From the depths of the churning water, a shape began to rise, its form gradually taking shape through the swirling haze. Long, flowing hair, dark as midnight, surfaced first. The hair moved as if it had a life of its own. It spread out in the water like a dark halo.

As the figure ascended, the water illuminated the skin, smooth and shimmering with a glow. Drops of water flowed down her naked lush breasts. The lithe torso led to a graceful tail that smoothly moved beneath the water. The scales on the tail caught the faint light, shifting in color from deep blues to vibrant greens with every movement.

The large and expressive eyes were now clearly visible. They were locked onto Catty and Rutger—intense and hypnotic, drawing them in despite the anxiety that gripped their minds.

The lips parted slightly, revealing a set of sharp white teeth.

The fog began to recede, revealing the being as a whole. The garden around them seemed to come alive with its emergence as if acknowledging the presence of its owner. The being's tail flicked lazily in the water, creating gentle ripples that lapped at the edges of the pond.

The mermaid's voice echoed through the pond.

"So, the Masters have returned. What brings you back to these waters, Rutger, after so many moons?"

The old man inclined his head slightly, his tone measured and respectful.

"My greetings, Vexara."

"I never thought I'd see your face again," her eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint reflecting in the moonlight. "Have you come to finish what you started?"

Rutger held her gaze steadily, "I'm not here to fight, Vexara."

A bitter laugh escaped the mermaid's lips, her expression hardening.

"How many centuries have passed, eh? Yet the stench of falseness lingers."

"We both did what we had to do. This is different," Rutger's jaw tightened, but his voice remained calm.

"Different? It always is until it isn't," Vexara's tail flicked, sending ripples across the pond.

"Vexara, I know you have no reason to trust me, but..."

She interrupted, "... you're desperate enough to face an old enemy? How intriguing."

"We're in search of something important," he nodded, a hint of impatience creeping into his tone.

Vexara's eyes bore into Rutger, her voice softening but still sharp.

"You still carry the weight of the past, Rutger. I can see it in your eyes."

He sighed with a weary resignation, "The past is gone, but its shadows remain. We need your help to bring light to this darkness."

"Help from me, a shadow in your history? How ironic."

"This time, it's not about us. It's about saving countless lives."

Vexara's expression darkened, the fury flickering in her eyes. The mermaid rose swiftly from the water until she was face to face with Rutger. Vexara growled, revealing sharp, predatory teeth ready to bite his throat.

"The last time we met, you left me to rot in this pond. Why should I help you now?"

The old man's gaze was unwavering, his words heavy with sincerity, "Because this time, the fate of our world depends on it."

"And what makes you think I care about your world?" Vexara's eyes narrowed once more.

Rutger took a step forward, "I have no choice, Vexara. We need the path you guard."

The tension hung thick in the air. The garden around them seemed to sigh with the weight of hurts past. The moon strung high above and cast a soft, ethereal glow that danced upon the foliage and reflected off the water.

The pond was a mirror of liquid silver, disturbed only by the slow flick of the mermaid's tail. Water lilies floated on the surface, and their petals opened under the moonlight as if in reverence to the ancient creature who had emerged from their depths.

Behind the pond, an old stone archway stood as a sentinel, overgrown with ivy and moss, its carvings eroded by time. The ornate designs, now barely discernible, hinted at forgotten eras, their stories lost to the relentless march of time. The entire setting felt Catty like a ghost place, where the boundaries between reality and memory blurred.

"Who is she?" Vexara suddenly hissed, staring at Catty. "How dare you bring her here, Rutger?"

"No need to be angry, Vexara. She's here for the same reason," Rutger said.

"I'm Catty," the girl interjected, her voice trembling but firm. "And I'm here to help."

"Help?" Vexara sneered, her eyes narrowing. "You, a mere child, think you can help?"

"She's not just a child," the old man objected. "She's been through more than you can imagine."

"You think your hardships mean anything to me, Catty? Rutger has always brought nothing but trouble."

Rutger frowned, "She's different, Vexara. She's crucial to what we seek."

"Crucial? How can she be of any use?"

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes," Catty replied. "I know about the prophecy."

"Prophecy," the mermaid scoffed. "The word of betrayal. Do you even know the cost of what you seek?"

"I know it's dangerous. But I also know I can't give up."

"You speak of danger as if you know it intimately. Tell me, girl, what have you faced?"

Rutger raised his voice, "She's shown strength and resilience, Vexara!"

"Strength and resilience? Those won't save her from the horrors that lie ahead."

"Maybe not," Catty agreed, "but I'm not here to be saved. I'm here to make a difference."

"Bold words for someone so young. What makes you think you can succeed where so many have failed?"

"Because I have no other choice. And because I have allies willing to stand by me."

"Allies," Vexara mused, her gaze shifting back to Rutger. "Allies can become enemies in an instant."

"That's a risk I take."

"Very well. But know this, girl: your presence here binds you to my fate. There will be no turning back."

Stolen story; please report.

A silence fell over the garden, and the weight of the mermaid's words hung in the air. Catty felt the coolness of the stone beneath her feet, the dampness of the mist clinging to her skin. The garden, once a place of beauty, now seemed to echo with the sorrow of broken promises.

Suddenly, Vexara plunged into the pond, and her form disappeared beneath the dark, rippling water. The waves were lapping against the mossy shore. Rutger and Catty stood waiting with bated breath, their eyes fixed on the pond's surface.

In a few minutes, Vexara emerged. Her dark hair clung to her face and shoulders, water cascading down her smooth skin and shimmering tail. In her hand, she held a delicate silver bell. It swung gently, emitting that same sound they heard stepping into the garden.

Vexara's eyes burned fiercely as she raised the bell towards Rutger, her grip tight and knuckles white.

"Do you recognize this?" she asked, her voice a low, venomous hiss.

Rutger's face tightened.

"It's... his thing."

Vexara's expression twisted with anger and sorrow.

"Now tell the girl about him!" she demanded, echoing through the garden.

The old man took a deep breath, his gaze never leaving the silver bell in the mermaid's hand. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts, each moment weighted with the sorrow of what he was about to share. His eyes softened, reflecting a deep, painful regret.

"There was once a child..." he began slowly, "...a curious, brave child who wandered into this garden long ago."

The old man stopped.

"Keep talking!" the mermaid shook the bell.

"A curious, brave child who wandered into this garden long ago. He sought companionship and adventure and found joy in the beautiful place this garden was then..."

Vexara's grip on the bell tightened. "He was more than just curious," she interjected sharply. "He was lonely, like me."

"A mermaid lived here, and they formed a bond. They became friends, spending countless hours together. The child gifted the mermaid a bell. It was a token of their friendship..."

Vexara's eyes glistened with anger and sorrow: "He gifted me this bell," she said, her voice cracking, "so that I could call him whenever I felt alone."

"But one day," Rutger continued, "the child stumbled upon something he shouldn't have: a hidden portal within the garden. This portal was an entrance to the dark world, a realm of dangers beyond imagination. In his innocence, the child did not understand the gravity of what he had discovered. A secret the mermaid was guarding with her life..."

"He stumbled upon it by accident," Vexara spat with bitterness.

"The mermaid, however, understood all too well. She knew that if the secret of the portal were revealed, it could bring untold horrors into their world. She faced an impossible choice. To protect the secret and ensure the safety of both worlds, she felt she had no choice but to take drastic measures. He was just a child and didn't understand the danger. But the mermaid... you couldn't take that risk..."

"I had no choice!" Vexara exclaimed.

A heavy veil of silence descended over the pond. The moonlight cast long shadows that clawed at the edges of the pond, transforming the serene waters into a mirror of the turmoil.

Catty's breath caught in her throat. She could feel the tension coiling around them, whispering of old betrayals and wounds that time had failed to heal.

Rutger's face was a stone mask, his eyes fixed on Vexara. The old man's hands clenched and unclenched as if grappling with himself. Each movement was a battle inside to bridge the chasm of years with words that had long gone unsaid.

Vexara's body held rigid under the water, her eyes, fierce and unyielding, locked onto Rutger's with fury and pain, the glow from her scales dimming and flaring in sync with her emotions.

The garden, once a place of mystical beauty, now throbbed with the pulse of old woe that hung between the two beings before Catty. Even the air seemed reluctant to stir and afraid to fan the embers of conflict.

"The mermaid drowned the child in the pond where they had shared so many moments of friendship," Rutger's voice grew heavy with sorrow. "To protect the secret, you drowned him!.."

"I sang him a lullaby," Vexara's face twisted with anguish. "I always sang him a lullaby, even that night!"

Rutger's expression was one of deep remorse: "We, the Masters, enchanted this place. We hid the garden to ensure no dangerous beings could come out. We hid it from the world. The enchantment was meant to protect the garden and the secrets it held..."

"Finish up!"

"...but it also became a prison for the mermaid as a punishment for the murder..."

"And now, you bring this girl here, seeking help for another prophecy. The weight of the past never leaves us, does it?!"

The silence that followed fell like a shroud. Even the bell died down as Vexara's words settled over the garden.

Catty felt a cold shiver running down her spine as she listened to Rutger's words. The idea of a child being drowned by a creature he considered a friend was too horrific to accept. She couldn't believe this had occurred in this garden, now so eerie and abandoned.

A wave of sorrow washed over Catty as she imagined the loneliness and fear the child must have felt. She empathized with the child and Vexara. She understood the pain and regret that must haunt the mermaid. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

"Vexara, the child's spirit is trapped in the portal between our world and the dark world," Rutger said. "His soul cannot find peace."

"I know... I feel his presence every day," the mermaid moaned.

"But there is a way to free him. We are here to do this, and you can help us to release him from the ties that bind him. It's within your power."

"Release him? But how? You think I haven't tried? I can't reach him. The portal's magic is too strong."

"The portal binds him because of the enchantments we placed on this garden and on you," the old man explained. "You can't do it yourself."

Rutger pointed to Catty. "She'll do it!"

Catty felt her heart skip a beat.

"Me?!" the girl exclaimed. She looked at Rutger, her eyes wide, "I don't even know where to start."

A cold shiver ran down Catty's spine as she thought about the portal and the dark world it led to.

The girl turned her gaze to the mermaid and took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. Despite her disarray, Catty deeply empathized with Vexara and the child's trapped spirit.

"If that's what it takes to free him, I'm in," she said, her voice growing firmer. "Tell me what I need to do, Rutger."

It seemed that the old man had become even older. He tried not to meet the mermaid's gaze when he said, "You can release him in the same way that the child was killed."

"In the same way?!" the water boiled from Vexara's rage. "Do you have any idea what you're asking of her?"

"Yes!" the old man flared up. "This is our chance to make things right!"

"Make things right?!"

"Because there's no other way!"

Catty interrupted them.

"Let's do this, for the child's sake," she said. "I can't imagine what he's been through... And I'll do whatever it takes."

The girl bent down and touched the mermaid's shoulder.

"We'll free his spirit, Vexara," she said gently. "Together, we'll make sure he finds peace."

Catty's fingers felt the cool, smooth scales that shimmered under the moon's touch. The mermaid's gaze softened as she looked down at the small, warm hand against her skin. In that touch, a silent understanding passed between them. Vexara's tail stilled beneath the water's surface, her restless movements calming—the warmth from Catty's touch had seeped into the cold waters of her world, bringing with it a hope that had been absent for far too long.

When the mermaid calmed down, Rutger announced his plan.

"Listen carefully, Catty. First, you need to learn the lullaby."

"The lullaby? Why is it so important?"

"The child's spirit can be freed using the mermaid's lullaby."

"Why?"

"When the mermaid and the child were friends, she used to sing him this lullaby. And he listened to it when he drowned in the pond."

"That's terrible. But why does the lullaby matter now?"

"The lullaby holds an enchantment. It's the key to soothing and releasing his spirit. We will free him in the same way he was enchanted..."

"Makes sense."

"You should learn it and sing for the child's spirit... but there's a risk, Catty."

"What kind of risk?"

"Listening to the lullaby is dangerous. The song could put you under a trance, just like it did to the child."

"So, how am I supposed to learn it?"

"You must hear Vexara sing the lullaby to learn the lyrics and melody. And let your consciousness leave your body to avoid falling under its spell."

"Leave my body?"

"You need to surrender to the lullaby's magic. Allow it to put your body to sleep, but keep your mind active and aware. I'll guide you through the process."

"You mean I have to trust myself to stay conscious?"

"It's not easy, Catty. The song is powerful and will try to pull you in."

"Okay, what do we need to do first?"

"First, we need to prepare a safe space. I'll create a protective circle to help shield you from the lullaby's full effects. This will make it easier for you to stay conscious while your body is put to sleep."

"And then I listen to Vexara sing the lullaby?"

"Yes, Vexara will sing the lullaby for you. You must listen carefully and commit every note and word to memory. Remember, focus on the self-awareness, and ignore the pull of the enchantment."

"Okay, what's next?"

"Once you have learned the lullaby, I will open the portal to the dark world."

"Seriously?"

"I'm not kidding. When you step through the portal, you will be on your own. I cannot help you from this side."

"Is there anything I need to know?"

"The dark world is dangerous. Stay focused and trust your instincts. Stray too far, and you might not find your way back."

"What do I do once I'm there?"

"You must find a pond in the dark world, which is a reflection of this pond. The child's spirit will be waiting there."

"Are you sure?"

"The lullaby must call him! This melody has the power to draw the spirit to you. So sing it with all your heart. Then he will be able to hear you and come to you."

"What happens when I sing it?"

"You make the connection through the song, and it's the only way to guide him back. The song's magic will soothe and release his spirit from the magic ties that bind him."

"What ties?"

"The ties of the enchantment that trapped him in the first place... But don't forget about the dragon's egg! That's why we are doing all these things here."

"Great. Just great... but what about the child? And how do I get back?"