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The sun felt harsh after the deep.
As soon as we docked, I stumbled out of the submarine, the salty wind hitting my face like a slap. The captain tried to downplay the whole event—said it was a "power fluctuation" and told the rest of the crew to keep quiet. But I couldn't stop shaking. I knew what I saw.
No one believed me.
"Hallucination. Oxygen levels dropping. Maybe even stress," the medic offered kindly.
Right. Stress. That explains the glowing man talking in my head.
I barely had time to process it when I was pulled aside by someone in a crisp, storm-grey coat. His presence was like a shadow—cool, sharp, controlled. His voice held no warmth.
"You're Lila Morgan," he said. "The intern who passed out in the trench."
"I didn't pass out," I snapped.
His lips twitched. Not quite a smile. "Of course. You just imagined the creature."
My breath caught. "You know?"
That's when I saw his eyes—intense and stormy. And something darker behind them. Obsession.
"I study anomalies from the ocean floor," he said, leading me away from the others. "Things that shouldn't exist. Things the government would rather ignore. Tell me—what did you see?"
I hesitated. "A merman."
He didn't even blink. "Describe him."
His reaction chilled me. No disbelief. No ridicule. Just pure, razor-sharp curiosity.
"You've seen him before," I whispered.
Dr. Adrian Voss looked at the sea. "No," he said slowly. "But my father did. And it cost him everything."
I stared at him. He didn't elaborate, just pulled out a photo—an artifact, shaped like a spiral shell with strange markings etched in silver.
"Did it look like this?" he asked.
"No," I said. "But… it felt the same. Powerful. Ancient."
He tucked the photo away. "You're not just a curious intern, Lila. The sea chose you. And now, you're in the middle of something much bigger."
I narrowed my eyes. "What are you talking about?"
He met my gaze. "The Ocean Heart. My father died trying to find it. But I will finish what he started."
A knot twisted in my stomach. I didn't like the way he said it. As if the ocean owed him something. As if he'd tear it apart to get what he wanted.
"And if you find it?" I asked.
He smiled—a hollow thing. "Then the ocean's secrets won't be secrets anymore."
As I walked away, I felt the water in my veins humming again. A whisper rising.
And somewhere beneath the surface, I knew the merman was watching me. Waiting.
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End of Chapter 3