The rubber tourniquet snapped snug around Dylan's upper arm as Jenkins adjusted it with practiced hands. "This will only feel like an ant bite," Jenkins said.
Dylan rested his arm on the table without a hint of concern. "Just do it, Doc. Ain't gonna hurt me."
"Right. Right."
Jenkins flicked the syringe lightly, tilted it until the tiny air bubble rose to the tip, then guided the needle toward Dylan's vein.
The point met his skin.
It stopped.
Jenkins frowned and pressed a little harder. There was resistance. "...Weird," he murmured. He glanced at Dylan's hand. "Relax your fist. Don't clench it too hard."
"I ain't clenchin' too hard."
Jenkins didn't respond. He adjusted the angle, took a steady breath, and applied slightly more pressure than he normally would've. This time, the needle slipped through. "Hm."
Dylan didn't so much as blink. His gaze drifted toward the window, thoughts wandering somewhere far beyond the room while Jenkins slowly drew back the plunger.
Dark blood flowed into the barrel.
Jenkins watched it rise, and for the briefest moment, something about it gave him pause. He couldn't quite put a finger on it. The color? The viscosity? Maybe the way it caught the light.
He held the thought for a second before filing it away in the mental drawer reserved for observations that didn't yet have explanations.
He withdrew the needle, pressed a cotton ball over the puncture, then covered it with a small bandage.
"You done?" Dylan asked.
"Yeah... yeah. For now." Jenkins capped the syringe and held it up to the light. "Once I get a proper look at your blood, I'm going to need you available whenever I require additional samples. So don't wander off."
"Bullshit." Dylan pushed himself to his feet. "We gonna go scavenge in two hours."
Jenkins let out a long, defeated sigh. "Fine... whatever. Just... be around when I need you to."
Dylan answered with a grunt as he headed for the door. "Aight."
The door creaked shut behind him.
Silence settled over the room.
Jenkins looked down at the syringe still resting in his hand, the vial of dark blood catching the afternoon light. "...Let's see what you've been hiding," he murmured.
He carried the syringe to the worktable and carefully transferred Dylan's blood into a labeled glass vial. He sealed it, set it beside the microscope, then absentmindedly scratched the back of his shoulder before settling onto the stool.
Just then, the door creaked open.
"Hey, Doc."
Jenkins looked up, adjusting his glasses. "Hey..."
Ethan stepped inside, hooking a thumb toward the door behind him. "You need anything? We're gonna go scavenging. Anything you want us to bring back?"
"Well..." Jenkins glanced toward a folded sheet of paper lying beside the microscope. "I already gave Yve a list of what I'd need. Although..." His eyes lingered on the microscope. "...I don't believe she intends to prioritize laboratory equipment." He let out a quiet sigh. "So I suppose I'm confined to this." His gaze drifted back to Ethan. "Some pillows would be nice. Preferably the hotdog variety."
Ethan laughed. "You're kidding."
"I am not." Jenkins answered without the slightest hint of humor. "I may lack proper laboratory equipment, but I would at least appreciate quality sleep. I currently possess exactly one pillow."
A beat passed.
"I would prefer more."
"Alright, alright." Ethan raised both hands. "No arguing with you. Ever since our group started taking in more people, we had to give up some of our pillows too."
"And a blanket."
Ethan blinked.
"The blanket I currently own is insufficient in length," Jenkins continued matter-of-factly. "My feet gets cold during the night."
Ethan couldn't help smiling. "Blanket and pillow. Got it. Anything else?"
"Where are you all scavenging?"
"We don't really know this area very well." Ethan shrugged. "Some of the folks said there's a town about four hours from here. Guess we'll check that out."
Jenkins nodded slowly. "Very well. Exercise extreme caution. No sirens will be accompanying you this time."
Ethan let out a tired groan. "Ugh... right. I wish Yve was coming. I always feel safer when she's out there with us."
Jenkins scratched his back again. "It would indeed be preferable. However, she has other matters requiring her attention." He adjusted a vial on the table without looking up. "That leaves you humans to undertake the remaining tasks."
Ethan frowned. "'You humans?'"
Jenkins paused.
"So... you identify as a siren now?"
Silence.
Jenkins stopped scratching his shoulder. His expression emptied as though Ethan had interrupted a thought he hadn't realized he was having. "Huh..." He stared at Ethan for a second. "Where did that come from?"
Almost unconsciously, his hand drifted back to his shoulder, scratching at the same spot again.
Ethan's brow knit together. "...You okay, Doc?"
Jenkins blinked, his attention returning to Ethan. "Yes, I am. Why?"
"It's just..." Ethan pointed toward Jenkins' shoulder. "You keep scratching the same spot. You need some ointment or something?"
Jenkins glanced down at his own hand, still rubbing absentmindedly. "Oh..." He slowly lowered it. "I didn't even realize I was scratching it."
"Come here." Ethan stepped closer. "Lemme take a look. Maybe it's allergies or somethin'. We can't have you getting sick. You're the only doctor we've got."
Without objection, Jenkins slipped off his lab coat. Ethan took it while Jenkins lifted the back of his shirt and turned around.
Ethan leaned in. The moment his eyes settled on Jenkins' upper back...
He froze.
His eyes widened and his jaw slowly fell open.
Jenkins waited a moment. "So?" he asked. "Is it red? It must simply be irritated from the excessive scratching."
"...What the fuck, dude."
Jenkins frowned and began turning around. "What? Is it that bad?"
Ethan took an involuntary step backward. "Whew..." His gaze darted across the room before landing on a small mirror hanging beside one of the shelves. "C-check it yourself." He pointed with a trembling finger.
Jenkins stared at him for a second before walking over.
The mirror wasn't large enough to show his whole body, but it was wide enough.
He turned his back toward it and craned his neck. His face drained of color.
"..."
Spread across both shoulder blades and creeping toward the base of his neck were patches of pale blue-gray scales. They weren't arranged randomly. They overlapped with startling uniformity, blending into his skin in uneven islands that looked neither entirely human nor entirely animal.
The edges were inflamed. The centers gleamed faintly under the light.
Behind him, Ethan swallowed hard. "W-why is it like that? Is... is that allergies or something?"
Despite the wave of revulsion crawling through him, Jenkins slowly reached behind his shoulder. His fingertips brushed the patch.
Rough. Slightly yielding. Layered. Scaley.
A chill shot down his spine. The tiny hairs on his arms stood upright. "I..." His voice caught. "I believe it's... a side effect." He stared at his own reflection, unable to look away. "I suddenly wish Yve were here."
"Side effect?" Ethan asked. "Because you're a siren now? Didn't she warn you this could happen?"
"She informed me that my body would gradually adjust." Jenkins swallowed. "I believed the hair loss was the final stage." His fingers remained resting against the scales. "I... don't know what to do with this."
Ethan shuddered. "That's..." He shook his head, unable to finish the sentence. "What the hell's going on with you guys? First Dylan... now you?"
Jenkins pulled his hand away, lowered his shirt. His movements were slower than usual, almost mechanical. Once dressed, he adjusted his glasses, though they hadn't slipped and let out a slow breath. "I'd like to be alone, Ethan."
Ethan hesitated. "You sure you're okay? Should I call Darnell over? I mean... you definitely need a siren to check that."
Jenkins shook his head. "No." His voice was quieter now. "I'll wait for Yve. She'll know what to do with this."
Ethan lingered by the table, clearly reluctant to leave. "Okay... I mean, I'm kinda hesitant to leave you now." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You need anything?"
Jenkins reached for his lab coat, slipping it back over his shoulders. "No." He adjusted his glasses. "I'll be fine."
"...Alright." Ethan managed a small nod. "I'll bring you back some pillows. And blankets."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Jenkins' mouth. "I'd appreciate that."
Ethan gave him one last uncertain look before turning toward the door. "Take it easy, Doc."
The door creaked shut behind him.
Jenkins lowered himself onto the stool beside the worktable, elbows resting on his knees. His eyes drifted toward nothing in particular as his thoughts circled back to the patches hidden beneath his shirt.
The scales.
He could still feel them under his fingertips.
Rough. Layered. Wrong.
A shiver crawled through his body. "Jesus... what the hell..."
He dragged a hand over his bald head, down across his face, and let it linger over his mouth for a moment.
Then he exhaled a long, weary sigh.
Nothing in his years of research had prepared him for becoming the subject of his own observations.
~~~
The last bolt clattered onto the floor.
Duncan straightened, rolled one shoulder, then looked between Yve and Ysa. "Help me lift it."
The two swam over without complaint.
Duncan positioned their hands along the reinforced frame. "Ready?" He planted his tail against the floor. "One... two... three... lift!"
All three strained at once.
Their tails swept hard through the water, generating enough force to counter the machine's immense weight. Metal groaned as the energy pulser slowly peeled away from the seabed.
"Keep it up..." Duncan grunted.
The machine wobbled.
Ysa shifted her grip.
Yve tucked herself farther underneath the frame.
Together they steadied it.
"Alright," Duncan breathed. "Easy now. Don't bump the other workstations."
They inched forward through Anvaris.
Every few meters they stopped, lowering the pulser just enough to rest its weight before tightening their grips and lifting again.
Heave. Push. Rest. Heave again.
By the time they reached the massive door, all three were breathing heavily.
Duncan swam to the control panel and pressed his palm against the biometric scanner.
A soft chime echoed through the chamber. The enormous door rumbled before slowly sinking into the ground.
"There we go."
They lifted the pulser once more, muscles burning from the effort, and carefully maneuvered it through the opening.
The final stretch felt twice as long. At last they reached Reefville's outer gate.
"Set it down..."
With one final groan, the three lowered the machine beside the entrance.
The weight left their arms all at once.
Yve leaned against the metal housing, breathing hard.
Ysa rested both hands on her hips.
Duncan stretched his shoulders until they popped. "Now that's the stretch I needed." He pushed himself upright and nodded back toward Anvaris. "C'mon." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Let's get Darnell's pulser."
Yve let out a long groan. "Ugh... do we really need to bring both?"
"Yes."
Ysa rolled her eyes before grabbing Yve by the wrist and tugging her upright. "You heard him."
The three swam back into Anvaris.
Once again, Duncan crouched beside the second energy pulser and loosened the large mounting bolts one by one. When the last screw came free, they repeated the process.
"One... two... three."
They lifted.
The second pulser rose with the same stubborn resistance.
Halfway through the trip, Yve suddenly winced. "Ah—!" Her tail cramped violently. Her grip slipped.
The machine lurched.
"Whoa!"
Duncan and Ysa immediately shifted their weight, tails whipping through the water to keep the pulser from tipping over.
"Hold it!" Duncan barked.
"I got it!" Ysa strained.
Yve clutched her tail, teeth gritted. "Cramps..."
Ysa released one hand from the machine and placed it gently against Yve's tail. A faint ripple of energy spread beneath her palm.
The tight muscles slowly relaxed.
Yve flexed her tail once. Then again. "...Better...thanks."
"Good." Ysa smiled. "Back to work."
Yve nodded, reclaimed her grip, and together the three resumed their slow march.
Heave. Push. Rest. Heave again.
After several more exhausting stops, they finally reached the gates of Reefville.
"Down..."
The second energy pulser settled onto the seabed beside the first with a heavy metallic thud.
For a long moment, none of them spoke.
They simply leaned against the machines, catching their breath after hauling two massive generators across the wrecked village.
After resting for a while beside the two energy pulsers until the ache in their arms began to fade.
Duncan finally pushed himself away from the machine and stretched once more. "Well, I'm gonna grab my personal stuff." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Couple of the others asked me to pick up theirs too." He looked at the sisters. "You two help me get the rest."
Yve nodded. "What do they need?"
Duncan frowned in thought, his gaze drifting upward as he searched his memory. "Let's see..."
He began reciting the requests one after another, occasionally pausing to remember another item before continuing.
Ysa listened carefully, mentally sorting the errands while Yve repeated a few of the requests to make sure she remembered them all.
After going over the list a second time, they divided the work between themselves.
"Alright," Duncan said. "Let's meet back here when we're done."
The three nodded before heading off in different directions.
Duncan swam toward his own home to collect his belongings and the items entrusted to him, while Yve and Ysa returned to their home in silence.
Neither sister spoke as they gathered what little they intended to keep. A change of clothes. A few personal keepsakes. Small belongings accumulated over centuries that somehow fit into only a handful of waterproof satchels.
Once everything was packed, they slipped back into the open water and made their way toward Reefville's gates.
Duncan was already there.
He lowered a large rectangular container onto the seabed with a muted thud before stretching his back with a groan. To human eyes, it would've looked like nothing more than a sealed cargo crate.
Yve swam over and set her own belongings beside the two Energy Pulsers. She looked at the container. "You're bringing that?"
"Yep." Duncan rolled one shoulder. "That's just mine alone."
Ysa glanced around. "Let's go. We're losing daylight."
"Right... right." Yve nodded before turning back to Duncan. "I'll gather Raine, Lysander, Adeline, Callista, Kair, and Saige's stuff."
Duncan gave a single nod. "I'll take Darnell's, Lorelei's, August's, Declan's, Emery's, and Siena's."
Ysa crossed her arms. "I guess that leaves me with Corina's, Fabia's, Alastair's, Dahlia's, and Warren's things."
Silence followed.
Yve and Duncan looked at one another, both mentally running through the names.
After several seconds, they nodded almost simultaneously.
"Sounds about right."
"Meet back here again."
Ysa gave a small nod.
Without another word, the three sirens split up once more, disappearing into different parts of Reefville as they began gathering the items their comrades requested.
They made trip after trip through the ruins of Reefville.
Storage compartments. Sealed crates. Tool chests. Personal keepsakes.
Each load was dragged back to the gates and stacked beside the two Energy Pulsers. The pile grew steadily until it resembled a small hill of carefully packed belongings.
Only when there was nothing left to retrieve did the pace finally slow.
Ysa leaned against one of the Energy Pulsers, absentmindedly tapping across the surface of her tablet while catching her breath.
Nearby, Duncan set down the last heavy crate with a muted thud. He looked over the growing mountain of cargo and let out a low whistle. "...That is a lot of stuff." His eyes swept around the area. "Where's Yve?"
"At the morgue," Ysa answered without looking up. "Getting her lab toys."
Duncan blinked. "...Dear heavens..." He stared at the pile again. "There's more?"
"Yep." She simply shrugged.
"Well..." He glanced to the pile while his mind searched for the memory of the ARC. "It's big enough." He began counting on his fingers. "Just hope we still got room for the two tidecrafts... and the four Pegacampi."
Ysa looked up. "Oh." A beat. "Right... hang on. I'll go get them." She pushed herself away from the Energy Pulser and swam deeper into Reefville.
Duncan watched her disappear before turning back toward the mountain of supplies.
Moments later, movement caught his eye.
Yve emerged from one of the nearby streets, pushing a heavy cart through the water. Mounted atop it was a tall metal cabinet secured by a complex locking mechanism.
Even from a distance, Duncan could tell it wasn't light. He immediately swam over. "Let me help you."
Yve didn't argue. "...Thanks."
Together they pushed the cabinet the rest of the way to the gate before carefully settling it beside the other supplies.
Yve stood in front of it and grasped the circular locking mechanism.
Click. Click-click.
Several internal latches disengaged.
The cabinet slowly swung open.
Inside were neatly organized instruments, diagnostic equipment, and rows of carefully secured surgical tools.
Duncan stared. "You're bringing... all that?"
"Yep." Yve reached inside and removed a sleek silver Arc Blade from its mount, inspecting the edge. "Whatever it takes to figure out whatever the hell is going on with Dylan." She tested the balance of the blade in her hand. "If I have to cut him open..." A small shrug. "...I will."
A chill ran straight down Duncan's spine. He let out a nervous chuckle. "You're kidding..."
Yve slowly turned toward him. Then smiled. Not reassuringly. Just... smiled.
Duncan's own smile faded. He sighed. "...Women really do be crazy."
Yve rolled her eyes. "Is that a smart thing to say..." She lazily twirled the Arc Blade between her fingers. "...in front of a woman who may or may not be going through her cycle in a few days..." The blade came to a stop in her grip. "...while holding an Arc Blade?"
Duncan instinctively drifted backward. "...No."
"That's what I thought." Yve smirked before sliding the Arc Blade back into its slot inside the cabinet with a satisfying click.
Yve closed and locked the cabinet before giving it one final tug to make sure the mechanism had engaged.
Satisfied, she placed both hands on her hips and looked toward the distant silhouette of houses. "I'll bring the ARC out." Without waiting for a response, she flicked her tail and swam away.
Duncan blinked. "You know how to?"
Yve didn't even stop. She merely turned her head enough to glance back over one shoulder. "What a stupid question."
A smug little smirk spread across her face before she faced forward again and continued swimming toward the Grand Hall.
Duncan watched her disappear into the ruined streets. After a moment, he let out a quiet huff through his nose. "...Fair enough."
If anyone knew how to pilot the Virellis ARC, it was one of its owners.
~~~
Yve stopped beside an unassuming section of the underground facility's wall.
To anyone unfamiliar with siren engineering, it appeared to be nothing more than polished stone.
She pressed her palm against it.
A soft pulse answered.
Blue light spread beneath the surface before blooming outward into a large holographic display.
The entire layout of Reefville materialized before her.
She ignored the village itself. Her fingers swept across the projection, shrinking the settlement before peeling away the terrain layer altogether.
The image shifted.
Now it displayed the immense underground facility hidden beneath Reefville.
She continued navigating through the hologram, rotating sections, peeling away structural layers until she reached the outer perimeter.
Just beyond the facility...
She tapped the section representing the seabed directly outside Reefville.
The display magnified.
New layers spread across the hologram, each revealing another network hidden beneath the last. Strange symbols, flowing diagrams, and countless interconnected mechanisms surrounded the model.
Yve stared at them. "...Hmm..." She frowned slightly. "I hope this works." She closed her eyes for a brief moment, digging through memories nearly a century old.
Then...
Her fingers began moving. She selected one system. Disabled another. Rerouted a third. Several confirmation prompts appeared across the hologram.
She acknowledged each one before entering the final command.
ENTER.
The display pulsed. A brilliant blue command surged away through the wall.
Like veins awakening beneath stone. Like roots spreading beneath the earth.
Ancient siren technology lit up throughout the facility, branching farther and farther upward from the command node.
A calm synthetic voice echoed from unseen speakers. "Hydrostatic Containment Field initializing."
Yve folded her arms. "Uh huh..."
Deep beneath the seabed.
Massive machinery awakened. A distant vibration rolled through the seabed.
The lights throughout the underground facility flickered once...
Twice...
Then stabilized.
The synthetic voice returned. "Hydrostatic Containment Field stabilized."
Another pause.
"Surface seal disengaging."
Yve gave a satisfied nod. "Good." She turned and headed deeper into the facility.
Far overhead, colossal locking mechanisms groaned to life.
The ceiling itself began separating.
Meanwhile, outside Reefville's gates—
A deep metallic rumble rolled through the water.
Ysa and Duncan immediately looked toward the source.
"...There," Duncan said.
Beyond the gates, the seabed trembled.
Ancient seams, invisible only moments earlier, slowly outlined themselves across the ocean floor.
Then...
The ground split apart.
The enormous hatch separated into massive interlocking sections, each retreating beneath the surrounding seabed.
Yet...
The ocean never rushed inside.
The water simply... stopped. Held in place by an invisible barrier stretching across the opening like a perfectly transparent wall.
Ysa watched the impossible sight without surprise. "Seems like she got it open."
Duncan nodded. "Well..." He glanced back toward the mountain of supplies waiting beside the gates. "We've still got a lot of moving stuff to do."
Neither of them approached.
Instead, they remained a safe distance from the suspended barrier, patiently waiting.
About five minutes later...
A deep, resonant hum rolled upward from the opening beneath the sea.
Duncan and Ysa instinctively turned toward it.
Something enormous was coming.
The water remained perfectly still as the Virellis ARC slowly ascended through the suspended barrier, its obsidian hull emerging from the underground facility with impossible smoothness.
Its hull stretched wider than Reefville's entrance, forcing Duncan to tilt his head just to follow its ascent. It rose like some ancient leviathan awakening from the depths.
Broad. Silent. Immense.
There were no propellers. No visible thrusters. No cavitation. It simply... glided.
The thin luminous lines woven through its black hull shimmered faintly beneath the water, tracing elegant patterns across its surface.
At the bow stretched a single horizontal crimson band.
For a brief moment, it resembled nothing more than the unblinking eye of a colossal sea predator.
Then the center of the crimson band shimmered.
The material became transparent, revealing the command deck beyond.
Yve stood inside. The moment she spotted them, her face lit up. She raised both hands and waved enthusiastically like an excited child.
Duncan couldn't help smiling. "...She really figured it out."
Yve pressed a glowing control beside her.
A heartbeat later—
"I GOT IT WORKING!"
Her voice exploded from the ARC's external speakers.
The blast echoed across Reefville.
Ysa and Duncan both flinched, immediately clapping their hands over their ears.
"...Ow!"
"...Grace above..."
Inside the command deck, Yve blinked. "Oh." She glanced at another panel and quickly dragged one of the controls downward.
The speakers came alive again.
"...Sorry." This time her voice was perfectly normal. She cleared her throat. "I'll turn her around so we can start loading."
With practiced confidence, she rested both hands upon the ARC's controls.
The enormous vessel responded almost instantly.
Without the slightest jerk, the craft pivoted gracefully through the water until its stern faced Reefville's gates.
Then it began descending. Slowly. Precisely.
The sheer size of the vessel became even more apparent as it settled into position.
Massive. Broad. Flat.
It didn't move like any ship humanity had ever built.
It drifted through the ocean with an almost unnatural elegance, as though the surrounding water willingly parted to let it pass.
When the vessel finally came to rest, the stern opened once more.
The spiral doorway unfurled. The boarding ramp extended smoothly toward the seabed.
At nearly the same moment, the massive opening beneath the ARC began sealing itself.
Far below, the colossal sections of the hidden hatch slid back into place, interlocking until the seabed looked untouched once again.
The invisible barrier dissolved.
Only then did Yve step out of the ARC.
The instant she passed from the dry interior into the open ocean, her legs shimmered.
Skin gave way to emerald scales. In the space of a heartbeat, they merged into the powerful tail of a siren.
With a gentle flick, she swam toward Duncan and Ysa.
"So..." she asked with a satisfied grin. "What do you think?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note;
I'll be updating this G-Drive so better save it...I'll tell y'all when I update it anyways.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gEs1gg-ZGifYLoL0ILiJ6TihYswaHEsA?usp=drive_link