41-His tears.

The next morning, the sea felt different. Something was strange. The currents were more restless, and an invisible weight hung in the water.

Intrigued, I looked at Krahs, who was still resting at home. He opened a lazy eye and smiled slightly, as if my unease amused him.

— It's raining, little one — he said. — It hasn't rained in almost six weeks, so I guess you've never felt the difference it makes in the sea.

I frowned. I never imagined rain could change anything underwater. But this world was different, and I should already expect surprises.

I was about to leave home to fetch some crab powder from the old nest when Krahs spoke in a more serious tone:

— Don't swim near the surface. The air isn't as calm as before. The waves and currents are pulling everything with force. If you're not careful, you could get swept away.

I looked up, doubtful, but as soon as I stepped outside, I saw what he meant. The surface was in chaos. Pieces of seaweed and small fish were being sucked into violent currents, spinning out of control. Some fought desperately to swim downward, while the ocean floor remained serene, indifferent to the turmoil above.

A shiver ran down my skin.

— Better leave the crab powder for tomorrow.

I bought my morning milk from the system and drank it slowly, watching the spectacle above me. The waves crashed violently on the surface, mesmerizing in their fury, and bubbles constantly emerged from the turbulence.

— Good thing this doesn’t affect the depths... But if someone wants to build something on the surface, they'll need a breakwater wall. Otherwise, any structure would be destroyed in no time.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

As I pondered, a disturbing thought crossed my mind.

The endless storm. Last night’s story.

I arrived in this world six weeks ago. And for six weeks, there was no rain. But the moment we heard that story... it returned.

Coincidence?

A chill ran down my spine.

— Could it also come with the sound of crying...?

As if the ocean itself answered my question, a child's cry echoed through the water.

My muscles tensed, and the bottle slipped from my hands. As soon as it touched the water, it filled up instantly, ruining the rest of the milk.

— W-what?!

Before I could react, something even worse happened.

I saw Lilay. He was near the surface, being carried away by the current.

Fear punched me in the chest. My body moved before my mind could catch up. In an instant, I was already shooting toward him, abandoning everything without a hint of regret.

With the current in my favor, I reached Lilay quickly. He was struggling desperately against the force of the water, swimming frantically downward, but it was useless. His small fins didn’t have enough strength.

— Lilay! — I shouted, reaching out for him.

His eyes widened when he saw me, and he stretched his hand toward mine.

But it was too late.

The wave pulled us in.

It wasn’t a normal current. It was something bigger, something voracious. An invisible force tore us from the sea and threw us toward the surface.

For a moment, we broke free from the water.

The muffled sound of thunder exploded in my ears. The cutting wind slashed my skin like blades. The dark sky loomed over us, ready to swallow us whole.

Lilay screamed. I wanted to scream too, but instinct took over.

The wave separated us, pulling each of us in opposite directions. No!

With one final effort, I stretched out my hand and grabbed Lilay’s. Our fingers locked.

But then came the fall.

The water yanked us back with brutal force. My body reacted at the last second. I twisted in the air and wrapped Lilay in my arms, shielding him with my body.

My scales darkened and hardened. Hardening ability activated.

The impact hit like a crushing blow.

Pain exploded through my body.

The world spun. The cold of the water surrounded me again. Everything went dark. My consciousness flickered.

And then... nothing.

Heat was the first thing I felt.

Something strong was holding us. A familiar weight, a desperate grip.

Krahs.

Even in my daze, I could feel him trembling. He was clutching both of us against his chest, holding on tightly as if we had disappeared and he never wanted to let us go again.

— Little ones...

His voice was low, broken.

It was only then that I realized.

He was crying.