The ocean was a perfect mirror, stretching undisturbed to the horizon where it met an oddly lavender sky. Two twin moons—one pure silver, the other a pale jade—hung motionless in the heavens, bathing the silent world in their soft, unnatural light. There was no wind. No sound, except the gentle whisper of a small, pale-wood sampan gliding across the water's surface at a pace dictated by its occupant's will.
Aboard the sampan, Devon lay reclined, one hand tucked behind his head as a pillow, the other holding a slightly worn book. His tall, powerfully muscled frame, visible even beneath his tight black shirt, stood in stark contrast to the surrounding stillness. His white robe, lined with pink, lay neatly folded beside him, while the white turban encircling his head appeared pristine under the twin moons' light. His eyes, hidden behind a curtain of unruly black hair, were fixed on the book's pages, a thin, self-assured smile playing on his lips. He seemed so peaceful, so at one with the silence, as if he were a part of this forgotten world.
Splash!
A sound shattered the perfect stillness. Devon didn't move his head, only his eyes flickered upwards from his book. Nothing. He returned to his reading, his smile widening slightly.
Splash! This time, closer.
With a feigned sigh of annoyance, Devon lowered his book slightly. Right beside his sampan, a pair of large, intensely curious blue-green eyes peered from the water's surface, staring at him unblinkingly. Followed by a small, upturned nose and a wide grin revealing a row of sharp, triangular white teeth. Wet, bluish-silver hair clung to her pale face.
"Finally, you see me, Strange Human!" the girl exclaimed, her voice clear and slightly high-pitched. She rested her chin on the edge of the sampan, causing the little boat to rock gently. A slender grey dorsal fin quivered slightly behind her, breaking the mirror-like surface of the water.
Devon closed his book, a finger still marking his place. "Strange Human?" he repeated, amused. "That's a rather impolite greeting for someone you've just met, Miss…"
"Shia!" the girl interrupted quickly. "My name is Shia! What are you? You're not a fish. You're not a Water Spirit. But you float on the sea like a dry leaf. Strange."
Devon chuckled softly. "I'm merely a traveler," he replied, his tone calm and relaxed. "And this isn't 'floating,' it's called a boat. A sampan, to be precise."
"Sam-pan?" Shia tilted her head, her large eyes narrowing as she tried to grasp the new word. "This wooden thing? Why do you need this? Why not just swim?"
"Because my clothes would get wet," Devon replied with simple logic. "And my book, too."
Shia's eyes immediately fell upon the book in Devon's hand. "Book? What's that? Is it tasty?"
"No, it's not for eating," Devon said, lifting his book slightly. "It's for reading. It contains words. Stories."
"Stories?" Shia seemed even more confused. "Stories can be heard. Why do you have to look at them on dry tree bark?" Suddenly, with the speed of a barracuda, her small, finned hand shot out and snatched the book from Devon's grasp.
"Hey!"
Shia held the book in both hands, turning it over and over with intense curiosity, droplets of seawater falling onto its worn cover. She brought the book close to her face, sniffed it, then tried to lick a corner. "Not tasty," she complained disappointedly.
Devon merely sighed, not at all angry, more like an older brother dealing with a mischievous younger sibling. "I told you it's not for eating. Give it back, Shia."
Shia ignored him. She opened the book to a random page, staring at the rows of incomprehensible letters with a furrowed brow. Then, her eyes fell upon the large title on the front cover. She sounded it out slowly, her voice filled with confusion.
"Ca-ra… Me-ma-ha-mi… Ha-ti… Wa-ni-ta… da-lam… Ti-ga Pu-luh… Ha-ri?"
She looked up at Devon, her innocent eyes now filled with horror and a touch of disgust. "You… you want to dissect a woman's heart?! For thirty days?! You're a monster!"
Silence descended upon them for a moment, before Devon burst into uproarious laughter. A loud, deep laugh that echoed across the mirror ocean. "Not quite how it works, Little Shark Lady," he said between laughs. "It's a book about 'understanding' their feelings, not their organs."
"Feelings?" Shia seemed even more bewildered. "Why study feelings? If you're hungry, you eat. If you're happy, you swim fast. If you're angry, you bite something. Done. Humans are really complicated."
"That's why I need this book," Devon said, finally gently retrieving his book from Shia's hand. He wiped the wet cover with the edge of his robe.
Shia looked at him with a new expression, a mixture of curiosity and wariness. "So, you're not going to dissect anyone's heart?"
"Not today," Devon replied with a wry smile.
Shia seemed slightly relieved. She leaned back against the edge of the sampan, her dorsal fin moving slowly in the water. "Then what are you doing here, in the middle of the Mirror Ocean? There's nothing here but silence."
"Sometimes," Devon said, opening his book back to his marked page, "nothing is everything you need."
Shia stared at him for a long time, trying to understand the strange logic of the land-dweller reading a book about women's hearts on a wooden boat in the middle of an endless ocean. She didn't understand at all. But somehow, it felt intriguing.
"Alright, Strange Book Human!" she exclaimed suddenly, cheerfully. "I'll keep you company! I'll make sure no stupid flying fish disturb your strange reading time!"
Devon glanced at her over his book again, one eyebrow raised. "I didn't ask for company."
"I didn't offer, I decided!" Shia retorted, grinning, revealing her sharp teeth. "From now on, I'm your bodyguard! In return, you have to tell me all the strange stories from your dry tree bark book!"
Devon could only sigh resignedly, though the amused smile never quite left his face. It seemed his quiet, peaceful days were over. He watched the half-shark girl happily swim around his sampan, occasionally spouting water like a small dolphin.