The Darkness Within

Petra : Alexander the Syreni

She heard the screams of her sister and grandmother as she gazed at the distant figures by the shore. The water closed tightly above blurring their figures into hazy shapes. She should've been afraid -frightened to death even- but she wasn't. She was calm as the waves brought her further and further into the dark abyss. She did not feel discomfort and her body was relaxed and she felt, for the first time in a while, at ease.

Amethyst had shown off her powers, and although Petra was angry and frustrated with her, something made her forget and lose all the pent up emotions inside; all the baggage and burden she had to carry on her shoulders seemed to have been lifted. If she could've sighed in relief, she would have. 

She gasped in surprise as a sigh escaped her lips. What? I can breathe?

The water seemed to curl around her body and she closed her eyes. It seemed to play a soft melody to her as it dragged her lower and lower and lower.

....................

The melody continued, soft and sweet in her ear. It was remarkably soothing that the world and space around her was timeless. Hours could have passed and Petra would not have known. An arm delicately wrapped itself around her waist as her shirt was pushed up by the water. A gasp escaped her as she felt her skin touching another's cool touch. Her eyes shot open to only see complete darkness wrapped around her.

Suddenly she felt herself being pulled through the water, unable to loosen the arm she screamed in horror as the water pressure pushed against her. Helpless, she closed her eyes and felt tears prick underneath her lips.

Soon the dragging stopped and she felt herself being lifted onto a flat rock. She opened her eyes. Looking up as she laid flat on her back, she saw a small opening where sunlight filtered through and saw that she was in an underwater cavern. The water reflected beautifully against the rocks, creating a blue filter to wash over the area. She turned her head to the side.

Wide, chocolate brown eyes with dark blue specks resting on the person's crossed arms on the rock, stared back at her in awe.

Petra screamed.

"Manere! Prohibere! Prohibere! Ego sum trying ut auxilium!" He panicked as his eyes widened and he sank back into the water until the water covered his chin.

Petra lifted her body up using her arms and looked at the startled boy in fear. She stared at the stranger before her.

He mumbled a few words of gibberish before straightening his body that was in the water so that the water was lowered to just below his collarbone. "I-" he began before stopping to clear his throat and pushing back his dark hair. "I'm only trying to help. Please do not yell. It shall only alarm others."

"Where are we? Where have you taken me?" Petra asked, panicked.

"You breathe underwater," he mumbled.

"I- I don't know," she said her eyes downcast.

"That's a mark of a syreni."

"A what?"

"A syreni. Guardians of the sea, for eons we have guarded the ocean's life and secrets. We were flawless in our duties," he said proudly. Then he paused, sunk in posture a bit before continuing, "At least we were. Then, humans came along. If we're not trying to stop ourselves from being killed by them, then we're struggling to protect the ocean from them. They destroy more than we can replenish."

"Humans... they're always the problem," Petra said smiling slightly.

"Aye. It's funny how they know it too," he answers beaming back.