45-Escaping the Punishment

After eating the fish and sharing a few laughs, Nexha and Lilay started swimming back home. However, the memory of their punishment hit Nexha like a shock.

— Wait a minute… — he stopped mid-swim, eyes wide. — If we go back now, we’ll have to eat the fish egg paste!

Lilay also froze, his fins trembling.

— Oh no! I don’t want to eat that!

The two looked at each other, clearly sharing the same thought.

— We have to escape. — they said at the same time.

Nexha crossed his arms, thinking.

— Okay, we need a plan. If we just disappear, Dad will come looking for us. We need a reason to stay out…

Lilay flicked his tail against the sandy ocean floor, trying to think.

— What if we say we went to help Nalu with something?

— She’d rat us out immediately. — Nexha sighed.

They kept swimming in circles, deep in thought.

— I got it! — Lilay exclaimed. — Let’s say we went to check on the moray seaweed wall after the storm! The wall is really important. If we say that, maybe he’ll leave us alone!

Nexha blinked a few times.

— That… that’s actually a good idea!

The two shared a knowing look.

— Operation "Escape the Fish Egg Paste" has begun!

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They swam as fast as they could toward the moray seaweed wall, hoping Krahs would believe their excuse.

Meanwhile, at home, Krahs was preparing dinner. He stirred the fish egg paste with his injured tail and sighed.

— They’re going to hate this… but a punishment is a punishment. And it’s very nutritious.

He glanced toward the entrance, expecting to see his sons walk in at any moment. But time passed… and passed… and nothing.

His parental instincts started tingling.

— Where are those little troublemakers?

Leaving the house, he looked around. Normally, it would be noisy with his kids playing, but instead, there was silence.

He crossed his arms, already losing patience.

— I bet they’re trying to escape their punishment.

The big shark focused and sniffed the water. The current carried traces of his children’s scent. Following his instincts, he swam in the direction of the trail.

— If they think they can fool me… these kids have a lot to learn.

The two brothers swam as fast as they could toward the seaweed wall.

— If we stay here long enough, Dad will forget about the punishment, right? — Lilay asked hopefully.

— I really hope so. — Nexha replied.

They hid among the seaweed and started poking at the plants, trying to look busy.

— Look at this! Some new seaweed grew after the storm! — Lilay said, trying to convince himself that this was actually important.

Suddenly, something shiny caught his eye among the seaweed roots. Lilay’s eyes widened as he swam closer.

— Brother, look at this!

Nexha turned and saw Lilay pulling something out from the seaweed: a round, glimmering object.

— Is that… a pearl?

Lilay held the pearl in his hand, but something felt off. It didn’t look like an ordinary pearl—it had a faint, greenish glow.

— This doesn’t seem like a normal pearl… but the real question is, who was crying around here? — Nexha murmured, examining the object.

Suddenly, the water around them felt heavier.

— Huh? What was that? — Lilay looked around, a chill running down his spine.

A huge shadow loomed behind him, revealing a very angry shark.

— So this is what you two were doing…

The brothers swallowed hard.

— D-Dad! How did you find us?! — Lilay asked, clutching the pearl against his chest.

Krahs crossed his arms and stared at them.

— I will always find you.

The brothers exchanged nervous glances, sweating bullets.

— Now, let’s go home. — Krahs said, grabbing each of them by the arms.

— And the fish egg paste? — Nexha asked, still hoping their father had forgotten.

Krahs gave them a mischievous smile.

— You’re eating double.

Lilay screamed in despair as he was dragged home, while Nexha simply accepted his fate with a sigh.

Operation "Escape the Fish Egg Paste" had failed miserably.