Chapter 1: The Isolated Shore
The sun hung lazily over the turquoise horizon, casting a golden glow over the secluded stretch of beach. The waves lapped at the shore in a rhythmic lullaby, their melody the only company Emma Carter had wanted.
She stretched out on her beach towel, reveling in the warmth of the sand beneath her. This—this was paradise. After months of grueling work in New York, escaping to a quiet, untouched corner of the world had been the perfect idea. The small coastal town had been charming, the kind of place where time slowed down and the worries of modern life melted away with the tide.
Emma closed her eyes, inhaling the salty breeze, allowing herself to drift into the kind of relaxed daze that only solitude could bring.
Until she wasn’t alone anymore.
A shadow passed over her, blocking the sun. She opened her eyes, blinking against the sudden shade. Two men stood over her, grinning.
Locals, she guessed. Young, no older than their mid-twenties, dressed in loose linen shirts and faded shorts. They looked like fishermen or maybe just beach drifters.
“Hola, guapa,” one of them said, his grin wide and easy. His companion chuckled, nudging him.
Emma stiffened slightly but forced a polite smile. She had dealt with chatty locals before—nothing new.
“Hi,” she responded, reaching for her water bottle.
“You alone here?” the first man asked, crouching beside her towel. His eyes skimmed over her, lingering just a second too long.
Red flags flared in Emma’s mind. Too friendly. Too interested.
“I was just about to leave,” she said, trying to keep her voice light.
The second man, leaner and taller than his friend, stepped closer. “Why? It’s a beautiful day. You should enjoy it.”
“I have plans,” she lied, standing up and dusting sand from her skin.
The men exchanged glances, a silent communication passing between them. The first one, the one with the easy smile, suddenly pulled a small object from his pocket. Before Emma could register what it was, she felt a sharp sting on her upper arm.
A needle.
“What the hell?” she gasped, jerking back, clutching her arm.
The two men stepped away, watching her with unsettling amusement.
“What did you—” Emma’s voice slurred. A heavy dizziness washed over her, her limbs suddenly weak, her vision dimming at the edges. The world around her seemed to tilt, and her knees buckled.
As she crumpled onto the sand, the last thing she saw was the two men walking away, their laughter blending with the sound of the waves.
Then, darkness.
Chapter 2: A Nightmare Awakens
Emma drifted between consciousness and oblivion, her mind sluggish, heavy, as though trapped in a fog. A soft breeze whispered over her skin, carrying the scent of salt and damp earth. The rhythmic crash of waves was different now, closer, louder—as if the ocean itself had drawn her in.
Her eyes fluttered open. The sky above was painted in streaks of crimson and gold, the sun a molten orb dipping into the horizon.
How long have I been out?
She pushed herself up, her body aching as if she had run a marathon in her sleep. Her fingers sank into wet sand, grains clinging to her skin. A strange sensation slithered down her spine—something felt wrong.
Too heavy.
Too unfamiliar.
Her heartbeat quickened as she looked down.
Her breath hitched.
Where her legs should have been, a sleek, shimmering tail stretched out beneath her. Emerald-green scales caught the fading sunlight, reflecting an otherworldly glow. It wasn’t just the tail—it was her tail.
A strangled gasp tore from her throat.
No. No, this isn’t real. This is a dream.
She squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers clawing at the wet sand beneath her. When she opened them again, the sight hadn’t changed. The long, sinuous tail remained, glistening, alien. She tried to move, to stand, but the weight of it dragged her down, her muscles unable to respond the way they once had.
Panic slammed into her chest.
Her hands flew to her body. The sensation was wrong—too soft, too exaggerated. Her breasts were—larger, heavier than they should be. A cold rush of horror coursed through her veins as she skimmed her trembling fingers over her skin.
And then she saw it.
Her lips. Her fingertips. Her nipples.
All stained an unnatural, glowing green.
A scream ripped from her throat, raw and desperate, sending birds scattering from the palm trees behind her. She twisted, writhed, trying to tear herself free from this grotesque illusion.
But it wasn’t an illusion.
The movements only confirmed it. The tail was her. The changes were her.
Her chest heaved, air coming in short, panicked gasps. Her fingers dug into the sand, nails breaking as she pulled herself closer to the water’s edge. Trembling, she peered into the shallow tide pool beside her.
The reflection staring back was a stranger.
Her long auburn hair was wild and tangled, but it wasn’t her disheveled state that made her stomach lurch.
Her lips were full, almost exaggerated in their shape, and a neon green so unnatural it looked painted on. The same unnatural hue colored her nipples, a stark contrast against her pale skin.
Tears burned at the edges of her vision.
This wasn’t her body.
This wasn’t real.
It couldn’t be real.
A choked sob left her lips as she clawed at herself, desperate to wake up, to peel away whatever nightmare had been forced upon her. But there was no waking up. There was no peeling it away.
The body in the reflection wasn’t a hallucination.
It was her new reality.
And then, from somewhere behind her, a voice rang out.
“She’s awake.”
The two men from earlier stood a few feet away, watching.
Grinning.
Waiting.
And Emma knew, with a sickening certainty, that her nightmare was only just beginning.
Chapter 3: The Slavers' Revelation
Emma’s pulse pounded in her ears, drowning out the sound of the waves. The two men stood over her, their smug grins twisting into something sinister in the fading light.
She tried to move, to push herself backward, but her tail was heavy, awkward. She barely managed to shift an inch before her arms gave out, the unnatural weight of her transformed body pulling her down.
The shorter of the two men, the one with sun-bleached hair and sharp eyes, crouched beside her. He tilted his head, studying her like a newly captured specimen.
“Looks like the serum worked even better than expected,” he mused, nudging her tail with the toe of his sandal. “You’re a masterpiece, sirenita.”
Emma recoiled, her body shuddering at his words.
“Let me go,” she croaked, her voice raw with fear.
The taller man chuckled, his arms crossing over his chest. “Why would we do that? Do you have any idea how much you’re worth now?”
Emma’s stomach twisted.
“This isn’t real,” she whispered, shaking her head. “This can’t be real.”
The shorter man smirked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small, empty vial—the same one he had used to inject her with. He held it up, letting the last traces of a glowing blue liquid swirl inside.
“Oh, it’s very real, guapa. This little serum? It rewrote your DNA, permanently. You’re not human anymore. Not fully, at least.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “You’re something better. Something rare.”
Emma’s breath hitched.
“No,” she whispered, her hands gripping the damp sand beneath her. “Change me back. You have to—”
The taller man laughed, a deep, mocking sound. “Change you back? ¿Por qué? You’re worth millions now. We don’t waste merchandise like you.”
Emma’s blood ran cold.
Merchandise.
That word slithered into her mind like a toxin, and suddenly, she understood.
They weren’t just two random creeps. They weren’t some drunk locals playing a prank.
They were slavers.
And they had turned her into a product.
“No—” Emma pushed forward with every ounce of strength she had, trying to drag herself away. Her tail flopped uselessly, sand sticking to her damp skin. She dug her fingers into the ground, clawing for escape.
A hand grabbed her wrist—tight, unyielding.
The shorter man yanked her back effortlessly, as if she weighed nothing at all. “Ah, ah, ah,” he tsked. “I wouldn’t struggle if I were you. You’re still adjusting. That body of yours isn’t built for land anymore.”
Emma’s breathing came in sharp, ragged gasps. She kicked, thrashed, but her tail was foreign, sluggish. Every movement felt wrong.
Panic clawed at her throat.
“Help!” she screamed, her voice raw and desperate. “Somebody, please—”
The taller man sighed. “No one’s coming.”
A shadow loomed beside her. Before she could react, something thick and coarse dropped over her body—a net. The weight of it pressed her down, wrapping around her arms, her tail.
“Perfect fit,” the shorter man said, tightening the ropes.
Emma screamed again, twisting, fighting. The net bit into her skin as she struggled, but it was no use. They were too strong. Her body was too weak.
Tears burned her eyes. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening.
One moment, she had been sunbathing on a peaceful beach, and now—
Now, she was a captive.
A thing to be sold.
The taller man hoisted her up, slinging her over his shoulder like a fisherman hauling in a prize catch. “Auction’s tomorrow night,” he said to his companion. “This one’s gonna make us rich.”
Emma thrashed, her fists beating against his back. “Let me go! You can’t do this!”
But they weren’t listening.
They were already walking, carrying her toward a darkened cove where a hidden transport vehicle waited.
As the night swallowed them, Emma realized with sinking horror:
Her nightmare was just beginning.
Chapter 4: Captured Below the Surface
Darkness swallowed Emma as the slavers hauled her into a concealed passage carved into the rocky cliffs. The air grew damp, thick with the scent of seawater and something metallic—rust? Blood? She struggled against the net, but her muscles refused to obey. Every movement reminded her of her alien form, the unnatural weight of her tail a cruel anchor.
The tunnel sloped downward, the slavers’ footsteps echoing in the confined space. The taller one, still carrying her, adjusted his grip as they reached a set of metal doors. With a loud hiss, they slid open, revealing a dimly lit chamber flooded with seawater.
A transport pod sat at the center, its sleek, glass structure partially submerged. Emma barely had time to process what was happening before the men dumped her inside.
She hit the water with a splash, the cool liquid shocking her senses. Before she could resurface, the chamber sealed with a mechanical clank. The pod jerked forward, descending into a submerged tunnel system.
Emma slammed her fists against the glass. “No! Let me out!”
Her voice echoed uselessly as the pod dove deeper, water rushing past at unnatural speeds. The lights inside flickered, casting eerie reflections against the glass walls.
Then, she saw it.
The tunnel opened into a vast underwater expanse, its walls lined with enormous, reinforced tanks. Shapes moved within them—human shapes.
Mermaids.
Emma’s breath caught in her throat. There were dozens of them. Some floated listlessly, their eyes vacant. Others curled in corners, shivering despite the water around them. A few pounded against the glass, their mouths forming silent screams.
Terror wrapped around her like a vice.
This is real. This is happening.
The transport pod slowed as it reached a docking bay. The moment it latched into place, the doors hissed open, and rough hands grabbed her.
Emma fought, thrashing as they dragged her into the facility. The air was thick with moisture, the walls lined with flickering monitors displaying biological scans and data logs. The entire place pulsed with an artificial glow, humming with technology far beyond anything she had ever seen.
A cold voice cut through the chaos.
“Ah. The new arrival.”
Emma twisted to see a man in a long, white lab coat standing near a control panel. His hair was slicked back, his sharp features illuminated by the dim light of the monitors. He observed her with detached curiosity, his gaze scanning her like she was nothing more than a specimen.
“She’s... exquisite,” he murmured.
Emma recoiled as he stepped closer, tilting his head like an artist admiring his latest work.
“Her transformation is the most seamless we’ve seen,” he continued, pressing a button on the panel. A nearby screen flickered to life, displaying an intricate biological breakdown of her altered form. “No rejection, no cellular degradation. A complete genetic rewrite. Fascinating.”
Emma’s stomach twisted.
“What did you do to me?” she rasped.
The scientist barely spared her a glance. “Not me. The serum. Your body simply responded better than the others.”
Emma’s gaze darted to the tanks. The other women—were they failed experiments?
Her horror deepened.
The scientist turned to the guards. “Put her in Observation Room Seven. She needs time to adjust.”
The slavers yanked her forward. Emma struggled, but it was useless. They dragged her down a long corridor lined with thick, reinforced glass chambers.
Some were empty.
Others weren’t.
Inside, other transformed women floated in suspended water, their faces void of expression. Emma’s breath came in short gasps.
She wasn’t just captured.
She was part of an experiment.
The guards reached a vacant chamber and threw her inside. Water rushed in as the doors sealed, forcing her to adapt instantly. She flailed, her instincts screaming, but something else—something unnatural—whispered in her mind.
The water felt... good.
Her body felt right in it.
Emma gritted her teeth, forcing the sensation away. No. No, I’m not this. I won’t be this.
Outside the glass, the scientist watched, making notes on his tablet.
“Let’s see how long she resists,” he mused.
Emma pressed her hands against the glass, glaring at him with all the defiance she had left.
But deep inside, a terrifying truth gnawed at her.
What if she couldn’t resist at all?
Chapter 5: The Highest Bidder
Emma’s world was reduced to glass and water.
For what felt like hours, she had been left alone in her chamber, the eerie blue light pulsing through the water, the monitors outside humming with indecipherable data. She had fought at first, slamming her fists against the reinforced glass, screaming until her throat was raw.
No one came.
No one listened.
Her new body, still alien, had started responding to the water. The more she moved, the more natural it felt. Her tail sliced through the liquid with ease, her lungs adjusted to longer breaths. No. Stop. I’m still human. She clenched her jaw, refusing to surrender to the transformation.
Then, the door slid open.
A team of masked attendants entered, their movements precise, practiced. Emma barely had time to react before metallic restraints locked around her wrists and tail, dragging her out of the chamber.
She gasped as the water drained away, her tail flopping uselessly against the cold platform beneath her. They forced her onto a gurney, securing her in place before wheeling her down a dimly lit corridor. The walls changed as they moved—ornate gold accents replaced the sterile lab aesthetic, flickering chandeliers casting long shadows.
Emma’s heart pounded.
This wasn’t a lab anymore.
This was somewhere else.
The air thickened with expensive perfume and aged cigars. As they entered a vast underground hall, Emma’s stomach turned. It was an auction house.
She lay at the center of an elevated, glass-paneled display, positioned like a trophy beneath golden lights. A massive crowd gathered in the gallery beyond, dressed in silk and velvet, their faces half-hidden behind masks of gold, ivory, and deep obsidian. Some wore military regalia, others the casual arrogance of billionaires.
She recognized none of them.
But their eyes—all of them—were on her.
A voice echoed through the chamber.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to tonight’s most coveted acquisition.”
A thin man in a tailored black suit stepped onto the stage beside her, gesturing grandly to her bound form.
“Behold—the perfect mermaid. A seamless genetic transformation. No side effects. No degradation. Pure, exotic beauty, crafted to perfection.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, some gasping in delight, others nodding in approval.
Emma’s breathing grew ragged. They’re selling me.
The auctioneer continued. “Her form is flawless. Enhanced proportions. Unique pigmentation. The only one of her kind.”
Like hell I am. Emma struggled, twisting against the restraints.
The audience chuckled, amused by her defiance.
“Strong spirit,” the auctioneer remarked, smiling thinly. “But don’t worry—she’ll be malleable in time.”
Emma’s blood boiled.
A silver-haired man in the front row lifted his paddle. “One million.”
The bidding began.
It escalated fast.
Two million.
Three point five.
Five million.
The numbers climbed with every breath, the audience growing more frenzied, more hungry.
Emma’s stomach twisted in revulsion.
To them, she wasn’t a person. She wasn’t Emma.
She was an object.
A woman in a deep crimson gown leaned forward. “Twelve million.”
A pause.
The auctioneer grinned. “Twelve million! A rare bid indeed.”
Emma’s pulse raced. This was it. This is how my life ends. Owned by some twisted collector. A pet. A display piece.
Then, from the darkest corner of the room, a gloved hand lifted.
A masked figure, dressed in black, sitting apart from the others.
The voice was smooth, calm.
“Fifty million.”
A collective gasp. The entire room shifted, whispers rising like a tide.
The auctioneer barely contained his excitement. “Fifty million! Do we have fifty-five?”
Silence.
No one dared challenge the masked bidder.
The auctioneer smirked. “Sold.”
A sharp gavel strike sealed Emma’s fate.
Her body slumped against the restraints. She had no idea who had just bought her.
But one thing was clear.
She belonged to them now.
Chapter 6: The Dark Owner
The world blurred around Emma as she was transported from the underground auction house. The transition was seamless, almost surgical—one moment, she was on display, bound and powerless; the next, she was inside a dimly lit transport pod, encased in water, her body weightless yet still trapped.
She had no concept of time. There were no windows, no way to tell how far they had traveled or where she was being taken. All she had was the soft hum of machinery, the dull pressure of water against her skin, and the endless questions racing through her mind.
Who was the bidder? Where was she going? What would happen to her now?
When the pod finally stopped, the water inside began to drain. Emma gasped as the cool air met her damp skin. The restraints unlocked with a mechanical click, and before she could react, the chamber doors slid open.
She was no longer underground.
The room before her was vast, sleek, and modern. Unlike the cold sterility of the auction house, this place was warm, almost luxurious. The ceiling stretched impossibly high, adorned with floating, luminescent orbs that bathed everything in a soft blue light. The walls were lined with massive glass windows, revealing an oceanic habitat so expansive it looked like a world of its own.
A deep voice cut through the silence.
“You’re awake.”
Emma flinched.
A man stood near the far end of the room, his posture relaxed but commanding. He was tall, dressed in dark, tailored clothing that contrasted against the ethereal glow of the water. His face was sharp, chiseled, with piercing gray eyes that seemed to strip away every layer of her being.
She knew immediately—this was him.
Her new owner.
He stepped closer, his gaze sweeping over her like an appraising collector inspecting a prized artifact.
“Emma Carter,” he murmured, as if testing her name on his tongue. “Welcome to my estate.”
Emma’s pulse pounded in her ears. She pushed herself back against the transport chamber, her tail coiling instinctively. “Where am I?” she demanded, her voice hoarse but defiant.
The man studied her, unfazed by her hostility. “A private sanctuary. My sanctuary.”
She gritted her teeth. “And who the hell are you?”
His lips curved into a slight, unreadable smile. “Viktor Sloane.”
The name sent an unsettling chill down her spine. It was familiar—she had heard whispers of it before. He was a recluse, a man of legend in the underground world. A collector. A billionaire with a fascination for things beyond human reach.
And now, she was one of his acquisitions.
Emma swallowed hard, forcing her voice to remain steady. “What do you want from me?”
Viktor took another step forward, stopping just at the edge of the water. “I want nothing that hasn’t already been taken,” he said smoothly. “You belong to me now, Emma. That is the reality you must accept.”
Her stomach twisted in revulsion.
“I am not yours,” she spat.
His gaze remained impassive. “And yet, you are here.”
Emma clenched her fists. She wanted to fight, to scream, to tear the entire place down. But the truth was undeniable—she was trapped. She had no idea where this estate was, no idea if escape was even possible.
Viktor studied her reaction with amusement, then gestured toward the oceanic habitat behind him.
“This is your new home,” he said. “You’ll find that it’s far more comfortable than the cell you were kept in before.”
Emma turned her gaze to the massive aquatic space beyond the glass. The water shimmered, stretching endlessly into the unknown.
Was this a prison? Or was it something worse?
Viktor took another step toward her, lowering his voice. “I suggest you adapt quickly. I have no intention of harming you, but I will break you if necessary.”
A shiver ran through her.
He wasn’t like the slavers. He wasn’t cruel in the way they were.
He was something far more dangerous.
Controlled. Patient.
And that terrified her more than anything.
Emma inhaled deeply, forcing herself to stay calm. She needed to be smart. She needed to watch him.
If there was a weakness in Viktor Sloane, she would find it.
And when she did, she would use it.
Because no matter what he thought—
She would never belong to him.
Chapter 7: The Hidden Agenda
Time blurred in the aquatic prison that Viktor Sloane called a sanctuary. Days—if they could be called that—passed in an unsettling rhythm. The oceanic habitat, though vast and undeniably beautiful, was still a cage, and Emma knew it.
She swam beneath artificial moonlight, her tail cutting through the water with a grace she hated to acknowledge. She had stopped resisting its movements; she had no choice. But every breath, every flick of her tail, every moment spent adapting to her new form made her stomach turn.
She refused to accept this.
She refused to become this.
But she needed to be smart. Reckless resistance had done nothing but amuse Viktor, and Emma had quickly learned that amusement was dangerous. So she watched. She listened. She waited.
And little by little, she uncovered the truth about the man who had bought her.
Viktor’s Game
Viktor Sloane was more than just a collector of rare beings—he was an architect of them.
Emma had pieced it together through fragments of overheard conversations and subtle slips in his words. He spoke of progress and the next stage of genetic enhancement, of unlocking something buried deep within human DNA.
More disturbingly, he spoke as if mermaids had always existed.
“The myths,” he had mused once, his gaze fixed on the water as if lost in some long-forgotten memory. “They weren’t myths at all. They were warnings.”
Emma had pressed for answers, feigning curiosity. Viktor had indulged her, but only in cryptic riddles.
“Humans were never meant to stay bound to the land,” he had said. “Some of us were never meant to be fully human to begin with.”
The implications chilled her.
But what had truly set her blood running cold was what she found beneath the estate: The Lab of Failed Experiments
It had taken patience, but Viktor had grown comfortable enough to let her roam within limits. He knew she couldn’t run. She had no legs, no way to survive on land anymore.
But he had underestimated her determination.
Emma had followed him one evening, keeping to the shadows of the deep tunnels within the estate. He had disappeared into a section of the facility she had never seen before, a reinforced corridor leading to a hidden lab.
What she saw inside haunted her.
Rows of reinforced tanks, much like the ones at the auction house, lined the walls. But the figures inside weren’t like her.
They were broken.
Malformed mermaids, their bodies contorted in ways that defied nature. Some had tails that hadn’t fully formed, their flesh twisted with remnants of human limbs. Others had dead, glazed-over eyes, their faces locked in eternal agony. Some floated lifelessly, their bodies rejecting whatever transformation they had been forced into.
Emma clamped a hand over her mouth, bile rising in her throat.
This was what had happened to the others.
This was what would have happened to her if she hadn’t survived the serum.
She turned, ready to flee before she was caught, but the door behind her slid open with a quiet hiss.
“Ah,” Viktor’s voice echoed through the sterile room. “You found it.”
Emma’s breath hitched.
She turned slowly to face him, masking her horror with forced neutrality.
Viktor stepped inside, his expression unreadable. “You’re resourceful.”
Emma forced herself to meet his gaze. “And you’re a monster.”
He smirked. “A visionary,” he corrected. “Do you think I did this to them for pleasure?” He gestured toward the failed experiments. “No. This is progress. Evolution has always been cruel, Emma. Only the strongest survive.”
Emma’s hands clenched into fists. “And that’s why I’m still alive?”
His smile didn’t falter. “Exactly.”
She swallowed hard, anger warring with the cold realization creeping through her.
Viktor wasn’t going to kill her.
She was too valuable.
And that meant she had an advantage.
She lowered her gaze, feigning contemplation. “You said mermaids weren’t myths. That they were warnings.” She looked back up, forcing curiosity into her tone. “Warnings of what?”
Viktor’s smirk widened slightly.
For the first time, he looked intrigued.
Emma’s heart pounded.
If she could make him believe she was willing to learn, that she was curious, she might buy herself the time she needed.
Time to find his weakness.
Time to escape.
But as Viktor stepped closer, his gray eyes gleaming with something dangerously close to admiration, Emma knew one thing for certain—
She was playing a very, very dangerous game.
Chapter 8: Allies in the Abyss
Emma had learned one thing about Viktor Sloane—he underestimated her.
He saw her as his most prized possession, an experiment that had exceeded all expectations. But in reality, she was something far more dangerous—an adversary waiting for the right moment to strike.
And she was not alone.
The Other Mermaids
Viktor had allowed her more freedom within his underwater estate, confident that she would never escape. The sprawling oceanic habitat was vast and beautiful, with coral towers and shimmering blue caverns, but Emma saw it for what it was—another cage.
And within that cage, she wasn’t the only prisoner.
She had seen glimpses of them before—silent figures moving in the deep, watching her from a distance. They never spoke, never approached. She had thought them broken, resigned to their fate.
She was wrong.
It started with a whisper.
“New girl.”
Emma turned sharply, her tail flicking instinctively.
A woman hovered a few feet away in the water, her silver hair floating around her like moonlight. Her eyes were a piercing shade of violet, sharp with intelligence, but her face was lined with exhaustion.
Emma tensed. “Who are you?”
The woman tilted her head. “I’m Selene.”
The name sparked recognition. Emma had heard Viktor mention her in passing—a failed acquisition. Too rebellious. Too difficult to control.
Selene smirked, as if reading her thoughts. “That’s right. I’ve been here longer than anyone.”
Emma narrowed her eyes. “Then why are you still here?”
Selene’s smirk faltered for just a second before she folded her arms. “Because getting out isn’t easy. Not alone, anyway.”
Emma’s heart pounded. “But it’s possible?”
Selene hesitated, then nodded. “There’s a way. A passage that leads out into the open ocean. But it’s not unguarded. Viktor doesn’t keep us here just for the fun of it.”
Emma clenched her fists. “Then we need to find a way past whatever’s guarding it.”
Selene studied her. “You’re different.”
Emma raised an eyebrow. “How so?”
“You haven’t broken yet.”
Emma’s jaw tightened. “And I won’t.”
Selene gave a small, approving nod. “Then maybe we have a chance.”
The Rebellion Forms
Selene wasn’t the only one.
Through whispered conversations and secret meetings in the hidden trenches of the habitat, Emma and Selene gathered others—women who had been stolen, transformed, and discarded. Some were too afraid to fight, but others… others were ready.
There was Liora, a once-famous diver who had been taken years ago. She knew the deep-sea tunnels better than anyone.
There was Nia, a quiet but fierce woman with bioluminescent markings, a failed second-phase experiment. She had seen what happened to those who resisted too loudly.
And there were more.
Each of them had suffered. Each of them had lost.
And each of them wanted out.
The Plan
Selene took Emma to the farthest part of the habitat, where the rock formations nearly hid a massive iron gate set into the ocean floor.
“There,” Selene said. “That leads to open water. But no one who’s ever tried has made it through.”
Emma swam closer, pressing her hands against the gate. The metal was thick, reinforced. There was no way brute force would break it.
“How does it open?”
Selene hesitated. “Viktor has the override codes. But there’s another way.”
She pointed toward the base of the gate, where a narrow, jagged opening was barely visible.
Emma’s breath caught. “A weakness.”
Selene nodded. “It’s tight, and it won’t fit all of us at once. But if we can create a distraction, we can get through before anyone realizes what’s happening.”
Emma’s mind raced. A distraction. Something big enough to pull Viktor’s attention away.
Then, a dark thought crossed her mind.
“What happens if we get caught?”
Selene’s expression darkened. “Then we don’t get another chance.”
Silence stretched between them.
Emma exhaled slowly. “Then we better make this count.”
For the first time since her transformation, she felt something close to hope.
They had a plan.
They had allies.
And soon, they would have freedom.
No matter what it took.
Chapter 9: The Sirens' Revolt
The night of the revolt arrived sooner than expected.
Viktor’s estate hummed with activity. A high-profile gathering had drawn the wealthiest and most dangerous people in the world—bidders, scientists, collectors. They had come to witness his greatest creation: her.
But Emma had no intention of being put on display again.
She hovered in the dark waters of the vast oceanic habitat, her allies positioned at key locations. Selene was near the central filtration system, Liora at the emergency water-release valves, and Nia close to the tunnel gate. They had rehearsed this moment in whispers, in the hidden crevices of their cage.
Now, it was time to act.
Emma took a deep breath. This is it.
She flicked her tail, swimming toward the gathering hall, where dozens of figures in fine suits and gowns stood before a panoramic view of the oceanic enclosure. Beyond the glass, they saw only beauty, unaware that revolution swam just beneath the surface.
Emma locked eyes with Selene from across the water.
Selene nodded.
The attack began.
The Chaos Unleashed
The lights in the estate flickered as Liora triggered the first phase—overloading the filtration system. A deep groan echoed through the facility as water pressure surged to unstable levels.
Then, Nia struck.
The emergency water-release valves burst open, sending waves crashing through the corridors. The force knocked over guards and guests alike, screams erupting as the room filled with the unmistakable sound of destruction.
Emma propelled forward, leading the charge.
The mermaids attacked in unison.
Selene and Liora dragged guards into the water, disarming them before they could fire their weapons. Others rammed into the reinforced glass walls, creating fractures that spiderwebbed outward.
Emma surged toward the main hall, her instincts sharpened by desperation. She spotted Viktor standing at the heart of the chaos, his calm demeanor unshaken as he barked orders to his security.
He still thinks he’s in control.
Emma was about to prove him wrong.
The Final Confrontation
She launched herself out of the water, crashing onto the platform before him.
Viktor turned, his gray eyes locking onto hers.
"Impressive," he murmured, unfazed. "I should have known you were different."
Emma clenched her fists, water dripping from her glowing skin. "You made me into this. Now I'm ending it."
Viktor smirked. "Are you? You think I didn’t anticipate this?" He gestured to the chaos around them. "You are still mine, Emma. No matter what you do, you cannot change that."
Her rage ignited.
With a flick of her tail, she propelled herself forward, striking out with all her strength. Viktor dodged, grabbing her wrist mid-motion. His grip was vice-like, but Emma had spent days learning her new body, and she was faster than he expected.
She twisted, yanking free, and before he could react—
She screamed.
A deep, resonant wail erupted from her throat, vibrating through the room. It wasn’t just a scream—it was a siren’s call.
Viktor’s eyes widened. His body seized as the power of her voice sent shockwaves through his mind. His legs buckled, his hands clamping over his ears.
Emma didn’t hesitate.
She struck him with a final blow, sending him sprawling against the shattered glass. Cracks deepened beneath him, water seeping through.
"Goodbye, Viktor," she whispered.
The glass shattered.
A tidal wave crashed into the estate, swallowing everything in its path.
The Collapse
Emma barely had time to propel herself back into the water before the entire structure caved. Walls crumbled, ceilings collapsed, and the deep sea rushed in like an unstoppable force.
Selene, Liora, Nia, and the others swam through the tunnels, racing toward the escape passage.
The iron gate that had once sealed them in was now a gaping exit, ripped open by the force of the flood.
Freedom lay beyond.
Emma turned one last time, watching as Viktor’s empire—his twisted masterpiece—was reduced to ruins, sinking into the abyss.
She didn’t wait to see if he survived.
She had spent too long in his world.
Now, she was finally free.
With one powerful stroke, Emma swam toward the open ocean—toward the unknown.
And for the first time since her nightmare began—
She chose where she was going.
Chapter 10: The New Horizon
The open sea was calling.
Emma could feel it in the currents that wrapped around her, whispering of freedom, of escape, of a world beyond the walls of Viktor’s prison. The estate was collapsing, saltwater swallowing its halls, its technology, its twisted experiments. It was over.
And yet…
A deep, sinking dread coiled in Emma’s stomach.
Because she knew better.
The Final Escape
Selene led the charge through the deep tunnels, guiding the surviving mermaids toward the jagged passage beyond the iron gate. The ocean beyond stretched vast and endless, shimmering under the fractured light above.
Freedom was right there.
Emma pushed forward, her tail slicing through the water, her body moving with a strength she had finally embraced.
She was faster. Stronger.
And then Pain.
A searing jolt of electricity coursed through her body.
She barely had time to scream before her muscles locked, her vision exploding into white-hot agony.
Selene and the others turned in shock as a reinforced net shot through the water, wrapping around Emma’s form, constricting her tail, binding her limbs.
She thrashed, panic surging through her veins—
No.
No, no, no.
Hands gripped the net, dragging her backward through the water. Disoriented, gasping, she twisted to see Viktor.
Alive.
Unscathed.
His gray eyes burned with something between amusement and cold fury as he pulled her deeper into the ruins of his sinking fortress.
“You really thought you could leave me?” His voice was impossibly steady, laced with something darker.
Emma gasped, trying to force words through the pain, but the net constricted, sending another pulse of energy through her body.
The last thing she saw before darkness swallowed her was Selene, her violet eyes flashing with helpless rage as she and the others disappeared into the deep.
Leaving Emma behind.
The Pet That Tried to Run
She woke to the feeling of water—but contained.
The walls around her weren’t the open sea.
They were glass.
She was back.
The reality sank in like a stone. The escape had failed.
She had failed.
Emma lifted her head slowly, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her. The water in her chamber was crystal-clear, warm, inviting—nothing like the cold abyss she had fought toward.
Beyond the reinforced glass, Viktor stood watching her, his arms crossed, his posture impossibly composed.
“Did you really think I’d let you go?” he asked, tilting his head slightly. “I own you, Emma.”
Rage boiled inside her, but there was nowhere for it to go.
She lunged forward, slamming her fists against the glass, her tail whipping violently behind her. “You bastard” Viktor merely sighed. “You were so perfect,” he mused, almost disappointed. “And yet you still had to test me.”
Emma’s chest heaved. “Kill me,” she spat. “I’d rather die than be your’s”
The water shifted.
A pulse rippled through it, and suddenly, a sharp, tingling sensation spread through her veins. Her muscles weakened, her vision blurred, her thoughts slowed.
Viktor tapped a button on a control panel beside him.
“The water is chemically altered now,” he said casually. “Nothing dangerous just something to remind you of your place.”
Emma’s hands slid from the glass. She tried to fight it, but her body betrayed her. Her tail curled beneath her, her breathing slowed, her mind fogged over.
“You are mine,” Viktor continued, stepping closer. His voice softened, almost fond now. “You always were.”
Emma trembled, her fury caged by exhaustion.
She had come so close.
But in the end, she didn't win.
She had lost.
And Viktor had her once again.
A pet.
A prize.
A siren caught in an unbreakable cage.
Forever.