The light of the new day filtered through the coral lattice of Lucian's guest quarters, casting soft, rippling patterns across the walls. The ocean shimmered with a lazy stillness, a rare moment of peace in the undersea kingdom.
Lucian stirred beneath the silky seaweed blankets, blinking the sleep from his eyes. A weight pressed against his chest—and when he looked down, he found Simba tangled in a mess of kelp strands, kicking playfully as if fighting an invisible enemy.
"You really don't get tired, huh?" Lucian murmured with a sleepy smile.
Simba chirped in response, flailing his tiny fins until Lucian reached over and untangled the strands. The baby merlion zipped around the room once free, leaving behind a trail of swirling bubbles.
Lucian sat up and stretched before remembering the unopened box he had gotten the day before. With a quiet breath, he opened it.
[Congratulations! You have opened the Special Box from King Triton and gained: Trident of the Tides.]
[Trident of the Tides: Forged by Tideborns in an effort to mimic Atlantica's sacred relic. Crafted from enchanted deep-sea coral. Can manipulate water currents in small areas, summon mist, and stunning electric jolts.]
A gentle glow filled the room as the trident appeared, resting neatly in his grasp. It was sleek and organic in design, more elegant than lethal, with curling coral patterns along its shaft and three delicate prongs tipped with crystalline ends. Lucian turned it over thoughtfully.
"Beautiful," Lucian whispered, turning it in his hands.
Simba swam close, sniffing the weapon and giving a chirp of approval.
"Definitely not a toy," he muttered.
He didn't dare test its power within the castle walls. Instead, he packed it into the satchel carefully, letting the dimensional pocket absorb it into secure storage.
As he finished preparing, a soft knock on the door caught his attention. It creaked open to reveal Ariel, her hair gently swaying in the water.
"Morning," she greeted warmly. "Sleep well?"
"Well enough," Lucian gave a faint smirk. "Aside from being used as a seaweed jungle gym."
Ariel giggled as Simba floated past her, doing barrel rolls in the water.
"I was wondering if you'd like to see more of Atlantica today. There's a garden cave past the coral ridge, it glows when the current flows through. I think you'd like it."
Lucian hesitated, his fingers brushing the satchel's edge. "That sounds... nice. But I should probably get back to Berk soon. The villagers there might be wondering where I vanished to."
Ariel's smile faltered slightly, but she nodded. "I understand."
They swam quietly for a few heartbeats before Ariel added, "Still, thank you for coming."
Lucian glanced at her, surprised by the softness in her voice. "You don't need to thank me."
"Still... I'm glad you came. I'm glad we met."
Lucian gave a small smile. "So am I."
"I'll see you out," she offered. "Sebastian's waiting at the gates."
They swam together through the palace halls, talking about little things, how Flounder once got stuck in a seashell, how Simba nearly ate one of the castle's floating candles, and how Lucian had never tried sea grapes before.
Ariel suddenly slowed near one of the long spiral towers overlooking the open sea.
"You know," she said quietly, "part of me hoped you'd stay a bit longer."
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
She nodded, brushing a lock of her hair back. "It's rare to meet someone like you. Someone from... both worlds."
Lucian's smile turned a little crooked. "Feels like I don't fully belong to either."
"Maybe," Ariel said softly, "but that just means you can go where others can't."
They hovered there in silence for a moment, the water flowing gently around them. Then Ariel leaned in slightly and said, "Promise me you'll come back."
Lucian held her gaze, steady and sure. "I promise."
He took one last look around the guest chamber, then motioned to the door. "Shall we?"
---
Outside the gates, Sebastian was pacing, muttering under his breath while keeping one eye on the jellyfish patrol. When he saw Lucian approach, a prompt pinged in Lucian's mind:
[Ding! You have met a special character: Sebastian.]
[You have obtained an Uncommon Blind Box.]
Lucian glanced at the alert, then promptly ignored it.
Sebastian waddled or rather paddled over with an annoyed puff. "About time! The reef committee was startin' to wonder if you were movin' in!"
Lucian arched a brow. "You worried about me?"
"No!" Sebastian flailed his claws. "Just... worried you'd bring more chaos!"
As they swam, Sebastian side-eyed Lucian before finally bursting. "Alright, alright—I gotta know. How is it that you got legs and a tail? Huh? One moment you're standing on the deck of a ship, next you're flippin' like a fish!"
Lucian smirked. "Guess."
"Guess? What am I supposed to guess?! That you're a sea-changeling? A shapeshifter? A jellyfish in disguise?" Sebastian flailed his claws in exasperation.
Ariel giggled at his theatrics, but before Lucian could answer, they arrived at the gates beyond the city border.
They swam to the outer borders of the kingdom, where the seabed sloped toward open sea. Lucian paused and reached into his satchel.
"What's that?" Ariel asked.
"A dragon conch," Lucian said simply. "It's how I call Scauldy."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "A what now? How are you even supposed to blow a horn underwater?"
Lucian didn't answer. Instead, he brought the conch to his lips and blew. No sound emerged but deep within the sea, something stirred.
Far to the south, nestled between deep-sea ridges, Scauldy snapped awake. The dragon's eyes gleamed, sensing the pulse through the water. He unfurled his massive wings and took off with powerful strokes, heading toward the source.
---
Back near the gates, time passed slowly.
Half an hour later, Lucian and Ariel strolled along the coral paths, chatting softly, while Sebastian was frantically trying to shake off Simba, who had decided his back made a perfect perch.
"I said—get off me!" he cried as Simba latched onto his shell.
Lucian chuckled. "You okay over there?"
"I am being assaulted by a sea furball!" Sebastian yelped.
Ariel scooped up Simba mid-spin, laughing. "He likes you."
"Why do all the dangerous things like me?!" Sebastian grumbled.
"Hey! Did that horn of yours even work?" Sebastian shouted, flailing as Simba clung stubbornly to his head. "Also please get this sea-beast off of me!"
Ariel laughed and gently lift Simba into her arms. "You're going to give him trauma."
Before Lucian could reply, the sea darkened slightly. A shadow swept overhead. A tremor ran through the water when a deep, echoing roar vibrated through the sea.
From the distant blue, a massive shape approached. The guards at the gate readied their weapons, tense and on edge.
"It's alright!" Ariel called out, waving them down. "He's with us!"
Lucian looked up with a grin. "He's here."
Scauldy dove from above, spinning through the water like a torpedo before halting in front of the group. Lucian swam forward as Scauldy approached, the dragon circling him with a happy rumble. Their foreheads met for a brief moment, and Lucian rubbed the dragon's snout affectionately.
"A dragon," Sebastian gasped. "A real dragon?!"
Simba, curious, swam forward and wiggled through the water toward Scauldy. The dragon eyed the small merlion, then puffed a harmless stream of bubbles toward him. Simba sneezed adorably and then zipped around Scauldy's tail, chirping with glee.
Scauldy hovered gently in the water now, his great wings folding inward, tail swaying like drifting seaweed. Lucian floated beside him, one hand resting on the dragon's side as he turned to Ariel.
She lingered just a few feet away, her fingers nervously twirling a strand of her hair. For once, she seemed at a loss for words.
Lucian noticed. "You alright?"
"I..." Ariel glanced down, then smiled shyly. She looked up at him, eyes wide and clear like twin tidepools. "Will you come back?"
Lucian met her gaze, the hint of a smile still on his lips. "I think I will."
Ariel drifted a little closer, heart fluttering. Her voice dropped to a near-whisper. "I'm really glad you came, Lucian. I haven't felt this... light in a long time."
Lucian's eyes softened. "I'm glad too."
There was a beat. And then, on impulse, Ariel leaned forward and kissed Lucian on the cheek, light as a bubble, then swiftly swam away, cheeks pink.
Lucian blinked, stunned for a beat. Then he chuckled to himself. "Alright then."
With Simba in his arms, Lucian climbed onto Scauldy's back, gripping the familiar horn.
"Let's go," he said.
With a powerful roar, Scauldy turned and surged upward through the sea, his wings cutting through the water like blades. Behind them, Atlantica shimmered like a dream fading into the depths.