Chapter 10: Moving out

In the quiet, dimly lit room, Arthur gathered his siblings close, and after a deep breath, he began to explain his theory about what had transpired with Diell.

"I believe that the Houndsworth heirloom wasn't medicine," he said, his voice tinged with a sense of responsibility. "It was something more, something meant for young Cedric.

Diell's transformation into... whatever he is now, it's a result of that potion."

He gestured towards their brother, who lay in an unnatural slumber. "I'm so sorry, both of you. I thought it was the cure we needed to save Diell. I never imagined it would turn into this."

Ayla, her eyes filled with compassion, put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "We all wanted to help Diell, Arthur. None of us could have foreseen this."

Amid the shadows and uncertainty of their lives, Arthur realized that they had another pressing issue to address – the unwanted attention that their return had drawn from the Houndsworths and the curious neighbors. He gathered his siblings even closer, looking into their eyes with a sense of determination.

"We need to switch houses," Arthur continued, his voice heavy with the weight of their predicament. His eyes met Ayla's, and he could see the understanding and fear reflected in her gaze. "The longer we stay here, the greater the risk we pose to ourselves and to the ones who sheltered us. We must find a safer haven, somewhere our secret can remain hidden."

Ayla nodded in agreement, her worry etched across her features. She knew that their current circumstances were unsustainable.

The attention they had garnered in the slum would only lead to more danger, and they had to take action to protect their fragile existence. With a heavy heart, they prepared to leave their current abode, taking with them a burden of uncertainty and the hope of restoring their family to what it once was.

As they packed their meager belongings and prepared to leave their current dwelling, the air was thick with tension and the unknown.

Ayla turned to Arthur with a worried expression. She couldn't help but wonder about their destination. "Arthur," she began, her voice tinged with concern, "where can we go? We don't have many options, and we must stay hidden. The world out there is so vast, and we're just... lost."

Arthur, with a heavy heart, felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. He knew that their choices were limited, and the path ahead was fraught with uncertainty. But he also understood that they had to take the first step, no matter how daunting it seemed.

"Ayla," he replied, his voice steady, "we'll find a way. We have each other, and we'll protect our family. Let's start by finding a safer place and then... we'll figure it out together."

Amidst their uncertainty, Arthur's mind raced, and then it struck him like a revelation. He remembered Finn, the merman who had been kind to him, and the offer he had extended. With newfound hope in his eyes, he turned to his siblings.

"I know where we can go," Arthur said, his voice filled with a glimmer of optimism.

"There's someone I met during my time away, a merman named Finn. He offered us a place to stay, and I believe we should take him up on that offer. We have nowhere else to go, and he might be the key to understanding and helping Diell."

The siblings exchanged glances, a mix of trepidation and hope in their hearts. They knew that this decision could lead them down an uncertain path, but it was a chance they had to take. The bond of family, their love for each other, and their desire to unravel the mysteries surrounding Diell's transformation were the driving forces behind their decision to seek Finn's help.

The two siblings gathered around Diell, who now bore a striking resemblance to a creature of the night, their hearts ached with concern and sadness. Ayla gently placed a hand on his shoulder, attempting to wake him from his unnatural slumber.

"Diell" she said softly, her voice filled with compassion, "we need to talk."

Diell's golden eyes, which were no longer the innocent orbs they once were, flickered open. He gazed at his siblings, a mixture of confusion and recognition in his gaze.

Arthur took a deep breath, the weight of their situation pressing on him. "Diell" he began, "we can't stay here anymore. We need to leave this place."

Ayla nodded in agreement, her eyes mirroring her brother's concern. "It's not safe for us or for the ones who helped us," she added.

Diell, still grappling with his bewildering transformation, managed a weak but affirmative nod. His siblings could see the uncertainty in his golden eyes, a reflection of the profound changes he had undergone.

They knew that this decision weighed heavily on him, as it did on all of them, but there was a shared determination to navigate the uncertain path ahead together.

For diell, Arthur is the leader in three of them. He had been the anchor of the family since they start thinking, and now more than ever, the burden of decision rested on his shoulders. The choices they made in the coming days could change the course of their lives, and with Diell's mysterious transformation still unresolved, it was imperative that they proceed with caution.

With Diell's fragile agreement, Arthur and Ayla continued their preparations to move out. The weight of their circumstances pressed down on them, but their determination burned bright. They knew they needed to leave in the dead of night, under the shroud of darkness, to maximize their chances of avoiding unwanted attention and questions.