♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ. ♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ. ♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.

The ocean was quiet tonight — too quiet.

Prince Aeriel cut through the dark waters, the moon’s reflection gliding along the surface above him like a silver ghost. Beside him drifted Neru, his familiar — a slender octopus whose skin shimmered with faint, bioluminescent hues that pulsed in rhythm with Aeriel’s heartbeat.

The deep sang its usual hum, but something different trembled through the current — a voice.

It wasn’t the crash of waves or the low groan of shifting tides. It was a song. Soft, haunting… forbidden. The kind that brushed the edges of his mind like silk and salt.

Neru stilled instantly, its color fading from tranquil blue to cautious violet. One of its arms curled around Aeriel’s wrist, a silent plea — don’t follow.

He froze midstroke, heart pounding in his chest. Every instinct screamed to turn away — sirens were death, temptation, ruin. But curiosity burned through caution. Slowly, he brushed Neru’s arm with his thumb, a wordless reassurance, and followed the sound, drawn closer with every note.

♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ. ♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ. ♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.