AQUIVER the bearer of death

*Two Years Ago*

The harbor's waves were unusually calm. Silence even invaded, including the cool wind rustling a few strands of white hair. Jason Raymond, a middle-aged man with a sturdy athletic body, rubbed his face in frustration. He frowned while looking around, staring at the vast waters of Winter. Then, he exhaled cigarette smoke, upset. Jason tried to calm himself.

"How?" Jason asked Ellam. His adopted son, a young man, grumbled, exhaling roughly. Jason took another drag on his cigarette and Ellam sat beside him. Ellam having returned home empty-handed, just like the previous days.

"Your son...still needs mermaid tears," Ellam explained.

"Since Luke's massacre, mermaids have become scarce. They now only inhabit the deepest waters. How can I possibly catch them?" Jason replied, rubbing his face roughly once more. Frustration still etched on his ageless, handsome face.

"They're half-human, Dad. Why trust Erick's report? Mermaids can't survive in deep waters forever; they'll occasionally surface," Ellam insisted.

Jason shook his head, feeling dizzy. Torn between loyalty and doubt, he wondered whom to believe: Erick, his brother-in-law, or Ellam, his adopted son.

Luke was Jason's only child, the only person Jason loved deeply. His wife, Grace, she had left him thirteen years ago when Luke started junior high. Now, Jason, standing in the cruise ship's doorway, stared sadly at Luke, who had been bedridden for two years. Jason had invited various doctors from other countries to cure Luke, without regard for the expense.

Although Luke occasionally got up and smiled, he'd soon fall unconscious again. His weakness was alarming. Doctors struggled to diagnose Luke's mysterious illness, a puzzle with no clear solution. Initially, Luke appeared healthy and fit, with a strong, muscular build. Now, his body resembled a living corpse, with protruding bones and pale, dry skin. Luke struggled to health.

This weeks, Luke required nutritional injections since he couldn't chew or swallow, not even a drop of water. Jason's soul trembled witnessing his son's suffering.

"He could die," Ellam said abruptly.

"Watch your words!" Jason snapped.

"Then... come find them, Dad. I don't want to see Luke die either. He's like my little brother," Ellam urged.

Jason spontaneously strode across the room, frustration etched on his face. He snorted in annoyance, slamming his fist against the door frame. The sudden noise made Luke's eyes flicker open weakly.

The curse afflicting Luke stemmed from his tragic slaughter of hundreds of mermaids. Fate had dealt him a cruel hand: the mermaids he killed were underwater guardians – mermaid witches – who, in their final moments, cast a curse for Luke.

Jason merely speculated. Luke apparently harbored hatred for mermaids. According to Ellam, Luke and Erick ventured into the underwater country seeking his mom. Instead, Luke slaughtered the mermaids, as Erick recounted. This fueled Jason's conviction: his son targeted the creatures believing they caused his separation from Grace Raymond.

Jason and Ellam turned to Erick, who hurried in. Ellam, wary by nature, trusted few; he obeyed only Jason and Luke. His piercing gaze detected deceit in Erick's fidgety smile.

"I've heard news of a psychic who can lift the curse," Erick said.

***

A day passed quickly, marked by Jason and Ellam's heated argument. Ultimately, they took Luke to a psychic at the hospital, as Erick suggested. Driven by desperation, Jason would try anything to save his son. Though resilient, he felt exhausted and helpless.

Ellam reluctantly followed Erick's suggestion to visit the psychic. They'd do anything for Luke, his only hope.

Jason and Ellam exchanged skeptical glances upon meeting the psychic, a surprisingly young and stunning surgeon. Her elegant appearance belied her profession. The braided headband, light brown shoulder-length hair, and satin noble-style dress evoked a princess, not a doctor.

"So... how can I help you?" she asked.

Jason and Ellam blinked in unison, flustered by her melodious soprano voice. They felt guilty for openly scrutinizing her.

"We want to—"

"Enough. I already know your purpose here," she interrupted, smiling sweetly at the disheveled duo accompanying the frail patient.

Jason gulped, exchanging a nod with Ellam. Apparently, Erick had been right. She is a psychic.

"Has he seen a doctor before?" the psychic asked coldly.

"I've tried every method, I assure you, but still not progress," Jason replied, glancing at Luke beside him. Luke's gaunt cheekbones, dry lips and wrinkled skin evoked profound pity. His son looked frailer than Jason himself.

"We're hunters," Ellam explained. "Luke was cursed by a mermaid he slaughtered in the Red Sea two years ago."

Sirena's gaze narrowed. "The Red Sea incident?" she asked, her expression unreadable.

"You know about it?" Jason asked, surprised.

"Of course," Sirena replied.

Sirena focused on Luke, assessing his condition. She leaned her head on his chest, listening to his weakening heartbeat. Her eyes locked onto Jason and Ellam, seated anxiously nearby.

"Someone recommended you come here?" Sirena asked.

Noticing an unusual heartbeat within Luke, she detected a sea creature living inside him.

"Yes, my brother Erick," Jason replied.

Ellam observed Sirena's expression darken, sensing a chilling shift in her demeanor. Her eyes betrayed a menacing intent, revealing a killer's gaze.

"Leave. I need focus," Sirena commanded coldly.

Ellam became wary. Despite Jason pulling him out immediately, Ellam hesitated to leave Luke vulnerable, unsure of Sirena's intentions.

After seeing Jason and Ellam out, Sirena looked at Luke, she then called her friend, who was elsewhere.

"Hello, Esme. I've found the Red Sea mermaid killer," Sirena said.

"Really?! Where?" Esme asked.

"He came to me. His condition's critical. I'm cautious, though. He claimed his uncle recommended me," Sirena explained.

"Who?" Esme queried.

"Luke Raymond, Jason's son, and Erick," Sirena replied, reading from the hospital bracelet.

"I'll investigate his background. But clearly, Luke's uncle wants him dead, sending him to you," Esme noted.

Sirena gazed at Luke, now unresponsive.

"What should I do? Erick must know my true identity, yet he sent his nephew to me, a human killer. If this was Erick's plan, who is he, really? Perhaps we should investigate before killing Luke."

"Just kill him first," Esme urged. "We can return to the sea sooner."

Sirena gazed at the mermaid killer, her eyes burning with vengeance. "I won't kill him without making him suffer. The Red Sea tragedy left our people scarred. I'll heal him, then avenge our friends' deaths. Find information on Uncle Erick. He knows something about me. Return to the sea afterward."

To be continued ....