Chapter 8
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In the following months, Shawn would call out my name by the sea daily.
Sometimes, he would even leap into the water, pretending to be a drowning man.
My clan, ever compassionate, would always rush to his aid.
But as soon as they reached him, Shawn would eagerly clutch their arms and plead, “Where is Melanie? Can you take me to her? I’ll pay any price!”
My clan, aware of his past actions, consistently refused to let him see me.
However, as time went on, they couldn’t ignore his worsening condition. One day, a clan member approached me in the water, hesitating.
“Melanie… the human who’s been searching for you every day… he’s running out of time.”
My fingers froze as I touched the coral.
“The mermaid blood in his veins is turning against him. He has, at most, three days left. Are you sure you won’t see him one last time?”
I gazed up at the sea’s surface, where the moonlight filtered through the waves, creating a pattern of fragmented light and shadows on the ocean floor.
After a long pause, I shook my head, saying, “This has nothing to do with
me.”
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Chapter 8
Just as I finished speaking, the coral in my hand unexpectedly began to glow with a blue light.
My eyes widened with shock as I saw Sophie–alive–swimming slowly toward me, brought back to life.
“Mommy,” she called out, her childlike voice sending tremors through my entire body.
I quickly drew her into my arms, barely able to believe what was happening.
It turned out the scale Sophie had left me was her heart–protecting scale. With my sincere care nurturing it daily, she finally had the chance to be reborn.
Now her small body rested against me, her brow slightly furrowed as she murmured softly, “Daddy… it hurts…”
I embraced Sophie tightly, immediately grasping what she meant.
The mermaid blood in Shawn’s veins was both a burden and the last link between him and Sophie.
He was, after all, Sophie’s real father.
After much deliberation, I swam toward the shallows with Sophie on the final day of his life.
Shawn lay still on the reef, with bruise–like scales appearing on his skin.
Hearing the water’s sound, he struggled to open his eyes.
“Melanie, you’ve come,” he said, attempting to reach out to me before abruptly coughing up black blood.
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Chapter 8
Despite this, a faint smile appeared on Shawn’s face.
“I knew you’d come. You’d see me one last time…”
Under the moonlight, I emerged, my expression composed.
“I can’t save you. Once the backlash begins, there’s no remedy.”
A gentle smile lingered on his lips, his face unusually at peace.
It was only when our eyes met that tears, stained with blood, fell from his eyes.
“I understand now. Hayley was killed by Kellie. You rescued her from drowning, but ultimately, Kellie took her life.
“I misunderstood your merfolk clan. I killed Sophia. I have no right to ask for your forgiveness—I just wanted to see you one last time.”
Hearing his confession, my heart remained completely unmoved.
I merely regarded him with a steady gaze.
“Are you finished? I should be leaving.“.
He gazed into my eyes intently, searching for any remnants of love for him, but he was bound to be let down.
He fell to the ground in despair, blood spewing from his mouth as he looked up at the sky.
“I’m sorry. I’ve hurt you so much. It’s entirely my fault. Let me die–this is my punishment.”
At that moment, he noticed Sophie standing behind me and began to crawl toward me desperately.
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Chapter 8
“Sophie… our daughter…”
“You don’t deserve to be her father!”
I lashed the water with my tail, sending waves crashing onto his festering skin.
Shawn winced in pain but stubbornly continued inching forward.
“Kill me. I want you to be the one to end my life.”
He grabbed a sharp seashell and offered it to me, a satisfied smile on his lips.
“I killed Sophie. Let my blood make amends for her.”
The sea breeze abruptly came to a halt.
I glanced at the seashell in his hand, recalling the time he had given me scissors, compelling me to harm myself.
“Death would be a relief for you. You’re not worthy of the privilege of having me do that.”
I turned away and plunged into the water, hearing his broken cries behind
- me.
Shortly after, a heavy thud resonated as something substantial fell into the sea, causing violent ripples across the surface–before everything returned to silence.
I didn’t look back. Instead, I clutched Sophie tightly and swam toward the deep sea where the moonlight couldn’t reach.
Her small hand gently tugged at me, reaching up to wipe away my tears.
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Chapter 8
“Mommy, don’t cry.”
I smiled and shook my head.
That day, the blood–streaked tears of a mermaid had already dried up completely.
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