Noooo the story is reaching its end! But don't worry there is one more chapter after this one so keep an eye out! I'll probably upload it tomorrow as I'm impatient and excited for the finish 😂 ————————-

Aria sat quietly in the hard plastic chair, staring at the scuffed tiles beneath her bare feet. The police station buzzed with life—phones ringing, the distant hum of conversations, and the occasional clatter of keyboards—but for Aria, it all felt like a distant, distorted echo. Her world had narrowed to the chair she sat on, the warmth of the oversized sweatpants and hoodie the officers had lent her, and the thrum of her own heartbeat. She absently fiddled with the strings on the sweatpants, their texture foreign and oddly comforting.

The air smelled of stale coffee and disinfectant, a sharp contrast to the salty tang that had clung to her skin for months. Somewhere down the hall, a clock ticked steadily, each second stretching endlessly. She tried to focus on the sound, grounding herself, but her nerves refused to settle. She felt fragile, like glass, waiting for something to shatter her.

A distant voice cut through the haze. It was louder, urgent, and familiar.

"Aria!"

Her head snapped up.

There they were. Her mother, her face streaked with tears, was running toward her. Her father followed close behind, his eyes wide with disbelief and relief. For a moment, Aria couldn't move, her mind struggling to reconcile their presence with the months of separation.

"Mom," she whispered, rising unsteadily to her feet.

Her mother crashed into her, pulling her into a crushing hug. Aria gasped at the intensity of it, feeling her mother's tears soaking into the borrowed hoodie.

"You're alive," her mother sobbed, her voice trembling. "Oh my god, you're alive."

Her father wrapped his arms around them both, his grip firm but shaking. "We thought we'd lost you," he murmured, his voice cracking.

Tears streamed down Aria's face as she clung to them, her body trembling under the weight of her emotions. She had dreamed of this moment for so long, but now that it was here, it felt surreal, like she was watching it happen to someone else.

When her mother pulled back, she cupped Aria's face in her hands, her fingers tracing the sharp lines of her cheekbones. "You've lost so much weight," she murmured. "What happened to you?"

Aria's throat tightened. How could she explain everything here, in this sterile, fluorescent-lit station? "It's... a long story," she said hoarsely, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her father placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression soft but heavy with concern. "Let's get you home. You need rest."

As they guided her out of the station, the cool night air hit her face, crisp and clean. For the first time in months, she felt free. She was going home.

~

The car hummed softly as her father drove them through the quiet streets. Aria sat in the back seat, her hands folded in her lap. The seatbelt pressed against her collarbone, the sensation strange and oddly restrictive after so long without one. She leaned her head against the window, the cool glass soothing against her temple.

Her mother turned in her seat, her voice gentle. "Your brother and sister are home. They've missed you so much, Aria. They'll be over the moon to see you."

Aria managed a small smile. Just the thought of seeing Tommy and Sabrina again made her chest tighten. She pictured Tommy's wild curls and boundless energy, and Sabrina's shy but comforting presence.

Her father glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "You don't have to talk about anything yet," he said softly. "Just rest. We'll figure everything out when you're ready."

Aria nodded, her throat too tight to respond. Exhaustion weighed her down, her body sinking into the worn fabric of the seat. Her mother reached back, resting a comforting hand on her knee.

The steady rhythm of the car and the quiet murmur of her parents' voices lulled her into a haze. Her eyes fluttered shut, and for the first time in months, she drifted into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

"Aria, wake up. We're home," her father said softly, his hand brushing her shoulder.

Aria blinked awake, the porch light glowing warmly in the distance. She stepped out of the car, the faint creak of the driveway gravel beneath her feet grounding her. The wind carried the familiar scent of lavender from the garden, mixed with the faint aroma of cinnamon wafting from the house.

Before she could take another step, the front door burst open. Two small figures barreled toward her.

"Aria!"

Tommy reached her first, throwing his arms around her waist with so much force she almost stumbled. "You're really here!" he cried, his voice muffled against her stomach. "You're alive!"

Sabrina wasn't far behind. Tears streaked her face as she wrapped her arms around Aria's shoulders. "We missed you so much," she whispered, her voice shaking.

Aria dropped to her knees, pulling them both into a hug. "I missed you too," she choked out, her voice breaking.

Her siblings cried into her shoulders, their small bodies shaking. Aria held them close, her own tears mixing with theirs. For a moment, the weight of her ordeal lifted, replaced by the warmth of their love.

Her mother's voice broke the moment. "Let's go inside. She needs to rest."

Aria reluctantly let go of the twins, her hands brushing against their tear-streaked faces. "I'll be right here," she promised.

The house smelled exactly as she remembered – lavender and cinnamon. The soft hum of the refrigerator greeted her as she stepped inside, and the worn carpet beneath her feet was a comforting contrast to the rough, jagged rocks she had grown used to.

Tommy and Sabrina stayed close, their eyes never leaving her as if afraid she might disappear again. Her father guided her to the couch, and her mother fussed over her, bringing a blanket and tucking it around her shoulders.

"I'll get you something to eat," her mother said, disappearing into the kitchen.

Aria sank into the cushions, her body aching but her heart full. The twins sat on either side of her, holding her hands tightly.

"You were gone for so long," Sabrina whispered. "We thought... we thought you were never coming back."

"I thought the same thing," Aria admitted, her voice barely audible.

Her mother returned with a plate of sandwiches and a tall glass of milk. "Eat, sweetheart," she urged, setting the food in front of her.

Aria hesitated for only a moment before picking up a sandwich. The first bite was heavenly. The soft bread, the rich cheese, the fresh ham – it was unlike anything she'd had in months. Tears pricked her eyes as she chewed.

"It's so good," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Her mother sat beside her, stroking her hair. "You can have as much as you want," she said gently.

But even as Aria ate, memories of the ocean haunted her. The slimy texture of raw fish flashed in her mind, the salty tang making her stomach churn. She pushed the thoughts away, focusing on the taste of real food.

Her family watched her closely, their worry palpable. Aria knew she couldn't keep them in the dark forever. They deserved to know the truth.

Taking a deep breath, she set the sandwich down and looked at her parents. "I need to tell you what happened," she said softly.

Her father frowned. "Aria, you don't have to—"

"No," she interrupted, her voice firmer than she expected. "You need to know. It's... it's going to sound crazy, but I need you to believe me."

Her mother reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly. "We'll believe you, sweetheart. No matter what."

And so, haltingly at first, Aria began to recount her ordeal. She described how she was pulled under, the terror that had gripped her as she realized she couldn't escape. She told them about the man – no, the creature – who had taken her, and how he had kept her alive by pressing his lips to hers, giving her air.

"Like a merman?" Sabrina whispered, her eyes wide.

"Yes," Aria said, her voice trembling. "A merman."

Her parents exchanged uneasy glances but said nothing, letting her continue.

She described the cold, the suffocating darkness of the ocean, and the cave where she had been imprisoned. Her voice trembled as she described her how he would provide her with food. How she had refuced the raw fish until her had forced it down her throat. The slimy texture making her hag until hunger overruled her revulsion along with her need for survival. She told them about her failed escape attempts, the fear she'd felt when he came after her, the bruises on her arms from Kaelens grip. And finally she told them all about Kaelen – his charm, his obsession and his terrifying plan to turn her into one of them. The fear that she would never walk on land again, ever see them again.

Even to Aria it was a miracle Kaelen had managed to see reason and had released her. He could have easily dragged her to the ritual and with the new priestess she knew that she'd would have lost the fight. Her hand traveled to the wound between her shoulder and neck, the same spot where Kaelen had bit her. She wondered how it looked. It hurt, but not as much as it had when he given it to her. But there was another pain, a phantom pain knowing that this mark of his would forever be a part of her.

Her parents listened in stunned silence, their faces pale and their eyes wide. When she finally finished, the room was heavy with the weight of her story.

Her father was the first to speak. "Aria... are you sure? I mean..." He trailed off, his eyes darting to her mother. It was a difficult story to believe, she knew that.

Her mother shook her head. "She wouldn't make this up. Look at her, Thomas. Look at what she's been through."

Aria's chest tightened, and she dropped her gaze to her lap. "I know it sounds insane," she whispered. "But it's the truth. I wouldn't lie to you." Who would believe her though? Mermaid were stories of fiction, they weren't real. She wouldn't have believed it herself if she hadnt just spent the last nine months living with one.

Her mother pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly. "We believe you," she murmured, though her voice was tinged with uncertainty. "You're our daughter. We'll believe you, no matter what."

~

Later that evening, Aria stood in the bathroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She barely recognized herself.

Her once soft curves were sharp and jagged, her skin pale as if it had never seen the sun. Bruises mottled her arms and legs, dark reminders of her struggles. Her hair, tangled and matted, cascaded past her waist and to her hips, far longer than she remembered. She closed her eyes for a moment as she gently touched the course hair. It had been just past her shoulders.

Opening in her eyes she reached out, touching the glass, as if to convince herself that the reflection was real.

For the first time in months, she was alone. No Kaelen. No endless ocean. No Dark cave. Just her and the quiet hum of the house. She could hear her family talking downstears, it was a comforting noise. Anything else than the siffeling silence she'd experienced in the ocean.

She stripped off the sweatpants and hoody the police had given her followed by the ragged bikini she had worn for nine months, the fabric stiff and salty. The marks on her skin were even more pronounced now – Kaelen's fingerprints, bruises from climbing onto jagged rocks. It was a miracle the police hadn't questioned her more closely about them.

Stepping into the shower, she turned the water on, letting the hot stream cascade over her. The sensation was almost overwhelming, a stark contrast to the cold ocean water she had grown used to. She grabbed the shampoo, lathering it into her hair, and worked through the tangles, repeating the process two more times until her hair felt soft again.

The conditioner followed, smoothing out the last of the knots. By the time she stepped out of the shower, she felt like a different person.

Wrapping a towel around herself, she stared at her reflection again. Her hair, now clean and shiny, seemed even longer. She ran her fingers through it, marveling at how much it had grown.

She'd truly been gone for nine months. The thought settled heavily on her chest as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her family had grieved for her, lived through the agonizing uncertainty of not knowing whether she was alive or dead. She imagined their sorrow, their hope dwindling with each passing day. Swept out to sea, they would have presumed her dead after only a few days—no one survives that long in the open ocean.

And yet, she had.

Aria ran a hand over the mark on her shoulder, the skin tender beneath her fingertips. Kaelen's bite. It was a small thing, but it felt like a brand, a lingering reminder that even though she had escaped, a part of her ordeal would stay with her forever. She tried to push the memories away, but they rose unbidden: the suffocating darkness of the cave, the icy press of the ocean, the moments she had given up hope of ever seeing the sky again.

Now, standing here in her childhood home, the hum of life surrounding her, it felt almost too much to process. The soft murmur of her family's voices drifted up the stairs, grounding her. She closed her eyes, letting herself soak in the warmth of their love and the safety of her home. For the first time in months, she felt a fragile sense of peace, a fragile sense of being alive.