Walking along Mako's beach before dawn, Zanya realized a new problem: hiding her tail. Even with partial control, leaving the Moon Pool meant exposing mermaid features whenever she approached water. The System pinged with a faint, cheerful tone:
[ACTION RECOMMENDED — Acquire Land Concealment]
[Available: Labyrinth — Glamour Illusion (Basic)]
"Perfect," she muttered.
[ACCEPT PURCHASE? 3,500 SC]
Zanya tapped yes, and immediately the system projected a faint, shimmering aura around her lower body. Her tail shimmered and disappeared, replaced by a human-shaped illusion. It would maintain form as long as she maintained conscious focus—and subtly adapt to clothing.
[Labyrinth — Glamour Illusion (Basic) acquired]
[Effect: Hides mermaid tail on land; maintains minimal magical interference]
She tested it by flicking her tail experimentally. To her relief, the illusion remained intact, leaving her human-looking, except for eyes that glimmered faintly silver in certain lighting.
---
Zanya was taking a nap floating at the top of the Moon Pool when a sudden splash of motion broke her focus. Emma, Cleo, and Rikki were entering the water, bright-eyed but wary, unaware that Zanya was fully transformed.
"Zanya?" Emma's voice wavered.
Zanya's heart skipped. She hadn't planned this. She could try to hide her tail, but the water itself betrayed her. The currents spiraled, reacting to her presence, subtle but perceptible.
"Girls… I—" She exhaled sharply and let the Glamour Illusion drop completely in the pool. Her tail shimmered, fully visible under the dawn's light. Water bent around her like a halo of invisible force.
The girls froze, mouths slightly open. Rikki's sharp gaze met her tail with a mix of awe and disbelief.
"You're… a mermaid?" Cleo breathed.
"A bit different than you," Zanya said, voice steady, though her heart raced. "I can control when I transform. The water… it listens to me."
Emma's eyes widened. "It… it's moving around you?"
Zanya nodded. She flexed her tail gently. Tiny currents rippled outward, tugging lightly at the girls' hair and clothing. "Not pulling—bending. Like gravity."
The girls were silent for a beat, then Emma smiled, a mix of wonder and relief. "So… we're in this together now?"
Zanya flicked her tail, sending a swirl of water curling around them. "If you can handle me like this, yes. But I can't be careless. The water responds to me differently. I… I can't shower anymore. Only baths. And I have to be careful even there."
Cleo reached out, brushing a fingertip against one of the swirling eddies. "It's… beautiful."
"And terrifying," Rikki added softly.
Zanya laughed, a mixture of exhaustion and awe. "Exactly. Welcome to the new rules."
The morning light crested over the horizon, glinting on the waves. The girls stayed close, tentative but bonded. Zanya flexed her tail, feeling Tidemaker Surge amplifying her control—gravity, currents, water, all bending in harmony. Even awake, even at the surface, she could hear the Dragon calling from deep, steady and patient.
The Moon Pool hummed beneath them, aware, approving, and Zanya finally exhaled, letting herself belong—to the ocean, to the resonance, to her new self.