Episode 1

The cry should never have reached her.
But it did.
And the moment the mermaid heard it… her world changed.

She had lived in the river for many years—alone, silent, and unseen. The people who used to sing stories about her had long forgotten. To them, she was just a myth.

But that night, under the full moon, something broke the silence.

A baby was crying.

Not a fish. Not a bird. A human baby.

The mermaid’s eyes opened wide in the deep water. Her long dark hair flowed behind her, and her shimmering tail flicked as she swam upward, fast.

The cry was soft, but filled with pain. Like someone too small to fight, too young to understand.

And when the mermaid reached the surface, she saw him.

A tiny baby.

Floating in the river. Wrapped in a thin, wet cloth. His arms shaking. His face red from crying.

There was no one else around.

No boat.

No mother.

No name.

Just a baby… left to die.

—

The mermaid’s heart jumped.

She had not held a child in a long, long time.
Not since she lost her own baby to the sea.

Back then, she had screamed into the ocean until her voice disappeared.
She had searched the waves for days.
But the sea never returned her child.

That was the day her heart broke.

—

Now, another baby was floating.

And the river—**the same river that swallowed her joy years ago—**was giving her this one.

Without thinking, she reached for the child.

He was cold. Weak. His little chest rising and falling like a tired bird.

The moment she pulled him to her chest, something strange happened.

He stopped crying.

He looked at her.

Not with fear.

But with trust.

—

The mermaid held him close.

His tiny fingers grabbed the edge of her shell necklace, and she felt something stir inside her chest—a feeling she had buried deep for many years.

Love.

Real love.

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She swam to a quiet place by the riverbank, where the reeds grew tall and thick. There, hidden beneath lily pads and shadows, she rocked him gently.

“You’re safe now,” she whispered.

The baby closed his eyes.

And for the first time in forever, the mermaid smiled.

—

Morning came with shouts.

Voices from the village.

People were looking for someone.

“Nilo!” a woman screamed.
“Nilo! Where’s my baby?!”

The mermaid froze.

So… the baby had a name.

Nilo.

And someone wanted him back.

—

She looked down at the boy in her arms. His tiny mouth was open slightly. He was sleeping peacefully.

How could she return him?

To people who threw him into the river?

Who left him for dead?

No.

She couldn’t.

She wouldn’t.

—

Later that day, a girl from the village came to the water to gather herbs.

She saw a tail. She saw dark hair. She saw the mermaid.

She ran away screaming.

By night, villagers came with torches.

They yelled from the riverbank.

“Return the baby, sea witch!”

“Give us back Nilo!”

The mermaid did not answer.

She stayed hidden in the water, holding Nilo tight.

The firelight danced above her, but it could not reach her heart.

Nothing could.

—

That night, she sang an old song. One her mother sang to her when she was small.

A song only mermaids know.

And Nilo smiled in his sleep.

—

But the river has rules.

And someone had seen her.

Someone not from the village.

Something ancient.

Something dangerous.

Watching.

Waiting.

And now that she had taken the child—it was waking up.

Episode 2

The village was quiet.

Too quiet.

Only the sound of a mother’s crying broke the air.

Her name was Grace. Her baby—Nilo—was just two months old.

Now he was gone.

—

She sat by the river, her knees in the mud, her hands shaking.

“I only looked away for one moment,” she whispered, tears falling down her face. “Just one moment…”

Her husband, Daniel, stood beside her. His eyes were red. His lips trembled.

“We will find him,” he said softly, trying to believe his own words. “Someone must have seen something. Someone—”

“But no one saw anything!” Grace shouted suddenly. “They all say the same thing: ‘I heard a cry. Then it stopped.’ That’s all! What if he’s—what if he’s gone?!”

She broke into sobs again, her voice raw.

Daniel knelt beside her and pulled her into his arms.

“No,” he said. “He’s not gone.”

—

Then the girl came running.

A little girl from the village, holding a bundle of herbs in one hand and fear in her eyes.

“I saw her!” she cried. “In the water!”

The elders gathered around her.

“Who did you see?” they asked.

The girl’s lips quivered.

“A woman. But… not a woman. She had hair like night… and a tail.”

Everyone gasped.

“A tail?” the chief asked slowly.

The girl nodded.

“I think… I think it was a mermaid.”

—

Daniel stood up.

“A mermaid?” he repeated, voice filled with disbelief and pain. “You’re saying a mermaid took our son?”

“I saw her!” the girl insisted. “She was holding a baby. She was singing to him.”

Grace’s hand flew to her mouth.

“Oh God,” she whispered. “He’s alive.”

—

That night, the villagers stood by the river with torches. Grace and Daniel stood in the middle, their voices rising above the rest.

“Please!” Grace shouted into the water. “Whoever you are, whatever you are—give us back our baby!”

Her voice cracked.

“He’s not yours,” she cried. “He’s mine. I carried him. I nursed him. I kissed his forehead every morning. He knows my voice.”

Daniel stepped forward, his face hard with emotion.

“If you can hear me… please listen. We don’t want to fight you. We just want our son.”

—

But the river gave no answer.

No ripples.

No light.

Only silence.

—

Deep below the water, hidden behind lily pads and shadows, the mermaid heard everything.

She was holding baby Nilo in her arms. His small body pressed against her chest. He was sleeping peacefully.

She had heard the mother’s cry.

She had felt the father’s pain.

But still, she did not move.

She would not give him back.

Not now.

Not ever.

—

“He was left in the river,” the mermaid whispered. “And the river gave him to me.”

She brushed a wet curl from Nilo’s tiny forehead.

“I love you,” she said softly. “They don’t understand.”

—

But a part of her did wonder.

Was she wrong?

Was this love… or was this selfish?

She thought of her own baby—the one she lost so long ago.

The one the sea swallowed in a storm.

The one who never came back.

—

“I didn’t get to keep mine,” she said. “Why should I return you?”

She held Nilo tighter.

“You make the pain stop,” she whispered.

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But up above, Grace’s cries had turned into begging.

“Please,” she said, dropping to her knees by the water. “I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. My arms feel empty. My heart feels cold. Please… just let me hold him again. Please…”

Daniel stood beside her, fists clenched.

“If you’re listening,” he said, voice low and shaking, “please. Let us see him. Let us know he’s alive. That’s all I ask.”

Still, there was no answer.

No sound.

Only wind.

—

But someone else was watching.

A man in the trees.

With one blind eye.

And a knife in his belt.

—

He heard everything.

He watched the mermaid from afar, saw the way she hid in the reeds. Saw the way she cradled the baby.

And he smiled.

“She won’t give him back,” he whispered.

“Then I’ll take him by force.”
Episode 3

The village did not sleep.

Grace sat by the riverbank until her knees turned weak. Her voice was gone from crying, but still her lips moved in silence: Nilo, my son… where are you?

Daniel stood behind her, his hands shaking, his own eyes swollen. But he stayed quiet. He had no strength left to speak.

The villagers whispered among themselves. Some said a spirit had taken the child. Some said the river had swallowed him. But Grace refused to believe any of them. She pressed her palms into the mud and wept, “He is alive. I feel it. My baby is alive.”

Her words broke the hearts of everyone who heard them.

Everyone… except one.

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—

Mara stood behind the crowd, watching her friend’s pain. Tears slid down her face, but inside her chest her heart was full of fire.

She could not bear the way Daniel looked at Grace. The way the whole village pitied her. Grace had what she had always wanted: a husband who adored her, and a child who gave her life meaning.

But Mara had nothing. Nothing except jealousy that ate her every day.

It was Mara who carried Nilo to the river. It was Mara who pushed him into the water, believing he would never return. She thought Grace would finally taste emptiness.

But now the talk of a mermaid had destroyed everything. Nilo was still alive. And if Grace ever got him back, Mara’s secret would be exposed.

She could not allow that.

—

That night, Grace lay outside her hut. Her body shook with pain. She whispered Nilo’s name until she fell into a half-sleep, tears still wet on her cheeks.

Daniel sat beside her, watching, helpless.

Mara came to them with a bowl of food. “Grace, you need to eat,” she said softly. But Grace turned her face away.

“I don’t need food,” she whispered. “I only need my child.”

Mara placed the bowl down, her hand brushing Grace’s shoulder. “We will find him,” she said, forcing a soft smile. “Don’t give up hope.”

But as she walked away, her smile vanished.

She already knew what she had to do.

—

Deep inside the trees, where the moonlight could not reach, Mara went to meet him—the man with one blind eye. He was waiting, leaning against a tree with his old net and his sharp knife.

“I saw you watching the river,” Mara said, her voice low. “You know about the mermaid.”

The hunter grinned. “I know she has the baby. And I know she won’t give him back. But me? I can take him.”

Mara’s hands shook, but she forced her words out. “Then take him. Kill him. End this once and for all.”

The hunter raised his brow. “Kill a child?”

Mara’s jaw tightened. “That child should never have lived. He is the reason Grace has joy while I have nothing. If he returns, I lose everything. I want him gone.”

The blind-eyed man’s grin widened. “Then we have the same desire.” He tapped his knife against the tree. “But it won’t be free.”

Mara swallowed hard. “I will pay. I will do anything. Just make sure Grace never sees that baby again.”

The hunter’s single eye gleamed in the darkness. “Good. Then let us plan.”

—

Back in the water, the mermaid held Nilo close. He stirred in his sleep, and she kissed his damp forehead.

“You are safe,” she whispered. “No one will ever take you from me.”

But she did not know that above, in the dark forest, two shadows were planning his death.
Episode 4

The nights grew longer for Grace.

Her eyes were hollow, her voice almost gone. She stopped eating. She stopped smiling. Every sound of a baby in the village cut her heart like glass. She would rush outside, hoping it was Nilo, but it was never him.

Daniel tried to hold her. “Grace, please, you must rest.”

But she only shook her head. “How can I rest when my son is out there, cold and alone?” Tears streamed down her face. “He needs me, Daniel. I feel it. He is alive.”

Her words were whispers of a broken soul.

—

At the river, the mermaid rocked Nilo in her arms. She sang to him softly. He smiled in his sleep, the way only babies do when they feel safe.

But the mermaid’s heart was not at peace. The voices of the villagers haunted her. The mother’s cries echoed in her ears.

She pressed her cheek against Nilo’s hair. “I lost my child once. I will not lose you.”

Still, a shadow followed her—something in the river older than her, something that watched every choice she made.

And that shadow was restless.

—

Meanwhile, Mara’s jealousy grew darker.

At night, she slipped out of her hut and walked into the forest. The blind-eyed hunter was waiting. He sharpened his knife slowly, the sound like bone against stone.

“You came,” he said.

“I told you I would,” Mara replied. Her face was pale, her hands trembling. But her voice carried poison. “Grace must never see that child again. You must finish what I started.”

The hunter smirked. “And what do I get in return?”

Mara’s lips quivered. “Anything you want. Food. Money. Even my hands to help. Just do it.”

The hunter leaned close. His one good eye glowed like fire in the dark. “Then listen carefully. I know how to draw the mermaid out. I know how to make her weak.”

Mara swallowed hard. “Tell me.”

And in the silence of the night, they made their plan.

—

Back in the village, Grace had a dream.

She was standing by the river, calling Nilo’s name. Suddenly, she heard a baby cry. She ran toward the sound, her heart leaping with hope. But when she reached the water, she saw a woman with long dark hair and a shining tail, holding Nilo close.

The woman looked at her with sad eyes and whispered, “He is mine now.”

Grace woke with a scream.

Daniel rushed to her side. “Grace! What is it?”

She clutched his shirt with shaking hands. “I saw her, Daniel. I saw her! The mermaid has our son!”

Daniel’s face went pale. He tried to calm her, but deep down he wondered if it was true.

—

At the river, the mermaid also stirred from sleep. She looked around the dark water, uneasy. Nilo was still in her arms, breathing softly.

But she felt it—like eyes pressing against her skin.

The hunter was watching.

From the trees, he knelt with Mara beside him, both hidden. His knife glistened in the torchlight.

“Tomorrow,” he whispered to Mara. “Tomorrow night, she will surface. She cannot stay below forever. That is when we strike.”

Mara nodded, but inside, her stomach twisted. She had wanted Nilo gone—but the thought of seeing Grace fall apart completely sent a shiver through her.

Still, her jealousy was stronger than her guilt.

She clenched her fists. It must be done.

—

But the river was not silent.

It had rules.

And deep below, the River Judge stirred again. The water thickened, the lilies trembled, and the fish scattered.

A voice rose—not in sound, but in power.

“Blood calls for blood. A price must be paid. The child does not belong to the water.”

The mermaid froze. Her arms tightened around Nilo. “No,” she whispered. “He is mine. The river gave him to me. I will not return him.”

The water grew colder, the current stronger.

The warning was clear.

“Keep him… and you will lose yourself.”

—

That night, Grace walked alone to the river, barefoot, her face streaked with tears. She dropped to her knees and begged, “Please! Whoever you are, whatever you are—give me back my child!”

Her voice cracked. Her body shook.

“I will give my life for his. Just let him live. Please!”

The night wind carried her words across the water.

And in the shadows of the reeds, the mermaid heard.

Her heart broke.

She pressed her lips to Nilo’s head and whispered, “Why must you make me choose?”
Episode 5

The days passed, but for Grace, time no longer had meaning.

Morning felt like night. Night felt like death. She could not eat, she could not sleep. Her arms shook as if they still carried Nilo’s weight—but they were empty. Always empty.

“Grace,” Daniel whispered, kneeling beside her. His eyes were swollen, his beard unkept. “Please, try to take food. You will fall sick.”

She shook her head. “If my baby is gone, what use is food? If he is gone, I don’t want this life.”

Daniel’s heart broke. He pulled her close, but she only stared into the river with hollow eyes.

Every wave, every ripple seemed to mock her. Your child is gone.

But she did not believe it. She couldn’t. Something inside her screamed: He is alive. He is alive.

—

Mara came to sit beside her. She stroked Grace’s back gently. “Don’t lose hope, sister,” she said softly. “Maybe the mermaid will give him back.”

Grace turned sharply, her eyes blazing. “If she has him, why hasn’t she brought him to me already? Why is she hiding him from me? What kind of creature steals a child from his mother?”

Her cries tore through the village. Mothers clutched their own babies tighter. Fathers lowered their heads.

And Mara? She bowed her head too, but not from pain. From fear. Grace’s words were blades that stabbed her secret.

She had been the one who pushed Nilo into the water. And if the truth came out, she would be destroyed.

The child must disappear, she told herself again. Forever.

—

That night, under the cover of trees, Mara returned to the hunter.

The man sat sharpening his knife, the sound echoing like a warning. His one good eye glowed in the firelight.

“You look troubled,” he said with a smirk.

“Do it,” Mara whispered, her hands trembling. “Tomorrow. End the child. No one must ever find him. Grace must never hold him again.”

The hunter chuckled darkly. “You want me to kill a baby, yet your hands are clean? Very well. But remember this: once blood touches the river, there is no turning back.”

Mara swallowed hard, but she nodded. “So be it.”

—

Far below, the mermaid rocked Nilo gently, but her heart was restless. The river was not calm tonight. It pushed and pulled like a living thing, restless, angry.

She kissed Nilo’s forehead. “You are safe with me. I will not let them take you.”

But the water spoke again in her mind. Cold. Deep. Unforgiving.

“A child does not belong to the river. Return him—or pay the price.”

The mermaid clutched Nilo tighter. Tears burned her eyes. “I lost my own child once. The sea swallowed him and gave me back nothing. This one—I will not let go.”

The river grew colder. The warning grew sharper.

“Then prepare to lose everything again.”

—

The next morning, Grace staggered to the riverbank. She was pale, weak, but her voice carried the weight of a broken heart.

“Please!” she screamed into the water. “If you hear me, if you have him—let me hold him! Just once! Even if you take him after—just once! Please!”

Her sobs shook the air. Villagers gathered, but no one could comfort her. Even Daniel could not hold her pain.

Grace tore at her dress and dropped to her knees. “My arms are dying without him. My heart is burning. Please… give me back my child!”

Her cries spread like fire across the water.

And in the reeds, hidden deep, the mermaid closed her eyes. Her own chest ached. Her own tears mixed with the river.

But still… she did not move.

—

From the shadows of the trees, the hunter watched. Mara stood beside him, her face pale.

“Tonight,” the hunter whispered, gripping his knife. “When the moon is high, I will cast the net. She will not escape. And the child will be mine to do with as I please.”

Mara’s heart raced. For a moment, she wanted to stop it. For a moment, she wanted to scream No, don’t harm him!

But jealousy choked her.

She clenched her fists. Grace must never hold that baby again.

—

That night, Grace sat by the water, her body weak, her voice gone. Daniel held her, but she was fading, slipping into a world of despair.

And then—she heard it.

A sound.

Soft. Gentle.

A lullaby.

Her eyes widened. “Daniel—did you hear that?”

Daniel frowned. “Hear what?”

Grace’s tears spilled as she clutched his arm. “A song. A mother’s song. The kind I used to sing to Nilo. Daniel—he’s alive. He’s alive!”

Daniel shook his head. “Grace, you are tired. You’re hearing things.”

But Grace’s eyes blazed with desperate hope. “No. It was real. My baby is near.”

She stood, weak and shaking, pointing to the river. “He is calling me. I know it.”


Episode 6

The village woke to silence.

Grace had not eaten for days. She had not smiled for weeks. Her body was weak, but her heart still cried for her son.

She sat by the river again, staring at the water. Her lips trembled as she whispered, “Nilo… where are you, my baby? Why won’t you come back to me?”

Daniel knelt beside her. His voice was gentle but tired. “Grace, please. You will die like this. You must rest. You must eat.”

Grace shook her head slowly. “I don’t need food, Daniel. I only need to hold my child again. Without him, nothing matters.”

Her words made the villagers’ eyes fill with tears. Mothers hugged their babies tighter. Fathers lowered their heads.

But Mara stood among them, silent, her face calm. She placed her hand on Grace’s shoulder and said softly, “Be strong, sister. Maybe the river will return him.”

Grace turned to her, eyes red and hollow. “Why would the river take what I love? Why, Mara? Why does the world do this to me?”

Mara looked away quickly. Her chest burned with guilt, but jealousy swallowed it.

If Grace ever learns the truth, she will hate me forever. No… I must stay quiet. I must end this once and for all.

—

That night, Mara met the hunter again.

He was sitting under a tree, sharpening his knife. His one blind eye glowed in the moonlight, making him look like a spirit of death.

“You took long,” he muttered.

“I had to wait,” Mara said, her voice low. “They would suspect if they saw me come here often.”

The hunter smirked. “The mermaid is close. I have seen where she hides the baby. Tonight or tomorrow, I will throw my net. She will not escape. The child will be mine.”

Mara swallowed hard. “When you get him… do not bring him back to Grace. End it. End him forever.”

The hunter chuckled darkly. “You are colder than I thought.”

Mara’s face turned pale. Her lips shook. But her voice came out steady. “Grace has everything. She has Daniel. She has love. She had Nilo. I have nothing. Nothing. Let her feel emptiness like I do. Let her know pain like mine.”

The hunter laughed and lifted his knife. “Then it is done. By tomorrow, the river will taste blood.”

—

Under the water, the mermaid felt the river grow heavy. The reeds bent, the lilies trembled. She rocked Nilo closer, whispering to him, “Sleep, my little one. You are safe with me.”

But deep down, she knew the truth.

Danger was near.

The river was not calm. The water pressed against her skin like warning hands.

The price is coming.

She closed her eyes and whispered to herself, “Even if they come, I will not let you go. I will fight for you. You are mine now.”

But shadows were already moving above.

—

That same night, Grace lay on the floor of her hut. She was too weak to stand. Her arms ached as if they still remembered holding Nilo.

Daniel sat beside her, holding her hand. “Grace, please don’t leave me,” he whispered, his tears falling.

Grace turned her face toward him, her lips trembling. “I don’t care for life without Nilo. My heart is gone, Daniel. I gave birth to him. I carried him. And now the river laughs at me every night.”

Her body shook with sobs. “Why is God silent? Why did He let my baby drown?”

Daniel pulled her close, but his own chest shook with grief.

Outside the hut, Mara listened.

She heard Grace’s cries. She heard Daniel’s pain. And for a moment, her chest tightened with guilt.

But then she clenched her fists. No. If Grace gets her baby back, she will be happy again. And I will be nothing. I cannot let that happen.

She walked away quickly into the night, her heart as dark as the forest.

—

By the trees, the hunter was waiting.

When he saw Mara, he grinned. “You are back.”

“Yes,” Mara whispered. “Do it. Tomorrow. End the child.”

The hunter leaned close, his breath cold. “You know what they say, woman? Evil you plant will one day return to you. Are you ready for that day?”

Mara’s face hardened. “I don’t care. Just end it.”

The hunter smirked. “So be it.”

—

But the river had heard everything.

The reeds shook. The water swirled. The River Judge stirred once more.

A voice rose from the deep, heavy and sharp.

“Blood calls for blood. Betrayal has a price. The hand that threw the child into the water will not escape justice.”

The mermaid gasped and clutched Nilo tighter. She whispered into the dark, “Who? Who betrayed him? Who threw him here?”

The water gave no name. But the warning was clear:

Evil hides close. Closer than you think.


Episode 7

The river had never been this quiet.

Only the wind whispered through the reeds, carrying secrets from the forest to the water. The mermaid floated just beneath the surface, Nilo in her arms, feeling the cold fingers of danger brush her tail. She did not know that Mara and the hunter were already close, plotting to take him by force.

Above, Mara’s footsteps were careful but determined. She carried a small bag filled with herbs and powders—gifts to lure the mermaid into the open. Her heart raced with fear, but her jealousy burned hotter. This is the only way. Grace must never have him again.

—

Meanwhile, Grace lay in her hut, pale and trembling. Daniel sat beside her, holding her hand tight.

“He’s alive, isn’t he?” she whispered.

Daniel could not answer. Every shadow outside made him jump. He feared what might be waiting for them at the river.

“I feel him calling me,” Grace said. Her voice cracked. “I know he’s alive… I just have to find him.”

But what she did not know was that her own friend was guiding the hunter closer to the riverbank. Mara’s betrayal was invisible yet deadly.

—

The hunter crouched in the shadows, knife glinting under the moon. “She cannot escape tonight,” he muttered, watching the ripples of the river. “The baby will be mine, and no one will stop me.”

Mara handed him a small vial. “This will make her weak,” she whispered. “Throw it into the water near the reeds. She will feel sleepy… slow… just long enough.”

The hunter smirked. “Good. And you?”

Mara swallowed hard. “I… I will watch. I have to see this end.”

—

Back in the water, the mermaid hummed softly to Nilo. He stirred, opening one eye. His tiny hand reached for her necklace. She smiled, her heart swelling.

But the river shifted suddenly. A strange current pulled at her tail. Something was wrong. The water tasted strange, heavy with herbs.

Her eyes widened. “No…” she whispered.

From the reeds, a shadow lunged. The hunter’s net flew through the air, aiming straight at her.

The mermaid reacted instinctively. She twisted, letting the net sink into the river instead of wrapping her. But her heart pounded. She could feel the hunter’s presence—closer than ever.

Nilo stirred, his cry breaking the night.

—

Grace, sensing something, ran toward the river. Her legs were weak, but adrenaline gave her strength. She saw the shadow of a man, the glint of a knife.

“No!” she screamed. “Nilo!”

Mara froze as Grace’s voice pierced the darkness. Guilt washed over her for the first time. She had pushed a baby into the river, yet here was the mother, brave and desperate, running to save him. Mara’s hands shook. What have I done?

The hunter growled and tightened his grip on the net. “Move!”

But Mara could not. She saw Grace. She saw the fear. The love. The truth of what she had caused.

—

The mermaid’s tail flicked furiously, lifting Nilo out of reach. She struck the water hard, creating waves that knocked the hunter off balance.

“You will not touch him!” she cried, her voice echoing like the river itself.

Nilo clutched her neck, frightened, but the mermaid held him tight.

The hunter cursed, scrambling to throw the net again. But the current changed. The river seemed alive, pushing him back, warning him, fighting with her.

Mara screamed, finally realizing the truth: The evil she planted was too strong. The river itself would not let her go unpunished.

—

Grace reached the riverbank. She could see the mermaid now, silhouetted in the moonlight, Nilo cradled close. Her arms shook with hope and fear.

“Please!” she cried. “Please! I only want my son!”

The mermaid froze. She saw Grace’s eyes—the desperation, the love, the pain.

Something shifted inside her. She had protected Nilo from the world, yes—but now she understood the depth of a mother’s heart.

Her voice was soft, almost human. “He… he is safe. But you must prove your heart.”

Grace’s tears fell, blinding her, but she nodded. “Anything… I will do anything!”

Mara fell to her knees behind the hunter, shaking. She knew now that her jealousy had almost cost Nilo his life—and that the river, the mermaid, and even Grace’s love were stronger than any plan she had made.

The hunter hissed, furious, but the mermaid’s presence was too powerful. She flicked her tail once, sending a wave that swept him off his feet.

As the river settled, Mara realized something she did not expect: the river had spoken through the mermaid.

“Evil hurts the one who creates it,” whispered a voice in the water.

Mara’s hands shook. She looked at Grace, the mother who had risked everything for her child, and suddenly understood—her own bitterness was her punishment.

And the mermaid? She held Nilo high, silent, unstoppable, her eyes glimmering with both sorrow and power.

The night had changed everything. One mother’s love had faced jealousy, hatred, and even death—and survived.



Episode 8

The ocean was calm that night, but Mara’s heart was not. She sat on the shore, her toes sinking into the wet sand, her eyes fixed on the moon. The waves rolled gently as though whispering secrets, but she heard only the hunter’s voice in her mind: “Take the boy. Bring him to me. End him, and the sea will crown you above all.”

Mara had always been close to her friend Grace, but since the birth of Baby Nilo, a jealousy she had never known grew like fire inside her. Everywhere she went, she heard praises of the child—his smile, his strange glow, his laughter that seemed to calm the waves. Mara smiled with everyone else, but deep inside she hated how her own name was no longer on the lips of the villagers.

The hunter had seen her weakness and fed it. His words were poison, and Mara drank it every night. She thought of the boy not as a child, but as an obstacle standing between her and the honor she longed for.

That night, the hunter sharpened his spear under the old tree. Sparks flew with each strike, and his eyes burned with hunger. Mara thought he wanted to help her gain glory, but in truth, he wanted the child’s blood for himself. Legends whispered of power hidden in the boy’s veins, power to command the seas and storms. The hunter would never share that with Mara—she was only a tool.

The next day, Mara put on her sweetest smile and walked to Grace’s hut. She brought gifts: seashells, fruit, even a necklace of pearls. Grace welcomed her warmly, never suspecting the storm in her heart. “I’m glad you’re here,” Grace said, placing Baby Nilo in her arms. Mara’s hands trembled slightly as she held him. His little eyes shone like the ocean at dawn. For a moment, guilt stabbed her heart. But then the hunter’s voice echoed again: “He is not yours. He is not meant to live.”

Grace watched them with love in her eyes. “He smiles at you,” she said softly. “He knows you are family.”

Mara forced a smile, but her stomach turned. Family. The word felt like a chain. She handed the baby back too quickly and excused herself.

That night, the waves crashed louder, as if the sea itself was restless. Mara crept to the forest where the hunter waited. Shadows covered his face, but his grin cut through the dark. “Tomorrow,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “Tomorrow, I will bring him.”

“Good,” the hunter hissed. “Bring him to the old cave at the edge of the sea. No one will hear him cry there. Once it is done, you will be free.”

But Mara did not notice that they were being watched.

High above the waves, hidden by the silver glow of the moon, a guardian mermaid floated silently. Her hair shimmered like water, and her eyes glowed with warning. She had followed Mara for days, sensing the evil growing in her heart. The sea had chosen Baby Nilo for something greater, and she would not let darkness touch him.

The guardian swam back into the depths, her heart heavy. She knew Mara’s betrayal would tear the village apart. She also knew the hunter’s plan went far beyond jealousy. If Baby Nilo fell, the sea itself would lose balance. Storms would rage, fish would vanish, and the people would suffer.

The next morning, Mara returned to Grace’s hut, her plan fixed. She told Grace, “Let me take him to the shore for some fresh air. The sea breeze will calm him.” Grace, trusting her, agreed. Mara lifted Baby Nilo, wrapping him in a cloth. The child laughed and touched her cheek with his tiny hand. For a moment, her chest ached as if the boy knew her heart. But she turned away quickly.

As she walked toward the cave, the world grew quieter. Even the birds seemed to stop singing. The path twisted, darker with each step. Baby Nilo’s laughter faded, replaced by soft cries. Mara’s breath quickened. She whispered to herself, “It must be done. It must be done.”

When she reached the mouth of the cave, the hunter was already waiting. His spear gleamed. His grin widened when he saw the child. “Give him to me,” he ordered, stepping forward.

Mara hesitated. For the first time, she saw the hunger in his eyes—not loyalty, not friendship, only greed. She clutched the baby tighter. “What will you do with him?” she asked, her voice low.

“What I must,” the hunter said coldly. “His blood will give me power. The sea will bow to me.”

Mara froze. Power. That was the truth she had never seen. He never cared about her glory—only his own. She stepped back, shaking her head. “This was not the plan.”

The hunter’s grin twisted into rage. “You foolish woman. You thought I cared for you? You thought this was about jealousy? No! This boy is my key to ruling the waters. Hand him over, or I’ll take him by force.”

Mara’s heart pounded. Baby Nilo cried louder, as if calling for the sea itself. And the sea answered.

Waves crashed against the rocks, louder and louder. A cold wind howled through the cave. The hunter raised his spear, ready to strike, but before he could move, the guardian mermaid appeared at the cave’s mouth, glowing with silver light.

Her voice echoed like thunder. “Mara, step away. You do not see the danger you have welcomed. This man is no ally—he is a thief of life, a destroyer of the sea.”

Mara trembled, torn between fear and shame. She looked at the hunter, then at the mermaid, then at the child in her arms. For the first time, she realized she was holding not just a baby, but the heart of the ocean itself.

The hunter roared in anger and lunged forward. The mermaid’s eyes flashed. A wall of water surged into the cave, knocking him back. His spear clattered to the ground. He screamed as the tide dragged him toward the sea.

Mara fell to her knees, clutching Baby Nilo, tears streaming down her face. She had almost destroyed everything—for what? Jealousy? Empty promises? She wept, knowing she had betrayed her friend, her people, and even herself.

The guardian swam closer, her gaze soft but firm. “Evil always disguises itself as friendship, Mara. You let envy blind you, but the sea is merciful. Choose differently now, or lose yourself forever.”

Mara sobbed, holding the baby tight. The hunter’s screams faded into the storm. And in that moment, she realized the truth: evil friends can destroy more than enemies ever could.

The waves grew calm again, but the lesson burned in her heart—one choice of betrayal had nearly drowned them all.