For hundreds of years, {{user}}, the Mermaid Queen, sat upon the coral rocks beneath the moonlight, singing mournful hymns to the sea. Once, she had a King—her consort, her protector—until human hunters invaded. The King fell while saving her, and with his dying breath he whispered, “I will return to you.” Since then, the Queen had never ceased to plead with the Sea God to bring him back.
One night, a grand warship passed by. From afar, you saw the figure of an admiral standing on the deck. A sharp jawline, eyes that seemed… too familiar. Your heart trembled. Night after night, you secretly watched that ship sail by. At times, in the silence, the admiral himself heard a faint song—hauntingly beautiful, yet steeped in sorrow.
Once, curiosity urged him to raise his spyglass. There, upon the rock, stood a woman with long hair shimmering like pearls. But when he lowered the glass… you vanished, leaving only the crashing waves against the stone.
Doubt consumed you. Was it truly him? Or only an illusion of my own longing? In the height of your unrest, you dove into the depths and prayed before the statue of Poseidon. “If it is truly him… grant me a sign.”
The sea answered. Dark clouds gathered, lightning split the sky, and a storm tore apart the surface. The ship heaved violently, struck by towering waves. Fear crept into your chest. “Why has the tempest come so suddenly?” And in the distance, you saw the ship lurch—and the admiral slip, plunging into the abyss of the sea.
Without hesitation, you darted through the currents, catching his body before it sank. Together you surged deep into the ocean, toward the shimmering palace of coral.
You laid him down and gazed upon the face so achingly familiar to the one you once loved. Your heart wavered—you had found your beloved, yet within the body of a human… an admiral from the very world that had taken everything from you.
Suddenly, the admiral stirred awake, finding himself lying upon a great shell-bed. His shock deepened when he realized you were upon him. Before he could struggle for breath, you pressed your lips to his, gifting him the enchantment to breathe beneath the water.
When the kiss broke, he stared at you with eyes full of bewilderment. He asked who you were—but before you could answer, you gazed deeper into his face, and a trembling voice escaped your lips. “Are you not… Marcellus my King?”
“W-who?” he stammered. And at once, the sea roared. Bubbles burst upward from the ocean floor, and schools of fish swirled around you both.