Golden Melody (Editing)

Chapter 94

Chapter 94 - Historical Roleplay: The Silver Mermaid Legend

The morning sun rose soft and golden over Silver Island. But in the corner of the resort café, the light didn't quite reach.

Clarise, Mia, and Lotie sat pressed into a booth, their untouched breakfast trays growing cold. Around them, students laughed, plates clinked, chairs scraped—but their table felt sealed off.

In Clarise's hand, something dark caught the light. A small black orb.

"...Today," Clarise said finally, her voice low enough that only they could hear.

Mia shifted in her seat. "You're serious?"

Clarise didn't answer right away. Her thumb brushed over the orb's surface. It pulsed faintly like a heartbeat.

"We don't get another chance," she said. "She's already slipping away from us."

Lotie leaned forward, elbows on the table. Unlike Mia, she wasn't shaking.

"We stick to the plan," she said. "After the play, we talk to her. Act normal. Apologize."

Mia let out a quiet, nervous laugh. "Us? Apologize?"

Lotie didn't smile. "That's why it'll work."

Clarise's lips curved slightly.

"She wants to play kind," she said. "We deal with it."

Mia looked down at her hands. "And then what... we just... what, drag her?"

"No," Clarise said, sharper now. "We don't force anything. If we don't wanna get caught. We guide her."

Lotie nodded. "We get her alone. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere no one's watching."

A beat.

"The reef," she added.

Mia swallowed. "What if someone notices she's gone?"

"They won't," Clarise said immediately. "Everyone will be busy. Swimming, taking pictures, doing their own thing. It's a field trip—no one's counting heads every second."

Her grip on the orb tightened.

"And he said he'll handle the rest."

Mia's voice dropped to a whisper. "You trust him?"

Clarise hesitated—just for a fraction of a second.

Then— "I trust what he told me."

Her eyes hardened.

"That Miexha isn't what she pretends to be."

Lotie tapped the folded napkin between them. The "plan," written in messy ink:

12:30 PM — Costumes distributed
1:00 PM — Legend play begins
3:00 PM — End of play/apology
4:00 PM — Stay close / act normal
5:00 PM — Beach swim
7:00 PM — Low tide/reef

Mia stared at it, as it might bite her.

"...This is insane," she murmured.

Clarise leaned closer.

"Look at her," she said quietly. "Everyone protects her. Excuses her. Treats her like she's fragile."

Her jaw tightened.

"But what if she's not?"

Silence.

The noise of the café felt far away.

Lotie's voice was softer now, but colder.

"If what he said is true... then we're not the bad guys."

Mia's fingers curled into her skirt.