I knew something had changed the moment he moved closer.
Even without understanding this strange world, I could feel the shift in the air. The two shark-like guards standing nearby suddenly grew tense, exchanging quick glances that didn't escape my notice.
Were they… nervous?Because of him?
My gaze returned immediately to the man sitting before me…the terrifyingly handsome ruler occupying the throne.
He was watching me again.
Not casually or indifferently.
He studied me like I was a puzzle he couldn't solve.And strangely… I wasn't afraid.
Maybe I should have been.
The way those guards lowered their heads earlier told me everything I needed to know…this man wasn't ordinary. He wasn't just powerful.
He was absolute authority here.Yet my eyes stayed locked with his.
I couldn't stop staring.His gaze felt heavy, ancient, overwhelming… but it didn't force me to look away.
Why wasn't I scared?
Everyone else clearly was.
He rose slowly from the throne.
The movement alone made my heartbeat quicken.
Every movement he made toward me carried quiet dominance. The hall seemed to grow smaller as he approached my crystal prison.
I swallowed.
Okay…now I am nervous.
His attention focused entirely on me, and suddenly I became very aware of how tiny I must look trapped inside this sphere.
What am I to him?
Food?a curiosity?a criminal?
He stopped directly in front of me.Up close… he was even more devastating.
His presence pressed against my senses like deep ocean pressure. My eyes betrayed me again, drifting across his powerful frame before snapping back to his face.
Focus, Marimar.Stop admiring the possible executioner.
His hand lifted slowly toward the crystal.
My gaze followed the motion instantly.
My throat tightened.Was he going to touch it?
Touch me?I gulped without meaning to.
Why am I suddenly nervous?!
His palm rested against the surface of the crystal ball.
I flinched backward instinctively.But what happened next completely broke my understanding of reality.
His hand passed through the crystal.
Through it.Like it wasn't even there.
My eyes widened so much they hurt.
Wait…WHAT?!He could reach inside?!
He moved closer, his hand approaching my face.
My heart slammed wildly against my ribs.
He's going to touch me.
He's actually going to…just before his fingers reach me…
He stopped.His hand withdrew abruptly.
Confusion flashed across his expression before his attention shifted away from me entirely.
And then…he disappeared.
The guards vanished too.
Silence crashed over the hall.
I stared at the empty throne area, my mouth hanging open.
"…What?"
My heart was still racing.I wasn't expecting that.
One moment I thought I was about to be touched…maybe judged, maybe executed and the next moment I was alone again.
I exhaled shakily, pressing a hand against my chest.
Why did I feel… disappointed?
I groaned softly and covered my face.
"I can't believe I was admiring a human-like shark…"
But seriously.He was unfairly handsome.
Dangerously handsome.The kind of handsome capable of ruining someone's entire life.
Why was he looking at me like that?
Was he a god? A devil?
Maybe he really was the one meant to judge my soul.
The thought made me glance around nervously.
If this was hell… it was ridiculously beautiful.
And why couldn't I stop thinking about him?
For a second, I genuinely believed he was going to touch my face.
Yes.Definitely a he.
Even if he looked partly like a shark, everything about him screamed masculine power.
I hugged my knees again inside the crystal ball.
"What's happening to me…?"
Where was I?
Who were these beings?
Why did I feel like my entire reality had been rewritten?
My thoughts spun endlessly until frustration burst out of me.
"Where am I?!" I shouted again.
Not long after, the guards returned.
Before I could protest, the crystal ball began moving.
I yelped, grabbing the inner surface for balance as they escorted me through unfamiliar corridors.
Okay…okay Stay calm Marimar.
They're not eating you yet.
That's a good sign… right?
My eyes wandered everywhere as we moved.
The scenery outside was breathtaking.
Glowing corals stretched like living trees. Streams of shimmering light flowed through the water like floating ribbons.
Creatures I had never imagined swam peacefully through open spaces.
It looked like a fantasy world.
A literal fairy tale.
"…This place is beautiful," I whispered, unable to stop myself. "Am I inside a story or something?"
The guards exchanged looks again.
Apparently I was the weird one here.
Which is fair…I was the one trapped inside a floating crystal ball.
Eventually we stopped.And my heart instantly recognized why.
He was there.
With his back turned toward me.Even without seeing his face, I knew it was him.
The handsome devil.
My pulse quickened embarrassingly fast.
Why am I happy right now?
Calm down, Marimar.
You might still die today.
"It's here, Your Majesty," one guard announced.
A smile slipped onto my face before I could stop it.
I waited eagerly.
Turn around already…
Please turn around…
He moved…slowly and gracefully.And when he finally faced me…My breath caught.
His eyes locked onto mine again.
But they were different.
Before, they had been silver.
But now they are deep blue like the ocean and his tail.
My brain struggled to process it.
Do his eyes change color?
Is that a devil thing?
My gaze drifted shamelessly to his lips.
Red,soft-looking and perfectly shaped.
I blinked rapidly.Why am I noticing lips right now?!
I wanted him to speak.
I desperately wanted to hear his voice.
Please don't tell me he's mute.
That would be such a tragedy for someone this attractive.
Suddenly his tail moved.
Before I understood what was happening, the crystal ball slid toward him.
"Ahh!" I squeaked, clutching my chest.
He pulled me closer effortlessly.Was he going to put his hand inside again?
Was he finally going to touch my face?
My thoughts spiraled wildly.Would his
hand feel cold like water?Or warm like skin?
He tilted his head slightly.Confusion crossed his expression as he studied me.
Without realizing it, I leaned forward too.
We were now incredibly close.Close enough that I could clearly see every detail of his face.
And my mouth betrayed me completely.
"You're so handsome… I can't stop admiring you, Mr. Devil."
The words escaped before my brain could stop them.
Silence followed.
Oh no.
Oh no no no.
Did I just say that out loud?!
His head tilted again, confusion deepening.
Then…His lips finally moved.
Yes!
He was going to speak!
I straightened instantly, excitement bubbling despite the situation.
What would his voice sound like?
Deep?
Smooth?
Dangerous?
Sexy…
"Strip."
My brain stopped working completely.
"…Huh?"