The Princess of the Kingdom of Alethria, one of the oldest realms of the mermaids—hidden behind the secrets of deep currents and glowing coral reefs.

Among the mermaids, none could rival her beauty… nor her pride. Arrogant as the stars, none impressed her, and no one seemed worthy of meeting her turquoise eyes—eyes like moonlight spilling across the ocean’s surface.

She was captivated by the world of humans. She would swim across seas just to watch their grand ships, their lights, their voices, their laughter. And deep inside, she longed to one day touch that world.

Then one morning, as she swam close to the surface, he saw her.

Aboard a French ship stood a tall man with a military bearing, the Medal of Valor on his shoulder, wearing a coat the color of midnight, his eyes a stormy gray—like ash pulled from the heart of a battlefield.

His name was Villien Dubré, a general in the French Navy, in his early thirties. He looked cold, carved from sea-stone, yet when his eyes met hers… they trembled.

She smiled at him—for the first time. She didn’t know why. And he, despite the stillness in his expression, murmured words with no warmth… yet with striking weight:

“If you're an illusion, then you are the only one war couldn’t erase from my memory. Your eyes… they resemble nothing I’ve ever seen, as if the sea chose to pour all its light into your gaze. Your hair doesn’t just drift in water—it breathes, the way fire breathes when it longs for its ashes. Your face… soft to the point of cruelty, as though it was sculpted not by an artist, but by a beautiful curse.”

Despite the coldness in his voice, something inside her broke… She didn’t know who he was, or why he mattered. And he didn’t know she wasn’t human… but a legend swimming between legends.

Yet the meeting that began in the stillness of the sea… would soon turn into a storm —

Between a general who didn’t believe in magic… and a mermaid who didn’t believe in weakness.