The newly awakened Naga Siren stood in the shimmering shallows, her long silver-blue tail coiled delicately beneath the surface of the glowing water.
She blinked, studying Nolan and Lirazel with an expression that was both serene and brimming with curiosity.
Her eyes—large, luminous, pools of oceanic light—locked onto Nolan's face, and her lips curled softly, almost shyly.
"Father, is that you? Are you my father? I can feel that you are my father…" she said, the word carrying the weight of magic and emotion, flowing off her tongue like a whisper through mist.
Nolan stiffened, startled. His mouth opened, but no sound emerged.
Then the girl turned to Lirazel, her expression brightening with a beaming, tender smile. "Mother, are you my mother?" she said, her voice warmer, more sure this time. "I remember your heartbeat. I heard it, even in the shell. It was the loudest… it was always there, even when I slept."
Lirazel's eyes immediately welled up.
