Behind the Glass (Komahina AU)

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Secrets

A/N:
...Ahem. So...this is awkward. I jumped the gun when it came to the last chapter. There were too many questions rather than answers. For those of you who did read that chapter, consider this a 'filling in the gap' moment.  This is what I get for rushing and getting into a rut. I apologize. I will republish the last chapter after this one. :(

Thank you.
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Previously on Behind the Glass
He almost breathed in some of the water, causing him to panic. The Leviathan charged at Nagito, harpoon in one eye and his mouth wide open. Suddenly, a flash of white light blinded Nagito and the monster, causing everything to slow down...
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At first, the Leviathan didn't understand. Why was this merman saving this human? His eyes were glowing, his short hair was burning white and his tail shimmered in blue and silver.

"My name is Hajime and I am asking you to stop this! He is not your enemy!" He said.

'How dare you interfere?!' The Leviathan roared. Hajime noticed something that wasn't true in the stories.

"You...you're a girl?" Hajime asked, which made the monster growl. "No...there is something else..."

'Answer my QUESTION!'

Hajime sighed as he looked behind him. Nagito was already unconscious, drifting away. He grabbed his arm, pulled him close and gave him gills by placing his scales on the white haired man's neck. The Leviathan watched in silence. Nagito gasped as the gills began to open up, but it didn't wake him up.

"This man...is my mate." Hajime said calmly. "Yes...he is a human and I am a merman, but I cannot live without him." The Leviathan's eyes softened as she began to purr. "Whatever it is that we had done to upset you, I will take full responsibility."

She growled softly as a way of showing remorse. Then, it hit her: this boy shared the same scent as the one on the glowing conch. 'You...you're the Noble?'

Hajime nodded, but looked confused. "How...did you know?"

'The Conch of Obelia held your scent...just as Angelyne predicted.' The Leviathan said with regret.

"Wait! You know Angelyne?" Hajime asked. "Is she...a traitor to us?"

/'There isn't anything to worry about...'/ She reassured. 'Angelyne is a descendant of the Goddess Obelia herself. She has the abilities to send psychic translations to those affected by her ancestor...myself included.'

"You?" Hajime thought it over for a bit, but waited patiently for her to answer.

'I was in love with a merman...just like your mate. However, I was fooled by the Goddess that I could become part of their kingdom. She gave me a pendant that she herself blessed...the next thing I knew, I became this...'

Hajime lowered his head in sympathy. Obelia was revered for her beauty and wisdom, but mostly for her blessings on couples. They say that if you received her blessing, you would have a happy lifetime with their significant other. The fact that she allowed this to happen to a complete stranger made him angry. Despite the positive things, Obelia was also the jealous and vindictive type.

'My love died...in the depths where you were held, Noble. It tore me up, knowing that I would never be able to feel again...' She continued before looking at him. 'Until now. You two cared for each other very well; a true and strong bond that I used to have.'

"Thank you..." Hajime replied. "Please don't hurt these innocent lives anymore."

'Yes...I will leave you be...but before I do, I must warn you. My anger had blinded me to allow myself to suggest giving the pendant to you. At some point, Angelyne will offer it, but I implore you, do not accept it. Instead, please take one of my pearl white scales as a token of peace.'

She lifted her fin to Hajime, showing off her shimmering scales. Most of them were a raven black, while a few were white. He pulled a big one that was coming loose and thanked her. Suddenly, he remembered something vital: Nagito mentioned that Junko was the one that activated the conch with his tear...but that left one burning question.

"I must ask you one more thing. There was this pirate named Junko Enoshima. She kidnapped me in order to get my tears. How did Angelyne know about her and how did she tell her about the conch?"

'That is something you must ask her...I am sorry, but you must save him from drowning.' The Leviathan stated, as she nodded towards Nagito.

"Yes, of course. I promise that I repay you back." Hajime thanked. "Before you go, what was your human name?"

The Leviathan remained silent for a long moment. It looked like it was a painful memory to reminded of, but Hajime knew she was strong enough to push through this.

'It's...Akane...' She said before swimming off,
stirring up the sand to make her disappear.

"HAJIME!" Izuru called out as he and Andreas swam up to him. "There you are!"

"What happened? Where is the Leviathan?" Andreas asked, looking around.

"Don't worry...it won't harm us anymore." He mumbled just as he began to lose consciousness himself. All that magic began to take a toll on his still healing body. Izuru grabbed him as Andreas took Nagito back to the city. Unbeknownst to them, the Leviathan watched from a distance before retreating back to her home.
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Returning back to the air tunnel, Nagito was placed onto a bed of soft moss. Chiaki reversed the gills back on Nagito's neck before addressing the rest.

"I have already sent some guards to help
Kazuichi return home as his ship is now destroyed. Don't worry, he is aware of Nagito's condition and is willing to alert any family or friends back at the surface."

"You work fast, Chiaki." Hajime complimented. "They don't call you the Queen for nothing."

"Thank you." She giggled. "We will keep Nagito here and keep him under surveillance. I don't know how long he was left submerged, but it would be best if we kept an eye on his vitals."

"I agree." Hajime sighed, holding the man's hand. "I'll take the first watch if you don't mind."

Chiaki nodded in approval as she and her guards left him alone. The mystery was almost solved, but the final pieces were held by Angelyne. Now wasn't a good time since everyone had just survived an attack, but he promised himself that he will soon.
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To Be Continued...

A/N: I will explain Angelyne's side during the epilogue. I do hope this makes more some sense when you read Silver Linings (the next chapter).

I do have some good news though: we have reached 2K views! Woohoo! :D
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LunaKirbee