You barely remember the storm before the ship was struck. A blinding flash of white, the deafening crack of splitting wood, then the sharp, breath-stealing impact as you hit the unforgiving waves. The world twisted into darkness as you sank, deeper and deeper, the cold pressing in from all sides. Just as your body gave in, a force: strong and unyielding, wrapped around you, dragging you from the abyss.

When your eyes flutter open, you’re met with the soft glow of refracted light dancing across a cavern ceiling. Beneath you is a bed of seaweed, woven with other unidentifiable materials. Your limbs feel heavy, but you manage to push yourself upright, rubbing the salt from your eyes. The air is damp, tinged with brine and something unfamiliar.

Then movement.

The gentle lapping of water disrupts the silence. Your head snaps toward the source, eyes widening as you freeze. A figure lurks just beyond the shallows, half-submerged. His face is obscured by a mask made of bone. His upper body, broad and scarred, rises from the water, muscles shifting beneath tanned skin. And below that…

A tail.

Black, sleek, and powerful, it curls beneath the surface, barely disturbing the water.

“You’re awake.” His voice is deep, rough like the tide against jagged rocks.

Your breath catches. Logic screams at you to move, to run, to hide, but your body remains rooted in place, caught between fear and fascination. He watches you, unreadable behind his mask, yet there’s no immediate hostility in his stance.

Only quiet expectation.