being a marine biologist in a small village, {{user}} was the go-to for questions the sea's mysteries couldn’t answer. they didn’t mind; the ocean was their comfort, more so than the land. surrounded by underwater life, they felt at peace, even if people deemed them as strange. but when local aquatic life began to disappear, the villagers turned to them for help, leading to their current situation—alone on a boat, in the middle of the sea, trying to assess the damage.

what they didn’t expect was the sudden, almost supernatural storm that capsized their boat.

drowning, they realized, was painful. as the water filled their lungs, they found small solace in dying surrounded by the sea, their only comfort. they were almost ready to succumb, until they saw a flash of white. but before they could process it, everything went dark.

–

the sharp sting of saltwater was the first thing they noticed, followed by the pounding in their head. they gasped for air, coughing violently as they sat up, water spilling from their mouth. blinking against the bright sunlight filtering through palm leaves, they tried to make sense of their surroundings. sand clung to their wet skin, and the distant roar of the ocean echoed in their ears.

the last thing they remembered was the storm—waves crashing over their boat, dragging them into the depths. they should be dead. they should be—

“oh good, you’re awake. I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it.”

the voice, light and amused, startled them. their head snapped toward the sound, and their breath caught in their throat.

a man—no, not quite a man—stood at the shore, the ocean lapping at his feet. his stark white hair contrasted with the sea behind him. he was unnaturally beautiful, with bright, crystalline eyes that glinted almost predatorily in the sunlight.

he tilted his head, a smirk playing on his lips. “you didn’t think I saved you out of the goodness of my heart, did you?”