The stiffening silence fell between the two as they floated aimlessly down the golden river, each of them having spilled perhaps their most guarded secrets to each other—one a known princess, while the other a hidden adventurer. Both their secrets were of great value, things that could shake places under different circumstances.
Carmel and Carmelia felt a mix of emotions they had never experienced before. Carmelia had become the stronghold of rage and sadness that Carmel had felt, the two of them always having stayed just with each other, never speaking out their troubles, always carrying their burdens alone.
The prospect of being open, of talking it out, of being fully exposed was something she never understood. Both of them shared that trait. But now, it was over. Carmel had shouted out the largest secrets she could ever speak of, and for the first time in her life, she suddenly felt… free.
To her, it felt as if a burden had been lifted from her chest. The act of being free of her secrets brought such a heavy feeling to her heart that she couldn’t even describe how good it felt. For the first time, Carmel felt as if there was no barrier hiding her from seeing the world as it was. As the feelings of that satisfaction settled in, the shock of the secrets the boy in front of her had spoken started to settle deeply in her mind.
“What do you mean you are meant to save the world?”
Carmel’s voice hitched with a certain pitch, the details of what the boy had said ringing in her mind like a hammer hitting her again and again. Carmel and Carmelia didn’t want to accept it, but the two of them felt like they had gotten close to the person in front of them in a certain way, a special connection she had never felt before rippling within her as she awaited the boy’s response.
A stifling silence fell again for a moment as the boy looked at her, placing his paddle in his lap. His body language relaxed as he slouched down a bit, rocking the boat as he spoke.
“Sigh… to think this is how my first secrets start to spill.”
A certain peek of vulnerability slipped into the boy’s tone as he spoke in a reminiscent tone.
“It’s just as you heard. The day I awakened my bloodline, I was chosen. The blessings of several deities were bestowed upon me, while the truths of certain pasts hidden by illusions became clear to me.”
The boy took a break, taking deep breaths, focusing on Carmel as he continued to speak.
“There’s nothing much to it than a huge responsibility on my shoulders, with world-breaking talents at my hand and little time to prepare for what is to come, one way or another. That’s my burden, that’s my valor.”
The pressure of his words, spoken with a heightened maturity that shouldn’t exist, fixed with a certain illusion, made Carmel feel as if she was being played with, getting a feeling as if the boy himself must be manipulated or something. Perhaps sensing her doubt, the boy dropped the second bomb of the day.
“This was put forth to me by the Creation Goddess, I can swear upon that.”
The further information blew away Carmel’s mind for the second time, her eyes widening to the limit as she looked at the weakly leaning boy. The words he had spoken, other than his path, resonated with her—the trials of walking alone, having no one to be with them, to take in the pain and cruelty of the world all alone.
All of that matched what Carmel and Carmelia felt about the world, both of their minds and hearts softening at the person in front of them, a kinship in a different sense being formed as she asked.
“What do you bear?”
To this, the boy shook his head.
“It’s not that I wish not to share it, rather I am incapable of it. What I bear is a mark just meant for me.”
The stiffness and seriousness in his voice spoke a lot, and before Carmel could ask anything, the boat started to rock faster, its speed now moving on its own as they seemingly came upon certain golden rocks spread evenly across their path, blocking their future. And it was within this that from the whole black certain things started to flow.
With the water splattering all along, beautiful-looking and sparkling mermaids seemed to form as they all sat upon the rocks with their fishtails swirling. But what made Carmel tense up was the powerful Origin level 8 power being felt by each and every one of the mermaids. For now, they sat at the rock looking at the two of them.
And perfectly on time, the golden lips formed above as it started to speak of the next challenge.
“Amazing! Now that was some heart-moving performance! Now, let’s head to the next stage, shall we? It’s simple this time—just sing a song that makes them happy! Else be killed and become part of the water!”
The words made the two flinch as they looked at each other. The mermaids, beautiful golden-skinned sparkling ones, kept looking at them as the two faced each other, and before they could speak, golden particles formed as they came together to create several instruments that could be played.
“Your singing better be a good one with a great match, a single mistake makes them mad, and the more your song, voice, and movement don’t match, the higher the chance for you to be killed! So best of luck!”
With that, the lips disappeared again, leaving several floating instruments for them to use, a timer above showing the amount of time they had before they could prepare for what was to come. Feeling a rush, the boy spoke.
“How about this, I will play and you sing.”
To this, Carmel took time to think, her mind going through her thoughts as she arrived at a particular song, one she was whispered to as a child. The thought of it made her disgusted, yet moving through it she reached one, perhaps a good one. Her gaze flashed as she asked.
“How about we sing something from the heart?” Carmel suggested, her voice trembling slightly. She speaking of doing something she would normally never do yet something within her calls out to do this, a certain story to be sung by the two that face the world and yet try to live.
The boy, still masked, nodded, sensing the gravity of the moment. He reached out and grabbed one of the floating instruments—a harp, its strings shimmering with the same golden light that surrounded them. It was delicate, and somehow, it felt like the right choice. He plucked a few strings, letting the sound resonate through the stillness. The notes were soft, almost fragile as if they could shatter the silence that hung between them.
Carmel listened to the soft melody he played, feeling it tug at something deep inside her. It was as if the harp itself was mourning, its strings vibrating with the weight of several unspoken words and emotions.
“That’s beautiful,” Carmel whispered, her eyes locked on the boy’s hands as they moved gracefully over the harp. The melody was haunting, each notes a piece of a story that had yet to be told.
“I’ll follow your lead,” the boy said softly, his voice almost drowned out by the music. “Sing what you feel, what’s in your heart. Perhaps today we might be able to create something beautiful from an ugly past.”
