The sea didn't release them easily, It threw them out. A wave rose higher than the rest, curling with quiet violence before crashing hard against the rocks. Two bodies came with it dragged, carried, then abandoned as the water pulled back like it had never touched them at all.
Corelia hit the ground first, her eyes opened immediately as air rushed into her lungs in a sharp, painful gasp. It felt wrong too dry, too light, nothing like the deep, steady breath she was used to in the sea and for some few seconds she couldn't move at all.
Then something shifted, a strange heat spread from her spine slowly moving down her tail like there was fire under her skin. She flinched, her fingers gripping the rock beneath her as the glow began soft at first, then brighter.
Her tail shimmered under the burning sun, her scales flickered… cracked…and then split.
Corelia cried out, her body arching slightly as the magic took over. It wasn't pain not exactly but it wasn't comfortable either. It felt like her body was being restructured, her tail divided, lengthened, and by the time it was over, she was breathing hard, her body trembling as she stared down at what had replaced it.
Legs.
Real legs.
For a moment, she just stared, her tails were now legs that was the only thing that changed in her appearance, her blue hair and blue eyes still maintained it's original form, the same goes for Mishell, who wasn't taking the changes nearly as well.
"Corelia....help.. no, something is wrong!"
Corelia quickly crawled to her friend's side, Mishell's tail flickered between forms, as if it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. The glow around her was unstable, pulsing unevenly.
"It's the necklace," Corelia said, though her voice wasn't as steady as she wanted it to be. "It's working, Just let it "
"I don't like this!" Mishell snapped, her body jerking as another wave of magic hit.
Then suddenly it was over.
Mishell collapsed forward, breathing heavily, her new legs tucked awkwardly under her like they didn't belong to her yet.
Silence followed.
Just the sound of the waves behind them. Corelia swallowed, then slowly pushed herself up.
The moment she tried to stand, her body wobbled. Her legs shook under her weight like jelly, unfamiliar with holding her like this. She almost fell—but caught herself just in time.
"Okay," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.
She tried again, one step at a time, unsteady but yet another followed and little by little she got better. By the time she took her fifth step, she wasn't falling anymore, a small smile touched her lips as she turned back.
"It's not that bad."
Mishell stared at her like she had just said something completely insane.
"Not that bad?" she repeated, trying to stand and immediately dropping back down. "Corelia, I don't even know how this works. The only good thing is that the magic didn't affect our hair."
Corelia laughed softly and walked back toward her, reaching out a hand.
"Here," she said gently. "Just… try."
Mishell hesitated but then took her hand.
Slowly she stood up, her grip tightened instantly.
"I knew the surface world would never feel natural to me, two legs against rocky grounds rather than fins rippling through cold water," she muttered.
"You're doing fine."
"I am not doing fine."
"You're standing."
"That doesn't mean I trust it."
Corelia smiled a little. "You will."
After a few shaky steps, Mishell finally steadied just enough to stay upright without panicking.
"Finally, getting somewhere," she said, looking up at Corelia. Then it hit them they were naked completely, Corelia froze, Mishell blinked.
"…Oh."
"…Oh."
They both looked away at the exact same time.
"Corelia," Mishell said flatly.
"Yes."
"We are naked."
"I noticed."
A pause.
"Don't look at me," Mishell said quickly.
"I'm not looking at you!"
"So, does this means we have always been half naked at home?" Mishell asked
Corelia chuckled, then suddenly remembered. Her hand moved to the pendant resting against her chest.
"The necklace," she said quietly.
Mishell glanced at her, Corelia closed her eyes for a moment, focusing the same energy she had felt during the transformation, it was still there—softer now, but listening.
"Clothes," she murmured.
A faint glow spread from the necklace, wrapping around her body in a slow, flowing motion. It felt warm, gentle, as it formed around her like water shaping itself into fabric.
When she opened her eyes, she was dressed in a deep blue outfit, light and elegant, moving with her like it had always belonged there.
Mishell's eyes widened. "Okay… that's useful."
"Your turn."
Mishell didn't hesitate.
"Clothes."
Her necklace flashed once and suddenly she stood in something completely different, sleek, and dark. It fitted in a way that made her look sharp and confident all over again. She looked down at herself, then nodded slightly.
"Not so bad, I can handle this," She said.
Corelia laughed.
"Let's find our way out of here and figure out where to start the search party." Corelia added, stretching her arm toward Mishell to lean on for more balance.
The City lights were impossible to miss. They shimmered in the distance, brighter than anything they had ever seen beneath the sea, So they just followed.
At first, every step felt strange.
The ground didn't shift. It didn't move with them. It just… stayed still.
Corelia adjusted quickly, but Mishell didn't.
"This is uncomfortable," she complained quietly, her steps careful.
"You'll get used to it."
"I don't want to get used to it."
Corelia smiled to herself.
Then—A loud sound rushed past them. Mishell jumped instantly, grabbing Corelia's arm.
"What was that?!"
Corelia blinked, watching the fast-moving object disappear down the road.
"I… don't know," she admitted. "But it was fast."
"Too fast."
They kept walking.
Everything was new.
Buildings stretched high into the sky, reflecting light in ways that reminded Corelia of the ocean surface. People moved everywhere talking, laughing, rushing past like they were all chasing something invisible.
And then, there were the stares, at first Corelia didn't notice it but Mishell did.
"Why are they looking at us like that?" she asked, under her breath.
Corelia glanced around and truly people were definitely staring at them. Not in a bad way, but it was noticeable. Some slowed down as they passed while others turned completely, whispering to each other.
Corelia frowned slightly.
"Do we look different?"
Mishell raised a brow. "Obviously, we do."
Corelia exhaled, but she understood they didn't belong here. Not really.
There was something about them that stood out, something they couldn't hide.
Even among humans, their beauty was… out of this world.
The way their hair caught the light, their skin seemed almost flawless. They moved—graceful, fluid, like the ocean still lived inside them. They were not meant to blend in and yet—they did.
Food became their next discovery.
Mishell stopped suddenly in front of a small stand, staring at something frying in hot oil.
"What is that?" she asked.
Corelia leaned closer, curious. "I don't know but it smells good."
Mishell nodded slowly. "It does."
A moment passed and the owner of the stall walked up to them.
"Good Day ladies, would you like to have some?"
"Can we?" Corelia asked.
"Yes, definitely, its on the house."
"Ohh... thank you," Mishell said, reaching for it first.
She took a bite then froze.
Corelia blinked. "What?"
Mishell grabbed her arm. "You need to try this."
Corelia did and just like that they forgot, for a second, why they were even there.
The first day passed like a blur, confusion, laughter, small discoveries, and it was actually fun.
The next day, it felt different and easy to survive cause everywhere they moved, humans easily helped them. They were kind to them. It was strange at first, but they adjusted quickly. They were both very smart and intelligent to easily understand how things worked here and what each letters on building meant. Their body began to adjust to time and food, it wasn't so hard to blend in anymore.
The way time moved here was totally different from Oceania. Here it was faster. It's been five days already living among humans, while in the sea its just been two days they left. So they were determined to be more focused and figure out how to start their mission.
Corelia noticed the change first, their necklace pulsed softly against their chest—not painful, not urgent, but steady like it was guiding them towards something.
"I think It's leading us somewhere," she said.
Mishell looked down at hers, then nodded. "Then we follow it."
They walked for hours, through crowded streets, quieter roads, unfamiliar paths, at some point they took a cab, with the help of their siren voice it was easier to get humans to do their bids but they have to be very careful on how much power they use, their powers cannot be used for evil.
The closer they got, the stronger the pull became, until finally—they stopped.
Corelia looked up slowly.
"This is it?"
Mishell followed her gaze.
The building in front of them was large, towering made of glass, steel, and ambition, filled with voices, movement, energy. Groups of people gathered outside, laughing, talking, completely unaware.
A signpost stood boldly by the walkway.
"INTERLOCHEN ARTS COLLEGE"
Corelia read it twice then slowly turned to Mishell, she read it too. They both stared at each other in silence.
"A school?" Mishell finally said, her voice flat with disbelief.
Corelia nodded slowly. "Looks like it."
Mishell hissed under her breath, eyes narrowing. "Why are we in a school?"
Corelia lifted the glowing necklace hanging around her chest, its pearl center pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
"This is where the necklace lead us."
Mishell's lips curled in disgust. "College? Seriously?" She gestured around wildly, "Of all the places Araxie could hide, she chose a college? Not some dark corner of the world drowning with sorcery."
I swallowed, "If she's hiding among humans, this would be the perfect place to hide, too many faces, too many distractions she won't be easily recognized."
Mishell scoffed. "Of all the powers, she couldn't think of somewhere better?"
"Right now, Mishell we don't have a choice," I said quietly. "If she's hiding here then we become students."
Mishell's eyes darkened instantly.
"urrggghhh, I don't like the sound of that," she muttered, teeth clenched. "I wasn't expecting this mission to be this complicated."
"Same here, but I know we can do this together." Corelia said, assuring her friend.
"At the end of this, you owe me." Mishell responded, and without wasting much time she walked towards the building.
Corelia just stood still smiling. Mishell has been her best friend since childhood, small and reckless they would race each other among currents and steal moonlight for fun.
Mishell was sharp, fierce, unfiltered, sometimes harsh, often dangerous but she was loyal in ways few others were. She is one of the bravest mermaid Corelia has ever met, nothing scares her and that's actually what is needed for this mission. The Queen had instructed them to sit tight, this world would test more than their strength. The necklace would guide them closer to Araxie—but it would also reveal truths they were not ready for.
Trust was another key element for this mission and no doubt Corelia trusted Mishell with her life.
"Are you coming?" Mishell asked from a distance when she noticed Corelia wasn't moving.
"Yes, sure, let's go."
The moment they stepped into the building, the noise hit them like a wave.
Students flooded the hallways, books in arms, music blasting from small devices, voices overlapping in chaotic harmony. Lockers slammed, Laughter echoed. Human energy buzzed everywhere—loud, careless, and alive.
Then comes the silence....
Not real silence—but the kind that happens when attention snaps.
Every head turned, every gaze locked on them. They should be used to this by now but it still felt weird having multiple people stare at them. They both felt it—the shift, the ripple, the way human eyes widened, jaws slackened, hearts quickened.
Their presence always bent attention everywhere they go, their hair made it easily noticeable, light kissed their skin differently even their eyes carried depth humans couldn't name. They looked so unreal to most people.
"Wow… who are they?"
"Are they new students?"
"Where did they come from?"
"Are they… angels?"
Mishell smirked beside Corelia. "Yes that's the energy."
We could hear everything—their words whispering in awe, desire, jealousy, fear and curiosity. They just kept their faces calm and walked forward.
They passed through the halls heading straight toward the main office. With every step they took, they tried listening for danger, for magic that did not belong, for emotions that felt wrong and presence that radiate evil but...nothing.
Absolutely Nothing.
Though they were not expecting to get answers immediately but was hoping to get their first lead, They stopped infront of an office..
"We really have to go this far?" Mishell asked, it was obvious she hated the idea of being a student.
"We can't use our power to control the entire school, that's too much energy, so our best option right now is do it the the human way." Corelia responded.
"We don't have anything to prove we are real student" Mishell pointed out.
"Well I never said we can't use our powers on one person." Corelia corrected her smiling in a way Mishell found it intriguing.
"Who are you and what have you done to my girl?" Mishell asked with a small smile.
"Are you ready?"
"You bet."