{M}ℝ𝕦𝕟 𝔸𝕨𝕒𝕪 | ✨𝕐𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕪𝕦 & 𝕊𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕒𝕚✨

Chapter 14

"Wait. . . So, I'm on my own from now?"

Yeonjun nodded sadly, he didn't want to depart from Soobin either or want him to be alone while looking for his tribe. "Water Tribe lives deep inside the ocean." He gazed at the waves that softly lapped at their feet. "If you swim in a straight line from here, you'll notice a huge reef barrier. The syrens usually patrol at this time of the day, so stay near the corals until a patrol picks you up."

Soobin was mildly confused, he didn't really have a good sense of direction, but he still let out a nod. "That's. . . Easy to remember. . . Are you sure I'll find my way?" He scratched his head and looked at the ocean which seemed to be calling out his name for him to finally join in. "What if they attack me?"

Yeonjun chuckled. He grabbed Soobin's arm and pulled him into a hug. "You'll be fine." He rubbed the younger's back and massaged his shoulders. "You took care of three kids without my help, you'll survive."

"Yeah, Hyung." Taehyun joined in, wrapping his arms around Soobin tightly. "Plus, you've already killed more guards than Beomgyu while protecting us with those crazy shark teeth you got going on."

Soobin let out a chuckle, and ruffled Taehyun's hair before letting his blue-gray eyes lock with the ocean once more. His scales were itching to go and swim deep within the waters, but his heart was telling him to stay and his instincts were still telling him that his friends needed his protection. 

Yeonjun seemed to notice this.

He placed his hand on his friend's shoulder and gave him a sympathetic smile. "Hey, they're all safe now. The tribes will protect them and care for them from now on."

"I know they'll be safe, but it's just. . . It's hard, you know?" Soobin lowered his gaze. "To leave them alone after so many years of protecting them against. . . Well, everything." Soobin then felt two arms wrapping around him once again as Yeonjun embraced him for a second time. The hug lasted longer, Yeonjun knew exactly what Soobin was going through, he had endured it when he had escaped and hadn't been able to come back for them. Departure was very painful and could make your heart sore, but he knew that the pain would eventually go away. 

Yeonjun was meaning to hug Soobin for another two minutes until the younger decided to pull away him.

"Are you good now?" The older quirked his brow, holding onto his webbed hands.

Soobin nodded, giving the older a dimpled smiled. "I'm. . . Okay."

Taehyun stared at the two, his brow arched with interest. Well this is a new family affair. . . I'm telling Beomgyu.

After waving his friends good-bye, Soobin finally walked into the ocean. The waves crashed against his body, caressing the dried and dead scales that were now all over his body. Soobin let out a sigh filled with contentment, the water felt so fresh and cold against him, it was almost unbelievable to feel as good as this.

As his feet began to float away from the sandy flooring, Soobin lifted himself up before diving into the water, letting the ocean swallow him and embrace him like it would with any other syren in the island.

Soobin stock his arms to the side and started to swim happily. He swirled around and closed his tired eyes just so he could enjoying the feeling of water finally brushing against his poor gray scales. He could feel them flickering off, but this time it wasn't painful, it was as if the ocean was finally giving him a well deserved grooming session.

But before he could keep enjoying the feeling, someone crashed into him; pushing him with such force that he was sent crashing against a moldy rock.