Queen Shi tried to calm the situation.
“Feza, we understand your gratitude toward that young man, but perhaps Ziran is right. Humans are unpredictable. They cannot be trusted.”
Feza shook her head.
“This is not about humans, Mother. It is about control. Ziran attacked Dan today without any provocation. Is that what you call protection?”
King Tango frowned and turned to Ziran.
“Is that true, Ziran? You attacked this human?”
“I acted in the interest of our kingdom,” Ziran replied defensively. “The boy needed to be warned.”
Feza moved closer, her voice low but firm.
“Warned? You threatened to kill him, Ziran. And I tell you now: if you ever lay a hand on Dan again, I will never forgive you.”
Ziran’s jaw tightened.
“You are making a mistake, Feza. That human has no place in our world. If he returns to the river, he will be eliminated.”
Feza’s voice rose, steady and resolute.
“If you harm Dan, Ziran, you will lose me forever.”
A heavy silence filled the hall, like a storm cloud suspended in the water.
Ziran stared at her, his pride colliding with his emotions.
“What do you mean, Feza?”
“I mean I am done,” she replied firmly. “Done with your jealousy, your control, and your threats. I no longer want to be your fiancée.”
Ziran’s face twisted with anger and disbelief.
“You would break our engagement for a human?”
“This is not about Dan,” Feza said. “It is about me. I deserve to choose my own path, my own friends, and my own happiness. And you, Ziran, are no longer part of that.”
The trident trembled in Ziran’s hands, but he said nothing. With one last dark glare, he turned and left the castle, leaving Feza standing straight and unshaken.
Later that night, Feza sat by her window, gazing into the vast ocean. Her heart was heavy, but she knew she had made the right choice. She could no longer allow Ziran’s jealousy to direct her life.
Meanwhile, Ziran swam toward the dark trenches of the ocean, his mind filled with revenge.
He would not let Feza’s decision go unanswered.
As the tide turned, the balance of peace in the underwater kingdom began to shift as well. And without Feza realizing it, her choice was about to trigger a chain of events that would change her life and the lives of all those she loved forever.
Dan, for his part, could not resist the call of the river. Ever since he had met Feza, his life had changed, and a deep, inexplicable bond connected them. Despite the warnings he had received and the dangers threatening him, he returned to the riverbank with a little gift for Feza—a wooden bracelet he had carved himself.
The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the water. Dan sat near the shore, skipping stones, waiting for Feza. The air was calm, the soft ripples of the river soothing him.
“Feza,” he called softly, hoping she could hear him.
But before she appeared, a dark shadow rose from the water.
It was Ziran, his trident gleaming ominously in the fading light.
“You again?” Ziran growled in a low, threatening voice.
Dan stood up quickly, startled.
“I’m just here to see Feza. I don’t want any trouble.”
Ziran’s face twisted into a cruel sneer.
“You are trouble, human. You have already disturbed our world too much. It is time to put an end to it.”
Before Dan could react, Ziran grabbed him violently and dragged him underwater.
Dan struggled, fighting to breathe, but Ziran’s grip was too strong.
Days passed.
Dan’s mother began to worry. He had not returned, which was unlike him. She searched through the village, asking neighbors if they had seen him.
“Have you seen my son Dan?” she asked a group of women sitting by the fire.
One of them looked up.
“The last time I saw him, he was going toward the river.”
Dan’s mother’s heart tightened.
“The river?”
“Yes,” the woman replied. “I saw him walking in that direction earlier today.”
Panicked, Dan’s mother ran to the river, her wrapper tied tightly around her waist. Tears streamed down her face as she reached the bank.
“Dan!” she cried, her voice echoing over the still water. “Dan, where are you?”
She fell to her knees, trembling, sobbing uncontrollably.
“My son! Where is my son?”
Feza was swimming nearby when she heard the cries. Alarmed, she rose to the surface and saw Dan’s mother weeping and calling his name on the bank.
Her heart tightened.
“Madam, what is wrong?” she asked gently.
Dan’s mother jumped in fear at the sight of a mermaid. But seeing the genuine concern on Feza’s face, she managed to speak.
“It’s my son Dan,” she said between sobs. “He has disappeared. Someone said he came to the river, but he never came back.”
Feza’s heart clenched.
“Dan? He was here?”
“Yes,” the woman answered, wiping her tears. “Please… perhaps you saw him?”
Feza shook her head, her tail quivering with anxiety.
“No, I haven’t seen him today, but don’t worry. I will find him. I promise.”
Without waiting, Feza dove back into the water, her mind already racing.
There was only one person who could have taken Dan.
Ziran.
She swam as fast as she could toward the coral fortress, her tail slicing through the water like a blade. Her heart pounded with fear and anger.
At the entrance, the guards tried to stop her.
“I must see Ziran,” she ordered.
“He is busy,” one of them replied.
“It’s urgent,” Feza shot back, shoving past them and rushing into the great hall.
Ziran was reclining on his coral throne, his trident resting beside him.
He looked up when she entered, his eyes blazing.
“Ziran!” she shouted. “Where is Dan?”
Ziran’s expression stayed calm, but a flicker crossed his eyes—a mix of guilt and satisfaction.
“I do not know what you are talking about,” he said, leaning back deeper into his throne.
“Do not lie to me, Ziran!” Feza cried, moving closer. “I know you took him. Where is he?”
Ziran’s face hardened.
“Even if I did, it was for the good of the kingdom. That human has no place here.”
Feza’s fists clenched.
“Dan has done nothing wrong. He is my friend. You had no right.”
Ziran rose, trident in hand.
“He is a danger to you, Feza. Can you not see that? Humans are chaos. I am protecting you.”
“This is not protection. It is jealousy,” Feza cried. “You cannot bear that I care for someone other than you.”
Ziran stepped closer, his voice low and icy.
“You are right. I cannot bear it. But it makes no difference. That human is gone. He will not return.”
Feza’s heart shattered.
“What have you done, Ziran? Where is Dan?”
Ziran gave a cruel smile.
“Let us just say he will trouble us no longer.”
Feza’s eyes filled with tears, but she remained firm.
“You will regret this, Ziran. I swear by the ocean itself—you will regret this.”
Without waiting for his response, she turned and fled, her mind already burning with plans to save Dan. She knew she had to act quickly, but she also knew she could not do it alone.
When she returned home, Feza found her mother, Queen Shi, who immediately noticed her distress.
“Feza, what is wrong?” she asked, coming closer.
“It’s Dan,” Feza replied in a trembling voice. “He has disappeared, and I am certain Ziran is holding him.”
The queen’s face grew grave.
“Ziran? Are you sure?”
Feza nodded.
“He did not admit it, but I know. He has him. I must find Dan before it is too late.”
The queen placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.
“We will help you, my child. You will not do this alone.”
Feza nodded, her determination growing stronger.
She would do whatever it took to save Dan, no matter the cost.
Meanwhile, in the dark depths of the ocean, Dan was being held prisoner in an underwater cave guarded by two tritons loyal to Ziran.
The cave was cold and damp, and Dan shivered against the algae-covered walls, his wrists tied with sea vines.
“Why did he do this?” he murmured. “I only wanted to see my friend.”
He thought of Feza.
She would come for him.
He was sure of it.
And he clung to that hope like a lifeline.
Feza, meanwhile, was gathering her allies.
She would not let Ziran get away with this.
She would not rest until Dan was free.
The battle for Dan’s freedom had only just begun.
To be continued. If you want us to continue with part two, tell us in the comments and like the video.
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