The next morning Mia called her aunts.
” Aunt Jade. Aunt Ruby . Will it be possible for you two to take my baby for a tour of the outside? Show him around the mer-word? I feel too tired all of a sudden. I would like to get some sleep. ”
” Of course we can. ”
Ruby patted Mia’s head.
” It’s natural to feel exhausted. You had such a difficult child birth. Don’t worry. We will take good care of him. You can take some rest. ”
Jade kissed Mia on her head.
” You promise ? ”
Mia implied a promise that was deeper. But none of them understood.
” Of course silly girl.
We will. Why do need to be so dramatic? ” Ruby tapped her head with her hand. Mia smiled.
She pretended to go to sleep as they went away with her child.
Mia stayed like that for sometimes, before quickly getting up and heading for the stream that was beside the ridge. The ridge where Lin had hidden her inside a barrier. Mia sighed. Those days seemed so long ago. Back then she was hopeless. Back then also she was alone.
Hiding, scared. She was against the world. She and her Lin.
But now she had everyone supporting her. Nobody ever made her feel like she was criminal. They worried about her. Her families. They all knew that they were victims. Now she had a family behind.
Mia immerged out of the water. She carefully peeped before getting out of it.
As soon as she came out, a pair of hands grabbed Mia from the back.
Mia let out a scream. Scared. Frightened. Petrified.
Had she landed straight into the hand of the Fridge? Was all their efforts in waste. Her lips were sealed with another hand. Her eyes closed in reflex. Horrors from the last encounter with that thing was tearing Mia from within. Was it going to repeat itself.
Mia could not even breathe. She felt like she was choking.
As the grip around her loosened, Mia realised this was not she was fearing.
She turned to see a very familiar face.
Anajana.
Her special friend. And now that she knew about his real identity, he was more like a friend of her mother. Her mother’s betrothed. The one , to save whom, she had left her crown, throne and home. Whom she refused to marry so that he could have a opportunity at life. But in the process ended up losing her own life.
” Anajana! ”
Mia hugged him like an old friend.
He laughed his little wild, childish laugh.
” I missed little girl too. ”
He scuffled her hair.
He suddenly looked at her belly.
” Baby? Where is your baby? ”
He asked with a worried voice. His sound was deep and husky this time.
Mia smiled.
” He is fine. He is safe at the mer-world. I gave birth to a boy yesterday. ”
She watched a frown appear on his forehead.
” Mer-world? Boy? ”
Anjana uttered the words so distinctively as if they were poles apart. Which was actually true.
Mia smiled.
” Hhhmmmm, yeah. You and I seem to share a lot in common. Do you remember Crystal? ”
She asked him.
It made him reciprocate with shudders
” Crystal… Crystal….. Crystal ”
He broke down into tears just at the mere mention of the name.
” Sssshhhh! Don’t cry. Please don’t cry. ”
Mia felt really sorry seeing him in that state.
” She would not have wanted to see you like this. Would she? ”
Mia asked, wiping the tears away from his eyes.
” She was the reason I could see and touch you. Nobody else could because she had cloaked you in a veiling spell. To protect you. To keep you safe. I could break though the veil because I am her daughter. We share the same blood. ”
Anajana moved away from Mia after her last sentence, as if she gave out electric jolts.
“Anjana… ”
Mia called out, alarmed.
” You. Crystal’s daughter? ”
He asked to confirm.
Mia nodded.
” Don’t worry. I am not here to take you away. I am not from the mer-world.
My father is a king on the lands. I am part wolf from my father’s side. ”
Her words seemed to have a little calming effect. It must have been too much for his simple head to take. All at the same time.
“Mia… “, he called her name with worry this time.
” Yes. ”
Mia turned attentively to his direction.
” Bad wolf is looking for Mia everywhere. Big bad wolf. Mia is not safe here. ”
His eyes became round and big. They seemed horrid.
Mia understood he might have met with Jin’s grudge. The creature must have come to these parts as well in her search.
Mia heaved a sigh. She needed to get out of there as soon as was possible.
” I know what you are talking about. I know why you are worried. I am not here to stay. I am on my way to find a way to stop all these. ”
She sighed again.
” This is probably my last journey. ”
She hugged him with a smile. ” I am here looking for that little mer-boy. Have you seen him? Or know where he is? ”
Anjana looked at her face.
” Mer-boy? ”
He shook his head.
Mia stood up and went towards the water. She looked here and there. It wasn’t like she expected him to hang around there all the time. But she was in dire state. She needed to find him before the grudge noticed that she had emerged out of the oceans.
Mia was running out of time. She jumped agin in the water. Dived deep, deep inside.
Luck seemed to be on her side.
She spied something sparkly and shiny from the corner of her eye.
Mia smiled.
A smile of satisfaction, mixed with relief.