I froze at the word save. I looked at the sisters an they looked just as stunned as I was.
Then suddenly, they moved, pulling the blue-haired girl away from me and shielded her behind them. The brown-haired one stepped forward, her voice sharp.
"What did you do to our youngest?"
Now I am annoyed. I was the one that was dragged here, alright? But I forced myself to stay calm. I needed information and they might be bale to help me.
"I'm sorry," I said, raising my hands slightly. " but I don't understand what you mean."
They didn't relax. Their gaze stayed fixed on me while the other sister checked on the one they called the youngest.
"I really didn't do anything," I added, scratching the back of my head. " I was just hiding because those creatures scared me."
I looked a bit sheepish.
"I'm new here. I lived below with my family… and when I came of age, they sent me out to gain experience."
They watched me. Then slowly their expressions softened.
"I see," the brown-haired one said. "So it's your first time here."
They changed expressions way too fast. Weird.
Then the green-haired girl smiled. "Welcome to the White Current Expanse."
I smiled back instinctively, then I immediately saw their faces stiffen. Right. They don't like my smile. I quickly dropped it and returned to a neutral expression. Their faces relaxed again.
I bit my lip. This is infuriating. I'm sure I'm not ugly. "Right, Vex?"
[ … ]
…Traitor.
I looked up for a moment, then back at them.
"Forgive my ignorance," I said, "but what is the White Current Expanse? Is that the name of this place?"
They looked at each other, then laughed. Before I knew it, the blue-haired and green-haired ones each grabbed one of my arms and started pulling me forward.
I didn't resist…I was actually enjoying this. That was until I heard the twins.
"Brother is a cheater."
I froze.
"Cheater," Caelumir echoed.
My face went pale. I immediately pulled my arms away and forced a smile—It worked. They instantly stepped back. Good. I quickly touched the satchel. Nysera was still inside her clam shell. I felt relieved…thinking she haven't found out yet.
"Kids," I said seriously, "brother is not a cheater, alright?"
I tried to laughed it off "Where did you even learn that word?" I asked nerrvously "I was just helping them."
Aevryn rolled slightly inside her shell.
"Sister Nysera said it."
"Yees," Caelumir added, "she said we shouldn't be like brother… a cheater."
…
Cold. That's how it felt. Like cold water had been poured over me.
"…Nysera."
I stared at the her close shell.
"I didn't cheat on you."
A pause.
"I was just helping them."
I waited but no reponse from Nysera. I focused back to reality feeling disheartened.
[ That's what a cheater gets. ]
I stared at Vex.
"If looks could kill, you'd be dead several times by now."
[ Right… I fail to comprehend how I would die when we are communicating telepathically. ]
I was defeated again. I sighed and turned back to the girls, wondering why they seemed so eager to drag me to who-knows-where.
" By the way, what are your names?"
They looked at each other and nodded then looked at me. The blue haired girl spoke first.
" I am Liora, the youngest of the three." Then she looked at the brown haired girl leading us in the front and pointed " That one is Maris, our eldest."
"And I am Elyra, the middle one," the green-haired girl chimed, swinging my arm playfully.
Maris turned to me. " What about you? What is your name? "
I looked at them and said " I'm Nyx."
Liora looked at me then smiled. " I see, Nyx. "
" Nyx." Elyra muttered.
After that they didn't question me any further. Instead, they simply… led me. We moved away from the open stretch of the White Current Expanse, their pace was steady, and natural, like they've traveled frequently here.
At first, I didn't think much of it. But as we continued, something felt off. There's no one. Not a single being in sight, not even distant movement. Just empty stretches of sand, corals, and drifting currents.
I frowned slightly." Is it always this quiet here?" I asked.
"Mm," one of them hummed lightly.
"That's normal here."
Normal? It didn't feel normal to me. Ever since going out of the cave I've seen creatures moving around. But now, in this place there's nothing. Not even a shadow of sighting.
Still I followed. For some reason, it just didn't feel wrong instead…It felt right. After a while, a structure came into view. A house.
The house didn't look like it belonged in the open sea. It was built from smooth, rounded stones, stacked carefully into a small, sturdy structure, like something that should have stood on land rather than beneath the waves.
Yet it remained there, quietly rooted in the seabed.
Seaweed and long strands of marine plants draped over the roof and walls, woven naturally into the structure, softening the roughness of the stone. Small shells and coral pieces were embedded between the gaps, glowing faintly with a gentle, golden light.
At the center was a wooden door, slightly worn, framed by an arch of stone. It looked simple.
Soft lights hung around the entrance, small, orb-like bulbs that shimmered like trapped fireflies, casting a warm glow that pushed back the surrounding darkness of the sea. The light didn't spread far. Just enough to make the place feel… warm. A short set of stone steps led up to the door, partially covered in fine sand.
Around the house, corals bloomed in quiet colors, violet, blue, and pale red, swaying gently with the current. It was peaceful. Actually inviting. And yet, there was something strange about it. Again there's no movement. No other creatures or neighbors nearby.
Just this one house…Standing alone.
The inside was… simple. A coral table sat at the center of the room, its surface smooth and pale, surrounded by mismatched chairs shaped from stone and hardened reef. They weren't really perfectly aligned. They looked as if they have been moved around a lot.
At one side was a low stone sofa, its rough surface softened by layers of woven seaweed and fine marine fibers. It looked comfortable and used.
Above them hung a chandelier. It was made of small clusters of glowing orbs suspended by thin strands. They pulsed faintly, like slow breathing, casting a warm, shifting light across the room.
The light made everything feel calm. To the side, the kitchen was small but functional. Stone countersa and simple tools. A few sea shell plate neatly arranged. Nothing unnecessary, no space wasted.
And yet, surprisingly, there was no smell of cooking, no lingering warmth or signs of it being used. It was as if it had only recently been built.
At the back of the house were three doors, three rooms. One for each of them. The doors were simple, almost identical, except for one The last door stood slightly apart.
It was reinforced and somehow seemed colder than the rest of the house.
"Here," I was pulled back to the present when the brown-haired one said. "This is our home."
I nodded.
"Thanks for letting me stay," I replied.