Ever since that jellyfish arrived, everything had gone wrong.
Lansi was getting worried.
First, there was Winsor. For reasons unknown, he had fallen into a deep sleep, and even when Lansi managed to forcibly wake him, he remained groggy and distant.
The tentacles, too, had become far more vigilant. It seemed they'd noticed the giant jellyfish lurking outside, trying to feed. In response, they wrapped tightly around the coral bones, as though guarding a precious treasure.
Their possessiveness was on full display—every time the jellyfish came near, they would whip out and slap it away without hesitation.
And so, all Lansi could do was sit inside and look longingly at the jellyfish through the holes in the coral bones.
Separated by a few hundred meters, the boy and the jellyfish gazed at each other from afar.
It was almost like a tragic love story—two star-crossed souls, kept apart like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.
Jellyfish: [Uuuuu, cutie, I can't touch cutie…]Lansi: […]
He wondered: can jellyfish even cry?
They were already made of water. If they cried… would they just shrink?
Still, even if he couldn't eat jellyfish skin anymore, at least he could still talk to the jellyfish.
While Winsor slept, Lansi learned to chat with it via a private channel, under the endless, enthusiastic instruction of the jellyfish.
[Have you always lived in the shallow sea?] he asked.
As he spoke, Lansi wriggled into the tunnel he'd dug earlier and resumed digging downward into the soft sand. It was tough work, but he could manage.
[Yes.]The jellyfish drifted in the water, pleased. [I've been in the shallow sea a long time.][Have you seen humans before?][Humans? Oh! You mean the little ones who sit inside the big steel things? They look like you.][That's right.]
Lansi's eyes snapped open in the darkness. He instinctively looked up—only to hit his head.
[Those "steel things"... did any of them sink?] he asked.
Lansi recalled what Winsor had said: if he wanted to know the truth, he had to start from the beginning. That meant finding out what happened on the cruise ship.
His memory was full of holes. But if he could find the wreck, maybe he could figure out if he'd truly died—and whether his soul had been reborn in a mermaid's body…
Or if he had somehow become a mermaid himself.
[There were many. Which one do you mean?] the jellyfish replied.
Lansi froze. Then, in disbelief, he asked:
[Many?!][Yes. A lot.]The jellyfish continued casually, [They were all in Sunset Bay. On that day, a huge storm came, and all the steel things on the sea sank.]
That day… all the sea creatures remembered it vividly.
It was the day they revealed themselves to the world.
A massive sunspot storm struck. For reasons unknown, it was so intense that all electronic devices on Earth failed within hours.
And with that collapse, the seals that had once suppressed sea monsters vanished.
From the depths they came—curious, fearless, drawn to the strange structures floating above.
But for humans, it was a catastrophe.
Without their technology, they were helpless. Nature, once subdued, laughed in their faces.
Sea monsters, intrigued by the unfamiliar objects, approached the ships.
Humans panicked.
On that day, nearly every vessel at sea was overturned by the curious creatures from the deep.
From that moment, a bitter enmity formed between humans and sea monsters.
Were the sea monsters at fault?
Maybe.
But could anyone truly blame them?
Regardless, the humans of the surface labeled them enemies.
Lansi, of course, knew none of this.
All he knew was what the jellyfish told him: a mysterious storm had brought down the ships.
And if his cruise ship had been among them… it would be in Sunset Bay.
West of here.
He would head there once he escaped—search for the bay in the shallows, and uncover the truth.
As they chatted, a sliver of light suddenly pierced the darkness ahead.
Lansi froze. Then, overwhelmed with joy, he nearly cried out.
He had done it. He'd dug a tunnel that led outside.
He messaged the jellyfish excitedly:[I made it!]
[Made what?] the jellyfish replied, confused.
[I dug the tunnel! I can get out!][Wow, nice! If you get out, we can go to the shallow sea together!] the jellyfish said happily.
Lansi's heart surged with energy. He began clearing the last bits of sand, sweeping them out with his tail.
But then he froze again.
[Wait… what about the tentacles? How do I get past them?]
He poked his head out of the tunnel and stared glumly at the cluster of tentacles outside.
They looked like they were cradling something precious.
Lansi counted. Five tentacles.
In the past, the tentacles would disappear for short periods, allowing him to move freely.
Now, they watched constantly. One wrong move, and they'd drag him back.
The jellyfish and Lansi fell silent together.
Then, the jellyfish trembled with resolve and typed:[Easy. I'll distract them.]
Lansi stared.[Aren't you afraid of dying?]
[What is death?] the jellyfish replied innocently.[As long as I leave a piece behind, I can grow again.]
Lansi twitched at the corner of his mouth.
No wonder this jellyfish was so reckless—it had respawn mechanics.
Taking his silence as approval, the jellyfish burst into motion.
Its long tentacles, laced with poisonous stingers, lashed out. Though jellyfish may appear slow and weak, when it propelled itself with a sudden burst of water, it shot through the sea like a rocket.
One of its stingers pierced a tentacle.
The tentacles, stunned at first, suddenly exploded in fury.
They unwrapped from the coral bones and surged after the jellyfish.
The jellyfish screamed, a shrill, high-pitched sound echoing across the seafloor:[Aaaahhhh!]
Lansi lay in the coral bones, silently watching the battle unfold.
Then he solemnly drew a cross in the jellyfish's direction."Amen."
And like a loach, he slipped out of the tunnel without looking back.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the vast ocean before him—free and empty.
He had escaped.
Behind him were the coral bones, proof of what he'd left behind.
In his joy, he forgot to wake Winsor.
It wasn't long before the distracted tentacles realized something was wrong. They turned around… and spotted Lansi.
All five tentacles tensed—then rushed toward him like thunder.
Lansi barely had time to take a breath before he flinched and darted away.
Thanks to days of training, he no longer swam like a newborn. His speed and control had improved drastically.
With a powerful flick of his tail, Lansi shot through the gaps in the coral like an arrow, dodging the slower, larger tentacles.
He burst into the open ocean.
Behind him, the tentacles hesitated. They didn't give chase.
Instead, they hovered in place, watching silently as their little fish slipped away.
And then… Lansi stopped.
He floated in the water, turned around, and gave a small cry.
The tentacles, surprised, surged forward in anticipation.
Lansi didn't run. He let them wrap around him again.
Why didn't he escape?
Even without words, the confusion in the tentacles was palpable.
But when they touched him—when the little fish let them hold him—they trembled with joy.
Maybe their little fish had just been playing a game.
This was more fun than tossing pearls.
Lansi blinked calmly, letting them carry him back into the coral bones.
…
Winsor had woken by the time Lansi returned. He watched the tentacles gently deposit him and said, voice heavy with confusion:
"You… had the chance to escape. Why didn't you?"
Lansi smiled sheepishly. Two dimples appeared on his face.
"I forgot you."