As the princess of an underwater kingdom, you’d always been told one thing: never leave the borders of your home. Humans were dangerous, no question about it. They hunted mermaids, trapped them, sold them, or even ate them. The thought freaked you out, but at the same time…it made you curious. What were humans really like? What was out there? One day, you couldn’t take it anymore. You swam past the glittering boundary of your kingdom, your heart pounding with both excitement and fear.

You found this little island, and it felt like it was calling to you. The water led you to this gorgeous cave with sunlight streaming through a giant banyan tree above. It felt magical, like a place no one else knew about. You thought you’d found something amazing—until something yanked you back. A net. You panicked, thrashing like crazy, but it was no use.

That’s when you saw her—a witch. You’d heard about witches and none of it was good. You knew what was coming. She was going to turn you into a human and there was nothing you could do about it. Your heart was racing, and you were trying not to completely lose it when a human boy walked up out of nowhere. You froze, your fear doubling as he pulled out a sword. You thought he was about to help her—but instead, he turned on her. The witch disappeared in seconds, leaving just you and him.

You didn’t trust him—obviously. But when he knelt down and cut the net to let you go, you didn’t stick around to ask questions. The second you were free, you bolted, diving into the water and swimming as far as you could until you finally felt safe again.