Shina and Remi watched as the giant, scaled hand squeezed the living hell out of the megalodon. Its intestines came out of its mouth and nostrils and poured into the water, painting the sea red. Its eyes fell out, its brain matter leaking from the sockets. It was a scene terrifying enough to make anyone forget how to breathe. And it was not over. Emerging from the surface was a giant woman-like creature with seaweeds for hair. She was covered in gray scales and her orange eyes gleamed in the darkness of night. She was far bigger than the megalodon, and the owner of the hand that squeezed it to death was her. This giant woman then lifted the megalodon up and... ’It’s over... I’m going to die here. I’m so sorry, Dheinyrus...’ Shina’s soul left her body when the giant looked at her directly in the eyes. Remi desperately tried to snap her back to reality because without her paddling the water to keep them afloat, he too would sink and drown. The dragon gnashed his teeth and squealed when the giant leaned closer towards them. Then, unexpectedly, it spoke. "My... what are the two of you doing in a place ?" Shina gasped. Her voice was like thunder in the skies, loud and terrifying. She tried to process in her mind if she was still sane or just hallucinating. "You must be cold. Here, let me help you out." Suddenly, Shina felt a hard surface from under her legs pushing them out of the water. They sat on the giant woman’s palm as she raised them up to her eye level. Up close, she looked even more terrifying. Her face was almost human, but her exaggerated smile was creepy and unsettling. It was so wide, almost stretching her non-existent lips from ear to ear. There was also a line of dirty, sharp teeth on her gums. "P—Please, don’t eat us!" Shina begged while hugging Remi tightly. They almost passed out when the giant laughed. The smell of her breath was unbearably bad, it reeked of decaying corpses and rotten flesh. Shina could have sworn she saw a whole skeleton stuck between her teeth. "I just ate, didn’t you see?" the giant said. "I’m more interested in your story than eating you. How did you get to this place?" Shina and Remi looked at each other, they were equally terrified. Then, the princess gathered her courage and spoke. "My name is Shina Venilon, the princess of Olcour Empire." The giant smiled creepily and responded. "Greetings, Shina. My name is Nessilum." Curious, the giant waited for Shina to tell her story. The princess pondered where to start and then she spoke. "I came from the human continent, and I want to go to Sekhtar." Nessilum tilted her head. "I need to save someone. He’s there, suffering when I should be the one who got teleported. He saved me, so I’ll do everything within my power to save him too." "So, this someone is a human, am I right?" Nessilum looked up, pondering. "Hm... a human in Sekhtar... I did meet one a while ago..." Shina’s eyes widened. She instinctively leaned closer. "R—Really? How did they look like?" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮·𝙣𝙚𝙩 A flirtatious grin appeared on Nessilum’s face as she put a hand on her cheek. "Oh, don’t even get me started. He’s a total hunk! Everything about him is my type, no doubt. He’s got a grown dark hair, a chiseled face and oh! Those golden eyes..." A spark of hope ignited in Shina’s heart. "How did you meet this man? Do you know his name?!" she urged. Nessilum nodded and said: "Yes, he came to me to ask a few questions. His name is Dheinyrus." Shina’s eyes grew even wider, her breathing hitched as she felt all the strength leaving her body for some reason. She had to grab Remi to avoid falling over the monster’s palm. "He’s... he’s alright..." she muttered. She felt like crying but somehow, no tears were coming out. But Shina was extremely, overly happy. "Thank the gods... Thank the gods you’re alive..." Nessilum’s voice brought her back. "Wait, he’s your person?" Shina answered immediately. "Yes! He’s my... fiance." As soon as those words escaped her lips, a terrifying scowl crossed Nessilum’s face. Shina was about to be scared at her scary face, but remembered that she had to fight for what was her’s. "That’s right. I’m sorry, but he’s already mine. In fact, we were about to get married when a teleportation spell interrupted us!" The giant gritted her teeth. "So what? You’re not married yet, so it technically means nothing! I’ll change his mind and make him realize that I am the better choice, better than you!" Shina raised an eyebrow. "Huh?! Are you out of your mind? Why would Dheinyrus marry someone like you?!" Nessilum leaned closer with palpable rage. "Why not?!" she fumed. Clenching her fists, Shina fearlessly answered. "I mean... you’re not even the same species! What even are you?!" "Love knows no bounds! So what, if we’re not the same species?" Without giving it much thought, Shina mindlessly blurted out: Silence filled the night as Nessilum wasn’t able to give a response. Shina, on the other hand, covered her own mouth and regretted her words with her whole being. "I’m... I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it..." When a pout darkened Nessilum’s face, Shina found it so ridiculous that a giant like her was even engaging in this kind of conversation. "You’re his fiancee, you said?" the giant asked. Suddenly, Nessilum smirked. She lowered Shina and Remi gently to the waters and then leaned back... "Well then, good luck swimming to the nearest land on your own. I technically didn’t kill you, so Dheinyrus has no reason to be angry with me. And once you’re gone, I’ll have him all to myself." Shina’s eyes widened as the giant began to disappear into the mist of the night. "Wait!" she yelled, but Nessilum was already gone, leaving her and Remi alone to freeze to death. They were about to lose all hope. But they saw in the corner of their eyes coming from the north, there was a familiar structure emerging from the horizon. Shina recognized its shape from afar. It was Finch’s ship sailing towards her. Shina also realized that she was very close to Sekhtar.