Page 39 of Fated

I looked at him, focusing on his eyes, until slowly, my panicked state began to settle.

Despite everything, I trusted he’d keep me safe.

Was I crazy for trusting the man who had turned my life upside down?

“We’re both in this together now, Areya,” he added.

I nodded, taking another tentative step forward.

Together.That one word meant everything to me, meaning I was no longer alone.

As we continued to wade deeper, I had to make a conscious effort to breathe through my mouth to avoid gagging at the stench of the water. The smell was a vile mix of rotten eggs and sewage and the thought of completely submerging myself in it was beyond horrifying.

We walked until the water reached our waists, stopping just before a steep drop off where the lake floor disappeared. Ash pulled me back just before I stepped over that ledge.

“The water gets deep here. Are you ready?” he asked.

No, I wasn’t ready. I wasabsolutelynot ready to plunge into the dark abyss, doubtful I would be able to see anything in the murky water, and the idea of blindly diving into whatever horrors awaited below utterly terrified me.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” I lied.

Ash gave me one more look before pulling his mask over his eyes and inserting the mouthpiece. I mimicked him, my hands shaking as I adjusted the gear. With a final deep breath, Isqueezed my eyes shut and together, we dropped beneath the surface.

The first thing that struck me was the temperature of the water. Despite the chill upon walking in, once fully submerged, it felt like being bathed in a gentle warmth.

The moment I opened my eyes, I knew this was no ordinary lake.

What met my gaze was nothing short of breathtaking, the water so crystal clear that it felt like looking through a glass window. By now, the sun had risen fully, casting beams of light that pierced the water, scattering in brilliant rays. A school of fish swam into view, their scales glittering with every imaginable color. They shimmered like jewels, creating tiny ripples of rainbow light as they moved past. I watched in wonder as they swam closer, their bright eyes observing me with a curiosity that felt almost human.

Then, in a flash of color, they darted away.

Ash squeezed my hand, pulling my attention to something below.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw her, the figure who had watched us from the surface, but she was no ordinary woman.

Her black hair drifted above her head like a veil, and her skin was a smooth porcelain white, glowing faintly in the water.

She smiled at us, a gentle expression softening her already delicate features.

She wore a turquoise bikini top that glistened as she moved, then I noticed the fine gills set right above her ribs. Slowly, they opened and closed, allowing her to breathe in the water.

Just below her navel, her skin transitioned into something even more mesmerizing—a tail of radiant, metallic scales shimmering and shifting in the light with every movement.

On her waist, she wore a thick black belt with two straps attached, the ends fastened with metal latches. She swam toward us.

When she reached us, she offered one strap to me and the other to Ash. I watched as Ash attached the strap to a ring on his vest. I took the other, attaching it to my own.

Once we were secured, she turned, her powerful tail propelling her forward with ease, pulling us along with her through the water. And then, we were gliding. The sensation was exhilarating, like flying in a dream and I felt myself smiling, all fear and anxiety melting away.

I couldn’t move my eyes fast enough to take in all the extraordinary life around me.

To my right were two enormous jellyfish, their translucent bodies glowing with a soft luminescence. Each one was larger than my entire body, pulsing like living lanterns drifting through the deep.

Squeezing Ash’s hand, I pointed at them, and when he looked, his eyes widened.

We were drawn deeper into the lake, where the light began to fade, casting everything in a soft dreamlike darkness. Ash squeezed my hand this time, pointing to a school of glowing neon seahorses, their tiny bodies flickering like fireflies in the water. Just beyond them, an electric eel swam by, its undulating body crackling with tiny bursts of lightning.

We passed a turtle nearly the size of a school bus and a catfish so massive, it could have swallowed a small boat whole.

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