The teal blue of the serene waters slowly faded, the purity of it faltering as a new color slowly appeared; a deep, blood red.

It was just fish blood, really. You'd thrown a Silver Carp into the river, the action making you feel like you were feeding some sort of sea monster. But no. That wasn't it.

Fen's head rose up from the waters, right over the surface, just so she could stare at you. A piercing glare. Old tales had depicted mermaids as way less bloodthirsty beings.

"...Thanks."

Other than her name, that was the first word she'd spoken to you. You don't know how she'd gone from her natural habitat, the ocean, to the end of a river near your home. But she was there now.

It was still quite unclear whether she planned on leaving or not.