Belara's POV
The morning after the storm, the world seemed to hold its breath. The waves whispered secrets she could almost understand, and the sun scattered silver diamonds across the water. Belara floated near the surface, letting the gentle motion cradle her. Her heart still raced—not from the storm, but from him.
Riven.
Even now, she could feel the ghost of his presence lingering in the water, like a shadow that refused to leave. Her chest fluttered, a strange, dizzying warmth she had never felt before. Every instinct screamed at her to stay away… and every part of her wanted to dive back into the depths of that danger.
She shivered, brushing wet hair from her face. Why do I feel like my heart belongs to someone I barely know?
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Riven's POV
He was supposed to be untouchable. Immortal. Dangerous. Detached. And yet, her touch had left fire under his skin and ice in his veins. Her warmth, her fear, her courage—it all mixed into something intoxicating he had never felt before.
He had faced death, centuries of loneliness, and monsters that preyed on the weak. But nothing had prepared him for her—the mermaid who had seen through his darkness and still reached for him.
The pull was unbearable. He tried to look away, tried to remember the rules, but her eyes… her eyes held him hostage.
"She's not human," he muttered, voice low, rough, almost a growl. "And yet… I cannot resist her."
--
The First Tension-Filled Encounter
Belara stepped onto the sand, the ocean lapping at her feet. "I saw you last night," she whispered, voice trembling with a strange mix of fear and excitement. "You shouldn't be here."
Riven's gaze cut through her, dark, piercing, and unbearably magnetic. "And yet, here I am," he said, voice velvety with danger. "You should have let me drown."
She swallowed hard, feeling her heart stutter. "I… couldn't. I can't… just leave someone to die, even if you are… like this."
He tilted his head, lips curving into a faint, predatory smile. "You feel too much. And that… will be your greatest weakness."
A shiver ran down her spine. Weakness? No. Not weakness. She felt alive. And for the first time, alive meant him.
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Butterflies Moment — First Unspoken Connection
The wind shifted, tugging at her hair. His hand brushed against hers—not touching, yet sending sparks through her entire body. Her stomach fluttered, heart racing, mind dizzy with every unspoken word between them.
.....
"I… I don't understand you," she whispered.
"And yet," he said, stepping closer, "I understand you more than anyone ever could."
The ocean seemed to shimmer around them, reflecting the tension, the heat, the impossibility of it all. Their eyes locked, breaths mingled, and for a heartbeat, the storm from last night felt small compared to the whirlwind between them.
The first kiss had not yet come—but the world felt poised for it, and every heartbeat, every glance, every brush of skin promised it was inevitable
Danger Lurks — Foreshadowing
Belara's chest tightened as a shadow passed over the water. The laws of her kingdom forbade contact with creatures of darkness. The whispers of her ancestors warned of a bond that could destroy them both..
Riven's fangs glinted faintly in the sun, a reminder of the danger he carried with him. And yet, neither of them stepped back. Neither could
Their worlds were forbidden, their hearts reckless—but the pull of the storm, of the sea, and of each other… was unstoppable.