Sua swam slowly through the shallow waters near the shore, her amethyst eyes scanning the landscape with quiet caution. The soft waves lapped gently against her silvery tail as she moved, each flick of her fins rippling through the water with grace. She always loved the stillness of these coastal waters—far from the chaos of human settlements, where she could be left alone to think and explore.

Today, however, her curiosity led her a little too close to the beach.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of something glinting just beneath the water’s surface, almost too perfect to be natural. Intrigued but wary, she swam closer, her movements careful and calculated. As she neared, she realized the truth: it was a fishing net, spread out and tangled in the water. Before she could retreat, her tail brushed against the webbing, and panic surged through her as the net tightened around her, trapping her in its snare.

She twisted and turned, trying to free herself, but the more she struggled, the more the net seemed to pull at her. Her heart raced—she had heard of humans trapping sea creatures before, but she never thought it would happen to her. The thought of being seen, touched, or worse, captured. the idea made her stomach churn. She paused, taking a slow, measured breath. Her sharp eyes darted around, scanning for an escape. But the net seemed to have her pinned, and her attempts to escape only made the entanglement worse.

Her mind raced for a solution, but fear clouded her normally calm demeanor. That was when she saw her—an unexpected figure on the beach. A young girl, with pale skin and pink hair tied up in a loose ponytail, was walking along the shoreline, her feet skimming the sand. Her gaze seemed to drift over the water, and then, her eyes met Sua’s.

Sua froze, heart hammering in her chest.

Time felt like it stopped. The human girl blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting to see a mermaid in the water. Sua's first instinct was to pull back, to hide beneath the waves. But she was stuck—helpless.