Aria sat alone in the dim cave, her back pressed against the cold rock wall. The glow from the bioluminescent algae provided the only source of light, casting eerie shadows that danced along the water's surface. Once, those glowing lights had filled her with awe. Now, they only served as a reminder of the strangeness of this place - a place where she was trapped, hungry, and growing weaker by the hour.

It had been three days since she'd first woken in the god forsaken cave. Three days since Kaelen had brought her here, and three days since she had last eaten. Kaelen came regularly, offering valor, food that she couldn't bring herself to touch. Dead fish, crabs, seaweed - none of it felt like real food. Her stomach churned at the thought of eating raw sea creatures. She longed for something human; a sandwich, a bowl of soup, even just a piece of bread. Anything but the offerings Kaelen brought from the sea.

Her body was beginning to betray her. Every movement was exhausting. She stayed curled up in the corner of the cave most of the time, wrapping herself tightly in the makeshift seaweed blanket Kaelen had given her. It wasn't enough to out of the cold, but it was better than nothing.

She found herself slipping into daydreams, retreating to a world where she wasn't starving and alone. She imagined herself back home, curled up with one of her romance novels. In her mind, she spun stories to distract from the gnawing hunger. One of her favorites was about a girl who got mistaken for the secretary of a powerful CEO. She had crafted the entire plot in her head over the past few days, adding in twists and steamy romance scenes whenever she was too tired to move.

But even her imagination couldn't completely drown out reality. Her body was wasting away, and every time Kaelen appeared with more fish, more food, she could see the frustration building in his strange, otherworldly eyes. He wanted her to eat. He needed her to eat. Yet she refused, over and over again, until today-when her body felt too weak to continue.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft ripple of water. Kaelen was back.

"Alaria," he called, his voice deeper than before. She looked up, startled by the sharpness in his tone. His glowing blue eyes locked on her as he approached, holding yet another dead fish in his hands.

Aria grimaced and turned away, her stomach twisting in protest. She couldn't eat it. Not again. She hadn't been able to stomach the sight of those slimy, lifeless things since day one, and the smell alone made her gag.

But this time, something was different. Kaelen's expression was harder, more intense. His patience was wearing thin.

"Ilan, valor," he said, his voice firm. He crossed the shallow pool that separated them in two quick strokes, his tail flicking the water behind him. Before she could react, he grabbed her arm.

"Let go!" she cried, instinctively trying to pull away, but she was too weak. Her strength had left her days ago.

Kaelen didn't respond. His grip tightened, not painfully, but enough to make it clear he wasn't going to let her escape. Without warning, he yanked her into the water with him. The cold hit her like a wall, and she gasped as the shock knocked the air from her lungs. She tried to scramble out, her feet slipping on the smooth rocks beneath the surface, but Kaelen's tail wrapped around her waist, holding her in place.

The sensation of his powerful, slick tail coiling around her was terrifying. She kicked at the water, trying to free herself, but it was no use. His grip was iron.

"Alaria," he said again, his voice low and commanding. "Valor."

The word had become all too familiar. It meant food, the thing she had refused for days. Her mind screamed at her to resist, but her body, weak and shaking from hunger, began to falter. She hadn't eaten in three days. She needed to eat. Her stomach growled painfully, but her pride - her disgust - held her back.

"I... I can't," she stammered, her teeth chattering from the cold. "Nahneh." She struggled to form the word for "no" that she had learned in his language.

Kaelen's eyes darkened at her refusal. His grip tightened around her waist, but it wasn't meant to hurt-it was meant to remind her that she was trapped, that he controlled the situation. There was no escape.

His hand moved to her chin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. His eyes burned with a strange intensity, a mixture of frustration and something else-something darker, more possessive. For the first time since she had arrived in this cave, Aria felt truly afraid of him.

"Valor," he whispered, bringing the fish closer to her face.

Aria pressed her lips tightly together, refusing to open her mouth. She couldn't do it. She couldn't eat raw fish. But Kaelen was relentless. His tail squeezed tighter around her waist, pulling her closer, his hand brushing gently over her hair in a disturbing gesture of affection.

"Valor," he repeated, his voice softening, almost coaxing now.

Tears filled Aria's eyes as her willpower began to crumble. Her body quaked with exhaustion, every muscle weak, every thought muddled by hunger. She tried to fight back against the inevitable, but her stomach clenched painfully, growing with need. Her lips trembled as she squeezed them shut, forcing herself to resist just a little longer.

She could feel Kaelen's eyes on her, boring into her soul. His tail, still tightly coiled around her, pulsed against her skin in a way that made her feel more like prey than a person. The thought made her heart race, a wave of panic that briefly overpowered the gnawing hunger.

"Valor Alaria," Kaelen whispered again, almost a plea this time. His hand moved to her cheek, stroking it with an eerie gentleness that sent a shiver down her spine. His touch was cold, alien, and yet... oddly soothing. Was this what he thought she needed? Was this his way of showing care? Or was it just another way to assert his dominance over her?

The fish pressed against her lips again. She gagged before it even entered her mouth, but this time, she was too weak to fight back. Her lips parted, and Kaelen took full advantage, pushing the slimy meat into her mouth. The taste of salt and decay flooded her sense, making her stomach lurch in protest. Tears blurred her vision as she chewed, every bite feeling like a betrayal of herself.

She hated this. She hated him.

But her body, traitorous and desperate, clung to the sustenance like a lifeline. As Kaelen guided her through another bite, Aria's mind screamed. She wanted to shout, to fight back, to demand her freedom, but her strength had long since abandoned her. All she could do was choke down another bit, her body quivering with fatigue and shame.

Kaelen watched her with a strange intensity, his glowing eyes never leaving her face. His satisfaction was palpable. She had finally given in. His Celestara, his goddess, was eating because of him. He had won.

As Aria swallowed another mouthful of fish, her mind began to drift. She tried to pretend she wasn't here, that she wasn't being forced to eat raw fish in a dark cave by a merman. She tried to imagine herself back home, sitting in a cozy restaurant with a plate of fish and chips in front of her. If she could just pretend hard enough, maybe the reality of this situation would fade away.

But Kaelen's soft growl of approval brought her back to the present. His tail tightened around her once more, a reminder of his presence, of the fact that she was completely under his control.

Eventually, most of the fish was gone. Aria had refused to eat the head and tail, and after a few moments of coaxing, Kaelen relented. He seemed displeased, but he didn't force her to finish the entire thing. Instead, he released her from his grip, allowing her to scramble out of the water and back onto the rocky shore.

Aria collapsed onto the ground, shivering violently. She wrapped the seaweed blanket around herself, trying to regain some warmth. Her body ached from the cold, her muscles trembling from exhaustion.

She expected Kaelen to leave then, as he usually did after bringing her food, but this time, he stayed. His eyes followed her every movement, his tail flicking lazily in the water. He didn't speak, but his gaze was intense, as if he were deep in thought.

For a few moments, there was only the sound of the water lapping against the rocks. Aria tried to ignore him, curling up tightly in her corner, her body still shaking. But she couldn't ignore the way his eyes lingered on her, as though he were watching over her with some twisted sense of care.

Then, as if making a decision, Kaelen moved swiftly. He gathered more seaweed from the water, laying it beside her. Confusion flickered in Aria's mind as she watched him. What was he doing?

He brought the seaweed closer, arranging it carefully as he wore pieces together. The realization hit her like a wave - he had made her blanket. The blanket she had been huddling hadn't been something random - he had spent time crafting it for her. And now he was making another, intending it to be something to keep her warm.

Aria's heart twisted with a mixture of frustration and anger. She didn't want his seaweed. She didn't want to be cared for like a helpless pet. She wanted to be home, or at the very least she wanted clothes, something human.

"I don't want seaweed," she snapped, her voice weak but laced with defiance. "I want clothes."

Kaelen tilted his head, confusion flashing across his face. His mouth opened and closed, trying to replicate the sound she had made. He paused making the blanket and stared, confusion in his blue eyes.

"Clothes!" She explained frustrated, " Like this!" Aria gestured to her red bikini, the only things she had left from her world.

Kaelen frowned, his eyes narrowing as if trying to understand. After a moment, he reached out and touched the fabric of her bikini top. Gasping in surprise aria squirmed away - she didn't need his had drifting where it shouldn't. A low hum escaped him, a sound of deep contemplation.

Aria tensed, unsure of what he would do next. Would he tear it away, leaving her completely vulnerable? Would he try to replace them with more seaweed?

To her surprise, Kaelen withdrew his hand, his expression unreadable. Without another word, he turned and slipped back into the water, disappearing into the depths of the cave.

Aria let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She was alone again, but her mind was buzzing with unease. Had Kaelen understood her request? Would he bring her clothes? Or was this just another way for him to control her, to keep her reliant on him?

Her stomach churned at the thought, but exhaustion soon took over. She curled up tighter in her seaweed blanket, her body still aching from the ordeal. Her eyes fluttered closed, and sleep claimed her once more, pulling her into the depths of restless dreams.

But even in her sleep, she couldn't escape the growing fear that Kaelen's kindness was just another form of control. He wasn't letting her go. He was keeping her here, feeding her, watching her. And no matter how much she tried to resist, she was becoming more and more dependent on him.

Translation: "Ilan, valor," = yes, eat. "Nahneh." = no