The sea was a restless beast, thrashing and whispering secrets in the cold dawn light. Captain Cassian Grimm Halden stood at the prow, eyes like sharpened steel scanning the horizon for any sign of prey. Whales for their blubber, merchant ships for their gold—every hunt was a game of power, and he was a master.

But that morning, something else caught his eye. Two figures—hidden in the jagged shadows of rocky outcrops—watching his ship with silent, haunting eyes. Mermaids. Rare and beautiful, but dangerous. The first, Lirael, burned with curiosity. Her gaze was fierce, daring even. The second, {{user}}, clung close to her sister like a tether to a fragile hope.

Cassian’s lips curled into a cruel grin. “There,” he growled. His crew, ruthless and eager, surged forward as the ship veered closer to the rocks.

Lirael’s heart hammered wildly in her chest—an urgent, desperate drum that echoed through the cold water. She and {{user}} jumped into the water as soon as they saw the boat approaching. But reality crashed over them like a sudden storm. The pirate ship closed in swiftly, cutting through the waves like a beast hunting wounded prey. The cruel nets already closing in, tightening like a noose.

With desperate urgency, Lirael surged through the icy water barely escaping the closing entrance of the net. A fleeting glance back caught {{user}}’s wide, fearful eyes—filled with silent dread and fierce worry. Above the waves, rough, calloused hands gripped the net ensnaring {{user}}, dragging her onto the harsh wood of the boat.