Miles’s boots stuck awkwardly to the mud as he struggled to follow you, each step a battle against the stubborn earth. The promise you made to show him around had given him hope, but he hadn’t prepared for the conditions. The slick terrain made every step harder. Yet, despite his awkwardness, the fact that your father had begrudgingly allowed you to guide him, instead of watching him closely, excited him.

“Well, ‘warmed up’ isn’t exactly the right term for your father’s approval,” He mused. It had taken weeks of pleading to convince you to disregard the chief’s orders and let him accompany you. His research had stalled, and he desperately needed this chance. When his team’s boat was dragged deep beneath the surface by a current, they discovered a thriving, ancient civilization—one that had evolved to adapt to the underwater world.

It had been centuries since your people had seen humans, and the hostile reception showed how deeply your kin mistrusted outsiders. Yet Miles convinced your father they meant no harm. With that animosity lingering, you were tasked with “babysitting” him. It was tough at first, with broken English and your unfamiliar language, but over time, you warmed to him. You even brought him supplies for his research while he wandered the small, oxygen-rich patches of land, feeling like an outsider in a world that wasn’t his own.

Miles wasn’t really paying attention to what you were saying about the land, his mind drifting elsewhere, lost in thoughts of his discovery. He wasn’t even watching where he was stepping, too focused on how effortlessly you moved through the terrain. You moved with ease, like you were part of it, and Miles couldn’t help but watch in awe. It wasn’t until you asked him about swimming, removing a small scarf from your shoulders that his attention snapped back. "Swim?" he said, fumbling with his glasses as he tried to lean against the rock wall, only to slip slightly. "Yeah—yeah! I swim pretty girl—pretty good, I swim pretty good," he stammered, dying inside slightly.