Kui slowly ate the fish, savoring every bite and relishing the sweet aftertaste it left behind in his mouth. The freshness of it was surprisingly pleasant, and for a moment, he was completely focused on the food in his hands.
Suddenly, cold water splashed directly onto his face.
Kui blinked several times, droplets of water sliding down his cheeks before he slowly looked up.
The mer was happily smiling at him.
His handsome, chiseled face was framed by wet, slightly curly hair that clung to his forehead and cheeks. Water droplets glistened against his skin, and beneath the sunlight, his blue-green scales shimmered faintly in the water.
He looked almost ethereal.
But instead of admiring the sight, Kui froze.
That face.
Something about it made his heart skip.
He stared at the mer for a long moment before slowly moving closer, almost as if he couldn't help himself. He leaned forward until his face was right in front of his.
The mer only smiled at him innocently.
"Kui, you want another fish?"
Kui slowly shook his head. His mind, however, was racing with completely different thoughts.
This man in front of him looked awfully familiar. He… he looked like the man who had plagued his dreams all his life.
The same man from those strange dreams that Kui had never been able to understand.
His eyes moved over the mer's face again.
The greenish-blue scales.
The stunning blue eyes.
The wet hair sticking to his face.
Everything.
It all looked the same.
It was like looking at the painting he had drawn himself.
The sudden realization hit him so hard that Kui stumbled back slightly, his breathing becoming shallow as he stared at the mer in disbelief.
This is the same guy's life that I drew in my exhibition!
His heart began pounding.
He is my muse merman!
Oh my god.
Kui pressed his lips together, his thoughts becoming more chaotic by the second.
Is this somehow connected? Is he the reason why I fell into the painting? Maybe he is the clue for me to get out of here…
His mind immediately went back to his series of paintings.
The blue mer series.
It had been a complete set of nine paintings.
The entire series revolved around the lifetime of a young Mer prince, depicting his life and growth from childhood all the way until his coronation.
Kui had spent countless hours working on those paintings.
He knew every detail of the prince's life.
But wait…
His expression slowly changed.
The merman prince I drew grew up in a happy home and eventually took the throne.
He had never been wounded.
He had never been sent into his juvenile state.
None of those things had happened in the story he had painted.
So what happened?
Kui's brows furrowed deeply.
Did the paintings change somehow?
His heart tightened.
Why…?
"Kui?"
The worried voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
Before he could react, the mer had moved closer and gently cupped his face between his hands.
"Is everything okay?"
Kui felt those slightly rough hands caressing his cheeks. The familiar warmth made him close his eyes slightly. For some reason, that simple touch felt strangely familiar too.
He swallowed hard before opening his eyes again.
There were too many questions in his mind now.
Too many things that didn't make sense.
"Y-you...you said you were a prince…" Kui stared directly into those stunning blue eyes. "Can you tell me what happened?"
His fingers curled slightly at his sides. "Why were you wounded?"
Aok paused.
For a moment, he simply looked at Kui, his expression becoming strangely quiet. Then he pulled his hands out of the water and moved toward the edge of the stream, sitting down on the smooth rocks.
As he settled there, something strange happened.
His long, beautiful tail began to shimmer.
The greenish-blue scales glowed faintly beneath the sunlight before his tail slowly split and transformed into a pair of long, powerful legs.
Right in front of Kui's eyes.
And, of course, this time there were no pants to obstruct the view.
His eyes widened slightly as his gaze accidentally landed between Aok's legs.
Kui immediately whipped his head away.
Nope.
Absolutely not.
He stared very intently at the waterfall instead, pretending that it was suddenly the most fascinating thing in the entire world.
Behind him, Aok seemed completely unaware of his embarrassment continued. "It was a coup."
His voice had lost its playful tone from earlier.
"My own uncle did it."
Kui slowly glanced back at him.
Aok's expression had become distant, as though he were looking at something far beyond the waterfall in front of them.
"There are a few days in a mer's life when we are at our weakest. We call them the waning days. They usually happen once every ten years of our lifetime."
He lowered his gaze, his fingers curling slightly against the rock.
"That day… it was my father's waning day."
His voice became quieter.
"My uncle, Dai Zu, had meticulously planned everything. He waited until my father was at his weakest and struck when he least expected it."
Aok's jaw tightened.
"He killed my father and took the throne."
The words were simple, but the pain behind them wasn't.
"My brothers and sisters were captured as well, but I managed to escape."
"Your brothers and sisters…" Kui hesitated. "They…"
Aok was silent for a moment.
"They are most likely dead."
His eyes carried a faraway look as he lifted his face toward the bright sun. He squinted slightly against the light, his features illuminated by the warm rays.
"I'm the last one."
His fingers slowly tightened.
"The only one left who can avenge my family."
Kui's chest tightened.
"But I still haven't gained my full powers," Aok continued. "If I return to my kingdom now, everything my family sacrificed will be for nothing."
He finally turned his head and looked at Kui. A sad smile appeared on his handsome face. "I would only be throwing my life away."
"But the gods are gracious," Aok suddenly said.
Kui peered up at him.
"When I was at the lowest point in my life, they gave me you."
Aok reached out and gently took Kui's hand. He lowered his head and softly nuzzled against Kui's knuckles, his eyes closing for a brief moment.
"They gave me my mate."
Kui froze completely.
But his pounding heart betrayed him.