The Heart of the Ocean

“I see a stranger in your eyes,

Where once I saw a soulmate.

It breaks my heart.”

-J. Strelou

The last rays of the sun caressed the surface of the sea, as the waves kissed the land gently. The seagulls sang their last song as their white feathers almost touched the peaceful waters, before returning to their nests to rest for the night. The flaming sun had taken a red color before disappearing at the edge of the horizon, giving its place to the full moon and sparkling stars as they decorated the night sky.

Aide closed her eyes as she enjoyed the last warmth of the sun caressing her face. The beach offered her the tranquility and peacefulness she desperately needed after the stress and chaos that the previous days had created. Her hands were playing with the sand beside her, moving the tiny grains back and forth. She had already gotten rid of her socks and shoes -it was the first thing she did when she arrived. The water had felt extremely cold as it touched her toes, but now that she had gotten used to it, it felt refreshing.

She sighed deeply as her eyes took in the twinkling stars that had made their appearance in the darkening sky. They were late. She didn’t know if that was for the better or for worse. Their decision had already been made -a little delay wouldn’t change anything. She tried to prepare herself -to fill her heart with courage. She knew that her friend couldn’t stay in Seaworth, not after everything that had happened. Atlantis was the best choice for her -she would live a happy life beside her soulmate. Havelock would make sure of that -Aileen was all he cared about.

Her disappearance had already raised too many questions. Aide and Nana Alexandra had already been asked about her whereabouts but given the fact that everyone saw them bickering outside the police station, there wasn’t much to say about her disappearance. They were still looking for her, although they would never find her. That’s the reason why Aide was patiently sitting on the beach, even though she had stayed as far away from the ocean as humanly possible during all those years.

To say goodbye to her friend.

More like her sister rather than a friend. The two girls knew each other for as long as she could remember. Aileen was such a big part of her life -she was a part of her family. It felt strange knowing that this was the end for them. Knowing that she was going somewhere, she couldn’t follow. Of course, Aide felt proud and happy for her friend -Aileen had been through so much pain during her short life and she deserved so much better. It was amazing to see her move on and follow her heart. She just wished she could be by her side to support her.

It wasn’t easy to say goodbye to someone you love.

She was shaken out of her thoughts at the sound of splashing water. Her eyes scanned the darkened waters carefully, before falling onto two silhouettes rising from the water. As a familiar red-haired swam slowly towards the shore, Aide was quick to rise on her feet and enter the freezing waters. She didn’t care that her pants became wet or that the cold was making her shiver. All she cared about was hugging her friend tightly for one last time.

“Aide?“, Aileen called out tearfully.

The brunette could only smile at her. She was shocked to see that her friend had changed, even though Havelock had explained to her earlier what would happen. Gone were her long legs, replaced by a powerful scarlet tail. A few scales were decorating her arms along with her face in the place where her blush used to appear. Her emerald eyes seemed to shine brighter and her complexion seemed to be a bit paler than usual. No matter the changes, Aide wrapped her arms around her petite figure and gave her a hug to remember her by. This was still her Aileen -her friend, her sister.

“Hey, Ail”, she gave her a bright smile, “Or should I say, Little Mermaid?”

Aileen laughed at her words, hugging her tighter. It was true though -she was no longer human. She was a mermaid and the future Queen of Atlantis. When she pulled away, her eyes were filled with unshed tears. She took hold of Aide’s palm, squeezing it gently.

“Thank you”, the red-haired whispered, “If it wasn’t for you and Nana, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Aide shook her head in denial. She didn’t want her friend to feel indebted to her or her grandmother. They did what anyone would do for their family. They protected one another through thick and thin. They made sure that everyone was safe and sound. Aileen was part of their family and she would always be. She had nothing to be thankful for.

“You are like a sister to me, Ail”, Aide admitted to her, “I promised to you that I’ll always have your back. It is a promise I hold dear to my heart –one I intend to keep.”

Aileen nodded before wiping a treacherous tear away. Her emerald eyes filled with worry as she gazed at her friend.

“Will you and Nana be in trouble for saving me?“, she asked her anxiously, “Have they done something to you? Will you be alright?”

“Don’t worry about it”, Aide tried to calm her down, “After your escape, they did ask us some questions. But since they all saw us arguing outside the police station, they know we couldn’t possibly set you free.”

“But Nana’s apple pie...didn’t they suspect anything?“, Aileen raised an eyebrow.

“Of course, they did!“, the corner of her lips pulled up, “But you know Alexandra, she is a hell of a good actress. She became very believable when she started to cry, saying that she probably put expired ingredients or something. Apparently, an old woman like her has trouble reading small letters with her presbyopia.”

Aileen couldn’t help but laugh at Nana’s antics. Alexandra was many things, but powerless and helpless weren’t included in that list. Aide didn’t even know how they believed her old lady. They were either too stupid and believed her or too smart to mess with her knowing what she was capable of. The brunette hoped it was the first one.

“I’ll miss her”, the red-haired suddenly whispered to her, “I’ll miss you.”

Aide’s chocolate eyes softened as Aileen barely held in her tears. She hugged her tightly one last time, knowing this was the last time she’d ever see her again. Four figures appeared a few feet away from them, making her arms drop from her figure. She slowly stepped away from the water, knowing it was time for them to go. She wanted to say more. She wanted to stay longer. However, she knew that their time was up.

“I’ll miss you too, Ail”, she muttered hoarsely, “So much.”

Aide watched as a darkened silhouette approached her friend’s side, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. Havelock turned around and gave an appreciating nod to the brunette before starting to introduce his mate to the others surrounding them. Aide’s smile was a mix of sadness and happiness. Her friend was in good hands. Her mate would take great care of her.

She felt a bit out of place at this moment. She didn’t know these people and they didn’t know her. They were here to meet their future Queen and make sure she arrived safely in Atlantis. It was their job to keep Aileen safe now, not hers. Aide played nervously with her fingers as she gazed elsewhere. At least, she had managed to say goodbye. Was this the queue for her to leave? Was that truly the end?

“And this is Aide Clayton”, Havelock introduced her unexpectedly, “She is Aileen’s close friend and she helped me while I was on land.”

Aide didn’t know what to do. She didn’t expect her presence to be acknowledged. Her attention was pinned to the dark waters surrounding her feet –she didn’t feel comfortable being the center of their attention. Their gazes burned her skin as they were taking in her figure and probably, focusing on her pair of legs. She took a deep breath to calm herself, before finally gazing upon them.

“Nice to meet y-”

Her breathing stopped as her eyes fell upon a pair of familiar purple ones. A pair that had haunted her dreams for many years now. A pair that she had concluded she’d never see again. Her heart was beating a mile a minute in her chest -her eyes filled with unshed tears. No. No! How was this possible? She must be dreaming, right? This couldn’t be true.

Her figure was frozen in place from shock. All she could do was take in the form of the man she loved. He hadn’t changed one bit –not even after all these years that had passed. She had buried his memory deep in her soul, keeping his existence a secret that appeared only in her dreams. And yet, here he was -right in front of her, making her soul hurt even more than it did before.

She didn’t know what to do.

She didn’t know what to say.

“You...”

Her legs were trembling as those purple eyes haunted her. He seemed to be as shocked as she was –his eyes pinned on her figure as if she would disappear at any second. His mouth was open as if he had a million things to say to her, yet not a word could form on his perfect lips. His toned chest was heaving as his breathing grew labored. He started to swim towards her slowly, not wanting to scare her further. That’s when she snapped from her shocked stage.

“No”, Aide finally said.

He stopped moving as she took a few steps towards the land.

“This can’t be”, she whispered to herself.

Her thoughts were running wild. She felt that she was turning crazy. She was drowning -she wasn’t ready for this. She had to leave –she had to get out of there immediately. She needed space –she needed time. It was too much. She couldn’t handle it. She couldn’t face him -not after everything that had happened between them. Not like this. Not right now.

“Wait”, Evander asked her hoarsely.

She didn’t listen to him. She had already turned around, running towards the sculpted staircase. She wasn’t ready for this -she couldn’t face the reality. Not right now. She could hear him swimming through the water as he tried to come closer to her. His hands took hold of the pebbles on the shore as he screamed after her.

Asking her to stay.

Asking her to come back.

“Wait!”

The merman’s scream went answered. She was already gone. Shameful tears clouded her vision before falling down her cheeks. She was out of breath as she climbed higher and higher, taking two steps at a time. Her hair was a mess, sticking to her wet cheeks as she run away from the person she loved and feared the most. She reached the top of the cliff with a drowned sob.

She lost her footing, falling down and scraping her hands and knees. She didn’t care. Her heart was bleeding more. She sat there, with her head buried in her knees, crying like she never allowed herself before. She felt like a coward. She wanted to see him for so long and yet, she couldn’t face him. She sobbed harder at the thought.

One thing was for sure.

She didn’t know what to do anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of chapter 23!!

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Until next time!!