Mari found herself on the highest balcony of the palace before she even had the chance to fully wake up. She was dragged there by some maids who had kicked her out of her own room with unusual haste, yet remained professional overall. The Princess and King were already there, and also the usual dozen of guards that protected them from who knows what. Beneath on the streets were a lot of heads gathered, Mari didn't even realize that the Merfolk were this many, but it did nothing to ease her mind.

What the hell is going on? Mari rubbed her eyes and the King telepathically cleared his throat.

"Residents of Meeres Heim," he started in a booming voice, and Mari immediately flinched her sleepiness away. "You have done well to endure the long years of oppression brought by the Demons. Many of you have given their lives to protect another day of peace for your children and kin. Those brave souls will not return..."

The King continued with a long and arduous speech about a history that Mari couldn't care less about. She carefully glanced over the fence of the balcony to see many different expressions on the people that came to listen. That of hate and grief, but also those of hope for a promising future. Mari sighed. To her left stood the Princess, unflinching and with a posture so sharp you would think a perfect stick couldn't even be that straight. Her eyes were locked onto the distant horizon of the deep waters, unwavering. Mari had to admit her composure was... impressive. The girl contined staring a the Princess's side profile until the King eventually seemed to wrap up whatever he had been doing all this time.

"But, our people shall not have died in vain! Because now, you have endured enough! Our life in fear and oppression will end with the blessings of the reborn Leviathan, our God and soon savior from drought and suffering! She will bring back the days we since only remember in dreams of our glorious past. She will free us! She, together with my daughter Nisha as her guide, will restore our Freedom!"

"WHAT??" The Princess completely breaks her stout attitude and spins her head—or entire body would be more appropriate—to face her Father the King. Her sudden change had cought Mari off guard and her heart was racing again. This was also the first time Mari felt exactly the same as Nisha, though she managed to keep her thoughts to herself. Or maybe she let them slip a bit, she didn't know as her proficiency with [Telepathy] was still at an intermediate level at best. Either way, their little outcries were drowned by the overwhelming cheers of the crowd:

"WOOOOOOOO!!!!" Mari flinched, again. Their shouts exploded her head, making her ears ring with a shrill pain. And yet, for someone who doesn't hold [Telepathy], there isn´t a single sound being spread in the water. The shapes of many Merfolk throwing their hands in the air and hugging each other with big smiles on their faces would look most comical for a bystander.

But there are more pressing matters to attend to than some noise: She doesn´t remember anybody telling her she'd need to face a Demon Army. Mari was sceptical that there was no twist to all their kindness so far, but here it is.

Mari shifts and looks at the Princess who desperately tries to reach her Father through [Telepathy]. But he doesn't seem to hear her being infatuated by his people. Maybe he ignores her willingly. Would be well deserved, Mari quietly mumbles to herself. Yet in all the Princess's despair, she doesn't try to reach a hand for him or even move from her spot, no matter how important what she has to say may appear. Seeing her like this, lost like a small puppy, Mari almost comes to pity her—almost.

The Princess notices the stare of the main guest and turns her head to face her, the usual expression Mari is used to receiving is once again dirtying her pretty face. Mari quickly breaks eye contact and pretends to have never even looked her way. Her eyes jump around the different patterns on the balcony floor as if they were the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. Not long and the noise forces her to hold her head in pain again though. At least the Princess doesn't seem to have the time to deal with her now, thankfully.

The large assembly doesn't disperse although hours have passed, even after the King has long returned inside his castle. Long, jarring hours of mental screams. It feels like someone continuously hits her skull with a hammer. Mari wishes she'd never have acquired the [Skill], or finally found a way to control it better. The Princess has followed the King inside immediately when he stepped away from the balcony, they have since went missing in the depths of the palace. For now Mari returns to her chamber, shuts the door strongly and flops onto her bed where she presses two pillows against her head. Unfortunately, they're too soft and sink into some of her gills rather than protect her ears. They wouldn't have helped to block out the sound anyway.

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The girl tosses in her overly soft excuse of a bed, wanting to just run away from it all. The mission she has no details about, the noise, the feeling of unease that's been creeping up inside of her stomach for some time now... There was a certain part Mari enjoyed in living a lavish life of luxury, but the few days have been enough for her, especially when it comes with the risk of being killed and responsibility. Running away and leaving them to their own devices never seemed more appealing.

Though remembering the numbers above the King´s head and his... willful attitude that she had the chance to experience the last few days don't do anything for her plan of escaping. She didn't have many chances to interact with him, but if he's in any way similar to his daughter or shared her thoughts about Mari... No, she would be long dead if that were the case. And yet he feels even more dangerous than the Princess. For now, running away from the noise will have to do, she can continue working on her true escape plane later. Or, start working on it.

Mari steps out of her room to search the glistening palace for some quiet. She wanders aimlessly with no regards to time until the voices drown in the gentle flows of the water. Mari isn't sure if the reason is because she's deep enough into the palace or if the Merfolk simply decided it's finally time to return home. Nonetheless, she's thankful for it to have stopped. Though, looking around, now she wonders where her little journey has brought her. She moves her eyes back and forth only to realize everything looks the same, like always. She sighs, however unwilling she is to rely on her hearing after that overload, she still straightens her somewhat pointy ears and shuts her dark eyes. She listens carefully for any signs and actually finds a hushed voice—two as she realizes shortly after—coming from the room right around the corner. Mari recognizes them as the King and Princess, and they don´t sound too happy:

"Father, please rethink! Why are you doing this to me?!"

"Listen, I had just enough of you. Weren't you the one to admire Leviathan the most?"

"I still do!"

"Then what´s the matter with you?!"

The argument seems already on its way to reach a climax although Mari had just arrived to listen in on it. Still, she carefully presses her ear on the door.

"But you can´t be serious, those are completely different! There is no way in the Demon's Hell she's our God! Why are you so blind, all of you!"

"And what in the name of our God makes you spout that insolence? Don't lie to me, you can feel the aura coming from within her."

"I do, but... This is not our God!"

"Again, you always come back to spouting the same nonsense about intuition. Stop your foolishness, daughter."

Mari hears the screeching of a chair rubbing the hard coral floor. She guesses the King has stood up.

"I-I already told you I can´t explain it to you! But.. I just know it's the truth!"

"Daughter," the King's voice turns furious. Worse, it's filled with some kind of overpowering energy which makes it difficult for Mari to think straight. She notices a small moment of hesitation from the Princess, as if she had opened her mouth just to close it again without saying anything. So the King continues after an annoyed sigh. "Enough, I´ve heard enough. Leave and prepare for tomorrow. You will depart as planned."

The Princess hesitates some more and after a long struggle clenches her fists tightly in protest: "N-No!" She struggles to fight back. "Father! I will not assist a false God! She is deceiving us, she has to! Her aura has to be a fluke, or maybe she's the apostle of the land or heaven god-

"I said Enough!"

The Princess trembles. Mari—who had still leaned her ear against the door—falls back and onto her behind.

"Not. One. Single. Word. I don´t care if you´re my daughter, do not test my patience lest you want to end like your Mother. You will leave this room now. Pack what you need, it's going to be a long journey. You must show her to it, and don´t you dare come back until it´s done. Do you understand?"

"...yes father," the Princess mumbles weakly

The king scoffs. "Close the door behind you"

Mari panics. I need to hide, now! She didn't think this far ahead. In hindsight she definitely should have, but for some reason it didn't cross her mind when it was a most important matter. Of course they'd come out eventually. What would they do to her if they found her like that?

Too late, the door is already being pushed open. The Princess looks down at her "God" who silently sits on her butt in front of the room, her facial muscles frozen in terror.