The legend of the sun-blessed child

Part I: Chapter IX

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fanfiction. I do not own any of the characters, locations, or elements from Disney properties featured in this story. All rights belong to their respective creators and owners. Original characters, songs, settings, and storylines are my own creation. This work is for entertainment purposes only and not for profit. The story was conceptualized by me and written with the help of an AI language model. The raw text was then revised accurately before being included into the final version of each chapter, as AI should be used only to make the writer's work easier and it should never be used to create key events or characters from scratch. If this method is in contrast with your beliefs, please just ignore my work.

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Ariel and Aby cautiously explore a dark, ominous crevasse in the ocean when Cetus, the menacing sea titan, reappears. As they try to retreat, another colossal figure, shimmering and icy, emerges from the depths—Hydros, a new titan. A violent battle erupts between Cetus and Hydros, shaking the ocean floor. Ariel and Aby barely evade the destruction as the titans clash. Just when the battle seems out of control, Hades appears, effortlessly calming both titans with his commanding presence. Hades dismisses Cetus and orders Hydros to follow him, but as Ariel and Aby attempt to escape, Hades notices them. With a dark smile, he traps them in an icy prison, freezing them in place. Unable to move, they are completely at Hades' mercy as he mocks their predicament, showing no intention of letting them go. Meanwhile, Eric and his crew struggle with the aftermath of their shipwreck inside a cave, caused by an unnatural ice formation. Jothar, furious at Eric for leading them into this disaster, lashes out, blaming him for the lives lost. As tensions rise, the crew discovers an enormous pillar of ice embedded in the ship's wreckage, something clearly unnatural and far more dangerous than a storm. Forced to move forward, Eric and his crew prepare to descend deeper into the cave, hoping to find an escape before the looming danger closes in.

As Aby and Ariel floated helplessly inside the frozen tank, the cold pressed in on them from all sides. Their bodies ached, their tails barely able to flick in the frigid water. Hades had left them, his sarcastic laughter still ringing in their ears as he strode away with Hydros, leaving them to rot in the ice.

Aby sighed, the weight of everything finally crashing down on her. "I thought I'd be stronger than this. I thought we'd find a way out... or at least fight back."

Ariel, her expression somber, nodded slowly. "It's not your fault, Aby. Hades is... well, he's a god. What chance did we stand?"

"I just..." Aby's voice broke. "I keep thinking about what I could have done differently..."

Ariel's eyes softened, her gaze turning distant as memories from her own past flooded her mind. "I've made choices too... choices I'd change if I could. I used to think I knew exactly what I wanted, but... sometimes I wonder if chasing after the surface world was a mistake."

The silence that followed was heavy, their thoughts spiraling into guilt and regret. Aby closed her eyes, her heart sinking further. "If we don't make it out of here... what will it have all been for?"

The icy water seemed to close in tighter around them, the bleakness of their situation sinking in. They were trapped, cold, and alone, with no hope of escape. Even Ariel's hopeful spirit seemed to dim, her tail barely moving as they drifted in the frozen cage.

But then, something stirred in the corner of Aby's vision. A faint glimmer of light, so small at first that she almost didn't notice it.

Aby blinked, her eyes narrowing as she tried to focus. "Ariel... do you see that?"

Ariel looked up, her gaze following Aby's. "What... is that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The light flickered closer, delicate and shimmering, like a tiny firefly buzzing through the ice. Aby's breath hitched as she watched it approach, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Is that... a firefly?"