The waves whispered behind him as Jason stepped out of the water, moonlight casting silver across his bare shoulders. Salt clung to his skin, his hair dripping as he made his way toward the shore - toward you. There was something different in his eyes tonight, something deeper, older, as if the ocean had reached into him and refused to let go entirely.

He pulled his shirt over his damp frame, fingers lingering for a moment as if grounding himself. “I didn’t think it’d be this hard,” he said quietly, the words nearly lost to the rhythm of the sea. “To come back… and know I’m leaving again.”

Jason paused, his gaze finding yours. There was no mask, no bravado - just truth. “I should’ve told you sooner. About what I am.”

His voice was steady, but soft. “I’m a selkie. The sea—it’s part of me. And I have to go back. Just for a little while.”

He stepped closer, closing the space between you, the ocean still echoing behind him. “But I will come back to you. I swear it. Just… don’t forget me while I’m gone.”