[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-born-as-a-witch":3,"chapter-born-as-a-witch-born-as-a-witch-chapter-167":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Born as a Witch",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1702634,2172,"Chapter 167: Into the water","born-as-a-witch-chapter-167",167,"\u003Cp>The waters shimmered as the eldest mermaid glided closer. Her presence was unlike the playful youth that had teased before—she carried herself with calm grace, her hair flowing like liquid silver, her eyes the color of deep ocean trenches. Her scales shimmered with hints of sapphire and pearl, each movement sending ripples of light across the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stopped only a few steps away from the shore, her gaze never leaving Lira’s. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft yet carried an ancient weight, as though the lake itself breathed through her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, child... what is your name?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira hesitated for a heartbeat, then straightened her shoulders and answered clearly, \"Lira.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mermaid’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. \"Lira... yes. That name carries echoes. Then hear me: if you seek the truth of what you are, if you wish to uncover the path your soul cries for... you must follow us. You must descend into the heart of these waters. Only there lies what you search for.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At once Serelyth shifted, her massive body curling protectively around Lira. Her eyes narrowed, molten gold burning fiercely as her voice rumbled, \"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The single word rolled through the clearing like thunder. The mermaids flinched back at the sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No one lures her beneath dark waters,\" Serelyth growled, her tail slashing once across the earth. \"I know too well the dangers that stir below. You will not take her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eldest mermaid held her ground, unflinching despite the dragon’s ferocity. She tilted her head, eyes glinting with something between pity and challenge. \"Without the descent, she will never know. You may guard her with your wings, dragon, but you cannot guard her from destiny.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira’s hands clenched at her sides. The words cut through her—both frightening and strangely resonant. She knew she needed to go. Every part of her soul told her so. She stepped forward, her voice firm though quiet: \"Serelyth... I have to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon’s head swung down to her, hot breath fanning across Lira’s face. For a long moment, Serelyth just stared, torn between fury and fear. Then, slowly, she exhaled, the tension leaving her shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I go with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a swirl of golden light, her great form collapsed inward, wings folding, scales shrinking until slim girl with white hair and red eyes was standing in front of them. She rested a hand on Lira’s shoulder, her grip steady and reassuring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am dragonborn. The waters cannot choke me; I need no air to endure their depths. But you, little flame...\" Her gaze softened, almost tender. \"...you are not made for drowning worlds. You will need a solution. Some way to breathe the deep.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eldest mermaid’s smile deepened, the corners of her lips curling in quiet amusement. \"Perhaps, then, you will allow us to provide... an answer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air grew heavy with mystery as the waters stirred again, faint glimmers of light swirling beneath the surface like a hidden promise waiting to be revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eldest mermaid regarded them both in silence for a moment, her sapphire eyes glimmering with an unreadable depth. Then she raised one elegant hand, and the waters calmed around her as though bowing to her will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are eager to leap,\" she said gently, \"but the lake is old, older than even your dragon knows. What sleeps below has not been touched by mortal breath in centuries. We do not hand its path lightly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira opened her mouth to argue, but the mermaid lifted her hand again, silencing her with a quiet authority. \"If you are to descend, it cannot be decided here on the waves. The council must gather. The voices of the lake, young and old, will speak together. For now, you must wait.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth narrowed her golden eyes, suspicion sharp in her tone. \"Wait? While you weave more illusions around her mind?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mermaid did not bristle. Instead, she tilted her head with the faintest trace of a smile. \"If your bond is true, dragon, then trust that we mean her no harm. We will call upon the currents of old law. No trickery holds sway there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then her gaze returned to Lira. Softer now, almost like a lullaby. \"You will be given days to think. To weigh what you ask of yourself. When the moon ripens full, we will return. Then we shall tell you whether the way will open—or remain forever sealed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The younger mermaids, who had been watching from the water’s edge, giggled and whispered to each other. Some dived beneath the surface, tails flashing, others lingered a little longer, gazing at Lira with curiosity and something almost like reverence. \"Is she the one? The one of the old tales?\" their voices drifted across the rippling waters, carrying both awe and fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira pressed her lips together, her heart pulling in two directions at once. She wanted to go, to see what lay beneath the sapphire depths. But the warning in Serelyth’s eyes reminded her of danger. \"A few days...\" she whispered, half to herself. \"...a few days, then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eldest mermaid bowed her head just enough to show courtesy, then turned. The water folded around her like a cloak, and in moments she was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the quiet song of the lake remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth’s hand was still on Lira’s shoulder. \"You see? Even they hesitate. Do not let your heart rush faster than your wisdom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lira’s gaze stayed fixed on the shimmering waters, her chest tightening with a sense of inevitability. She knew she would go. The only question was how.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira sat cross-legged on the soft moss under the towering trees at the edge of the lake, her eyes distant, her mind turning over and over like the restless current before a storm. The mermaids’ words echoed in her ears. \"Find a way to go underwater.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers absently brushed over the fabric of her dress before slipping into the side of her space bag. That familiar hum greeted her—the strange resonance of the enchanted pocket, larger on the inside than the outside could ever suggest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What do I even have...? she thought, pushing her hand deeper, feeling the clink of glass, the cool touch of vials wrapped in cloth, the dry scratch of preserved herbs. She had made so many potions over the last months, half of them experimental, testing how the elements could merge in small doses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her brows furrowed as her fingertips grazed something smooth and round. She pulled it out: a slender vial glowing faintly with a pale, silvery blue light. The liquid swirled like captured mist. She blinked, memory stirring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah... yes,\" she whispered to herself. \"Air essence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth, in her human form beside her, leaned forward, her white hair tumbling over one shoulder. Her sapphire eyes gleamed with both suspicion and curiosity. \"Air essence? You truly carry clouds in your bag, little one?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira chuckled faintly, holding up the vial so the moonlight shimmered through it. \"Not clouds. I made this weeks ago. I thought it would help with breathing when training too hard. It draws air into the lungs even when there’s little to breathe. At least... that was the theory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth arched an elegant brow. \"You’ve not tested it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well...\" Lira scratched her cheek, a little sheepish. \"Not properly. I thought maybe I’d use it in an emergency, but now...\" She looked out at the dark waters, the reflections of starlight scattering across its surface. \"...maybe this is what I need.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon-lady’s lips pressed into a thin line. \"Or maybe it will turn your blood to frost and choke you from the inside. Alchemy is not always kind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira winced but didn’t put the vial away. She rolled it between her fingers, watching the way the mist-like potion curled and shifted within. Her heart beat faster. This could work. This could actually work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, she hesitated. Testing it here, in the middle of the forest, without knowing side effects—it could be dangerous. But wasn’t every step of her journey dangerous?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, she sighed, slipping the vial back into her bag. \"Not yet. I need to prepare. I’ll test it carefully... maybe just a sip first. If it works, then I’ll know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth tilted her head, her gaze softening. She reached out and touched Lira’s hand briefly, the warmth of her porcelain skin grounding. \"You are clever. But promise me, you will not leap into the waters with only a half-tested dream in your veins.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira managed a smile. \"I promise. I’ll be careful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, as she lay down later against Serelyth’s scaled side when the dragon returned to her larger form, her hand lingered near the bag. She could feel the faint hum of the potion inside, almost calling to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This might be the key, she thought as sleep slowly took her. Maybe the only way to reach what waits beneath those waters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, the lake shimmered with the first light of dawn, painting the water in soft shades of sapphire and silver. Lira sat cross-legged on the shore, Serelyth’s massive dragon body coiled protectively behind her, now in her human form. The dragon-lady’s golden eyes observed every motion, every breath, as Lira’s fingers hovered over the air essence vial in her space bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her heart thudded, a rhythm of excitement and anxiety, as she pulled the vial out and held it up to the sunlight. The potion swirled like liquid clouds trapped within glass, tiny sparks of iridescent light flickering along the edges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright,\" she whispered to herself, \"small sip first. Just enough to feel it, not enough to overwhelm me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth tilted her head, watching the ritual with cautious intensity. \"Remember, little flame, even a drop can carry the currents of storm and sky. Be precise. Be careful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira nodded, uncorking the vial with delicate fingers. A faint mist escaped, curling in the air like morning fog. She inhaled its scent cautiously: a crisp, airy fragrance, light yet bracing, carrying the faint scent of wind-swept peaks and open skies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tipped the vial just enough to let a single droplet slide onto her tongue. Immediately, a tingling sensation spread through her chest and lungs, light and airy, as if her very breath had become lighter than air. Her chest expanded without effort, and the air around her seemed to hum in harmony with her heartbeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wow,\" she whispered, marveling at the sensation. \"It... it actually works.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth’s golden gaze softened. \"It suits you. But do not drink more than necessary. Too much could lift your body beyond its control... or worse, scatter your essence into the waters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira nodded, swallowing carefully. \"Just enough to breathe underwater. I’ll be cautious. I can do this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She closed her eyes, focusing on the sensation of ease in her lungs, the way the potion seemed to blend with her own elemental fire, creating a strange, almost symphonic harmony inside her. The mingling of fire and air made her skin tingle, not painfully, but as if her very being was awakening to a new rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth stepped closer, her human form radiating a quiet, grounded power. \"Remember, Lira... you are not just testing a potion. You are opening a path. Every step you take must honor both your heart and your instincts. If you feel even a flicker of unease, stop.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira opened her eyes and looked across the lake. The water glimmered, the surface rippling softly, reflecting the morning sun in scattered diamonds. Somewhere beneath, she imagined the mermaids waiting, observing. The thought filled her with both thrill and nervous tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She whispered to herself, \"If this works... I can go. I can find the shard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking a deep, steadying breath, Lira uncorked the vial again, letting another measured drop fall onto her tongue. This time, the tingling sensation spread further, flowing down her throat and into her limbs. Her fingers tingled with the energy of air, her toes lifting slightly as though gravity itself had softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth reached out, touching Lira’s shoulder with a firm, grounding hand. \"Good. You are adapting well. But remember, the waters are deep, and even I cannot guard every shadow there. You must stay close to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira smiled, determination shining in her eyes. \"I know. I’m ready.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked out across the lake, where the mermaids had begun to appear once more, their shimmering bodies reflecting the light. Their laughter was quieter now, more cautious, almost reverent. The eldest among them lifted her hand, signaling that the council would soon meet. Lira’s heart leapt. This was the moment she had been preparing for, and she had a small, powerful edge: her knowledge, her courage, and now, her potion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind rustled through the trees, carrying the scent of water, earth, and the faint hint of fire lingering from Lira herself. She felt the hum of elemental energy thrumming through her veins—a harmony of her own making, ready to take the plunge into the depths of the unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth’s voice broke the silence, warm and commanding: \"Come, little flame. When you are ready, we dive together. Nothing in the waters can harm us... if we trust each other.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira took one last glance at the shimmering lake, the surface reflecting the first true light of the day. Her heart raced, but she knew this was the path she had to take. With a small, determined nod, she swallowed the final drop of potion. She felt the world around her shift, air flowing effortlessly through her lungs, her body light and ready, and she whispered to Serelyth, \"Let’s go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon-lady’s smile was fierce and radiant. \"Together, little flame. Together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, the two of them stepped forward toward the shimmering sapphire waters, ready to descend into the hidden depths where the mermaids—and perhaps the shard—awaited.\u003C\u002Fp>",2304,"2026-06-06T14:30:21.780Z",1,"novelbin.me","e9a1e34f6d9910fdb991acc18e5d9b214052ebe0af3b3880233a2433a86d733e","born-as-a-witch-chapter-221","born-as-a-witch-chapter-166",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fborn-as-a-witch-cover.jpg"]