The mermaid opened its maw, and rows of bloody canines were revealed.
"Run!" Atlas yelled, raising his weapon.
Haki immediately grabbed their sister and dashed toward the next room. Atlas steeled himself, ready to face the monster.
The mermaid disappeared, filling Atlas with confusion. Suddenly, it was before him, its face merely inches away. Its marble-like eyes stared into his green ones, and its horrid breath hit against his face.
Atlas dared not breathe or move.
The mermaid slowly lifted its arm, and long, bony fingers that ended in claws neared to Atlas's face. Atlas's fist tightened around the spear, and he readied himself.
'3'
The arm drew closer.
'2'
A few inches away.
'1'
Mustering every measure of strength in his body, Atlas swung his spear. It flashed through the air, and its tip sank into the creature's torso. Its eyes widened in shock, and a petrifying scream engulfed the room.
Atlas immediately backed away and ran. The creature stumbled backward, crashing into furniture as it tried to free itself of the spear. Atlas ran to the second room, where he found his siblings hiding in a corner, their gazes expectant. Relief filled their worried faces as he entered.
"Is it d-" Haki began before Atlas interrupted.
"We need to get out of here!" He said, running to a window. He grabbed the plastic covering it and pulled, tearing it out.
"Haki, go first. Then, help Raya get out!"
Haki followed his instructions, climbing through the window. Then, Atlas helped his sister climb out. As she climbed through, Atlas heard a terrifying sound behind him. He turned his head to see the mermaid crashing in, clearly pissed off.
"Oh crap." Atlas grabbed the rusted windowpane and pulled himself off the ground. He heard a hiss behind him as the monster dashed toward him, so he threw himself through the window. The monster crashed into the wall, and Atlas narrowly escaped. Now he was in the darkness of the night.
"Where do we go?" Haki said, his tone laced with worry and fear.
"We hide."
The island they lived on was small, but there were a few old buildings they could use as hiding places. The island, which was made from collapsed buildings piled upon one another, had been the children's only home their whole life, and so they knew it inside out.
As Atlas rushed to the front of the group, intending to lead them away to a safe spot. He stopped suddenly. His gaze fell to the darkness before them, a frown on his face.
"What's wrong?" Haki said as he cast a worried glance behind his shoulder.
"There's more of them..."
Haki froze and narrowed his eyes as he looked into the darkness. Then he saw it: several shapes moving toward them slowly. They were surrounded.
Atlas stepped back, his hand stretched behind him, shielding his family. Though it was dark, through the brightness of the moon, he saw the mermaids as they crept closer. Their scales reflected moonlight, and their beady eyes were empty.
Behind them, they heard a sound. As they looked back, the first mermaid was there. The three huddled together, frightened and despondent.
As the creatures inched closer, Atlas felt anger and hopelessness flood his being. Being the oldest, he always took it to be his responsibility to protect his siblings, but now...
How could he protect them against... this?
Out of nowhere, something flashed through the thick darkness. Blood flew, and a mermaid fell to the ground, now headless. More flashes filled the night, and more bodies fell to the ground. Then, through the thick darkness, a figure appeared.
A tall, dark-toned man appeared, his familiar face sending waves of relief through their bodies.
It was their father.
Like some angel of death, he danced around the mermaids, leaving trails of blood. His blade flashed so quickly through the air that it was almost blinding. Atlas watched in awe and admiration as one by one those beastly hunters fell, their tool of destruction being his father.
It was then that it occurred to him: His father was the real hunter.
When all of the creatures had fallen, and their cries had become silent. Atlas saw his father turn to them. An expression of worry and relief sat upon his face.
"Daddy!" Raya ran to her father, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"My little princess," his gaze softened, and he knelt to hug the little girl. Being the youngest of them at only ten years old, their father naturally had a soft spot for her.
Atlas and Haki joined the other two, and their father hugged them all, making their fear and anxiety disappear.
"Listen." Atlas's father pulled away from them, his expression and tone grave. An ominous air descended as they watched him speak.
"This island is no longer safe. In a moment, it will be surrounded by these creatures."
Atlas's heart sank. So this was not the happy ending...
"Then... what do we do?"
"You all must leave this island."
"And what about you?" Atlas watched his father closely, detecting some hidden meaning in his words.
Seeing that his son had caught up, his father looked down.
"I stay."
The three of them watched him speechlessly, unable to react. Their whole life, they had never had to face anything without their father. They needed him...
"You can't leave us... no! I don't understand! Why? Why must you stay?" Atlas felt tears sting his eyes. This chaotic night had taken its toll on him. He was tired. He was scared. He was... confused.
"Atlas. Haki. Raya. Listen very closely to what I am about to tell you. These mermaids, they're not just bloodthirsty monsters, they're sentient beings with a mind of their own. Right now, the reason these creatures are here is me. So far, I've stayed hidden from them... until now. They will stop at nothing to get me, they will follow me to the end of the earth if they have to..."
Atlas could only stand there tearfully, while his siblings were dumbfounded, probably not yet comprehending what was going to happen. As Atlas felt his entire world collapse, he felt a strong squeeze upon his shoulders.
"Atlas... you're fourteen. You're a man now, and a man must protect those whom he loves."
His father pulled something from his back and handed it to Atlas.
Atlas received it, and he felt his hands touch cold metal. His gaze dropped, and there it was. His father's katana. It was pitch black and sheathed. Atlas's gaze went from the katana to his father. A sad smile sat on his face, but his eyes... they held some strange, unrecognizable emotion.
Was it regret, or... pride? Maybe.
"Atlas, Haki, Raya... I love you all. Haki and Raya, always listen to your older brother. Atlas, promise me, you will always protect brother and sister.
Atlas gritted his teeth. A thousand cacophonic emotions tumbled around within him, and suddenly he felt dizzy. He felt some invisible weight press on his shoulders, some unbearable burden. A hand pressed on his arm, calming him. Atlas met his father's gaze, and his father gave him a reassuring nod.
Mustering all the will he could, ignoring the pain, the fear, and the doubt. Atlas nodded.
"I promise."
From this point on, he would protect his little brother and sister. He would never lose anyone again.