Inaba, the small fishing village, lay against jagged cliffs where the ocean's waves crashed without surcease. A salty taste lingered in the air, complemented with the delicate smell of smoked fish from the market. It was dusk, the horizon a wash of amber and violet, when Kaiza entered the town. His tattered cloak was worn at the fringes from years of travel, and his eyes gleamed with the wisdom of centuries.

He pulled his hood down low to avoid the inquisitive stares of villagers.

Kaiza had seen countless places like this through the years.

Simple, quiet, and unspoiled by the tumult of the wider world. And yet no place was peaceful for him, no matter how far he went.

The curse of immortality meant that he was always an outsider, a shadow skirting lives that would be snuffed out while he endured.

As he made his way toward the market square, merchants were packing up goods for the day.

A small boy dashed past him with a loaf of bread in his hand, followed by an angry baker screaming curses. Kaiza sighed and moved aside to let the scene play out.

These trivial dramas meant nothing to him now, echoes of life he could no longer live.

At the road edge of the square, a woman's voice brushed against him.

"Fresh fish! Straight from the sea! Come before it's gone!" Her stall was humble, but her passion was contagious. Kaiza's eyes were glued to the fish's silver scales, catching the last light. For a moment he saw the ocean's beauty, the beauty he had come to fear.

He looked away, thoughts returning to why he'd come.

He had come here on rumors, whispers of odd disappearances along the coast, creatures seen in the water.

It was not the first time he had heard such stories.

Many were exaggerations or superstitions, but sometimes they contained a nugget of truth.

And the truth was what he was looking for, dark though it was.

The inn was small but clean, and the wooden beams shone from years of polishing.

Kaiza booked a room with a few coins and sat at a corner table in the common room.

The warmth of the fire and hum of conversation hardly eased his fatigue.

And he sipped his drink in silence, tuned into the villagers' banter.

"Another one gone," said an older man to his companion. "That's the third one this month."

"Aye," the other's voice was low. "The sea's cursed, I tell you. Mark it: It's those damned creatures again."

Kaiza's ears pricked up. He moved a little closer, a bit too close to be noticed.

"Creatures?" the innkeeper's wife asked, as she placed a tray of mugs. "You mean the mermaids?"

"Do not mention them here," the old man said, hissing. "They'll hear you."

The woman scoffed but offered no further comment, going to another table. Kaiza's interest deepened. Such rumors would usually not be so candidly spoken.

He drained his drink and got to his feet, his decision final.

The sea was calling, as it did every time.

The cliffs towered over the shore, their spikes haloed by moonlight.

Kaiza's boots crunched over the rocky path as he walked down toward the beach.

It was colder here, the sound of waves louder, more ominous.

He made it to the sand and stopped, looking at the horizon.

Before him lay the ocean, a great black expanse. But Kaiza was keen, and he spotted a glimmer out in the water, far from shore. It throbbed gently, like the heartbeat of the sea itself.

He crept closer, silent in his footsteps.

Then came the sudden splash that shattered the stillness.

Kaiza froze, his fingers reflexively going for the hilt of his sword.

The light in the water brightened, and a form began to rise from the waves.

It was a woman, or at least it seemed to be. She had long, dark hair that hugged her pale skin, and her eyes gleamed with an unearthly light. She was lovely, but there was something off about her presence.

"You shouldn't be here," she said, voice subdued yet echoing unnaturally.

Kaiza didn't respond for a moment. He surveyed her, watched her teeth when she talked, and noticed the pale webbing between her fingers.

"I have come in search of answers," he finally said. "About the disappearances."

The mermaid turned her head and smiled. "Curious. The vast majority of us flee from the unknown. Yet you seek it out."

"I have my reasons," he replied to Kaiza. He did not raise his voice, but he tightened his grip on his sword. "Tell me what you know."

She laughed, a sound like broken glass. "You think you can get me to answer questions? You're bold, human. But boldness won't save you."

Before Kaiza got a word in edgewise, she sprang at him, inhumanly fast.

He hardly had time to unsheathe his sword, the steel glimmering in the moonlight as it locked against her claws.

And that made him stagger backward from the force, but he recovered in an instant, age-old reflexes of centuries of experience kicking in.

The fight was fierce but short-lived. Kaiza's strikes were precise, and the mermaid was agile, but no match for his skill. One last slash and she fell into the sand, her eyes dimming. Kaiza loomed above her, panting.

"You don't understand," she whispered, her lips stained with blood. "You've already lost."

Her corpse fell apart into foam, leaving just the linger of the water behind. Kaiza sheathed his sword, his thoughts racing. It was not the end of his quest for answers. Reset.

The following morning, Kaiza went back to the village.

The market was busy, villagers unaware of the threats just off their beaches. He walked up to the fishmonger's stall and looked over its offerings.

"You stayed out late," the woman said, warily. "I noticed you were headed for the cliffs."

Kaiza met her eyes. "And if I was?"

She paused, then leaned in closer.

"The sea contains things you do not want to find. If you want to live, keep away from here."

"I'll consider that," Kaiza told her as she gave her a coin for a piece of smoked fish.

He walked away, pondering deeply. It was far more than a few disappearances, the mermaid's warning, and the villagers' fear were meant to imply. And Kaiza knew he couldn't not pay attention.

As he was exiting the market, a sweet voice called out to him. "Wait!"

He glanced over his shoulder and saw a girl no older than twelve lingering uncertainly behind him.

Her garments were in tatters, and her eyes were bulging with terror.

"You … you're not from here, are you?" She asked.

"No," Kaiza replied. "Why?"

The girl looked around nervously.

"They're watching. The ones in the water. They took my sister. Please, you have to help me."

Kaiza knelt to meet her gaze. "What's your name?"

"Mina," she whispered.

He scrutinized her for a moment, then nodded. "I'll help you, Mina. But you have to tell me everything."

She paused, then nodded, tears streaming in her eyes.

"They come at night. They sing to us. My sister … she just couldn't help it. She walked into the water, and they got her. "I tried to stop, but they were too strong."

Kaiza put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'll do whatever I can to get her back."

Mina's eyes lit with hope, and for the first time in years, Kaiza felt an inkling of purpose.

For centuries he had roamed the earth in search of redemption.

Maybe finding it was one small step away in helping this girl.

That evening, Kaiza was back on the beach, Mina at his side.

The stars shone reflected on rippling water, and the air crackled with tension.

He could sense the presence of something standing off to the side, observing them, biding its time.

"Don't wander from me," he said, in a low voice. Mina nodded and held tightly to his cloak.

The haunted melody rang out, gentle and gorgeous, a breeze among the winds.

Mina clutched harder and gasped with understanding. "That's it," she whispered. "That's their song."

Kaiza unsheathed his sword, the blade shining in the moonlight.

The surface of the water shimmered, and shapes began forming in the undulating blur, beautiful and grotesque.

One of the mermaids had arrived, her glowing eyes set upon Kaiza and Mina.

"Leave the girl," one hissed. "She belongs to us."

Kaiza advanced, his form unbroken. "No, you'll have to get through me first."

The mermaids hissed, the syllables crashing into one another.

The fight started, and Kaiza fought with an intensity he hadn't experienced in hundreds of years.

This time, he wasn't fighting for himself. He was fighting on behalf of Mina, on behalf of her opportunity to lead a life without fear.

When the last mermaid went down, the beach quieted again.

The mound of bodies lay around Kaiza, who found himself breathing heavily.

Mina raced toward him, weeping. "Thank you," she said, her voice quaking.

Kaiza laid a hand on her head, his gaze softening.

"It's not over yet. But we'll face it together."

And so, at daybreak, Minzing and Kaiza faced away from the ocean and began the journey that would change their lives forever.