Chapter 2

• Lyre lay in his room after that. His bones were shaking, and his teeth seemed to chatter.
• His eyes were puffy, and his entire body was covered with wounds. The poor undeveloped merman seemed to be in an entirely different world from his.
• And that world was that of pain.
• The door to his room opened, and his immediate elder brother came in.
• He was dressed in a red flowing gown, with his green hair tied up in a ponytail; the tips were braided to keep the hair in place.
• His green eyes, which were so much like his hair, glanced around the dark room until his eyes lighted on the bundle on the bed.
• "Why are you acting like a mermaid?" His eyes narrowed at his youngest brother, who seemed to want nothing but to burrow his body into the mattress.
• "Leave."
• Lyre's voice was low as he tried not to show the pain he felt deep within him.
• The older prince's eyes grew red as his anger went up a top-notch. "You dare speak to me?"
• And immediately, Lyre knew he had done wrong by speaking to his brother.
• He wasn't supposed to speak so as not to contaminate his brothers.
• "I'm sorry, brother!" He hastily fell from the bed, despite his pain, and still knelt on the floor, with his hands joined in front of him.
• His knees were hurting him so much, he felt like fainting from the pain. However, he still has to appease his brother.
• Among the other princes, his immediate elder brother was heartless. He doesn't do things half-heartedly.
• And —
• Lyre was raised in the air. The green crackling smoke wrapped around his neck, as it took him up in the air.
• "Bro—"
• Lyre tried to speak, but the eldest prince closed his hands, and the tightness of the smoke increased.
• "You will learn not to speak, you cursed thing." His brother narrowed his eyes at the youngest brother as he continued to twist his hand.
• Lyre's face was ashen white, and his breath seemed to have stopped. However, the brother wasn't bothered.
• According to their mother, they need to treat him this way, to help liberate him from the dark side.
• And that dark side was something Lyre doesn't understand.
• The helpless prince doesn't know why he was hated by his family, yet he never stood up for himself.
• "Disgusting." Lyre's brother threw him to the floor, and he fell with a thud.
• He didn't try to rub his neck as he coughed. There was no need for that if it will make his brother more infuriated.
• "Do you think acting like a mermaid is what a merman does?" The prince gave Lyre a disgusted glance.
• His eyes took in his shapely body and the sparkling gems in his hair. Although the gems have dulled as they all wanted, it is still there.
• "We don't hate you, Lyre." The prince circled his fallen brother. "We only want what's good for you."
• Lyre didn't say a word as he silently curled into himself. His eyes were now a dull silver as his pain took much of his rationality.
• "This is to help you become a merman, Lyre. You must be like us."
• However, Lyre wasn't listening. All he was patiently waiting for was when his brother will leave.
• Only then will he cry in peace without his brother viewing it as another weakness of his.
• "Don't you like the red-haired mermaid who loves visiting you?" The prince asked in a small voice.
• Lyre didn't reply.
• Not that he doesn't want to, he did. However, replying to his brother will mean more punishments on the way.
• "Have an enjoyable night." The prince finally said when he noticed he couldn't get a rise out of his brother.
• Lyre didn't say a word until his brother left; he didn't rise until he was certain none of his brothers was coming in tonight.
• His father is another tale altogether. And he wants nothing to do with his coming.
• Lyre slowly rose from the floor. His bones were aching him like they always do at night.
• This was the routine in his life ever since he turned Fourteen, and mistakenly blotted he finds the guards handsome, and the mermaids ugly.
• Since then, his family has been on their so-proclaimed righteousness of trying to fix him.
• "I'm leaving," Lyre said to the room as he stood to his petite height.
• He glanced around the room with his hands balled as he decided to leave this place before his family finally kills him.
• It was true they claimed that life offshore was hell. It did not deter him.
• To him, it was better to die offshore than to perish here.
• And he realized in due time, his family will kill him not only for his feminine looks and character but for his excuse for power.
• He only knew how to make things pretty, much to the anger of his family.
• Lyre slowly limped to his cupboard and got the blue seal his grandmother gave to him before she passed away.
• That was the only thing Lyre took as he left the room.
• He didn't go through the long corridors for fear of being caught. The young prince turned a corner and went through the dark tunnel.
• His bones were aching as he transformed into a beautiful merman with glistering tails.
• The young merman waded through the murky tunnel until he reached the end. He turned once more to look at the castle before he swam forward.
• This was just his first step. Evading the guards at the end of the dark tunnel was another hurdle.
• Yet, the prince wasn't afraid of that. He has taken the first step toward leaving the palace of pain. The next step is to leave the entire Kingdom.
• And that's what he planned to do. Even if it will cost him his life, he was determined to die trying.