Beyond the dark confines of the Maw, Karna lingered near a towering bubble Highway, her reflection rippled faintly along its translucent, undulating surface. Trails of interwoven bubbles coursed upward in rhythmic patterns, their soft light glowing serenely against the ever flowing current.
Her breath quickened, "It's getting late, we...better head back," she told herself, trying to set down the crushing guilt weighing on her shoulders, but even so, the knot in her chest tightened with every breath, 'If I get us involved,' she thought, her nails biting into hertrembling palm, 'there'll be hell to pay...' Around her, the distant hum of bubbles drifting endlessly upward seemed to mock her hesitation, their effortless rise emphasizing the weight keeping her bound in place.
"Kar-na, are you ok?" The boy's voice carried a fragile unease, calling out to Karna through the haze of her thoughts. A nervous pulse raced beneath his skin, his hand reaching for her's.
Karna flinched instinctively, pulling back just enough to avoid his touch. She grunted in annoyance, grabbing at her hair before bursting out, "Gaaah! Fine you win, happy?!"
Pftt…
Mwa ha ha ha!
The boy couldn't help himself, he laughed, pointing at karna, flashing a sharp, pearly-toothed grin, his eyes shut tight in mock delight. "You're such a weirdo, Karna!!"
Suddenly, with a sharp smack to his head, Karna snapped, "What the hell happened to your manners you rude brat!."
The boy clutched his head, eyes wide with surprise. "GYAH! THAT HURT, KAR— MISS KARNA!"
"No, not tha-!… nevermind," Karna sighed, a note of resignation threading through her breath as the tension in her shoulders eased. A subtle smile settled on her face. "Let's get this over with, one last stop and we're through."
She grabbed his wrist firmly and pulled him within the bubble current, as they dove within, The boy's voice boomed out over the roaring current, "So, miss Karna… Where are we going this time?"
"Huh?… Oh right, I guess you wouldn't know, listen close, we're going to ride this current and head straight for-" Karna's voice trailed off, fading into silence as the scene shifted away.
Beneath the protective bubble barrier encasing Fishman Island, market stalls spilled over with colorful wares, their awnings casting dappled light across the broad stone terrain. The air shimmered with the mingled scents of sea salt, fresh seafood, and warm baked goods, drifting through winding paths where fishmen and merfolk moved in steady rhythm. Voices rose in a lively chorus of trade and chatter, laughter and calls echoing off towering stone structures carved into the island's natural walls.
Behold, ᘜᎽ⊕ᙁᙅᏫɌᗫꗛ ᖘԸᕔⱿᕔ the beating heart of the Ryūgū Kingdom, a vast living crossroads where the pulse of Fishman island beats the strongest.
Like veins and arteries coursing with life, dozens of bubble highways carried an endless flow of the Island's traffic. Mighty currents surged within them yet their surfaces ripple with serene patterns that calm the eye.
From amongst the tallest of them, a shimmering column that arched high above the plaza, two hooded figures were suddenly spat out into the open air high above the Plaza.
The boy's eyes sparkled like a pair of gold stars. "Whoa! This is so cool!" he shouted, "I've never been up here before!"
Karna's gaze narrowed, her tone carried a heavy determination, "It's a shortcut...," she said, focused on the ground below as she searched for someone.
He blinked, surprised, and his grin stretched even wider. "Hah~? a shortcut, you're so weird, miss Karna!!" he said, laughing at her expense.
Karna's eyes flickered like a burning flame, a bulging vein throbbing across her brow. She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to swallow the bubbling rage that simmered beneath her skin. Time was slipping away and she couldn't afford to entertain his stupidity, not at a time like this.
The boy threw his arms out as if he could hug all of Gyoncorde Plaza. Everything below looked tiny, like pieces on a game board. He stared down at the dizzying drop, wondering if the world was rising to meet them or if they were floating down toward it.
"Shishishi, I feel like a real hero flying across the sky!!" he shouted, leaning forward as if daring the sky itself to race him.
A gust of wind rushed past, weaving through his hair like rivers of silk. A mischievous cackle burst out from his lips, his eyes full of awe as the plaza's mosaic of stone and coral spun beneath him like a kaleidoscopic underwater paradise. The wind sang in his ears, a wild, thrilling chorus that spiked his every cell.
Karna's gaze flicked to him briefly, an edge of irritation coloring her otherwise measured expression. "Stop messing around," she said, her voice cutting through the rushing deep sea winds.
Unfazed, the boy straightened his body while his arms spread out in a mock-flight stance, shouting over the whistling breeze, "I-I can't stop!, I'm having too much fun!!" His Emerald eyes darted from one view to another, taking in the ethereal beauty of the underwater plaza far below him, growing closer with every second. "It's like we're in a dream!"
Her patience strained against the raw excitement in his voice; she thrust her tail, propelling herself towards him, His tendency to get lost in playfulness grated on her nerves, with an annoyed huff, she reached out and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him to her side, much to his displeasure.
"Hold still," she snapped, adjusting her grip firmly. Her tone brokered no argument as her tail moved purposefully behind her, rebalancing herself. "We're not here to sightsee, this is a business trip, got it?".
"Tch, what a party pooper" He tilted his head towards her, his grin still in full force. "Y'know, life's supposed to be a never ending celebration, Captain Vander taught me that, pretty cool huh?"
She scoffed at his childish quip as she maneuvered her tail to steady herself. Reaching into her side bag, she pulled out a bubbly coral, its textured pink surface held snugly in her grasp.
"That sounds nice, but that kind of life," she said, her tone firm but lacking the sharpness it held before, a faint hint of wryness crept into her voice as her gaze flicked toward him briefly.
Her fingers coiled tightly around her bubbly coral, with a slight tilt of her head, she pressed her thumb against its textured surface while pointing its narrow end downward. "…doesn't suit someone like me." A soft puff sounded as a massive bubble swelled out of the bubbly coral below her.
The boy blinked as the bubble formed beneath them, expanding to be over ten times their size in shimmering, slow motion. Gravity carried them downward at a steady pace, yet the bubble seemed to lag behind, rising gently towards them. Its surface stretched and curved beneath their weight until they sank through with a soft, elastic resistance.
They settled into the bubble with a muffled thump, its surface quivering like a giant jelly. The boy hit the curving interior and sprang back, his laughter bursting out as the soft, springy surface hurled him upward. He flailed mid-air before sinking back into another wobbly, chaotic rebound that only made him laugh harder.
"Whoa! we're floating!" he shouted, his voice cracking with excitement as the bubble wobbled beneath him. His arms flailed as the soft surface launched him into the air again, leaving him tumbling breathlessly. "We're really floating!!"
Karna entered smoothly behind him, slipping past the stretched surface without a hitch. Her tail folded beneath her as she alighted gracefully in the center, barely shifting the bubble's rhythm. She folded her arms, sparing a glance at the boy as he gleefully bounded along the gentle arcs of the interior.
"It's so squishy!" he continued, running his hands along the bubble's surface mid-bounce. His eyes flashed with curiosity as he yelled, "how'd you do it, where'd you get all this resin?!"
Karna tilted her head, brushing at her half dry hair. She glanced at the boy, her gaze distant, almost unreadable. "It's not something you need to know," she said quietly, her voice steady but laced with an air of mystery, closing the topic before it could begin.
The boy froze mid-bounce, staring at her with a pout. "What? Oh, come on, Miss Karna! That's such a lame answer!" He flopped dramatically onto the bubble's surface, his limbs sprawling out for effect as it cushioned his fall. "Not cool…"
Despite his exaggerated disappointment, he couldn't hold back a grin for long. Springing upright, he launched into another bounce, the undulating surface tossed him skyward as though it shared in his excitement. "Mwa ha ha! Fine, keep your secrets!" he quipped, twisting mid-air in a chaotic tumble.
The bubble descended slowly, rippling as it swayed with the wind past the rocky structures of Gyoncorde Plaza, their intricate carvings blurred by the glossy bubble membrane. They drifted with a sure inevitability, the air tingling with anticipation.
Karna sat gracefully within, her tail curling beneath her, balanced effortlessly despite the bubble's gentle wobble. She raised the coral, aiming it at her waist, and with a soft puff, a bubble ring began to form, snugly wrapping around her waist. The ring lifted her slightly, allowing her to hover weightlessly within the bubble.
The boy froze a second time, his jaw dropped into an expression of utter shock as he stared at her. "Miss Karna, you can fly?!" he said, his voice caught somewhere between an exclamation and a question. He barely registered the wobble beneath him until it propelled him headfirst into the bubble wall.
His head squished before it popped through the surface with a soft plop, halting him abruptly. "Ack!" he yelped, before he sighed in relief. "That was close, I almost fell out... I'm not done bouncing yet." he added, twisting and tugging as he scrambled to pull himself back inside.
Before he could finish, Karna swept her tail in a wide, fluid arc. Resin clung to her tail like viscous ink drawn across the bristles of a brush, With a sharp flick, she shook it free, dispersing the shimmering resin into a fine mist. The large bubble popped soundlessly around them,
Gravity took over as the boy dropped suddenly "Ahhhhh!!". He fell about a meter before he was luckily cushioned by the stone-cold floor. He groaned, rubbing his lower back as he looked up with the faintest pout. "Mnh~ what gives? I was using that."
Karna hovered gently to his side, her lips curled into a smirk that sent a subtle chill through the air. Her eyes locked onto his with an almost predatory glint. "The next time you poke fun at me, you're dead, got it?" she said softly, the innocent lilt in her voice laced with an undercurrent of menace that made the threat feel just a little too real.
'Dead?' The boy said, his face darkened slightly, his eyes hardening as a shadow seemed to cross his expression. For a moment, he held still, then he blinked, rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully, and, with a hint of embarrassment breaking through his expression, he asked a reduculous question "Dead... what's that supposed to mean?"
Karna paused, shock framed her expression as she staggered in thought. '...I don't have time to explain this—and I definitely don't have the patience,' she thought with an inward sigh. Without another word, she turned sharply, propelling herself forward with a wave of her monocrome tail.
The boy quickly scrambled to his feet and trailed after her, brushing off his clothes. "Hey, wait for me! You're always wandering off on your own," he said as he rushed past the bustling plaza to catch up to her.
Karna sighed, casting him a sidelong glance, 'Hes hopeless' she thought, shaking her head. She let her gaze drift briefly to the lively market, her focus sharpening. "Stay close," she said firmly, her tone edged with disbelief. Then, as if doubting his ability to do even that much, she added dryly, "Think you can manage that?"
The boy threw a lazy salute. "Yes ma'am!" he chirped as he broke into an effortless trot to catch up.
Not as far as you'd expect, her Majesty, the mermaid Queen Otohime stood before her people, a radiant beacon that shone brighter than any eye could bare. Her every gesture caried a calm yet resolute grace. To her side, an old ballot box that had seen many moons, bowed under the weight of paper and ink— under the weight of hope.
End of chapter.
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