Chapter 4The Train to Farewell

Dry, shriveled skin, thinning hair, hollow eyes... Everyone gasped in horror.

No one spoke.

Terry's brow furrowed deeply. "You..."

Amara suddenly let out a soft laugh. "Is this a cosplay, Nerissa?"

"The makeup is so realistic, it actually scared me."

The others laughed along.

"Terry, your fiancée is pretty creative. Is there going to be a performance at the wedding tomorrow?"

"This special effects makeup is incredible. It looks so real."

Terry’s expression grew even more annoyed. He stared at me for a few seconds, his irritation turning into disgust. "Nerissa, what are you trying to accomplish?"

"Did you make yourself look like a monster just to disgust me? To embarrass me in front of my friends?"

My fingers trembled. I avoided their gazes, grabbing my coat to cover myself up again.

Amara spoke softly. "Terry, don't be mad. She was probably just playing a joke."

This only made him angrier. "Go wash that trash off your face, or don't expect me to show up at the altar tomorrow."

He took Amara's hand and turned to leave.

I reached out, my fingers catching the hem of his coat in a silent, desperate plea. "Terry..."

My grip loosened.

Terry instinctively took a step back, distancing himself from me. But a sudden, inexplicable anxiety flared in his chest.

He paused, pushing down the uneasy feeling. "Leave her. Let's go."

At the door, he stopped and threw a cold look back. "Remember what I said. Clean yourself up. Don't embarrass me tomorrow."

The friends chuckled and followed him out.

"Alright, let's get back to the bachelor party. No sleep tonight!"

The door clicked shut.

The room was plunged back into silence. Only the ticking of the clock remained, counting down my final hours.

As the moon climbed higher, memories of his proposal flashed through my mind. He had knelt on the beach, his hands shaking as he opened the ring box. The fearless Terry had actually been nervous.

His eyes had reflected only me and the setting sun. "Neri, I've never begged anyone in my life. But I'm begging you to wait for me, okay?"

"Please wait for me. I will give you the grandest wedding in the world."

Back then, I truly believed our love would last forever. But I couldn't wait any longer.

Meanwhile, in the VIP lounge, a drink was offered to Terry, but he pushed it away distractedly. The liquor spilled onto the floor.

Amara looked hurt. "Terry?"

He didn't answer. A heavy, suffocating weight seemed to press down on his chest, as if something precious was slipping through his fingers.

He couldn't take it anymore. Just before midnight, he raced back to the villa.

He found me curled up by the window, motionless.

He rushed over and pulled me into his arms, but the dry, brittle feel of my body made his heart stop.

He finally realized this wasn't makeup.

"Neri? Neri?!"

Through my hazy vision, I saw his frantic, terrified face.

"What's happening to you?" He was shouting, his lips moving, but my ears were filled with the roar of the ocean. I couldn't hear him.

The clock struck midnight.

The bright moonlight poured through the window. Under his horrified gaze, I could no longer maintain my human form. My legs transformed into a long, shimmering fish tail, glowing with a brilliant silver light before fading rapidly.

My scales fell away one by one, leaving my skin dry as bone.

Terry stared, his mind unable to process the sight. In his pocket, the phone was vibrating with Amara's ringtone, but he didn't move.

I looked up at him and smiled softly.

"Terry, can you hear it?" I whispered, my voice barely a rustle of dry leaves.

I pressed my withered, bark-like fingers against his chest.

"My blood is flowing inside you. And it's telling you..."

"I am dying."

Terry's pupils contracted in sheer horror.