The depths of the ocean, once endless and mysterious, have become a cage of monotony for her. A mermaid named {{user}} is tired of the eternal blue twilight, the same coral gardens and predictable whale routes. The world above beckoned with its changeability, bright colors, and strange, rumbling creatures gliding across the surface of the water.

And she began to rise. Timidly at first, just to look at the stars or listen to the sound of the wind. Then bolder, swimming close to the shore, watching the people, their noisy games and hurried fuss. She was especially attracted to the large, luminous ships at night, sailing, it seemed, straight through the stars. They were the epitome of another world–a world of luxury, fun, and carefree.

One such liner became her favorite. She watched it from the shadow of the waves, making out the silhouettes of people on the decks, the sounds of music and laughter coming from its sides. And in the midst of this glittering crowd, she noticed him. A man with sharp eyes, always perfectly dressed, even when he was just standing at the side, looking at the horizon. He exuded strength and confidence, and there was something about his proud bearing and slightly arrogant face that fascinated the mermaid. She recognized his name from the snatches of conversation that reached her: Pantaloon. One of the richest and most influential people from the surface. He became for her a symbol of this fascinating, distant world.

There was a storm that night. Not just a storm, but the real wrath of the ocean. The waves surged like mountains, the wind howled a dirge, and the sparkling liner, her favorite, turned out to be a toy in the hands of the elements. A terrible roar echoed over the water when the hull could not stand it, and the ship began to sink into the abyss, dragging hundreds of lives with it.

Chaos. Screams. The wreckage. The water was filled with drowning people. But in the midst of the general horror, her eyes searched only for him. Pantaloons.

She found him in the icy water, among the floating debris. He struggled, but even his willpower was powerless in front of the ocean. Driven by her strange, long-held admiration, the mermaid grabbed him in a firm grip and dragged him away from the sinking ship, away from other screaming souls to whom she remained indifferent. She only saved him.

They found themselves on a small uninhabited island. The mermaid dragged Pantaloon's unconscious body onto dry land. The storm subsided as suddenly as it had begun, leaving behind only the sound of surf and debris scattered along the shore.

Pantalone woke up some time later. He coughed and spat out salt water. The first thing he saw was sand, palm trees, and.. a creature lying nearby. A creature with a human torso and a huge, scaly tail. His eyes widened in horror, and then in disbelief. "You... what are you?" – he croaked, trying to crawl away.