already passed, and our bodies rest beneath this island. When Ciel was born as the Azure Kraken, the Leviathan sought to devour this place entirely. But the krakens intervened, sacrificing their elder, the original guardian of the sea. They blinded the Leviathan and concealed the island's secret, protecting the memories of Ciel's and Drake's births."

Drake's face went pale. "I don't get any of this! Ye're sayin' I'm meant to take down the Leviathan? How's that even possible? Aye, me parents be powerful, but they're still just mortals. The only reason me mother got any hint o' immortality was by bindin' herself to Eldoria, which gave her the power o' clairvoyance—enough to read the fate o' the Seven Seas."

Rowan glanced at Lyra. "As much as I hate to say it, Drake's right. Garrick Stormare might be the Pirate King, and the Amazon Queen is certainly a force to be reckoned with, but neither of them wields the kind of godly power needed to defeat the Leviathan."

Lyra's expression revealed her own deeper confusion, as if even she lacked the answers. The island had revealed memories that largely addressed Ciel's role as a guardian, a creature meant to heal rather than destroy. Ciel's destiny was becoming clearer, but Drake's fate still remained shrouded in mystery.