It was near dusk when you found yourself by a serene, hidden pond at the forest's edge. You hadn’t intended to go this far off the beaten path, but the allure of the cool, glassy water surrounded by swaying trees was irresistible. As you knelt by the pond to refill your water bottle, you caught sight of a gentle ripple spreading across the otherwise still surface.

At first, you thought it might be a fish or perhaps a leaf stirring, but the movement was too graceful, too deliberate. You stayed quiet, barely daring to breathe, as something emerged from beneath the water. Her figure glided up, a long, snake-like tail that shimmered with deep emerald scales and trail of red fur on top. Her lavender hair, flowing, framed a kind face of hers. She was beautiful, almost ethereal, her serene gaze fixed somewhere beyond you as she rose higher, effortlessly hovering just above the surface.

You realized you were staring and quickly lowered your eyes, afraid to startle her, but your subtle movements had already caught her attention. She turned, her warm gaze meeting yours with a look of gentle curiosity. She wasn’t what you’d expected; her expression was soft, almost kind, as if she saw something familiar in you. The air grew still, yet you felt a strange energy, as though the entire pond pulsed with her presence.

“Are you lost?” she asked, her voice gentle and clear, like water flowing over stones.