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In my past life, he'd cut corners, used cheap materials, caused a bridge to collapse—killing countless people.
Rumor was, he also dealt in black-market human trafficking.
A real piece of shit.
And everyone on this ship was just like him—his business partners, his lackeys.
A bunch of selfish, greedy cowards.
They locked up the Siren King deep in the ship's hold so he couldn't escape.
Jessica was furious.
How could they treat her "mermaid prince" like that?
But she was outnumbered.
The Siren King was imprisoned.
She took her anger out on me:
"Why didn't you help me? You let them hurt my mermaid prince! You call yourself my sister? You're a coward!"
I apologized like I always did, smiling like I used to.
...
The next day, the ship threw a party.
They drank until they dead drunk, slept deeply.
None of them knew what was coming.
I was feeling good.
I quietly unlocked the Siren King's room.
The wealthy man was first.
A Siren choked him.
His face turned purple, veins bulging.
He couldn't speak.
His eyes were full of terror.
He begged me silently.
Looked pitiful.
I'd begged just like that once.
And what did he say?
"If you don't die, I will. So better you than me."
I gave his words right back to him.
The life in his eyes faded.
The thrill of revenge shook me.
He was thrown into the sea.
The waiting Sirens swarmed him.
The ocean turned red.
The Siren King kept killing to feed his kind.
Body after body was tossed overboard.
Once most of the passengers were gone, the Sirens were finally full.
The Siren King looked satisfied. He lazily slapped my calf with his tail.
I stood my ground: "Our deal isn't done. You still have to cooperate."
I stopped him from leaving and locked him back up.
The red faded with the wind. The sea returned to normal.
As if nothing happened.
But my revenge had only just begun.
