Above us, the blossoms that drifted through the current began to scatter faster, like a storm of pale lanterns. Shadows stirred beyond the coral towers, moving with intent too fluid for mortals, too sharp for chance. A whisper slid along the water, so faint I thought I imagined it: a name, twisted, heavy with malice.
I turned quickly, but saw nothing. Only the echo of my own pulse, too loud in my ears.
The man's gaze flicked back to me, steady, unyielding. "You should not linger here. This realm is not kind to those who stumble unbidden."
"Then send me back," I whispered. "Send me back before it's too late."
For the first time, something almost like a smile touched his lips but it was not kind. It was sorrow.
"You stepped where mortals cannot tread. There is no returning unchanged."
The current tightened around us, darkening, as if the depths themselves had overheard. And far away, in that darkness, I thought I saw it again: a shadow coiled with hunger, waiting.
The shadows pressed closer, and for a moment I thought the weight of the river would swallow me whole. Then his hand lifted pale, steady and with a flick of his fingers, light burst outward.
It spread like ripples through glass. The gloom thinned, the veils peeled away, and the world sharpened.
My breath caught.
No longer was I adrift in formless waters. Around me stretched a city vast and impossible. Towers of jade and coral spiraled upward, linked by bridges of pearl that glimmered in the current. Lanterns of glowing shells floated through the avenues, their light soft as moonfire. Figures walked the streets some with the faces of mortals, others shimmering with tails, wings, or horns. A market stretched into the distance, stalls carved from stone and bone, selling wares that glittered like treasures from dreams
I pressed a hand to my lips, stunned. "This… this is real?"
His gaze lingered on me, unreadable. "You see it as we do now. The veil is lifted."
Before I could reply, a sudden voice cut through the water like a dart.
"Well, well, look who finally brought a mortal home."
I startled, turning only to find a boy hovering upside down above me, arms crossed, a grin tugging at his face. His hair floated like tangled ink, and his eyes glowed with a mischievous light.
"Don't mind him," he said, jerking his chin toward the dragon-man beside me. "He always looks like he swallowed a whole moon and forgot how to smile. I, however, am far more entertaining."
I blinked. "…Who are you?"
"Me?" He flipped upright with a flourish, bowing extravagantly until his forehead nearly touched the coral floor. "Dòu Dòu. Guardian of… oh, you know, very important things you wouldn't understand. And your new best friend."
I stared, utterly unprepared for the absurdity of him.
Mingzhu, however, exhaled slowly, as if summoning patience. "Do not encourage him."
But Dòu Dòu only winked at me. "Too late."
The city pulsed with a quiet rhythm, as though it breathed with the river itself. Everywhere I turned, wonders unfolded spirits drifting like ribbons of smoke, merchants with scaled hands weighing pearls as though they were mere grain, children darting through the current with fins flashing like sparks of light.
I clutched the folds of my dress, afraid to drift too far, yet unable to look away.
"Don't gape too much," Dòu Dòu said cheerfully, swimming backward in front of me with effortless ease. "They'll think you're fresh bait from the surface. And trust me, no one wants to be treated like a tourist here. Very bad for the image."
I frowned. "Tourist?"
He leaned in conspiratorially. "Means you don't belong. Not yet, anyway." His grin widened, revealing a mischievous glint. "But lucky for you, you have me as a guide. The most handsome, most charming, most..."
"Most irritating," Mingzhu interrupted, his tone calm but edged with warning.
Dòu Dòu gasped in mock offense. "You wound me, old friend. Deeply. Mortally!" He clutched his chest and spiraled dramatically in the water before peeking at me with one eye. "See? This is why he needs me. Without me, he'd be all scowls and speeches. Dreadful company."