21-A Deep Hatred

Seeing that treacherous creature before me, I couldn't help but reveal my worst side in front of the children.

It had been so long since I last saw this sea monster, but its face was still etched in my memory. These opportunistic beings had taken something that was mine. The scent of blood seemed to resurface in my nostrils.

The moray tried to attack Krahs, but he reacted with a tail strike so strong that the creature was left dazed and thrown backward. It shook its head from side to side, trying to recover. Realizing it was no match for the shark, it aimed at another target.

At that moment, Krahs’s face twisted into a wild grin. His teeth clashed together so forcefully it seemed they would shatter.

— Damn egg thief... You should not covet my children.

Krahs’s smile was so terrifying it made his own children cry.

The moray lunged without hesitation toward Nexha and Lilay. The obsidian tip of Krahs’s spear grazed its skin as it slithered. Even without hitting vital points, the cut already stained the water red. The sweet taste of blood filled the old shark’s mouth, awakening a primal hunger.

The moray, realizing it couldn't win, tried to retreat. But Krahs, merciless, struck near the creature’s tail, slicing it in two.

It had been so long since he had been able to truly fight. For years, he had suppressed this desire, and now, the recently accumulated hatred was unleashed. But something was wrong…

That smile wasn't just hatred. It was the satisfaction of battle finally fulfilled.

The moray, in desperation, tried to flee. But before a shark, all that remained for it was to succumb. For a second, Krahs’s instinct took over, and his control vanished. He dropped the spear and sank his teeth into the fleeing creature. The taste of blood drove him mad. The moray’s now-headless body slowly sank as Krahs tore it apart with ferocity.

When he finally turned around, smiling in satisfaction, he saw his terrified children.

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It was at that moment that reality struck him.

The children were fleeing from him. His victorious impulse dissolved in an instant. The fear in Nexha and Lilay’s eyes was like a blade piercing his chest. Desperate, he swam at high speed to reach them before anything else could try to harm them.

Nexha, seeing the shark play with his prey, became alert. Lilay was still crying as he pulled him back to the nest. Without thinking, Nexha swam as fast as he could, dragging Lilay along.

Before fully fleeing, he looked back and saw Krahs’s expression change completely. The thrill of battle had vanished, replaced by confusion and fear.

Something passed through me and made me stop suddenly. A warmth in my heart stopped me from continuing to flee. My tears fell like pearls in the water when the old shark reached us and wrapped us in a tight embrace. Lilay and I didn’t know how to react. We just cried in the arms of the old warrior, who seemed so regretful.

That night, the children didn’t want to stay too close to the old shark. He understood and regretted it.

Krahs left the nest and swam to the surface, where he gazed at the stars.

— Am I really this broken? — he murmured to himself.

The sound of the waves was his only response. No matter how hard he tried to understand, that was the only sound the vast ocean offered him.

— I've become something I never wanted to be… I was so desperate for battle that I forgot what I was fighting for.

He looked up at the sky as if seeking an answer, as if the stars could guide him.

— I’ve become like those I despise. Like the orcas that play while destroying people… I’m no better than them. Descendants of the stars, how can I control myself?

He waited for an answer. None came.

He grew sad and returned to the nest. But to his surprise, Nexha was there, arms open. Despite the sleepiness, the child seemed to want to comfort him.

Krahs accepted the embrace.

— Forgive me, my child... I just…

He closed his eyes for a moment before sighing.

— I lost myself a little today.

Nexha swallowed hard.

— You… have lost someone before, haven’t you?

His gaze hardened, and he turned away toward the ceiling again. I thought he wouldn’t answer, but then I heard his voice, lower than ever.

— Yes.

That single word carried a weight I couldn't imagine.

— Is that why you were like this?

Krahs remained silent for a long time. Then, without looking at me, he began to speak.

— Before you, I had another family, other duties, another life… but then…

Nexha’s breath caught in his throat.

— They…?

— They're gone. Now I only have you, children.

— I’m sorry too. I ran away without thinking about the consequences. I could have gotten hurt… and taken Lilay with me.

Krahs hugged him.

— That guilt is mine, child… not yours.

— Dad, you don’t have to carry everything alone!

Krahs’s eyes shone for a moment. Then, a small, sad smile appeared on his face.

— Alright… I’ll try.

This time, his smile grew a little bigger. He pulled me close, covering us with seaweed, just as he did when I was smaller.

This time, I felt safe. And for the first time since that battle, I was sure Krahs did too.