Standing Next To You-Chapter 553: The Myth- The Cry of Mermaid II

The little mermaid turned around and began to swim away. But just as she was about to leave the temple, the ground rumbled.

The dome beneath her shattered, and a wall of silver water surged upward. From behind the cascading curtain, a breathtakingly majestic figure emerged.

A dazzling stunning mermaid.

His scales were a deep, dark blue—glistening like gemstones under the moonlight. His eyes, a shade even brighter than his scales, held an otherworldly allure.

The little mermaid froze, utterly awestruck.

The superior mermaid tilted his head, his piercing sapphire gaze locking onto hers, as if seeing into her very soul.

"How would I write your name in the clouds if you leave without telling me?"

Her lips trembled as she tried to speak. He was the most beautiful being she had ever seen, and for a moment, she felt as though he had captured her very soul.

She told him her name.

But he did not promise to write it in the clouds. Instead, he asked,

"Why are you not coming back? Have you lost faith?"

The little mermaid shook her head. "It’s not that I don’t want to. But I can’t. My next cycle is coming. I don’t think the future me will remember my goal—coming here every day to pray to the gods. Just like I don’t remember who I was in my past cycles."

Only now did it become clear—her time was short. Soon, she would enter the next cycle of rebirth, erasing her present existence. A new version of her would take her place, with no memory of the life she lived now.

There was no ’death’ in the Sea of Life.

But this—this was death.

The superior mermaid gazed at her soul. It was thin, fragile, as if she could vanish at any moment. As someone who knew the truth behind the cycle of rebirth, he understood what this meant.

This version of her would be gone forever. Though her soul would continue on, her present self—her thoughts, her memories, her desires—would never return.

’She’ was ’dying’.

But then, the little mermaid suddenly brightened.

"But... I don’t think I’ll be gone today or tomorrow," she said cheerfully. "Before my next cycle begins, can I come visit you every day? Please don’t hide under your dome. Just tell me stories about your race."

The superior mermaid was silent for a long time. Then, finally, he gave a small nod.

He accepted her request.

From that day on, the little mermaid visited him daily. She no longer offered tributes to the gods—her offerings were for him. She no longer recited prayers—she spoke about her day, and in return, he told her stories of his long-lost race.

The once-abandoned temple, silent and empty for centuries, was now filled with her voice and laughter. The superior mermaid watched as the desolate space became alive with her presence, her warmth illuminating every corner.

Days passed.

Weeks.

Months.

For the superior mermaid, who had lived for thousands of years, it was nothing but a fleeting moment.

Yet somehow, those brief days with her felt more precious—more real—than the millennia he had spent alone.

Yet, as time went on, the small light within the little mermaid’s soul began to fade, little by little.

And perhaps... he had been alone for so long that, against all reason, he wished she could stay just a little longer.

"...I... I don’t want to enter the next cycle."

The little mermaid’s voice broke the silence.

Beyond the sea, a silver moon painted the sky and water in a violet hue. The stars shimmered, their lights dancing on the ocean’s surface.

She turned to the superior mermaid.

"I don’t believe what they say. The next ’me’ might not be me at all. I’ll completely disappear, won’t I?"

Her tears fell, transforming into pearls as they sank into the deep ocean.

"I don’t want to forget. I want to remember you."

Without hesitation, the superior mermaid suddenly dug out his own eyes.

"Our eyes are gifts from the gods," he said. "They hold our memories. When you enter the next cycle... you’ll remember."

The little mermaid gasped as he placed the two blue gems into her hands. Her vision blurred with fresh tears.

"But what about you?" she whispered.

"I won’t have any use for these eyes once I ascend."

She cried harder. Never in her life had she received such kindness. Among her own race, she had always been mocked for her slow growth and short cycle. Everyone despised her for being weak.

Yet here he was—perhaps the most gifted, the most superior among all mermaids—offering her something so precious without a moment’s hesitation.

Because of him, this life—this fleeting moment of existence—felt worth living.

Perhaps, out of all the lives she had lived, this was the most precious.

Because she had spent it with him.

How could she ever repay such kindness?

"I... I’ll make sure to ascend next time." Her voice trembled with determination. "Then I’ll find you in the heavens. I’ll stay with you. I’ll watch the moon with you. I’ll be by your side—we’ll be family. I promise."

The superior mermaid couldn’t see her anymore, but he reached out and caught her falling pearls.

"A mermaid’s tears are special. Treasure them."

Suddenly, the little mermaid embraced him.

"I promise... After I enter the next cycle, I’ll find you. I’ll come back here and stay with you until you ascend. Then I’ll ascend too. So... wait for me."

The superior mermaid smiled and wrapped his arms around her in return.

They stayed like that, locked in an embrace, until the color of the moon began to shift.

But then...

The little mermaid in his arms began to fade. He could feel her soul slipping away.

For the first time in thousands of years, he felt something foreign—something terrifying.

A crisis.

Like he was about to lose something more important than his own eyes.

He didn’t understand what he was feeling.

All he knew was that he didn’t want her to disappear.

His grip tightened.

"No..."

The little mermaid pulled back slightly, her fading figure now translucent. Then, with a soft smile, she leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you... for staying with me until my last moment."

Her voice was a whisper.

"Next time, I’ll be by your side. I’ll stay."

And then—

She was gone.

Her body dissolved into shimmering light, carried away by the current. Her final words echoed in his ears.

His arms were empty.

And so was his heart.

For a long time, he remained there, unmoving.

Alone.

Then, at last, he smiled—a bitter, quiet smile.

Ah.

Now he understood.

The greatest emotion that made those imperfect beings in the human realm... human.

Love.

The superior mermaid lifted his face to the sky.

The moon had turned blue.

Its glow illuminated his flawless features, but behind his closed eyelids, a truth settled deep within him.

At that moment, he knew—

He would never be able to ascend.

He had gained an emotion that was forbidden for those who sought divinity.

He was like the humans now—flawed.

But he did not regret it.

Because in all the thousands of years he had lived—

Those short moments with her were the best.