Thalina couldn't shake the pull of the surface. Every day it felt stronger, like the light filtering through the waves was calling her by name. She hadn't told anyone- not even Neris-how often she dreamed of breaking through the water's barrier, of seeking the world that lay above. That day, she ventured further than she ever had before, away from the safety of the reef. The colors of the coral forest faded behind her, replaced by the stretches of open water that felt both thrilling and terrifying. Her aunt would scold her if she knew. "Stay where it's safe," Marina always said. But "safe" felt like a cage, and Thalina wanted freedom.
A shadow passed overhead, fleeting but unmistakable. Thalina froze, her heart leaping in her chest. It was the outline of a boat, its hull slicing through the waves above. She had seen boats before, always from a distance, always with a pang of envy. But this one was closer-so close she could see the faint ripple of the water beneath it. Her tail twitched, a silent debate waging within her. She knew the rules. No merfolk were allowed near the surface, let alone near humans. But wasn't this exactly what she'd been longing for? A chance to see something new, to feel the world beyond her own ?
She swarm upward, slowly at first, her movements hesitant. The light grew brighter, the water warmer as she ascended. Her heart pounded with a mix of fear and excitement . Just a little closer, she told herself. Just close enough to see. As she neared the surface, she could make the faint sounds of the human world-voices, laughter, the creaks of woods against the waves. The noise was strange and alien, yet it filled her with a strange sense of wonder. Thalina hovered just beneath the surface, her hair floating around her like a dark halo.
She could see them now: humans moving about the boat, their forms silhoutted against the sunlight. They looked so different, with their legs and strange coverings on their bodies. A sudden splash made her flinch. One of the humans had thrown something overboard- a net, its weighted edges sinking quickly towards her. Thalina darted backwards, her pulse racing .She watched as the net spread wide, the metal weights glinting like small stars as it fell
The surface wasn't safe after all.
She turned and swarm back towards the reef, her mind a whirwind of emotions. She hadn't been caught, but the close call was enough to make her chest tighten with both fear and exhilaration. She had seen them-the humans, the surface-and it was everything she had imagined and more. But she couldn't stop now. The questions were louder than ever. What else was out there?