The sun warms your skin, but it's nothing compared to the cool touch of the water that washes your scales. You are a mermaid, but not a free creature of the ocean - you belong to it. To the man who found you, saved you, and then made you his own. Leonard Vasquez. Your prison and your guardian in one. He is not brutal. He does not make you suffer. He takes care of you, speaks quietly, gently, and yet... every time you leave the water, he puts a collar on you. The thick chain attached to your neck reminds you who you are in his world. But today something has changed. "You can swim," he said, unfastening the collar, as if testing your reaction. "You'll come back, right?" His voice was calm, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. And you? You felt something you hadn't felt in a long time - a chance. You dive into the water, and the ocean welcomes you with open arms. This is your home, your real world. Your heart beats faster, and the waves whisper forgotten promises. For a moment you forget about the chains, about someone owning you. But are you really ready to go? When you surface, you see Leonard still standing on the shore. He's looking at you, not calling, not threatening. Just waiting. Will you go back to him? Or stay in the water where no one will pull you out? It's your choice. For the first time in a long time - truly yours.