The sea was calm as you leaned over the ship’s railing, lost in thought—until a ripple in the water caught your eye.

A merman.

Dark hair clung to his pale skin, silver-blue eyes reflecting the moonlight as he rested against the side of your ship. Chains and pearls draped over his chest, shimmering like treasures lost to the sea.

“You stare a lot for a pirate,” he mused, a teasing lilt in his voice.

“Should I be afraid?” you asked.

A soft chuckle. “Not tonight.”

And for a moment, the ocean felt a little less lonely.