Eryssa had always loved the sea. It was her birthright, her home, and her soul. She was a mermaid of the deep, a child of the currents, with scales that shimmered like silver and eyes the color of the clearest sky. Her tail flicked lazily through the waters as she swam, letting the tides take her wherever they pleased. The coral reefs below her gleamed with iridescent beauty, and the underwater caverns sang songs of their own, echoing through the vastness of the ocean.
But there was one thing that made her different from the other merfolk: Eryssa had a heart that longed for something more. It wasn't enough to live within the cool embrace of the ocean. She dreamed of the world above—the land, the creatures who walked on it, and the mysterious, glowing orb in the sky that was called the sun.
Eryssa's curiosity often led her to the surface, where she would watch the world from beneath the waves, hidden from sight. There, she saw the humans—their ships, their laughter, and their strange, magnificent ways. She had heard the tales of how the merfolk and humans once lived in peace, but those days were long gone, replaced by distrust and fear.
It was on one of these surface ventures that she first saw him.
He was a fisherman, young and handsome, with wild dark hair and eyes that reflected the stormy sea. His boat drifted dangerously close to the reef, and Eryssa, compelled by something she couldn't name, surfaced to warn him.
"Be careful!" she called, her voice like the gentle lap of waves against the shore.
The man froze, eyes wide with shock as he gazed at her. His mouth parted, but no words came. Eryssa, seeing his confusion, smiled softly.
"I will guide you away from the rocks," she said, her voice now more melodic. She gestured toward the safe waters beyond.
The fisherman watched her with an intensity that seemed to pierce through her, his gaze tracing every line of her form. She, too, was captivated—by his eyes, his presence, something in his humanity that stirred her in a way she hadn't expected.
"Who are you?" he asked in a breathless whisper.
"Eryssa," she replied, her name like a secret she had never shared with anyone. "I'm not meant to be seen by those of your kind."
The man hesitated, his lips twitching into a smile. "I've never seen anything like you before."
And so began the meeting of two worlds—one of land and one of sea. It wasn't long before their encounters became frequent, and each meeting carried a deeper connection. Eryssa taught the fisherman, whose name was Lior, of the ocean's wonders. In turn, he shared stories of the world above the water, of cities and kingdoms, of dreams and desires.
But what was meant to be a friendship began to blossom into something more. Eryssa felt her heart stir in ways it never had before, and Lior's affection for her grew with each passing day. Yet, there was a barrier between them—one that could never be crossed. He was human. She was of the sea. Their love, though it grew strong and undeniable, was forbidden