79: Atlantis

Cold. I felt unbelievably cold and a soaking wetness beneath my body. The smell of salt hung heavily in the air, and I could practically taste it on the tip of my tongue. As I opened my eyes slowly, I was met with water hanging above me, suspended by nothing but a sheet of thick glass. I stared at it curiously and watched as pieces of seaweed passed by. Some fish swam here and there, but none seemed to pay me any mind. And then there was a sudden flash of beautiful, luminous blue which glistened from the scales of a large, majestic tail. It disappeared almost as soon as it had appeared and, for a moment, I thought I was losing my damn mind, until I saw another flash of blue, only the owner of the majestic tail stayed behind me. His eyes were glossy and blue, and his skin was pale white. His hair was a raven colour and flowed in the water every time he moved his head. He seemed ordinary enough, with his tail being the only exception. That was, until he opened his mouth and smiled. His teeth were jagged and stained and the way he smiled at me made my skin crawl. It was the way most of the vampires smiled at that sweet, red, metallic liquid we were fed.
“Merfolk…” I whispered under my breath as I stared up at the creature above me.
My knowledge of merfolk did not come from this lifetime, instead it came from my previous one. The majestic people of the seas, half fish, half human. They were a wonder the first time they were discovered- which was when I was well in my youth. The humans especially fell in love with the beauty and enchanting air the creatures had… and then we all began to realise the darkness that they had deep within them. It was funny how so many beautiful creatures ended up being so deadly, and merfolk were not an exception to this. Just like vampires craved blood, these beautiful creatures craved flesh, and they cared not for the creature who provided it.
On land, they were of no match for us, but now, as I gazed at the water above me, I realised that we’d be in their element, quite literally. The council had done a fine job securing our deaths, that was clear. But this time I had something I never had as plain old Phoenix. I had a body that now remembered centuries worth of strength and power, and I’d be damned if I didn’t use it. I would, however, need to remember to refrain from using my “tainted” wolf side.
The merman hovered smiling there for a moment longer before his eyes widened and he lifted his head, almost as though he’d heard something. And then, just as suddenly as he’d come, he disappeared again. I was left in a state of amazement, before I gathered my senses and sat myself up. I’d been lying on a wet stone table-like surface this entire time, which was why I felt so wet. I discovered that the rest of the room was practically made from the same, greyish, slippery and wet stone as the one I lay on. In fact, it began to occur to me that I was not at all in a room, but a cave. In the distance, towards the entrance came a small ray of light. I stood up from the stone and headed towards it. The closer I got, the more light flooded my vision until I was forced to place my hand in front of my eyes in order to block out the sun. It was a wonder I didn't feel it burning through my skin. Even for a hybrid, this sort of harsh sunlight would have made me very uncomfortable. Perhaps there was something enchanting about this place, something that helped me to withstand the harsh rays of the sun.
The moment I stepped out of the cave I was met by the more distinct scent of the ocean and the feeling of sand between my toes. It was then that I realised that I was wearing different clothing than the clothing I wore before I passed out. My body was covered in skin-tight swimwear. I suppose it was fitting for the environment we found ourselves in. I took a moment to take in my surroundings. In front of me, spanning far and wide and bordering a beautiful seashore, was the ocean. But it was unlike any ocean I’d seen before. The water here seemed to shimmer, almost replicating the scales of the merman I’d seen earlier. I’d read about this place in my previous life as well. It was a place long forgotten by humans, hidden away by powerful magic. It was the place in which merfolk originated. History dubbed it the lost city of Atlantis, but history was wrong. The city of Atlantis was not the only thing to disappear. It was an entire section of ocean that had gone missing. And so, the humans began to craft stories and eventually, they’d come up with the myth of the lost city of Atlantis. But the downfall of Atlantis wasn’t because of some giant, monstrous sea creature, nor was it some act of vengeance from the gods or some sort of freakish natural disaster. Instead, the problem began with the very creatures which invaded these oceans. The problem began with the merfolk. The people of Atlantis stood no chance against the flesh-hungry, starved merfolk. It was one of the biggest massacres at that point in history. And so, all of the creatures of the Earth- we were still united back then- came together and sealed off that section of the ocean, sealing the merfolk with it. I never once thought the vampires would unseal this place for a silly little game. It was dangerous on their part, but it would have been silly of me to have thought that they’d think about anyone other than themselves.
Soon more vampire nobles began to join me. They exited from the same cave-like rooms I’d been in. They were deeper now that I looked at them from the outside. Perhaps that was why I was able to see that merman, the ocean spanned above the deepness of those well-hidden caves.
“Oh look, it’s the hybrid.” It came from one of the nobles. He was one I hadn’t been formerly introduced to, and so I didn’t know his name. He was tall, muscular and had dark curly hair which hung in front of his deep, brown eyes.
“I don’t think we’ve met before,” I said, staring at him curiously. I couldn’t quite place his feelings towards me. He wasn’t behaving with hostility, nor was he particularly friendly, until a small smirk appeared on his face, and he held out his hand. “The name’s Jayden. Jayden Well.”
“Phoenix Ackerman.” I said, gripping his hand and giving it a firm shake. Just then, Aaliyah and Felicity appeared by my side. They greeted Jayden warmly and I could now understand why the vampire had been so courteous. He was probably a werewolf fan just like Felicity and Aaliyah.
“Where do you think we are?” Aaliyah asked.
I turned towards her with my eyebrows furrowed. “You don’t know?”
“I don’t think anyone knows.” Felicity said as she ran her fingers through her hair. And as if to emphasise the point, Liam came strolling along with Xavier and yelled out, “Where the fuck did they dump us? This place looks like my next beach vacation.”
“You mean to tell me that none of you know where we are?” I asked in utter astonishment.
Everyone shook their head simultaneously. “Do you?” Jayden asked.
I stood flustered for a moment. “Well… I…?”
But before I could go any further, the sand in front of us began to literally split open, and soon the bodies of what I assumed to be our chosen “supporters” appeared, along with Meera. I watched as the bodies of Demetri and Alice began to appear in front of me. Aaliyah tensed immediately when she caught sight of Alice, but quickly moved her gaze towards her parents and walked towards them with the rest of the other nobles. I watched as Alice’s face fell in sadness as she and Demetri began to near me. Once they were in front of me, I attempted to engulf them into my arms, but ended up capturing nothing but air within my arms.
“You don’t think the council would actually allow them to be here.” Liam said. He and Xavier were clearly not a priority for their parents as they stood next to me, alone.
“Unfortunately, he’s right. We’re still back in Tenebris, in the city centre where they are hosting a live viewing of the Games of Successio. Despite this being on short notice, the entire city is full of vamps. I've never seen so many gathered in one place.”
“I suppose no one is really upset about Meera’s decision to start the games earlier?” I said, quickly sparing the “hologram” of Meera a glance.
Demetri shook his head. “Only Sebastian and I… there are a few noble parents who do love their children. But they were quickly silenced on the matter… Goddess, I wish I were there to hold onto you.”
I smiled and reached out a hand. His holographic projection reached out and placed his hand near mine as well.
My attention then shifted towards Alice who’d remained silent and stared at Aaliyah longingly this entire time
“You here for someone else?” I asked.
Her eyes widened and she chuckled nervously as she scratched at the back of her neck. “Oh sorry, I was just distracted…”
Demetri gazed up at me and raised a brow before touching Alice on the shoulder. She looked up at him, startled for a moment. “Go to her.”
“I-I can’t. She’s with her parents…” She uttered.
“So?” Liam asked as he gazed between both Alice and Aaliyah.
Alice sighed and then looked away sadly. “Not now… I…” She then looked up at me and asked, “Could you… tell her that I love her. Before you start… I just, I want her to know in case…”
“Why don’t you tell her, right now?” I asked.
“Please… just promise me you will. Please.” She asked. The look in her eyes was one of urgency and worry, and so I had no choice but to agree.
“You all have thirty seconds before the virtual depiction of your chosen supporters need to disappear.”
I looked up at Demetri again with a sudden surge of urgency rushing through me. “Will you and Sebastian be okay?”
Demetri chuckled and nodded. “Of course we will. He and I will be right here, waiting for you to return-” his gaze then shifted towards Xavier and Liam, “-for all of you to return.”
“Ten seconds…”
And it was almost as though the panic within me decided to speak on behalf of me. “I… I love you… all of you.”
The moment it left my mouth everyone’s eyes widened. My cheeks burned in embarrassment as we all stood there in silence, shocked at my proclamation of love for Demetri, Xavier and Liam. After a while, Demetri finally opened his mouth, but before any sound could exit, he disappeared, leaving me with Liam and Xavier.
“Did you just say… that you love us?” Xavier asked.
I bit at my lip and looked away from him immediately. Proclaiming your love was never easy, no matter how old you got or how many lifetimes you lived. Nonetheless, it had left my mouth and, after a deep breath I’d decided on owning up to my feelings. However, before I could even begin to speak Meera cleared her throat.
“Welcome my youthful nobles to the Games of Successio.”
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Again, a huge apology to that chapter mistake. I'm still in the process of having that chapter deleted so please bear with me.💕
Stay safe! Stay healthy! Sending my love!