In the depths of the ocean, so mysterious and eerie, yet at the same time so wonderful, dwell mysteries still unsolved by humankind. So many theories about sunken cities, legends that inspire as much fear as they do awe, some more accurate than others.

One of the most recurring is the legend of the mermaids, beings as beautiful as they are dangerous. Many fishermen and pirates claim to have heard their song at some point; a distant melody so beautiful that even the most talented composer would die of jealousy.

They were known for using their voices to lure pirates and sink ships, drowning anyone who fell under their spell.

A story that turned out to be (partially) true.

In the deepest parts of the heavy waters, deep enough to kill a human from the pressure alone, dwell these mythical beings.

Chuuya is a powerful saltwater merman; he possesses a beautiful, long tail so strong it could be used to strangle or crush his prey, just like a constrictor serpent. Among his kind, he was known as one of the bloodiest when it came to encountering human vessels.

Chuuya's method was simple: he hypnotized humans with his song (powerful enough to rupture eardrums), made them sink into the sea, and drowned them by dragging them down to the bottom. As a result, many humans ended up imploded by the pressure, or simply drowned.

Nakahara had never shown mercy to his victims, harboring an irreparable hatred toward those he considered a threat to his kind.

One day, the merman felt a slight disturbance in the water, indicating that something (or someone) had fallen into it.

The redhead quickly swam toward the source of that pressure.

Chuuya then noticed a human sinking into the depths. He smiled, believing this time he'd have an easier victim than usual.

The first thing he noticed as he got closer was brown hair (which surprised him, since he had never paid attention to his prey before), then arms and a neck wrapped in bandages.

Nakahara circled around the man, intrigued.

And then the brunette opened his eyes. Chuuya froze.

Brown, sinister, clearly intelligent, and intense eyes. The merman felt hypnotized for some reason.

The man said nothing (not that he could) and smiled, as if greeting Chuuya with that grin. Then he closed his eyes, seemingly awaiting his death.

Chuuya's tail wrapped around the man's body, but instead of appearing as though it would strangle him, it seemed more like a possessive embrace.

The merman's arms encircled the human's neck; oddly gentle for such a deadly being. It almost resembled a romantic encounter.

And then Chuuya began to lift the man back toward the surface.

Minutes later, the redhead laid him down on the sand, on some kind of deserted island. He could feel the man's vibrations, indicating he wasn't dead.

Nakahara licked his sharp teeth and bit the man's neck (right over his vocal cords); the wound quickly disappeared. The Triton cleared his throat, adjusting to a language he'd never tried to master before.

Chuuya stared at him for a good while, already having adapted, and softly murmured, "Hey, wake up."