Star Crossed In Time

The Dark water below looks ominous as the hauntingly beautiful voice echos around my head like something like a beautiful nightmare. That's right! This must be a nightmare! I'm back home, sleeping in bed with Bai Lei... 

Suddenly, I fall! When I hit the dark water, shock hits me full force. I quickly break to the surface and suck in a lung full of the night air. What the hell!? I quickly think about Bai Lei and home, willing myself to shift away but nothing happens. 

The singing continues as I suddenly feel something brush against my leg. I jerk back and fight to keep my breathing even as I try to think about what to do and how I got here. Why am I always being pulled around!? 

Something brushes against my leg again but this time it slightly pulls me. Oh no no no... I already have a fear of the ocean but it's nighttime and something's circling me in the water!!! I'm even getting the feeling that there's more than one! I want to cry...

Calm down Nova, think. I try to use my power to lift myself out of the water but nothing happens. What the hell is the point in having powers if you can never use them when you need them!? Wait... was it the singing? Was it somehow stopping my powers? 

Something firmly grabs my leg and suddenly pulls me under the water, taking me by surprise. Even though I was now underwater, I can still hear the singing... I fight to pull my leg back but nothing I do allows me to break free. 

I don't even know what has me!! It's so dark... I can't see anything!! My heart beats so hard against my ċhėst, I feel like it's about to burst out as I struggle to think through my panic and fear. I can feel myself going deeper and deeper as I reach down to pry off whatever has me.

I fumble around and feel it! It's cold and somewhat soft but it holds onto me like a metal chain. I try to dig my fingers in between it and my leg but it doesn't work! My lungs burn with the need for air as we continue to go further and further down. 

I'm going to die... I try to dig my nails into the thing holding me but I'm losing all my strength. I... I can't get it off! I feel myself growing weaker and I'm losing the ability to think. My lungs burn and sting, demanding for air that I can't give it.

So this is really my end? I really never thought about how I'd die but this surely wasn't it... I feel myself relaxing as my dress flutters all around me like a soft blanket. I still can't see anything and maybe that's a good thing...

My heartbeat is so slow... it's nearly come to a stop but we keep descending. I'm pretty sure my ears popped a while back but I can't really feel anything anymore as I give into my death. I suddenly feel someone's cold hands on my face and instantly reach out to grab them as I snap my eyes open.

A man with dark purple eyes and long, dark blue hair stares down at me with a blank look. I blink several times in confusion and look to my hand. I was holding his hand! I instantly release his hand and sit up when he leans back.

I quickly look around in confusion and instead of clearing things up, I only find myself even more confused! If this had been my world, It would look like I was in a giant fishbowl! Well... water completely surrounds my 'fishbowl' while the 'fishbowl' itself was filled with air. 

Was I in a glass dome underwater!? Wait... no, that can't be right. They don't have glass here... right? I look to the man who's sitting on the bed I'm in, watching me silently. I nervously lick my lips and ask "Who are you and where am I?" 

The man watches me silently for a few more seconds before saying "I take it you're the one who saved the female demon?" My brain struggles to understand for a few seconds before it clicks. Ai... "You're the Northern Sea Deity?" I ask in a soft voice.

The man slightly ċȯċks his head and says "I am. I was curious to see who was able to lift my curse and survive the sirens. You... what are you?" I sigh with growing irritation. Why does everyone ask me that!? 

I look around the bȧrė dome again before asking "If I'm honest with you, will you be honest with me?" He seems to ponder for a moment before nodding so I nod in return and say "I'm a star. Now that you've met me, can you please return me." 

He slightly narrows his dark purple eyes and I can't help but wonder if the man is a mermaid. No one should be that pretty... "A star? Like the ones in the night sky?" He asks unconvinced. I shrug and nod my head as I say "Again... can you please return me now." Even his skin was slightly glowing like it was made of pearls.  

He watches me closely for a few more moments before saying "No, I planned on having you killed but... I'm thinking about just keeping you as a pet." I almost laugh, almost. I look at him like he's insane as I say "Pet... I'm no pet little fish. Release me before I show you how I make sushi!"

He doesn't seem bothered by my threat but he does frown at me and ask "What's sushi?" I give him a dark smile as I say "Hand me a really sharp knife and I'll show you." I try to pull my powers to me again but nothing happens. Why!? Why can't I use my powers!?

As if reading my expression, he stands from the bed and says "You won't be able to use your powers here. This is my Realm and I control everything here, including your ability to use whatever little power you have."

My eye twitches as I take a deep calming breath before saying "Okay... I guess you were upset about me helping the female demon but in my defense, I was forced to. They threatened my life so how about I apologize and we all move on. This happened a long time ago, right?"

Before I realize it, he's back on the bed and on top of me with his large hand over my mouth. His eyes glow an eerie purple color as he says "I can easily snap your little neck or skin you alive! I can even drown you, over and over, bringing back to life just to drown you again so think very carefully before speaking about what those demons did to my brother!"

Holyshit... this dude is angry... I look at him with wide eyes and slowly nod my head. He watches me closely for several seconds before slowly removing his hand. I want to headbutt him or kick him in the balls but my gut is telling me not to if I want to survive this.

"Don't ever mention my brother again, understand?" He says in a low, soft but threatening tone. I slowly nod my head in understanding as he gets up and storms away from me. My heart races as he walks straight to the glass dome without looking back. 

Where the hell is he going? He storms up to the side and I just know he's gonna collide with it and hurt himself but he walks through it like magic! I jump up from the bed and yell out "Wait! Wait a minute, please! You can't just keep me down here!" 

I run over to the dome wall and meet a VERY solid wall. It almost feels like glass... I bang my fists on it as I yell again "Please! I'm sorry, okay? Can we talk about this!?" He literally turns into a freaking mermaid!!! I hate to admit it but... he's beautiful. 

I bang on the glass again but he never turns back to look at me. He swims away and soon disappears from sight, leaving me all alone in the freaking fishbowl. I bang on the glass a few more times and kick it a few times for good measure but nothing works. 

I look up but I see nothing but water. "Even if you were to break out of here Nova... how do you plan on surviving long enough to reach the surface?" Worry and fear tug at me as I reach back and touch the mark on the back of my neck. Bai Lei...