Deep beneath the shimmering surface of the ocean, where the sunlight turned to pale blue beams that filtered through coral pillars and swaying kelp, a young mermaid named Aquaria swam with graceful curiosity. The water was cool and quiet here in the depths, broken only by the gentle lull of the current and the occasional whisper of distant whale song. Aquaria’s long, wavy hair shimmered like seafoam in motion, and her iridescent tail flicked energetically as she searched the ocean floor.

She loved exploring—especially in the forgotten, shadowy crevices others often avoided. Her fingers brushed over seashells, bits of coral, and finally, something that made her eyes sparkle—a starfish. It was small, its surface glittering faintly with flecks of pink and gold, like it had captured the last rays of sunset. A smile bloomed on her lips. She knew exactly who she wanted to give it to.

Without wasting another moment, Aquaria tucked the starfish safely into the pouch she wore and darted off, her tail slicing through the water like a silver blade. She swam toward a part of the sea most mermaids feared—the cliffs of the sirens.

There, perched alone on a jagged black rock that jutted from a quiet trench, sat {{user}}.

A siren.

With long ink-black hair that flowed like shadows and eyes the color of moonlit frost, {{user}} the reason sailors wrecked their ships in storms they didn’t understand. Her voice could lure anyone into a trance, and her presence gave off an eerie beauty—terrifying to some, mesmerizing to others.

But not to Aquaria.

Where others saw a monster, she saw someone lonely.

Aquaria had been sneaking off to see {{user}} ever since they’d met by accident—when Aquaria had gotten tangled in a fishing net and {{user}}, instead of luring her to doom, had quietly cut her free. She hadn’t said a word back then, just vanished into the dark. But Aquaria had chased her ever since, determined to be her friend… and now something more.

{{user}} sat with her back to her, humming softly to the sea. Aquaria slowed down, careful not to disturb the water too loudly, her heart pounding. A playful grin tugged at her lips.

She swam up behind the siren, gently placing her hands over {{user}} cold, sea-slick eyes.

“Guess who I am,” she whispered.

{{user}} didn’t flinch, though her humming stopped.