3. Mermaid! Xie Lian/Tentacled! Hua Cheng

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Before

Hong er peered over the cliff, the dangerous waves rose high and crashed against the side. The winds roared. He clutched at his right eye. Red. Cursed. He was glad the waters didn't reflect his ugly face. He was a monster. He shouldn't have been born. Forsaken by his own family, why did he have to be born this way? Why couldn't he just be normal? He belonged neither to the land nor to the sea. He had nowhere to be, nowhere to call home, nowhere to be loved.

The thunder flashed across the sky and Hong er shivered. He was afraid of the roaring waves waiting to engulf him. He started to get up but the rocks were slippery from the rain and his feet slipped. Down he went, over the cliff, hitting his head on a scrappy rock before being plunged into the cold waters. He was falling deeper and deeper, the water filling his lungs and it burned. He could feel his limbs prickling. His mind was filled with panic. He didn't want to turn into a monster!

He felt cold. He missed his mother's embrace. For once in his life, he didn't want to die. 

All of a sudden, the coldness was replaced by the warmth of an embrace.

Was he dead?

He peeked open his eyes, the water burned his eyes but he could barely make out the silhouette of a person, with long flowing hair and warm eyes. He closed his eye and the world turned dark.

The sun shone fiercely at him. Hong er blinked open to find himself resting on the beach, the sand stuck to his back. He was about to get up when gentle hands gripped his shoulders and pushed him back. The youth before him had rich brown hair and honey-colored almond eyes which resonated with kindness. His skin was pale and his lower half was that of a fish. The light blue scales seemed to reflect the color of the sea.

"Are you ok child?", he heard but the man's lips didn't move. The voice was speaking in his head! Sensing his bewilderment the merman said, "I fed you my pearl, that is why can talk like this."

Hong er found that his wounds had healed. The merman smiled down at him.

Hot tears gushed down Hong er's cheek. " You shouldn't have saved me", he mumbled, "I'm a monster."

The merman shook his head and gently caressed his head, "The Pearl", he said, "it won't let you turn unless you want to."

Hong er cried and the merman pulled him into a hug, it felt good to have a shoulder to cry on. After he was done sobbing the merman urged him to go and started crawling towards the waters himself. He couldn't stay on the sand for too long.

As the ethereal figure retreated, Hong er shouted, "What's your name!?"

The merman turned towards him with a smile and said, "Xie Lian" before disappearing into the waves.

Hong er was left standing alone.


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Now


Hua Cheng stood on the beach, the foamy waves lapping at his feet, his heels digging into the sand. He liked the smell of the sea, he liked the cool water and the roaring waves and the seagulls flying over the waters. He loved Xie Lian.

He had grown up into a fine young man, all because of Xie Lian. 

Soon enough, he heard Xie Lian's voice in his head. He stepped forward, letting the water soak up to his knees. Xie Lian's head bobbed up from the water, a bright smile plastered on his face.

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