The silence felt heavier than the water surrounding her. Every breath Aria took sounded deafening in her ears. Her chest ached, her body trembling with the memory of what had almost happened. The phantom sensation lingered: the tingling in her legs as they prepared to fuse, the burn of Kaelen's grip, the unrelenting pull of his desperation. The uncontrollable fear which had surged through her body, knowing that that she'd never get to be on land again. That she would never get to be human again.

Her skin crawled at the thought.

He had been willing to strip away everything that made her who she was – her legs, her humanity, her freedom. But the transformation hadn't happened. She was still herself. Still human. For now.

But Sepiia. Oh, poor Sepiia. The memory of her lifeless form, bleeding and broken, twisted like a knife in Aria's chest. Kaelen had hurt her without hesitation, his desperation turning his claws against his closest ally. If even Sepiia wasn't save from him, who was? Aria could only hope she was still alive but when they left, she had been unmoving and bleeding profusely. Kaelen had attacked her in all his anger. If he was able of hurting Sepiia, perhaps he'd be able to hurt her too. Safety up until now had been just an illusion. Kaelen had shown her that much. He was unpredictable and dangerous. She needed to get away. Escape. That was her only true option.

Across the cavern, Kaelen sat on a rocky outcrop, his shoulders slumped, his fists clenched tightly. His claws glistened faintly with Sepiia's blood. The sight churned Aria's stomach, but the weight of his guilt seemed to bow him down. He wouldn't look at her. He couldn't.

The stillness between them stretched, unbearable and sharp. The only sound was the faint lapping of the water against the cavern walls.

Aria curled her toes in the water, a small test. Then she flexed her feet, bent her knees, rolled her hips. Relief flooded through her, sharp and bittersweet. Her legs were still hers. She hadn't realized until now how much she had taken them for granted. How much she had taken everything human for granted. She was able to crawl, walk, and even run with her legs. She was able to climb and jump and even swim. Her legs were something she would cherish. But it wasn't only her physical human body which she cherished, it was everything about the land. The sun warming her skin, the rain soaking her hair, the solid dirt ground beneath her feet. The people which she saw everyday and those she had never met before. Being human was a beautiful thing; it wasn't just about her body, but the world she belonged to.

She wanted to cry, to laugh, to scream, but the cold water against her skin reminded her of the danger she was still in. She was shivering, but not only from the cold. It was the fear she felt when she glanced at Kaelen. Aria braced her hands on the rocky wall, ready to full herself out of the water. She was trembling from exhaustion as she struggled onto the rocks.

Behind her, Kaelen's voice cut through the silence.

"I'm sorry."

The words were soft, thick with regret, but they sent a spark of fury blazing through her. She turned to face him, her eyes blazing. All the fear she had felt moments ago disappeared. The hurt and frustration of what he had put her through not just moments ago but for the last several months, all came flooding out.

"Sorry?" she snapped, her voice trembling with rage. "You're sorry?"

Kaelen's gaze shot up to meet hers, but his mouth clamped shut at the fire in her tone.

"You nearly took everything from me!" she shouted, the words spilling out like a flood she couldn't hold back. "Isn't it enough that you've already stolen my freedom? That you've kept me trapped here, in a world I want no part of?"

Kaelen flinched but said nothing, his jaw tightening as if preparing for her next words.

Aria didn't disappoint.

"No, you don't get to speak," she hissed. "You kidnapped me, dragged me into your world, and tore me away from my family, my friends, my life. You ignored me every time I begged to go home. And now this?" Her voice cracked, but she pushed on. "You tried to change me. To force me into something I don't want to be. You were going to take my legs, my humanity, everything – just because it's what you wanted."

Her body trembled as she glared at him, gripping the rock for support. If looks could kill, she was sure Kaelen would be buried far beneath the ocean floor.

Kaelen opened his mouth to respond, but her glare silenced him. She could see the turmoil in his expression – the frustration, the anger, the guilt – but she didn't care. His feelings didn't matter to her. He had shown her, again and again, that her feelings didn't matter to him.

The realization settled over her like a cold wave. He was never going to respect her wishes. Her feelings, her autonomy – they were irrelevant to him. The affection she thought she'd felt for him, the faint flicker of something deeper, had been nothing more than a survival mechanism. She couldn't trust him. She couldn't let her guard down.

She had to escape.

Kaelen's voice broke through her thoughts, low and rough. "You don't understand." He shifted closer, his hands curling into fists at his sides, his claws scrapping against the rock.

Her laugh was sharp and humorless. "You're right. I don't. I don't understand how you can claim to love me while ignoring everything I've ever said. That's not love, Kaelen. That's obsession."

His hands clenched tighter, his claws digging into his palms. "I only wanted to protect you. To keep you safe. To make sure you were mine."

"I don't want to be yours!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the cavern.

Kaelen surged in the water towards her, his sudden movement making her flinch. The tension in the cave snapped like a taut wire.

"Why?" he demanded, his voice raw. "Why don't you want to stay? Why do you hate me so much when all I've ever done is try to give you everything?"

Aria stared at him, incredulous. "Everything? You think this is everything? You think this – this prison, this nightmare – is what I wanted? You don't even see me, Kaelen. You only see what you want me to be."

Her words seemed to hit him like a physical blow. He staggered back; his eyes wide with something that looked like pain.

"You don't mean that," he said softly, almost pleadingly.

"I do." Her voice was steady now, cold. "I mean every word."

Kaelen's expression twisted, torn between anger and heartbreak. For a moment, she thought he might lash out again, but he didn't. Instead, he turned away, his shoulders slumping under the weight of her rejection.

The sight almost made her feel pity for him. Almost.

The tension in the cavern was unbearable, the silence crackling with unspoken words. Kaelen hovered between trying to win her over with soft words and attempting to use his power to intimidate her. She could see the conflict in his eyes, the way his love for her warred with his need to control her.

But Aria had made her decision. She would survive this. She would find a way to escape, no matter what it took. She would get back to her home on land.

She wiggled her toes in the water again, a small defiant reminder of what she still had. Her legs, her freedom, her humanity. Kaelen might have taken her from her world, but she'll find a way back. No matter what it took she'd get back to the land she loved.