Chapter 52: Trust Of The Broken Scale
Aemar stood silently as I watched the mermaid city flicker beneath the sea. It looked broken. Cracked towers, fading lights, dark smoke rising from the coral streets.
"Promise me," he said. "Promise that you’ll save Alune. One day. When that happens, the sword will unlock. Not before."
I stayed quiet for a moment, watching the image fade into the water.
A promise without a time limit. No clear reward. I didn’t like that.
"I get what you’re asking," I said. "But if I’m going to risk my life for a kingdom I’ve never seen, I want something in return."
Aemar raised an eyebrow. "You’re not in a position to ask."
"But I’m the only one here," I said calmly. "And I might be your last hope."
He didn’t reply. I knew I was right.
"I don’t want power," I continued. "I want access. Let me enter your territory—what you call the God’s Territory."
His face changed instantly. The sea around us darkened. The sky turned dim. Even the birds flying overhead stopped in the air, frozen like statues.
"...You don’t know what you’re asking for."