Chapter 33 Malec
Malec
It’s almost refreshing how the bigger cities, the ones led by ancient bloodlines and strong rulers, can maintain perfect harmony in their magic systems—yet look so radically different in culture and energy.
It’s not just their merchers and guards, who look like ancient human gladiators reimagined with tails.
The Kolox crest—here, it’s more than a mark.
Like in Sur-El, it’s a living symbol, etched everywhere: on the black, shimmering stones that make up their fortress-like homes, on silver direction signs shaped like arrows with black tips that gleam as if dipped in venom.
Kolox is almost as large as Mal-El, but it’s nothing like it. No loud laughter. No wild chaos. The merfolk here swim in neat lines, one after the other, quiet and focused—but not sad, not oppressed. Some whisper gossip, some flick their tails impatiently, clearly late for something.
They look like a perfectly choreographed school of fish, flowing above and beneath us as we swim—each one heading for some precise, unseen destination.
I keep glancing around, memorizing the layout as the entrance guards swim ahead. One thing I learned from my uncle Pedro: in foreign territory, knowledge is always stronger than brute force.
It’s not fear that makes me cautious. It’s a strategy. Any damage here reflects on my family, on my city. Ancient law reigns above all here.
Onyx’s tail brushes mine for a moment as she struggles to keep up, dragging my mind back to the guards who veered off to the right, vanishing behind a massive curved stone house.
Bay darts forward, passing both of us without a word. Alessio, surprisingly silent, slips after her.
“Quick,” I urge Onyx, and she nods, pushing harder.
We catch up just in time to see the three guards stop in front of… nothing.
The city's silver sand floor stretches out into a dark, vast emptiness. No houses. No merfolk. Just a vast expanse that looks like the city’s edge has been swallowed by the deep ocean, lit only by a faint silver glow like moonlight through water from the ground.
“What’s that?” I ask, turning to Onyx—too close. Her nose bumps my shoulder, making her yelp and jerk back.
“Ouch!” she cries, rubbing her nose with her hand. Her black gem-like eyes flash, darkening almost to pitch black with no glimmer as she bites her lip. A bloody-red glow sparks for just a second before vanishing when she meets my gaze.
It’s the same way Bay’s eyes glow when she communicates with Myko…
Could it be—
“You know, saying sorry isn’t a curse,” she snaps, but then points upward behind me.
I follow her line of sight and see a black metal loop—no, a target—floating high above us.
Before I can ask, she explains.
“The castle is hidden in plain sight. Only a trained mercher with the Kolox mark can hit that target. Only then does the castle appear. It separates the everyday city from the royal warriors and the court.”
“They think really highly of themselves, huh?” Alessio cuts in, echoing my exact thought.
But Onyx actually shakes her head. “It’s because our bloodline is tasked with keeping the Beast of the Depth locked away. It’s for the safety of the ocean—and everyone in it.”
Her gaze drops to the silver sand below.
The Beast of the Depth… I promised her I’d help solve that, but I have no idea how. Still, I need to learn more… and to do that, I have to play the political game, as usual.
"Alessio," I call, but before I can finish, he nods.
"I know. I’m following your lead."
For once, he surprises me and actually gives me a flicker of confidence—he knows the plan.
They need something from us. We’re here to give it. I just need to find a way to leverage that for Onyx, too.
Another guard approaches from behind, carrying a waterbow. He passes it to the commander with a slight bow, then slips away silently, not even sparing us a glance.
They’re stricter than death rites. I have to match it.
The commander doesn’t move from the spot where he first stopped. Instead, he stretches the bow and aims high at the target. From this angle, it seems impossible; he’s too close and far too low.
But he shoots. Clean. Sharp. He doesn’t pause to calculate. The arrow slices through the water like a lightning bolt, straight through the target’s center—then vanishes.
Silence collapses around us, so heavy it makes the gentle currents sound deafening.
Then I realize: the water is actually getting louder. Stronger.
I glance quickly at Onyx. She’s not surprised. She doesn’t even flinch—just hovers calmly beside me, eyes steady.
She knows this. She’s familiar with it. It’s not a threat.
"Myko, tell Bay not to move. It’s not a threat… I think."
"Alessio," I call again. When I glance back, he’s frantically scanning for exits like a trapped fish.
"It’s okay. Don’t move."
He doesn’t answer, but at least he stops. The water thickens between us, turning Bay into a blurry shape, and the guards are only faint silhouettes at the edge of the chaos now.
Weirdly, it feels wild but not violent. Like an illusion meant to frighten, not harm.
Then, as fast as it started, it stops.
I blink, open my eyes fully—and there it is.
A towering silver castle rises from where there was only emptiness. At its sharp, spiked roofs, massive arrows stand watch, black-tipped and glowing faintly white, like underwater lanterns burning away the dark.
"It’s the first time I see you left with no words," Onyx chuckles.
I ignore her, swimming forward to get a better view. Behind the castle, an even taller structure looms—a black chamber, twisted into unpredictable shapes. From where I hover, I can’t see it completely, but deep red cracks pulse along its sides like an active volcano ready to explode.
The glow pulses.
"The King and Queen await. Keep the banished close to you," the commander calls, reminding me why we’re here—like I could possibly forget.
His cold tone makes me want to feed him to Myko right now.
"He doesn’t look like a good snack anyway. Don’t bother," Myko drawls.
I huff. Typical.
“Picky eater,” I taunt, following the commander deeper inside.
The other two guards swim ahead even faster, like they have the juiciest gossip and can’t wait to spill it.
“If Chris had a tail, that would be her and Kayla.”
Myko’s snort rumbles through my head, almost a laugh, and I catch my lips twitching upward despite myself.
“You two, stop it. We need to focus!” Bay swims up beside me, scolding in a sharp whisper. “I feel like I have three sons to take care of, not one.”
I wave her off, fighting a grin. “Go take care of your son, we’ll be fine, mommy.”
“You better be,” she snarls. “I’d hate to miss the chance to see your mother kick your ass.”
“Alessio!” she calls over her shoulder.
He raises both hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay! I’m coming. You two are getting more and more alike every day,” he groans, gliding past us.
I roll my eyes.
“The Great Depthborne,” the commander calls, and I stop in my tracks. He bows deeply beside the massive black main doors of the castle. “You may enter first.”
I raise an eyebrow, scanning the wide entrance. No guards stand here, no maids rushing to announce us. He wants me to go first… is this a trap?
Usually, someone would go ahead to formally announce our arrival to the royals. Is that why the other two guards swam off first?
“Be careful. I don’t like these diplomatic games,” I warn Myko, more for him to alert Bay.
Onyx taps my back lightly, as if sensing I’m bracing for an attack.
“His name is Lurx,” she whispers. “He’s a pain in the ass, but loyal to the royal house. He won’t cause trouble.”
I’m usually good at hiding my thoughts—as long as I don’t explode in rage and lose control of my powers. Did I let it slip this time?
“Of course he won’t, if he values his life.” I don’t bother looking at her as I say it, hoping the commander—Lurx—has excellent hearing. Or can read lips.
But instead of him, I get that look from my aunt—the don’t cause trouble where there is none look.
Yes, mother.
My gills open and close in a resigned sigh, and I swim inside, my carefully chosen “crew” trailing behind me. I’m already starting to regret bringing them.
The entrance hall is smaller than I expected. Almost empty, but every surface—floor and walls alike—is carved with weird symbols. Are those ancient language runes? Runes that are forbidden in most cities, rumored to hold dangerous power. That’s not a good sign.
At the center of the room, a spiraling line of pale light winds upward, as if marking the path to the higher floors.
My gaze follows it from base to ceiling, and only then do I understand why that light isn’t the sharp gem glow I expected—it’s the eerie glow of dragonfish.
Dozens of them swim near the ceiling and beyond, following the spiral path upward to the upper floors.
Dragonfish aren’t usually this big. They don’t glow this bright naturally, either.
And they’re predators, not decorative pets.
Things are getting weirder by the minute.
Lurx swims upward along the spiraling light path, slipping easily past the dragonfish and vanishing toward the upper floor.
I glance at Bay, searching for any hint that I’m overreacting—but her wide eyes, locked on the shifting shadows above us, confirm she’s just as on edge as I am.
Onyx clears her throat softly.
When I turn, she tilts her head sharply, urging me forward without a word.
I narrow my eyes, trying to read her expression. There’s something she isn’t saying—and for some reason, she’s careful not to open her mouth here. Her soul vibrates. Surprised. Like a new threat just slipped past her guard.
“Do I need to worry?” I whisper.
She shakes her head so quickly it’s almost a tremor.
“Go,” she hisses, so quietly I almost doubt I heard it. Then, sharper—“Now.”
I don’t waste another second. I surge upward after Lurx, with Onyx, Alessio, and Bay close behind. We swim in a tight line, careful not to brush too close to the dragonfish drifting along the walls.
We pass the first floor in tense silence. When the second floor comes into view, I finally pause and turn to Onyx.
“Why the hell are you whispering here?”
She doesn’t speak. Instead, she presses a trembling finger to her lips, eyes wide, scanning the walls as if expecting them to listen back.
That doesn’t mean anything good.
I scan the floor quickly: dozens of closed doors lining the oval space, the spiraling light continuing upward. It feels less like a guest hall and more like a ghostly corridor, every shadow a mouth waiting to swallow us whole.
Onyx grabs my shoulder, points upward, and mouths the words: Throne room.
We’re expected in the royal throne room. Wonderful. Just what I needed—an audience with the entire bloodline.
“What’s up with your silent code? What are you two hiding now?” Alessio blurts, loud enough to ripple the water around us.
The shriek Onyx lets out confirms it: he’s just made a colossal mistake.
Fuck.
The currents shift instantly. A suffocating hush drops over us, thick as blood. The ocean itself seems to hold its breath. Below, a low flicker pulses in the dim light—the dragonfish. Their glow quickens, sharp and erratic, like warning beacons.
I freeze, trying to gauge their movements. Too late. The massive shapes surge upward, teeth gleaming, mouths opening in a blur of fangs.
Shit.
"Swim up! Now!" I scream. My voice cuts through the water like a blade—too loud, too sharp. The dragonfish respond with snarls and flashes of light, faster, closer.
"Keep your voice down! They’re sensitive to sound, you morons!" Onyx snaps, surging upward. One of the dragonfish snaps at her fins, missing by inches.
What in merhell is happening?!
"Myko!" I call, instinct more than thought, desperation coiling in my chest. I reach for my mother’s power, whipping the currents around us, forming a trembling whirlpool barrier.
My arms burn, the water fighting back, threatening to tear our sphere apart.
One wrong move, one dead dragonfish—and the entire pod will know war.
"Stay close!" I bark, panic sharpening my words. They press against me, tight and frantic, and I force the whirlpool to hold, shaking under the pressure.
Then, without warning, a sudden purple flare erupts around us. Bay’s chest ignites, blinding in intensity. Myko’s presence tears through my fragile barrier, unravelling the currents with a crack like underwater lightning.
In a single pulse, his scales shift—purple, jagged, stone-like, forming an unbreakable shield that curves around us. We’re sealed inside, protected, but every nerve in my body screams that this is far from over. His power hums around us, raw and alive, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s enough.
"I. Fucking. Love. You. Myko!" Alessio gasps, his voice cracking in relief.
I shoot him a death glare. "You better—"
Before I can finish, Myko’s roar shreds through the water. Deep, bone-rattling.
Onyx clamps her hands over her ears, trembling closer, her face pale with terror.
Then—
silence.
The dragonfish vanish as if yanked into the depths by invisible hooks. I take one long, shaky breath, my gills opening wide to force in the calm.
Thank the oceans. They’re gone.