Chapter 11 – Echoes of the Stars

In a place where the sun had not reached for a long time, a small light began to flicker incessantly in the depths of the sea.

On the cold and freezing stones of the abyss, a great being awakened from its millennia-old slumber. Its crimson eyes, still drowsy, slowly opened.

With gentle movements, the giant glided toward the light that shone in the vast darkness. Around it, abyssal creatures stirred, fleeing in despair from that unusual glimmer.

When it finally reached the light, the giant opened its mouth and whispered in a deep voice that echoed among the submerged rocks:

— What happened, little star?

The light wavered, weakening little by little, until it revealed a tiny mermaid. Compared to the giant, she was minuscule. Delicately, she wiped away the tears that shimmered like freshly formed pearls in her eyes.

— Great Elder, I saw such a sad story…

— Little star, it was just a nightmare.

— It wasn’t! — she protested, throwing her glistening tears at the elder.

He received them without looking away, letting the pearls scatter along the ocean floor.

— I felt… someone pleading for a bit of power to protect.

The elder sighed, his voice like the hidden currents of the ocean.

— It has been so long since you last received a request… How do you know it was real and not just a dream, little sleeper?

— Because I used my power — the mermaid whispered, her golden gaze reflecting a melancholic longing. — I enchanted a weapon so that he could defend himself.

The giant observed her in silence for a long moment before responding:

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— That is dangerous, little star. You know that your kindness has been used to commit atrocities before.

— But he seemed so sincere…

— They all try to deceive you — said the elder, his voice heavy with ancient sorrow. — After all, you are the last pure-blood descendant of the people who came from beyond the stars.

The little mermaid lowered her gaze to her own tail. Her golden scales shimmered for a moment before dissolving, giving way to fragile legs as pale as porcelain.

— I see you still can’t maintain your form for long… — the elder noted. — And yet, you continue giving away part of your powers.

— I want to protect my siblings of this world too — she whispered. — I can’t do that if I’m always focused on keeping a tail that can no longer even swim.

Lying on her bed of soft pearls, she looked upward, where only the darkness of the deep awaited her.

— Elder… do you still believe that one day our race will travel among the stars again?

The old one sighed, his eyes turning toward the same unreachable void.

— Little one… long ago, our blood was diluted into this world. Now, many of us can no longer even walk outside the water. Everything we had was lost—our homes, our knowledge, our magic…

His voice became a whisper, laden with melancholy.

— We are no longer like our ancestors, little one. We will not step beyond this ocean. But perhaps… those this world is shaping might.

The mermaid narrowed her eyes, thoughtful.

— And how long do you think it will take for them to do so?

The elder chuckled softly, closing his eyes as if recalling something distant.

— Perhaps less time than we imagine. I asked for help from someone who might speed things up… I hope our ancestors heard me.

The little star stared at him in surprise, then frowned.

— So that’s why you’re getting weaker…

— It’s called aging, child — he said, laughing quietly.

— …Is that bad?

The giant settled beside the bed of pearls and sighed.

— My time is running out, child. Unlike the starborn, I do not need a fatal wound to pass on.

— Elder, don’t die yet! I… I don’t know how to live without you!

Tears returned to the mermaid’s golden eyes, but before they could form into pearls, the old one huffed in irritation.

— I’m not dying yet! I’m just old, okay?!

She pulled back, surprised, and the giant regained his composure.

— Child, it’s time to rest. Don’t worry so much about others… you need to take care of yourself too.

The little mermaid hesitated for a moment before nodding.

— I will try to follow your advice, elder.

— Like the other twenty times I told you this?

Embarrassed, she covered her face with her long red hair. The elder laughed, a deep chuckle like the ocean’s currents.

Then, he closed his eyes and whispered tenderly:

— Now, sleep, my little star…

Slowly, the mermaid’s glow faded, until darkness once again enveloped the abyss. But even there, where the sun never touched, a small ray of light still pulsed softly in the depths.