The human man tilted his head slightly, confusion flickering in his athyst eyes—but just as quickly, it vanished like it was never there.
Then, unexpectedly, he chuckled. No, he laughed. A full, amused laugh escaped his lips. "Ahahaha... I see, I see. I’m not, huh? Great... I guess. So, I’m indebted to you now? Alright then. What do you want to do?"
Luris blinked.
Stunned.
He hadn’t expected the human to be so—agreeable. No resistance, no anger, no prideful arrogance like the codex had warned them about. Just... cooperation.
A smile tugged at Luris’s lips. "Great human, you know your place well. You understand how to pay respects to your saviors. Wonderful—then I shall not hold back either. Tell , can you explain everything you know about the land dwellers?"
The man scratched the back of his head, blinking once. "Huh? Land dwellers... oh, you an humans? Yeah, sure, why not."
Luris’s smile faltered.
Again? He was stunned. The man was far too nonchalant—too easy-going. Wasn’t he supposed to resist? Protest? Demand to know where he was?
Doubt crept into the rfolk’s mind. ’Is this... really a human? Aren’t humans supposed to be vicious? Manipulative? Vile, bloodthirsty creatures who know nothing but conquest and war?’
That was what the codex said. That was what every elder taught them.
Without saying a word, Muirs grabbed his older brother’s wrist and pulled him aside into the far corner of the chamber.
"Brother," Muirs began, already tense, "this human is suspicious. How can he be so calm? So cooperative? And more than that—why is he alive? How is he even breathing down here?"
Luris gave a stiff nod, whispering low, "I think so too. Sothing’s... off. A human with no gills shouldn’t survive in the depths of Aquis Vanlur, yet he’s standing there like it’s nothing. But—he’s been polite. He’s offered help. If he’s willing to give us information... maybe we can overlook the rest."
Muirs’s eyes narrowed.
He wasn’t convinced.
"No, brother," he said firmly. "We can’t take his kindness at face value. Maybe this is part of a ploy—to make us lower our guard. Think! He’s nothing like the humans described in the ancestral codex. What if he’s trying to deceive us?"
Luris frowned. He understood Muirs’s worry. Ever since they were young, his little brother had always been the cautious one, fiercely loyal to the teachings of their ancestors. Unlike Luris, who sotis doubted the rigid codes passed down from elders, Muirs followed them with a near-religious devotion.
Still... was it paranoia? Or intuition?
Luris took a slow breath, then nodded. "As you wish, brother. I’ll be cautious. We’ll question him first—learn more, confirm who he really is. No sudden moves."
"And we should keep him confined here," Muirs added quickly. "Don’t let him out of this chamber. If the citizens see a human roaming Aquis Vanlur, they’ll panic. We’ll have chaos."
"Agreed."
But then—
A sudden jolt of panic shot through Luris’s chest.
He turned his head—and his heart nearly stopped.
The man was already halfway to the sealed door. One step away from entering the sacred corridors.
"Human!" Luris shouted, panic seeping into his voice. He darted forward, swimming through the water like a spear and grabbed the man’s arm. "You can’t go out! You’re not allowed beyond this point!"
He tugged.
Nothing happened.
He gritted his teeth and pulled harder.
Still... nothing.
The man didn’t even flinch.
Luris’s stomach twisted. The realization hit him like a crashing tide—he couldn’t move him. Not even an inch. It was like trying to pull a pillar embedded in stone.
His gaze slowly trailed up to the man’s face.
And that’s when he saw it.
The smile was gone.
The relaxed expression had vanished, replaced by sothing cold. His eyes were now glaring. The waters around him seed to still.
Luris froze.
His hand trembled, still clutching the man’s arm.
’What... what is this feeling?’
Dread.
Pure, unfiltered dread coursed through his veins.
He imdiately let go of the man’s hand and took several hurried strides back. The fine hairs on his arms rose like bristles, his instincts screaming louder than his thoughts.
There was one thing he now understood with absolute clarity:
’This human is very dangerous.’
The man hadn’t even moved aggressively. But there was sothing in his calm... sothing still and unreadable. Like the sea right before a storm.
"Why am I not allowed to go outside?" the human asked. His voice was flat and calm.
Luris was still silent, tense. So Muirs stepped in front of him, blocking the growing pressure in the room with his presence.
"Because you are a land dweller," Muirs explained cautiously. "We can’t allow a land dweller to roam freely in our nation. Our people... would panic."
The human blinked once. Slowly. Then he uncrossed his arms and straightened up, posture neat, composed. There was no tension in his muscles; everything about him felt poised.
"So," he said, "are you two so kind of officials? Nobility, perhaps?"
Muirs gave a small, affirmative nod. "Yes. Standing before you is Luris Glanis, the heir to the throne of Aquis Vanlur. And I am his younger brother, Muirs Glanis. We are mbers of the ruling family."
The human paused. Then to their surprise, he offered a slight bow—polite, almost formal.
"I see," the human said. "Then allow to return the respect. I am Arawn. A land dweller. No more than a commoner. But I sincerely thank you both for saving my life. If there’s anything you require from , I’d be happy to assist."
Luris, who had remained guarded this entire ti, blinked. So of the tension in his jaw eased. His sharp, assessing gaze softened just slightly.
"You’re a humble man, land dweller... Arawn," Luris said, his voice calr now. "It’s good to et you properly."
Then, with a curious gleam in his eyes, he tilted his head. "If you don’t mind asking... how are you breathing underwater?"
Arawn hesitated. Then, slowly, he shook his head, his expression sheepish. "I... can’t say. I’m as surprised as you are. I wasn’t born with any sort of water affinity. My elent is lightning. So, this shouldn’t even be possible."
"Affinity?" Muirs interrupted, brows furrowing. "Water? Lightning? What do you an by that?"
Arawn turned to him, thoughtful.
"Wait... don’t you people have elental affinities? Magic paths based on your nature?"
Muirs blinked. "I... don’t know what those are."
Arawn’s lips parted slightly, but no words ca out. He stood there, utterly baffled. Then, for the first ti since he’d woken up, a flicker of genuine confusion crossed his face.
"...You’re telling your people don’t have elental affinities?"
Muirs and Luris shared a look.
"We’ve never heard of such a thing," Luris admitted.
Arawn placed a hand on his chin, his thoughts visibly racing. "That’s... strange. Very strange."
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