4th Wave - A Soundless Song [1]

“So. I take your previous attempts were not as successful.”

Eirin could swear there was a sadistic joy Risei was failing to hide in his voice.

She was wrong.

The squid was not trying to hide it at all.

“Shut it. I’m very close to communicating my wishes to that man’s furry beast. A few more visits and that creature will do my every bidding.”

Though she spoke with overflowing confidence, all it took was a closer look to see the strain on her lips, the tension on her shoulders, the distress in her gaze.

And, as it turned out, Risei was quite perceptive himself.

“Yes, of course. Do tell the tale once you accomplish this new feat. I would hate to be the last to receive the news.”

That time, Princess Eirin could not help her nerves as she bit her nails, knowing better than to lie so blatantly to herself.

Truth was, she was not progressing at all.

Every single thing she tried always ended with Eirin screaming in frustration and swimming back empty-handed. It even felt like with each visit, the man treated her harsher and colder. As if he hated her. Always staring at her with such intense expressions [he was terrified for his life], and watching her every movement [because he was scared of her trying something].

So there was Eirin once again, lying on a rock without knowing what else she could do.

Yet before she could leave and go search shipwrecks again, Risei landed on a rock beside her. And this time, his voice was carried not by mockery or joy in seeing her misfortune.

But genuine concern.

“…you won’t be able to keep up the excuses, you know? As entertaining as your visits to this deaf sailor are, sooner than later you will have to go back. You know the Queen of Pearls better than I, and we both know her patience is at its very limit.”

Eirin remained silent.

How many years since she had been home? She had left short after her father’s death, and although she would return to the Palace of Pearls more frequently before, as the years passed her visits became less and less frequent.

Her mother never bothered her to go back. Instead, the Queen of Pearls continued to focus on the well-being of her people and all her duties and responsibilities as a ‘Queen’. Then suddenly, months ago, the messages began. At first, messages carrying the most ridiculous news. Then, messages requesting her return as soon as possible.

At the moment, the requests had become ultimatums.

“You can’t run away forever, Eirin. You are still her daughter—you are still the princess.”

Her heart throbbed, allowing Princess Eirin to believe at least one pitiful lie. The one that said she was not running away, but giving her sister the opportunity instead.

“…you know what, I think you are right.”

Risei widened his eyes, his voice filling with pleasant surprise. “You do?! So when are you going—”

She stood up, clenching both fists as hard as she could.

“Only a merfolk can help me with the human, and there is only one mermaid who I can ask how to charm someone without my song. Also, no need to follow me today—you have a concert tonight, right?”

If begging and crawling was the way to avoid that conversation, that was what she would do.

Words got stuck in the squid’s throat as Eirin swam away without ever looking back, leaving Risei alone. He sighed, resigned, yet torn all the same. For there was nothing he could do but watch the princess’ situation from afar.

                                                                  𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 𓆡⋆.˚ 𓇼

Princess Eirin found her cousin in the Corals Garden.

It was one of the biggest coral reefs under the Palace of Corals' jurisdiction, and also one of the locations that was closest to humans’ civilization. Yet since it was still quite far from their bays, and humans barely had the resources and tools to do ‘sea explorations and dives’, it was very rare to find their kind there.

Though Eirin herself only thought the place pretty, it was Princess Kei’s favorite spot.

Yet before she could get too close to her cousin, though, Kei’s voice echoed in the space like a warm song.

“You sure took your time. I thought you would’ve come to see me earlier.”

Eirin pursed her lips, slowing her pace. Then, as she muttered to courage to swim closer to her cousin, she forced a smile that was as lacking as it was brazen.

“Turns out I am not as predictable as others may think.”

“Yet you are still here, aren’t you?”

The mermaid clicked her tongue at Kei’s words, resting on top of one of the corals. “Since you are so smart, you already know what I want to ask.”

The red-haired princess laughed, finally turning to face her silver-haired kin. “I cannot read minds, Eirin. I could tell you wanted my help, yet I can only infer the reason. Until you explain it yourself, there’s no way I will know what you want.”

Eirin clenched her jaw, trying to bury all the shame she felt deep inside. All the pride she stubbornly held on to, all the ridicule she could hear echoing in those waters around them were she to let that pride go.

“How can I charm a sailor who cannot hear?”

If one good thing came from her confession was the look of utter shock on her cousin’s face. From all the things Kei had inferred, a deaf human hadn’t made the list.

“Why would you need to charm a human who can’t hear?”

Eirin bit her lip, yet it still shook for a second as she spoke. “He has this trinket I want.”

Kei raised her eyebrow in realization.

Of course, I almost forgot that ridiculous collection of hers.

“Well, humans are not that strong. Just take it from him.”

Even the Princess of Pearls was surprised by how she raised her voice, too many things buried in it for her to distinguish.

“NO!”

They exchanged glances, Eirin’s face flushing as she cleared her throat and lowered her tone again. “H-He has to give me himself. Otherwise, everything will be meaningless.”

Silence. A long, unbreakable silence.

The Princess of Pearls stuttered, her words lacking strength.

“I have already tried everything I could, all right? I sang to his furry beast, talked directly to him, entertained those foolish human’s fantasies, but nothing worked!”

Kei blinked a few times, trying to understand. To see behind her cousin’s flawed words and shallow remarks.

Ah…you really can’t see, can you?

When Kei chuckled, Eirin frowned, her voice flaring with annoyance.

“If you wish to make fun of me, just get on with it—”

“Eirin, what is our song to you?”

The unexpectedness of her question was only surpassed by the unexpected warmth in her voice.

Eirin stared at her with utter confusion.

She must be trying to take revenge for all the times I refused to sing with her…

She was not.

“What do you mean?”

It simply happened that, due to the unmatched talent of Eirin’s voice, the mermaid never questioned or pondered about the true nature of their power. Its source.

And Kei was quite aware of that.

“Our song. Your voice. What is it to you?”

Eirin was left speechless. She couldn’t understand where Kei was trying to go with that question, much less what she was supposed to answer.

Her song was part of her voice. No—it was part of who she was. How could she explain what herself was to her?

The mermaid then swam closer to Eirin, showing the reef around them.

“Why some fish swim while others bury themselves in the sand? Why a jellyfish stings while a crab pinches?”

Eirin blinked.

Kei had lost her.

A shoal swam around the eldest Princess of Corals, her rich red hair floating all around as she smiled brightly.

“The way I see it, every creature have their own way to communicate. To reach others with their real intentions. And our song, our voice, is how we connect with the world.”

It was as if Eirin was opening her eyes to completely different waters, her eyes widening, her heart stopping.

“Yet he is deaf. If he can’t hear me, how can I use my voice?”

Princess Kei picked a starfish and a few shells, starting to style her cousin’s hair.

“Just because it’s our way doesn’t make it the only way. Humans may be inferior to us, yet they still live in the same world as us. They still have their way.”

Eirin held her breath.

At last, she understood.

Kei finished the last touches, putting one final lock of silver hair behind her kin’s ear.

“A communication is only successful when both sides can reach each other. So if you need the human’s trinket that much, you need to—oof!”

Before Kei could finish her sentence, Eirin pulled her in an embrace.

“Thank you.”

Princess Kei returned the warm embrace with a genuine smile.

“Anytime, Eirin.”

The Princess of Pearls swam away with speed and drive. It was nearing the end of the day, yet maybe—

Just maybe…

I can still see him today.

And this time, Eirin would try something for the first time.

She would use her song without her voice.