Chapter 1

"The waves are too high! We aren't going to make it!" She screams over the sound of thunder, as the boat rocks flinging her onto the ground.

"We are, we have to!" A man says as he glances towards the girl who was now muttering to herself as she clung onto a railing.

He looked back at the waves just in time to see on final wave that crashed over them, muffling their screams as the boat sank to the bottom of the sea.

***

I was dead, there was no making it back from this. I couldn't feel anymore air in my lungs and I was still being pulled down with the boat, trapped in some rope. All I could see was darkness...I was ready to succumb, to let it consume me, to be lost at sea. Right as I started to fade I saw something cutting through the rope. The last thing I remember is what felt like hands pulling me away from death.

I jolt up, dry and warm, and start coughing up water. Once I suppress the coughs I take a second to look around. I was in a room surrounded by machines, looking to see I was hooked up to one, realizing this was some kind of hospital room. The only thing that was odd was that the whole room seemed to be sealed with steel, not a single window to be seen, just a metal door that looked like it would be locked. I stand up and instantly feel pain, looking down to see my legs all scratched and bruised, same with my arms. I pull the IV out of my arm and walk it off, heading over to the door, the metal floor echoing my every move. Before I even reach it, the door opens, revealing strange looking guards in what appears to be a scuba suit with fins and long spears in their hands.

"COME." They speak in synchronized voices, the black masks making it so I couldn't see their faces made it all the more terrifying. Reluctantly I get closer, leaving the room to see 2 more guards waiting. Before I can say anything they handcuff me from behind and put a bag over my head. I had no choice but to go where they lead. After walking for what felt like forever, I hear an electric beep and the sliding of a door. I'm pushed down into a seat, and the bag was removed. I was in Shock, my mouth stuck open... my eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. We were in an open all glass room surrounded by water... fish swimming... and....people....I mean whales, dolphins, sharks... all living in harmony. I could also see buildings, meaning there was a whole civilization of people under here. I finally focus my attention in front of me where there is a throne that held a beautiful woman; scales on her face, arms, and legs a pretty sky blue color and a skin tight dress that was a darker blue that had a similar texture to match her scales. Her black hair swirled up and decorated with starfish, her eyes the color of the ocean.

"Hello dear, you must be thirsty...please. guards! Uncuff our friend." she said gesturing next to me where I am handed a cup of water. I look suspiciously as the guards uncuff me and leave the room. I take the water and chug it so fast my stomach hurts. The man next to me takes the cup and goes to stand by the woman. I finally get a good glance at him, he has similar scaling to the woman except his is green and he has a fin sticking out his back. He had no shirt on, just blue pants that matched the womans dress. If I'm being honest, he was actually quite handsome, even with his blue eyes staring at me. He swiped his black hair out of his face and turned to the woman.

"Mother, she cant be trusted... she's a human." mother? That's why they looked so alike. "Hush Alexander, I'm sure she doesn't even know where she is.", She turned back to me. "My name is Aris and Welcome to Atlantis, the lost city. We have evolved here, living in harmony with the sea since we found the trident and our city was flooded. It gave us abilities to breath underwater, and swim stronger and faster with fins. Some of us even have extra abilities like controlling water or communicating with sea creatures."

I just sat in silence because I couldn't believe what I was hearing... or seeing honestly.

"Mother!", The man who I now know as Alexander yelled, "She doesn't need to know that much about us, just how and why she is here."

"Alexander, you young man are not king yet, you let me decide what I feel is right, keep your worries to yourself." I felt his eyes pierce me harder but I wouldn't look. "Anyways, I'm sure you're wondering how you got here. Alex?"

"Right." He said standing in front of my he swiped on something on his wrist and swiped it up making it a big screen I could see. I watch as I see the camera approach a boat... my father's boat..

"I dont see any survivors! Wait there's a girl, shes wrapped in the rope,I'm going to try and free her!"

The person got closer

"Shes unconscious, almost dead! Putting one of our spare suits on her."

The person put something on my neck and tapped it, I watch as it envelopes me, saving me.

"Okay, we have her, heading back to atlantis. Bringing her to the health ward. Have someone ready."

With that the video ended.

I sat still, shocked. Alex's face actually softened as he backed away towards his mother to give me space.

"I...my father?....so he really is...why me?"

"Well that's what we are trying to figure out...usually the storm over Atlantis keeps people off our border, making it impossible to find. But your father seemed to know where he was going."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well did he say where you were going?"

"Actually...he said he wanted to try to find Atlantis...to explore it...but how would he know? Why bring me here?"

"I'm going to tell you something that may startle you at first but try to listen... once, one of our people saved a human, as we saved you. He was also the only survivor. Well a woman here fell in love with him and he stayed, living among our people. Eventually they were with child. Unfortunately the woman died giving birth and it was too much for him. He immediately took the child and left to be back above water. We never even knew her name..."

"Wait... hold on... you think it's...me?"

"Yes, why else would your father lead you here. He knew what he was risking. May I ask what his name was?"

"It was Mitch. Mitchell. But he preferred mitch." I said as I could feel tears roll down my face.

"My dear...that was his name...he fell in love with my best friend, Cari. Short for Caribbean. We lost 3 people the day he took you and left. I tried to comfort him, said we would be here for him, that we would help raise you. He was too consumed by his grief to listen. What is your name and age my child?"

"Aquamarine... but I prefer Aqua... i just turned 18."I say quietly still letting her words sink in.

"Aqua... the missing piece of the sea has returned to us. Even your eyes resemble the sea...Come, I have something to show you." she said tapping the necklace that transformed into the scuba suit I was wearing when they saved me. She led me to an open elevator where you could still see the sea, and pushed the button that looked like would take us all the way to the bottom. I stood next to her, still shocked about all of it...it made sense though. He never talked about mother, never showed me pictures, never dated anyone else...her death really hurt him. Finally we reached the bottom of the sea floor. The door opened and the elevator filled with water. Aris grabbed my hand

"Come I will help you." she said leading me straight to an old building that pillars made it look like it would be from Roman times. We got close and I could see there was air inside. Aris went first then grabbed me and pulled me in. I couldn't believe it... I was looking at the trident of the sea... something that I've only ever read about...

"Wow is that really...the trident?"

"Yes. When we found it we brought it here and then the city was flooded and we grew gills, fins, and scales. Over the years we advanced our technology created scuba suits that heightened our abilities, creating open buildings so we didnt have to be in water all the time. Anyways, why dont you take a closer look? Feel free to touch it."

I nodded and walked closer to it, I felt like it was calling to me...I reach out and as soon as I touch it I'm lifted up by some invisible force and water starts swirling around. I feel gills and fins form as scales start lining my body, and just like that I'm dropped back down to the ground. I look and see my scales are aqua and purple, my fingers and toes webbed togther, my outfit changed into a beautiful scaled dress that matched the color of my new formed scales. My hair was even changed to a beautiful shade of blue to match my scales, rather than the dark brown color it was previously.

"Wow... it really is you...you are beautiful."

"Um...thank you...I'm still processing what just happened."

"Well the trident will only react to someone with Atlantan blood...this is what you would have looked like if you grew up here.""

"Wow... I cant believe it..." I whisper.

Then, Alex appears out of nowhere and gasps in disbelief, staring at me with his mouth open. " um... wow...you are beautiful..." I look down because I could feel myself blushing and look up again to see him shift his view to his mother.

"Mother...does she know?"

" Know what?" I say, looking at Alex, and then Aris with obvious confusion on my face.

"Dont worry about it dear." She says glaring at Alex

"Um, okay...but..."I stopped mid sentence as I heard whispers. I turn towards the trident and the whispers got louder. They were saying .. touch the trident.

"Aqua?" Alex says, but I wasnt listening.

I walked towards the trident, getting closer, and closer; the voices getting louder and louder. "TOUCH THE TRIDENT. TOUCH THE TRIDENT. TOUCH THE TRIDENT." I reach out, letting the voices consume me, and wrap my hands around it. Visions flood my brain, and then everything went black as I fell to the ground.