Aok swam around for a while, his green-blue tail gliding effortlessly through the clear water. Every now and then, he would dive beneath the surface before emerging again a little farther away. Kui simply watched him from the shore, still lost in his own thoughts, until Aok finally swam back toward him.
"Kui, come closer."
He leaned against the edge of the water, resting his arms on the shore as he beckoned Kui over with a small smile.
Suspiciously, Kui moved closer, though he kept a safe distance between them.
"What?"
Before he could say anything else, the mer suddenly reached out and grabbed his foot.
"What are you doing, you—let go!"
Kui instinctively tried to pull away and was about to kick him, but Aok didn't seem to have any intention of teasing him. Instead, he gently cupped Kui's foot in both hands and began washing it with the cool water.
Kui's face immediately flushed.
"I-I can do that myself."
He tried to pull his foot away, feeling increasingly awkward with Aok holding it so carefully.
"But you are hurt…"
Aok's voice was soft.
Kui paused and looked down.
Only then did he notice the small cuts covering his feet. He had been walking through the forest for so long that he hadn't even paid attention to them. One of his shoes had also torn badly, leaving a gap at the bottom and exposing part of his foot.
But something else caught his attention.
The cuts seemed to be disappearing.
Kui blinked.
He leaned closer, staring at his skin in disbelief. The wounds that had been clearly visible moments ago were slowly becoming less noticeable as the water flowed over them.
"What's happening?"
"The water heals."
Aok whispered as he reached out and gently cupped Kui's foot again. His hands were slightly rough, but his touch was surprisingly gentle as his fingers moved carefully over the small wounds.
"We were originally freshwater mers, so the origin water heals us."
He looked up at Kui, his stunning blue eyes catching the light.
Kui stared at him.
"You're saying this water can heal us?" he asked, still looking at the wounds. "Like… it's magic water?"
Aok shook his head.
"No. It's normal water."
He slowly swirled his tail through the stream, creating small ripples around him.
"But this is where our ancestors came from. There are a lot of beneficial plants growing around here, and their properties seep into the water. That's why it can heal us."
Kui looked down into the stream.
The water was so blue and clear that he could see the sunlight dancing across its surface, but strangely, he couldn't see the bottom from where he was sitting.
"Then where are they? I can't see any."
"You have to get in to see them."
Before Kui could respond, Aok reached out and grabbed his hand.
His fingers closed gently around Kui's.
"Join me, Kui…"
Kui hesitated for a moment, staring at Aok's outstretched hand. There was something strangely inviting about the clear water around them, especially now that he knew it could heal his wounds.
Finally, he sighed.
Well, what the heck.
He might as well enjoy the world he had created.
After all, this was the very world that had been haunting his dreams for such a long time. He had spent years painting these images, imagining what they would look like if they were ever real. Now that he was actually here, perhaps he should stop worrying for a moment and simply enjoy it.
Kui slowly lowered himself into the water.
The coolness immediately surrounded him, making him shiver slightly. He took another breath and allowed himself to sink a little deeper.
Aok, who had been waiting for him, suddenly reached out and gently grabbed him by the hip, pulling him closer.
"Whoa, don't get all touchy, boy."
Kui quickly removed Aok's hands from his waist and floated on his own.
"I can swim by myself."
Aok looked slightly hurt by the rejection, his expression falling for a brief moment.
But just as quickly, he seemed to bounce back.
Instead of complaining, he simply reached out and gently took Kui's hand.
"Come on."
He pulled him deeper into the water.
Kui followed.
The deeper they swam, the more beautiful the world around him became.
When he looked upward, he could see sunlight streaming down through the surface in long, golden lines. The rays became softer and more scattered as they descended, creating a dreamy glow that made the entire underwater world look almost unreal.
It was breathtaking.
And the deeper they went, the more beautiful it became.
So many different species of fish swam through the water. Some moved in large groups while others darted between the rocks, their colorful bodies flashing whenever they passed through the beams of sunlight.
Kui could hardly believe what he was seeing.
He had painted this.
Or at least, he had thought he had. Yet none of his paintings had ever been able to capture something this alive.
Near the rocks, he suddenly noticed several red plants growing between the cracks.
They were beautiful. Their long, delicate tendrils swayed gently with the movement of the water, and their crimson bodies seemed to glow from within.
Actually glow.
Kui's eyes widened.
They're really shining…
Stunned, he swam closer, staring at the strange plants with fascination.
"This is called the Red Lip."
Aok's voice suddenly sounded inside his head.
Kui froze.
He slowly turned toward him.
"It can heal any wound on a mer. It is said that a thousand-year-old Red Lip can even bring back the dead."
For a second, Kui was too stunned to react.
He hadn't heard a voice inside his head for a very long time.
The sudden intrusion startled him more than the words themselves.
How do you know its age? Kui asked through his thoughts, still staring at the glowing plant.
"They shine brighter." Aok reached out and gently touched the tendrils of the Red Lip. The delicate red strands trembled beneath his fingers, glowing softly against the deep blue of the water.
Kui looked at him curiously.
Have you ever seen one?
Aok's hand slowly fell away from the plant.
His stunning blue eyes looked almost unreal in the depths of the ocean, reflecting the shimmering light around them.
"No."
His voice was quiet inside Kui's mind.
"If I had one…"
Aok's eyes lowered.
"I would have saved my father."