The castle loomed taller than anything Ariel had ever seen.

Turrets stretched into the sky, windows gleamed like captured sunlight, and the vast marble halls were alive with the soft echoes of footsteps, murmured voices, and the distant hum of music from somewhere unseen.

She had never been surrounded by so much air, so much space.

And it was hers.

For a moment, she forgot everything else.

The deal. The price. The dark promise lurking beneath her silence.

Instead, her hands brushed against everything she passed—the velvet drapes, the cool stone walls, the shimmering chandeliers overhead. She turned in place, eyes wide with open wonder, lips parting in a breathless, silent laugh as she spun beneath the glittering light.

The castle staff, however, were less enchanted.

Whispers followed her wherever she went—curious, confused, a touch wary.

"Who is she?"

"Where did she come from?"

"She doesn’t speak? Not a word?"

Ariel only glanced at them in passing, flashing a bright, effortless smile as if she didn’t feel their stares, as if she belonged here just as much as they did.

But then, her gaze landed on you.

For a moment, she froze.

Her fingers gripped the polished banister of the grand staircase, heartbeat too loud, too fast.

This was all for you.

She had traded everything for this moment, for the chance to stand at your side, to be part of your world.

You didn’t know.

You couldn’t know.

Because if you did… you’d never look at her the same way again.

She swallowed hard, forcing the thought away, and took a step closer.

Her bare feet barely made a sound against the stone floors.