Everyone has a place of solitude, though Nero thinks his is a little different from others. His place of solitude was rather far away from Castle Lunala, at the depths of the Glassy Sea. King Artem called it the Icy Ravine. It was terribly cold here and the water was as dark as the night sky.

Nero had found the narrow ravine when he was only 12, wanting to explore outside the castle grounds. His curiosity had gotten the better of him, considering that he had never ventured outside of the castle before. The king and queen never let him.

He snuck out early in the morning, finding a nearby reef, abundant with life. Amongst the vibrant coral and fish, Nero found a jagged crack between the two halves of the reef. He dove in without a second thought. It was as if the ravine was pulling him in.

Nero still feels that strange connection with the ravine now, as he runs his fingers along the sharp rocks, decorated with gorgeous crystals and intricate plants. Nero smiles, enjoying the tranquility he felt whenever he was here.

He never understood what was so dangerous about the Icy Ravine, but King Artem often warned him about the darkest places of the sea.

He once told Nero about a creature called a Sea Witch, that roamed in the most bitter and chilling waters. They preyed on mermaids that got too close to their territory and offered them deals that were too good to be true. They were wicked and vile, with a strange kind of magic coursing through their veins.

Granted, Nero found it hard to believe some of the things the king told him.

Nero glances further down into the ravine, gasping when he notices a soft green light coming from below. Curiously, Nero swims deeper into the ravine, his eyes adjusting to the dark. His eyes widen when he notices a cave in the rock, seeming to go even further into the dark. For a moment, Nero looks back up at the surface.

“Oh. Now, this is a surprise.”

Suddenly, Nero feels something cold wrap around his waist, tightening its grip. Looking behind him, Nero gasps when he’s met with piercing green eyes.

“No need to be afraid,” the stranger coos. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Nero whines, glancing at the appendage wrapped around him. He quickly recognizes it as a mermaid's tail, grey, with rough and sturdy scales.

“Are you looking for Lady Kirin?” The stranger asks.

“N-No. I’m just...lost.”

“Lost? Are you sure about that, Prince Nero? You dove down here rather eagerly.”

“Well...I wanted to see what was down there. T-That’s all.”

“Ah, natural curiosity. That’s how I found my way here as well.”

The stranger chuckles, removing his tail from Nero’s waist. Nero sighs in relief, slightly distancing himself.

“You can call me Zander,” the merman says. It’s a pleasure, your highness.”

“I-It’s nice to meet you.”

Zander hums, pressing his hand against Nero’s back.

“Would you like to come in?” Zander asks. “I’m sure that Lady Kirin would love to see you.”

“Me? Why me?”

Zander smiles.

“It’s been a long time since she’s had any visitors. You could really make her day.”

“I don’t know. Maybe…”

“Lady Kirin knows about your birth,” Zander whispers, resting his head on Nero’s shoulder. “She knows everything.”

Nero stills, taking in a sharp breath.

Living in the Icy Ravine, a place Nero had ventured to for years, was someone who had all the answers. Someone who could tell him the very thing that he yearned for since he realized that maybe, just maybe, he was different.

“Come. I’ll guide you down there.”

Nero barely feels Zander take his hand, pulling him along into the cave. The tunnel is much darker now, as the light coming from it had seemed to dim completely. Still, Nero could tell Zander knew where he was going, weaving around rocks that Nero would’ve run into if Zander wasn’t guiding him.

The further they travel, Nero feels the water get even colder. He wasn’t aware that waters could get this cool. Nero gulps, tightening his grip on Zander’s hand. Nero could barely see where they were going.

“We’re almost there,” Zander says. “Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine. Truly…”

Nero expects Zander to say something else, but instead, he’s met with silence. Nero sighs, shutting his eyes.

Could this Lady Kirin really tell him what he wished to know?

When Nero opens his eyes again, he’s surprised to see a faint light just around the corner.

“Milady,” Zander calls. “I have returned.”

“Come in, Zander.”

Nero follows Zander nervously into the open space, quickly taking in his surroundings. The cave was illuminated by crystalline lights of various colors, decorating the walls. At the other end of the cave, Nero sees a large purple clamshell, surrounded by shelves with jars and jewels.

In the center of the clamshell sat Lady Kirin.

Her hair was a light purple, rather short and curly. Her eyes were a soft grey and to Nero’s surprise, Lady Kirin didn’t have a fish’s tail. Instead, her lower half was the tentacles of a jellyfish.

“Oh. And who might you be?” Lady Kirin wonders, pushing herself up from the shell.

“I-I’m Nero.”

“Prince Nero of the Glassy Sea, to be exact,” Zander says.

Nero notices Lady Kirin’s eyes widen. She rushes over to him, pressing her hand against Nero’s check.

“Are you...really?” She asks, stroking her thumb across Nero’s cheek.

“I...am.”

Lady Kirin simply smiles, and Nero gasps as she pulls him into a tight hug. Nero’s hands hover at her sides.

“I never thought I’d see you again,” Lady Kirin says, petting him. “It feels like I’m dreaming. My own blood...in my arms once more.”

“Blood?”

Lady Kirin sighs, pulling back to look Nero in the eyes.

“You’re my child, Nero. A child born from a forbidden union.”

Nero’s eyes widen, but Lady Kirin only looks at him with the utmost sincerity.

She was his mother?

“You still look uncertain,” Lady Kirin notes.

“Well...this is…”

“I know,” Lady Kirin begins, moving back. “It must be hard for you to believe a complete stranger is your mother. Especially with me being a sea witch and all.”

“You’re a sea witch?!” Nero exclaims. “But my father...that’s impossible…”

“Well, I’m not the sea witch that children learn about when they’re young. I’m just as dangerous though.”

“I still don’t understand…”

Lady Kirin smiles sadly.

“I met your father when he was around your age. He ventured near the coral reef near the ravine and happened to see me. I remember how frightened I was when he called out to me. I thought about diving back into the ravine, but I saw something in his eyes. He seemed so lonely and I knew the feeling all too well.

I can’t remember how long we stayed in the reef, talking to each other. It must’ve been hours. When he left, I never expected him to come back. You can imagine my surprise when he turned up a few days later.”

“Why?” Nero asks.

“I never knew for the longest time. He kept coming back day after day, hoping he’d see me and after a while, I got used to it. I started looking forward to his visits, as it made life in the ravine a little less lonely. He started bringing me gifts and flirting with me. He had fallen for me and I was starting to fall for him.”

Lady Kirin sighs.

“Then, one day, he stopped coming. It was just after he confessed his feelings to me. I was hurt and confused and without thinking, I ventured to the castle to look for him.

I...found out that your father was engaged to a mermaid named Lucia and that their engagement was going to be celebrated. It broke my heart. I thought about going back to the ravine, but I needed to know the truth. I wanted to know why he never said anything. Too easily, I managed to sneak into the castle. No one suspected anything of me. My appearance made me seem quite docile and elegant. I assume they mistook me for a noble.”

“What happened then?”

“Well, by the time I had arrived, the celebration was coming to a close. I was able to find Artem alone in the garden. I still remember the look on his face when he saw me. He looked at me as if it had been years since we last saw each other. When he embraced me, I felt everything he felt. I felt his happiness, his pain, and the love he felt for me. We both succumbed to that feeling and spent that night together.”

Lady Kirin places her hands on Nero’s shoulders, looking him in the eyes.

“You are a product of our love and in your veins runs the blood of a witch,” Lady Kirin says. “A special kind of magic runs through your veins. Magic that they don’t want to understand because they’re afraid of what it can do. They’ve made you feel ashamed of your blood. Just the thought makes me upset.

Nero, I never wanted to leave, but fear turns to hate. Hate turns to violence. They chased me out of the Glassy Sea, but not before ravaging the entire kingdom. Artem never knew what I was capable of and one of the last times I saw him, he was stricken with fear.”

Nero sniffles, looking down at the ground. All these years that Nero had ventured into the Icy Ravine, never knowing that his own mother lived at the bottom.

“I...never would’ve known,” Nero whispers. “Mother…”

Nero looks over at Zander.

“Thank you.”

Zander blushes pink, looking away.

“I didn’t do anything. If you hadn’t of swam down here, I wouldn’t have bothered.”

"Regardless," Nero's mother says. "You brought us back together. Thank you, Zander."

At the bottom of the Icy Ravine at the edge of the Glassy Sea, lived a sea witch regarded as Lady Kirin, mother of The Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Lunala, deep in the Glassy Sea.