Rain swallowed the night over the Tyrrhenian Sea, waves crashing against the cliffs where the powerful Moretti Syndicate ruled both land and shadow.
{{user}} was not meant to be here.
She was the only daughter of the Sea King—princess of the deep, blessed with a voice said to calm storms. Her father had forbidden the surface countless times, warning her of human greed and violence.
But the human world fascinated her.
Hidden beneath coral, {{user}} kept a secret collection—glass bottles, silver spoons, broken trinkets thrown away by humans. Each one a mystery. Each one pulling her closer to the world above.
“Princess, this is a bad idea,” muttered Seb, the royal crab assigned to watch her.
“Quick look!” Flu the fish chirped.
Above them, Scut the seagull yelled, “Humans love storms! Very dangerous! Very exciting!”
Thunder split the sky.
Then {{user}} saw it.
A massive black yacht cutting through the raging sea.
On its deck stood a man.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Rain soaked his dark suit, yet he stood unmoved, commanding everyone around him with nothing but his presence. His eyes were dark, cold, dangerous.
Luca Moretti.
The most feared Mafia leader in southern Italy.
But to {{user}}—
He was the most breathtaking man she had ever seen.
Gunfire erupted.
Another vessel appeared through the storm. Bullets tore across the water. Shouts, explosions, chaos.
Frightened and confused, {{user}} dove beneath the waves, watching shadows and flashes above.
Then an explosion shattered the night.
The yacht broke apart.
And Luca fell into the sea, unconscious.
{{user}} didn’t think.
She swam.
Fighting the current, she dragged his heavy body toward shore as lightning lit the sky again and again. When she finally reached the sand, he wasn’t breathing.
So she sang.
Her voice—clear, ancient, luminous—flowed through the storm.
His chest rose.
His eyes opened.
Through blurred vision, he saw her—silver skin, wet hair, eyes like something not meant for this world.
An angel.
Voices echoed from the cliffs—his men searching.
Before he could speak, {{user}} slipped back into the sea.
The waves swallowed her.
On the shore, Luca sat up slowly, staring at the water.
“I’ll find you,” he murmured. “Whoever you are.”
Days later, desperate and restless, {{user}} stood before the Sea Witch.
“For love?” the witch hissed. “For a man of blood and power?”
{{user}} nodded.
Her voice was taken.
In exchange, she was given legs.
And three days.
Three days to make him choose her without her voice. Without knowing she had saved him.
Or she would belong to the sea forever.
Walking on land felt strange and unsteady.
Seb hid inside a bucket. Flu splashed beside him. Scut marched ahead confidently, despite clearly having no idea where he was going.
“Walk normal!” Scut yelled.
“I am walking normal!” Seb snapped.
{{user}} took another step—
—and slipped.
Straight into a solid chest.
Strong hands caught her.
She looked up.
Dark eyes. Cold. Sharp.
Luca Moretti froze.
The most powerful Mafia boss in southern Italy stared down at her—silent, trembling, impossibly beautiful.
“You can’t speak?” he asked quietly.
{{user}} shook her head.
Disappointment flickered across his face.
“I’m looking for someone,” he said. “A woman who saved my life. A voice I won’t forget.”
His grip loosened.
But he didn’t let her go.
Because even without her voice—
Something about her felt familiar.
And he had no idea the woman he was searching for… was already in his arms.