Caroline Mast was not always covered in tentacles, eyes, and puffy skin, although she had always been blue. Up until the fragile age of nine, she was just a normal ocean person, with webbed toes and fingers, exploring the depths of the ocean along with her tribe.

Then, the cataclysm happened. A strange energy pierced through the entire planet and killed half of the ocean-folk.

It killed her mother, her brother and her older sister. It turned her and her father into grotesque monsters and subjected them to an eternity of pain.

It was the same with almost everyone else. Since that day, the echidnas went through regular fits of insanity, while the merfolk felt alienated in their own bodies. The more mana they gathered, the stronger they became, the bigger the urge to cut off the fish parts of their flesh.

Countless died as a result of their afflictions, until eventually, the survivors realized in some ways they couldn't. There was no such thing as old age anymore, no end to their suffering unless they did it themselves.

In response, some mutants did just that. Others waged war on the non-mutated species, in a fit of rage due to what they perceived as injustice.

Most mutants settled into a routine of suffering and apathy, and a few, very few, fought to make a change.

Caroline's father was one such mutant. In exchange for his efforts, his kind was all but wiped out by the demon Leviathan. Centuries later he was betrayed by the echidnas and murdered while the mermaids watched.

After witnessing all this happen before her eyes, Caroline was forced to run and hide, an outcast in the kingdom her father had built almost single-handedly.

Eventually, she tried to pierce through the non-mutant empire, and when that spectacularly failed, she went the other way.

Yet, here she was going back into her kingdom, with a human no less.

'Miss Caroline, why are you still here?' asked the bartender while ripping off another scale from his tail.

'That's none of your concern.'

'Indeed, it is not.'

'Does the abomination still draw breath?'

‘Indeed, it does.’

Annoyed with the bartender’s attitude, Caroline turned to leave. However, the bulky merman added: ‘It’s not the abomination you should worry about, but the one who guards it.’

She stopped in her tracks. Since Finn could not hear their exchange, he could only watch them confused.

‘It happened two years ago,’ the bartender continued. ‘A fox-kin came here, almost boiled all of us. It went straight for the abomination’s cave, settled in front of the entrance. Since then, no soldier, mutant, or even our dear governor has managed to approach.’

‘What does it want?’

The bartender shrugged.

‘It hasn’t killed the abomination yet. It doesn’t respond to threats or negotiations; it just kills whoever gets close and sometimes enters the abomination’s chambers. But we’ve yet to hear the creature’s death throes, the volcano has yet to erupt.’

Caroline thanked the bartender and gave him another small crystal. She then immediately left with Finn. When he tried to ask her about what they talked about, she instead asked:

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‘You’re not a demon, are you?’

‘No, I thought we were past that.’

‘Yet, you’re strong like one.’

‘I wouldn’t go that far, but…’

‘That’s good enough.’

Caroline gritted her teeth, clenched her remaining fist and led Finn straight to the sleeping volcano. As they passed through residential areas and unusual shops, she quickly explained:

‘The first item I need is in the heart of the mountain, protected by two abominations. The second one’s said to be immensely strong, while the first one is unknown.’

‘If I can’t beat them, we run. What’s in the heart of the mountain?’

‘Something invaluable.’

‘Treasure?’

‘...Yes.’

The red city formed a perfect ring around the volcano. As Finn and Caroline swam through it, the residents gave them curious looks. Many goblins ran to report to their superiors, but the merfolk responded with shrugs and dismissals.

Eventually the two reached the inner side of the circle, where a single, dark tunnel led straight into the mountain. The red pathways leading to this tunnel were heavily guarded by merfolk and goblins watching every single intersection and all open spaces.

However, while the goblins rushed to report the guests’ presence, none of the merfolk soldiers took action. They merely watched and shrugged and moved on with their day.

‘The security in this city’s terrible,’ thought Finn. ‘I like it.’

‘Most merpeople no longer have anything they wish to protect. They live in apathy, waiting for either salvation or an end.’

Finn and Caroline entered the mountain tunnel while the merfolk just watched. They swam at a slightly upwards angle for around 30 minutes until they reached a spot where there was no more water, just a normal tunnel filled with air.

“Can you breathe?” asked Finn. “I can give you a piggyback.”

For a moment, Caroline was taken aback. Without the buoyancy of water, and given the stumps she had for legs, it was hard to even stand up, let alone pull herself out of the water. Finn offered his hand, but after a moment’s hesitation, she used magic to fly out and past him.

“I’m not a child.”

The tunnel led into a large cavern that was more tall than wide. A large bonfire could be seen in the middle, and there was a giant double door on the opposite side of the tunnel.

“The second abomination is behind those doors.”

“And the first?”

“Can’t you see it?”

Suddenly, the bonfire moved. It tilted from side to side, lifted its arms and stretched, spreading fire into every corner of the cave.

‘That fire’s packed with so much mana it messed with my senses. However, there’s definitely a human inside, or at least something humanoid…’

‘It’s a human,’ Caroline confirmed.

‘Bullshit. Its mana pathways are like a mutant’s.’

‘So are yours.’

‘I’m an exception, that’s a freak of nature.’

‘All three of us are the same!’

Caroline’s tone turned a bit cold, but Finn had no time for it. The giant flame had just spun around as if to take a look at them, but he still couldn’t see who or what was hidden inside it.

“Hey demon,” Finn called out. “Stop hiding behind that parlor trick and introduce yourself.”

“Ahem,” an androgynous, modified voice came out of the flame. “So far you’ve called me an abomination, a mutant, a freak of nature…”

“You could hear us!?”

“Now I’m deaf too.”

“You can’t peek into someone else’s telepathic conversation.”

‘Actually,’ Caroline tilted her head. ‘It’s a common ability.’

‘What!?’

‘Dumbass,’ thought the flame.

‘You stay out of this!’

‘Why?’ the flaming person smirked. “Will you strike me down if I don’t? Will you cut me with your mighty sword? Blow me up? Hmm?”

Finn could feel a migraine coming on, so he shook his head and took a step forward.

“We have business with the creature beyond that door. Get out of our way or I’ll make you.”

“My God, I’m shaking in my boots. Please oh mighty warrior, can’t you…”

Finn extended his arm and shot a miniature sun. It struck the flaming person, exploding with such force it shook the cavern and created a 10 feet wide crater all around it.

“Can’t you take a joke?” asked the enemy, seemingly unscathed. “Apparently not. What else can’t you do, hmm?”

Finn bolstered his warrior’s breath. His already red skin turned a deeper, darker color. His muscles bulged and his veins became visible. Steam could be seen coming out of his pores, and he bent his knees, as if ready to pounce.

“Caroline, stand back. You,” he pointed at the flame. “Hold nothing back. Let’s have some fun, shall we?”

The flaming person paused while Caroline took some distance. “Are you sure you don’t want me to help? We can work together.”

“No need,” Finn smirked. “I’ve got this.”

“No… you do not,” the flame all but whispered.

“Huh?”

“I said no… You idiot! You do NOT have this. You’re fighting against an unknown opponent with abilities you do not understand. You do not fight alone, you do not attack head on, and you most certainly do not act like some cocky, prepubescent little shit!”

“Do I… know you?”

“Shut the hell up! You actually want to take me on? Fine, let’s go. But mock my words, oh mighty hero, I will fucking school you.”