Another day, the sun rose again.

Matthew was lying on the beach, recently awake, sitting up onto his arm and tail. He couldn’t lift himself as much out of water, his body felt heavy out of it. His hazel eyes watched sadly how Alon rested a little away from him, only his torso out of the water. His big tail was leaned into the waves, unable to sleep well if its weight was not supported. His auburn tail did not weight as much as his.

Alon had kept his word of bringing him to the beach. He knew he would not have been comfortable sleeping underwater yet. He brought him to the sand, even if that meant he would have to rest like that himself. There was a frown on his face now, which he had tried to hide before falling asleep.

Matthew sighed tiredly, stretching under the sun. He also felt strain on his body; now he knew exactly why merfolk were not made to be ashore. The fear he saw when Alon was trapped on those rocks now made much more sense.

Still, he could not avoid feeling safe on land. He still felt human. He still sensed the familiarity of gravity. Even if he was not human anymore…

He glared sadly at the distance, able to see something. They were now by the eastern side of the cay, hidden from view. Still, ahead, far, he could notice the faint outlines of a police investigation. Close to where he met with Iara under that red moon, where he left everything… and where Ethan called.

A policeman went back to that area from time to time, but now much less. Three days, he still had not given signs of being alive. They were growing tired of searching, for sure. A boat had been roaming yesterday while they were in the depths. But it left in the end.

Ethan surely had to be freaking out. He wondered what he was doing, and if he was alright. His careless impulse could have hurt him a lot.

Maybe he thinks I’ve-

“Matthew.”

He jolted a little, stopping looking at the distance. He managed to drown his depressing thoughts slightly, because Alon seemed to have woken up. He was staring at him, his black tail now raised slightly behind him, his head laid onto his arms. His tone was caring, as always.

“Are you alright?”

Alon could not avoid seeing the sorrow and regret in him. Yet he could only look away when Matthew answered with another question, serious and sharp.

“Are you?”

His silver eyes did not dare look back at hazel ones, not wanting to show what he felt. Sadly, Matthew knew too well. There was pure worry, pure uncertainty, for her. Not knowing where she was, or what was she was doing, was torturous. They did not know why she had gone away. Alon wanted to search for her already, but he could only wait, because of him.

There was a tense silence, painful. The sun rose higher while they pondered their troublesome situation.

Silence reigned, until a growl echoed. Alon finally looked up from his hands, blinking as he heard sand being brushed. He watched baffled while Matthew thrashed slightly to a side, huffing with each jolt he forced on himself.

“What are you-?“

Matthew snorted with exasperation, slamming his arm down on the sand to push himself.

“What do you think?” He pointed his caudal fin at the water, tone tired. “You said I had to learn, didn’t you? So…!”

He plopped onto his side, his auburn tail rolling a little. His face showed a grimace when he crushed a side fin slightly. Still, he kept on awkwardly fidgeting like a fish out of water, literally.

Alon leaned his head, baffled, because Matthew decided that rolling parallel to the shore was the best way to return to the water.

“H-how…” The brunet panted, even rolling something hard to do, more when he pressured his fins below his weight. “Did you guys really feel like this every time I made you lay on sand?”

Alon shrugged, trying to wave the matter off.

“You have more fins. So you are more bothered by-“

“You weight more.”

“Don’t call me fat…”

There was no anger in Alon’s tone, only a slight blush as he fumbled with his fins. Matthew huffed, both for his reaction and because he could almost reach the waves now.

“Man, you are a fucking whale. I’m not calling you fat. Hell, you could leave a bulldozer out of commission.”

“A what?” Alon shook his head, sulking. “Wait a moment; I’m technically not a whale. I’m like a dolphin, killer whales are-“

“I know, I know!” Matthew yelped slightly, finally plopping into the waves. He coughed a little while he looked up at the other. “I’m just saying that you are big, taller and you look like you can break rocks. You left quite a mark on those black ones, by the way. I double-checked while I questioned my sanity.”

The angelfish raised and plopped his tail one last time, enough to make it lay in the water and let it sway with each wave. He spoke while he crawled a little backwards, pushing his torso away from the sand with his arm.

“Now, I still don’t know how to float, and still can’t speak much.” He grinned, rolling his eyes. “Give me a hand, Alon. I only have one after all.”

Alon gave him a stare, for joking so lightly about his loss. Matthew did not know why he cared or stayed to help him, but he appreciated that he did.

After a minute, Matthew smiled sadly, because Alon gave him a caring nod, following him into the water with more experienced moves.

“When you learn to swim, you won’t miss that limb as much. Those fins are not only for show.”

The killer whale wiggled his way into deeper water, only his torso now visible, while Matthew still sat in shallow waves.

Alon soon raised his hands, motioning.

“Fine, today’s lesson. First, don’t be so squeamish and let the waves hit your face, lean sprawled, facing the sea.”

Matthew turned slightly, his tail now pointed at the beach. Still, he looked at the sea with a scowl.

“Can’t I kind of just move forward while I keep my torso above-“

“Stretch parallel to the bottom. Sink.”

There was not as much fierceness as when Iara ordered, but still, Alon was firm when he wanted to be. If he did not know him, he would be scarier than her.

Matthew let out a bored huff, taking a deep breath before reluctantly obeying. He did not like how the waves hit his face. Each one felt stronger as he swayed in the water. His hazel eyes narrowed, trying to see through it. He could make out the outlines of Alon’ face; he had sunk as well, both now parallel to the sand. His voice was even more muffled, the waves echoing strong over him.

“Good. Now, just float. Let go of the sand. Move slowly your tail, side to side; slowly and softly.”

Matthew frowned, looking down at his hand, which was keeping his balance by grasping the bottom. They were in very shallow water.

Alon waited patiently, knowing he needed time. Matthew eventually let go, fidgeting side to side slightly, the waves making him hover adrift. He trembled as he felt his own weight make him lean.

He would have rolled onto a side… if not for Alon nearing and swaying by him. He shivered, feeling a hand lay onto his dorsal fin; his fingers brushed, pulled, and made it outstretch out of the water. It now stood like how his and Iara’s surfaced. It broke the surface, kept there, dividing the water.

Alon smiled and gave him a firm nod.

“Don’t fold it back.”

Matthew could not close or open it willingly. His state of mind made his fins move. So he tried to focus, keeping it outstretched as much as possible, sharp. It was not like theirs, theirs did not look so slender and translucent. His could flow and bend very easily.

Alon kept an attentive eye, watching closely while Matthew tried to keep it over him, acting as an anchor against the current and waves.

Now… the issue of one side leaning too much.

Matthew shuddered once more, because Alon reached for his left silvery fin and pushed it a little against his side, folding it against his auburn tail. Before he could mimic the action with his other one, there was a warning.

“Keep the right one outstretched.”

Matthew let out a little snarl, finding it hard to accomplish. Both fins just kept on jolting at his sides, as if wanting to outstretch in reflex. He could not keep them leaned in different ways. So Alon sighed, trying to be patient, smiling down at him kindly.

“Take your time. Let your left arm be a fin, in a sense. Let that right fin compensate for the lack of a limb above it. They are like arms, Matthew. Think like an acrobat in a circus.”

Matthew raised an eyebrow, giving him a stare.

“H-w th h-hel you k-knw bout cirk-css?”

His voice still came out in gurgles. Alon just shook his head, frowning.

“Focus.”

Matthew really wanted to question the matter. But he guessed he would have to wait to question his knowledge. His attention was right now needed to keep those pesky fins stable.

It took a long while. Multiple growls echoed while the fins just kept on jolting and outstretching, surely not understanding he lacked an arm. But eventually… Matthew beamed in triumph, letting out a small laugh. His eyes fixed on his left fin, finally folded against himself, the right one open wide. They stopped jolting and trying to mess with him.

Alon finally moved away from his side. Matthew lost his smile as he did so, shaking a little while he lost a little balance. But he soon relaxed, seeing he was not rolling around, managing, albeit clumsily, to stay afloat on his own. He was still parallel to the sand not so far below. The waves that hit his dorsal fin were not pushing him as much as before.

Matthew raised his gaze with a small hopeful glint, both smiling bright, seeing their progress. It only had taken a few hours.

Still, Matthew pouted when Alon laughed and crossed his arms, commenting jokingly.

“Not bad for a human.”

“C-com on!” Matthew huffed in the shallow water, having to regain his balance after snarling. “D-don’t… Mock m…!”

Alon circled him a little, chuckling.

“I’m just saying that any other human would not learn this fast. I’m sincerely impressed.” Alon raised a finger, growing serious again, even if still smiling. “But we are not done yet!”

Alon clapped his hands, giving him a determined grin.

“The only thing you need to do is…” Matthew stared poker-faced, because Alon leaned again and moved the end of his black tail so slow that it could barely be noticed. “Move your caudal fin side to side! Slowly, not up and down like me and her, but sideways. Yours is different. Move that tail, I repeat, slowly, you want to advance very little.”

Matthew let out a puff of water and glared, not amused. But he obeyed, letting the top of his caudal fin surface like his dorsal one did. Its lower edge acted as an anchor below him. The center would act as a fan, to push the water at his sides, and so, propel him. He began to move it sideways, accompanied by a small sway of hips, his tail still clumsy.

Alon watched as Matthew indeed began to advance forward. Albeit not entirely forward, mostly rotating to his right, like a broken cart in a mall.

The angelfish growled, again trying to correct his direction with angry motions, which only managed to turn him even more. He would have begun to thrash in an exasperated fit; puffs of water were already escaping him as his fist clenched in an angry stance. His tail was about to lash around… until the orca let out a cough.

Matthew halted, shying as Alon gave him a raise of eyebrow. His arms were again crossed and his tail was swaying, almost looking like a human tapping his foot.

“I said slowly, a synonym of calmly.”

Matthew raised his hand to his head, looking away tiredly. He brushed his piercings while he sighed; there were too many things in his head to be calm.

Alon shook his head with a small smile, voice growing quiet.

“It does not matter if you drift sideways. For now, just advance. Even if you end up swimming in circles, it is still swimming. We will work on direction later, ok?”

Matthew pondered for a minute. Alon was glad to see him nod, smiling a little like him.

Both mermen focused strongly. One tried to swim closer and slowly towards the other. While the other always had his arms raised, ready to act if needed.

Matthew slowly managed to swim away from the shore, following Alon’s lead. Little by little, his auburn tail glinted more with the sun, his fins brushing the surface.

The eyes of the killer whale never left the human… too attentive to notice another pair glinting maliciously in the far depths.

Two red eyes never left the angelfish as well. His dark figure never approached too much, not even if he wished to. The former human looked so defenceless, so clueless… It would be easy to just leap on him and let him dread his fangs, unable to protect himself. He would not even be able to swim away from his advances.

It would be easy. And at the same time not.

The shark let out a faint growl, always careful of not being heard or noticed. He hated to see the orca there, always watching, always standing guard. He was preventing him from killing.

So he kept his distance, always watching as well. He kept waiting for an opening, for a chance. All he needed was a moment of blindness and carelessness from both. Death was needed to ensure a mind would stay subservient.

Once that human was dead, there would be no chance of awakening. And then… he would finally be able to confront that killer whale, without risk, aided by the strength he lacked.

He only needed to kill him, and all would follow.

So much blood…