𝑪𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑬𝑨 ¹ ↳ 𝒍. 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏

.prologue

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𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒖𝒆

╚═══ -ˋˏ *.·:·.⟐.·:·.* ˎˊ- ═══╝

marella peered up at the sky above her through bambi eyelashes, and doe eyes, blue orbs gleaming innocently under the night light. her hair clung to her body, an aftermath of the environment she came from, and enveloped her bare torso, saving her from the cold winds that whistled through the waves of the sea.

the moon hovered high into the sky, stars aligning the night like sprinkles of white paint. she glanced at the far shoreline from the boulder she sits upon, her silver-blue tail flopping nonchalantly beside her — the color a symbol of her status — and the crown that had recently found a home on her head glistened under the twinkle of dusk.

an innocent smile crept onto her youthful face, full lips pulling at the ends, as she swims to the love of her life, supposedly standing on the edge of his home to greet his love. as marella neared the shoreline, her happiness soared to extreme levels, the giddiness of seeing him again consuming her.

she knows he is there, his fire burning in the sea of darkness, waiting in the spot where they had first met. with anticipation, she reached the shore and placed her delicate hands on the dirty ground. the shine of her engagement ring flashed, before she lifted herself up, eager to see her betrothed. but he wasn't there. her spirit whined restlessly within her at the empty space of where she swore her husband was.

she misses him dearly, for she has not seen him since their elopement on land. a dim glow arrived in her chest at the memory of their little ceremony. it was beautiful but simple, with only their closest friends present to witness their matrimony. they hadn't seen one another since then, having departed after their getaway in the woods. the agreed-upon date was decided to be may eighth, but it had been extended once marella's father discovered the affair.

yet none of that mattered, now. she had news to share to her husband, and her patience could only last so long. clutching her stomach happily, marella's growing emotion fueled a determination to continue on land to find her husband.

biting her lip, she stood and tried to find something to cover her bare figure, retrieving a white shirt that sat by the deck. worry began to settle in, as she tried assuring herself that he was probably asleep in the little home he had built for them, after their wedding.

out of the ocean, marella attempted to find her husband through the darkness of the night, the stars now no where to be found. marella tried calling him out, but frowned once she heard no response. her anxiety rocketed. something didn't feel right. she felt it within her spirit and the bond they both shared.

taking herself to the cottage that sat by the edge, she entered the chilly house, frown deepening at the lack of warmth that normally embraced her at her welcome. "my love?" she called, whispering to avoid disturbing him. where was he?

she crept around the house, trying to find her dearly beloved, preferably soon, as her legs would eventually give out on her and she would be forced to return to the water. the floorboards below her creaked as she peered carefully around the corner. still, he was hidden from her sight. sighing, she was about to turn around and return to the ocean, but she hears a faint rustle behind her and her eyes land on the door, leading to their bedroom.

of course, marella, don't you think?

concern flowed into her blue eyes and she shuffled forward. marella's hand held the doorframe and opened it slowly, unaware of why she was so uncertain. something was off. she, under normal circumstances, would've merely barged in with a smile, ready to wake the boy so they could enjoy some time together before she was whisked away, or cuddle up next to him and sleep side-by-side for the rest of the night. but tonight felt different.

something in her chest twisted with excitement and hope; hope that her husband is sleeping soundly, dreaming about a future they wished to have and prayed every day for, for the suffocating feeling in her heart informed her that something was wrong, and it was slowly strangling her.

but, there is a saying about hope. it breeds eternal misery.

she could not swallow the cry that left her lips, as she covered her mouth with her hands. her eyes befell the scene in front of her. blood dripped from the bed in which her husband lies upon, staining the white bedsheets with its red horrors. his mouth was ajar, the red substance flowing down his chin, his eyes wide open, staring at his wife with no light or life. he was dead.

marella cried out, as she rushed forward in a vain attempt to revive her husband. marella couldn't contain her dry sobs as she counted the stab wounds on her husband's mangled body. twenty.

he was brutalized.

"my love?" her voice cracked. "please, wake up. please...i cannot do this without you, do not leave me," she begged, holding onto his cold hand, and bringing it to her tummy. "do not leave us."

he to be there for her. for them. marella begged to the gods above her, to her ancestors, and to her people, that he would be saved. but no help came, because no one could save him now. marella never let go of her husband, not once. she clung to him with the littlest of hope, that he would look at her with his soft eyes once again, that he would caress her gently as he did on their special night. to be with her forever, just like he promised. but he never returned, and marella's grief transcended into something more. into anger and rage, into nothingness.

a blank expression fell on her face.

as the early morning sun appeared over the dawn of the mountain, marella was forced away from her husband, with the sounds of his family approaching their home. she could not face them, not when their light was gone. not when her husband was dead.

they were going to live together, and build a home and a family. but that would never come to fruition. it was all an illusion, a lie she let herself believe. but never again.

fleeing before her in-laws could catch sight of her, she regretfully watched as they cried over their lost son, from the depths of the water. she watched as they begged for him to come back, caught in the all-consuming grief of the loss of their firstborn and brother. her heart ached for the family, knowing how tightly knit their bond was and how this would haunt them, just like it would haunt her forever.

releasing a shaky breath, marella unclasped the jewelry wound around her neck, taking a look at the last piece of the boy she loved. the boy she would never see again, never touch again, never love again. with a pained sob, she hurled it away from her, before running away to the deepest parts of the ocean.

one tear slipped from her melancholy eyes. that day, she vowed to herself that she would never return to the likes of men, to the lands that brought her sorrow, to the earth that brought her pain. and as she fled to the depth of the waters, she retreated so deep into herself that she became the shell of the woman she once was.

cold and broken.

empty.