Most of my life I had to listen to my mother’s thoughts regarding my performance in school and various other things. She’d often compare my siblings with me, or me with other high-achieving students.

I didn’t have to take in the full brunt of her mind, but I suffered a fair bit myself. So, I prided myself in being able to tolerate a moderate bashing. I’d developed this false sense of security that I could just stomach no matter what someone said to me.

Which was of course absurdly wrong. And one girl pointed it out to me in high school by beating the literal shit out of my mind with her verbal onslaught. In the end she just asked- “Hurts now?” -with a smug face.

I’d actually cried that day. Not because her words hurt. But rather, because everything she said were true in one form or another.

But in my mind, I argued, she didn’t hurt me. I was just emotional or something. I avoided that girl like the plague after that and didn’t bother to think much of what she said. I was murdered months later.

Now that I think back, it hadn’t started with her hating me or me hating her. It started when I bragged about being able to take in my family’s insults and stuff. I was probably just putting on a brave face to hide my anxiety.

But anyway… I sat before the Mermaid who’d been watching my face for the last half an hour with open curiosity.

I hadn’t been staring at her, rather, I’d been staring at the water. It was surprisingly clean. Cleaner than the seawater outside, which was odd because this water was the very same stuff from the sea.

Do they filter the water like snails?

“How’re you feeling?” I asked in sea tongue.

She said nothing.

“Do you need to use the bathroom? Oh wait, you live in water so you’re probably-”

But would anyone want to swim in their own-

Yeah, I did not want to recall them pool days. Ahem… “Can you tell me your name at least?”

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“Ro…” Oh! It spoke! Ro?

“Ro? Fine name…” I had nothing else to say, honestly.

“Roksha….” She managed.

Her voice, utterly faint. Kind of high, like a child’s.

Technically, she is a child. “I’m Sol.”

She bobbed her head once. Kind of cute, like a cat.

I really like cats, huh?

“There you are…” I sighed, grabbing something from the girl’s hair. My somewhat soaked lizard. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

Rexy didn’t even seem to care and just casually sat on my shoulder, wetting my shirt a bit in the process.

Anyway, “Guess I’ll leave you here,” I said, getting up.

Splash!

Roksha didn’t say anything and just dived fully into the water. If I lied down, I’d probably be underwater myself but it really wasn’t that deep. And technically she could climb over the bath and just get out. But I doubted she was going to do that.

Why?

Well, the door was almost always locked apart from the times I visited and apparently young mermaids didn’t possess much strength. I could probably beat her in terms of strength despite being younger.

***

I thought we’d see some ships every day. Not because I thought ships would be taking the same route or because there were too many ships or something. But rather… I was thinking about pirates.

But Alustur assured me, there were no pirates in this route and for good measure. He didn’t tell me what that was.

So basically, there’s something worse here than pirates.

The sea was calm. It’d stay calm for the next few months. At least in the first half of the journey. The other half was dealing with tropical climate, so I guess that bit of the journey would be super fun… for who that was the question.

“Eaten yet?” Shia said.

“Not yet.”

We’d been talking. She was acting the same as usual. So in her example, I tried acting the same. Still, it hurt to think she thought of me that way.

Maybe it was just a slip of tongue. Maybe she really thought that, or maybe the timing just wasn’t right.

Anyway, I tried not to think about it and just focus on the fact that we were out at sea and no matter what, we only had each other to rely on when something went super shit.

“How about you?”

“Not yet.”

Even so, our conversations were super short and barely had any substance. Reminded me of the days back home, back on Earth. I’d spend most of the day indoors, studying, sometimes sneakily playing games or reading manga. I’d have short conversations with my parents or siblings but nothing of substance.

I hoped with all my heart… this life didn’t become like that one.

Still, this view was something else. The Sun was setting, the waves reflecting a cool orange. It’d turn red soon.

“Are you crying?” Shia said.

“No. A bit emotional I guess?”

Yeah, I was really leaving home. Despite everything, I did consider that Academy home. It took a while for me to settle down, but yeah… in the end, it was home.

Will I ever see them again?

I wiped my tears. “Bit late but let’s go grab some lunch.”

“Yeah.”

I wasn’t looking forward to lunch though. It was just smoked jerky and hard biscuits.

Sigh.