Mike's lungs burned as he fought the pull of the dark water.
The mini cruise ship,FLORA–T61,tilted violently above him, lights flickering as screams dissolved into bubbles. His arms felt like lead. Every kick grew weaker. The surface stretched farther and farther away.
'I can't…'
His strength weakened.
Then he saw her.
A figure cutting through the blue haze—human-shaped, graceful, impossibly fast. Long black hair streamed behind her like ink in water. He tried to focus on her face, but his vision got misty and blurry in a way. Where her legs should have been, something shimmered—bluish, fluid, unreal.
She was swimming toward him.
Relief hit just before the darkness closed in.
---
"Mike! Mike! Wake up!"
Mike jolted upright on his bed, gasping.
His mother's face hovered above him, worry etched into every line. She exhaled when she saw his eyes open and kissed his forehead.
"Breakfast in ten minutes," she said gently. "Hurry,it's a school day."
She left the room.
Mike sat still for a moment, his heart pounding. He swung his legs off the bed, the cool floor grounding him. White vest. Black shorts. Same room. Same house.
"Why am I having that nightmare every night?" he muttered.
No answer came.
---
The drive to school passed in heavy silence, broken only by the hum of the engine.
His mother glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Since the 'shipwreck' accident… you've been so quiet. Eerily quiet."
Mike stared out the window.
"I think I should tell your dad when he gets back from his business trip," she added.
Still, he said nothing.
Things had changed since the day he drowned—or almost did. His father was always away. His mother hovered like she might lose him if she blinked. Or maybe they'd always been this way, and he was only noticing now.
But one thing felt undeniable.
Something was off.
He felt… disconnected. From them. From himself.
And worse,someone had saved him that day.
Someone he couldn't remember.
"Pacific Crest High School," his mother said, pulling to a stop. "I'm sure your classmates missed you a lot."
Mike grabbed his bag and stepped out of the car without looking back.
"Have a nice day, son," she called.
"You too, Mum," he replied, already walking away.
She smiled and drove her black car off.
---
Celestine twisted the dial on her locker and pulled it open.
An ink-written note was pinned to one of her photos.
She frowned and lifted it. It read:
IT'S JUST ABOUT 2 BEGIN…
Her breath caught.
"What does that even..."
The paper crumbled mid-sentence, dissolving into dark smoke that curled around her fingers before fading away.
Her pulse spiked.
'Raho?', she thought sharply.
Before an answer came, a group of girls passed behind her.
"Hey, Celestine," one laughed. "Didn't know you smoked."
They burst into giggles.
Celestine slammed her locker shut, cheeks burning. The bell rang, sending students flooding toward class.
She opened the locker again just long enough to grab her books.
Inside, Raho the crab hid his face behind his pincers.
'That wasn't funny,' she said telepathically to her.
'My bad,' Raho replied. 'But you should think about it.'
'About what?'
Just as Celestine was about to shut her locker—still flustered from the girls' laughter—a voice stopped her.
"Hi, Celestine."
She looked up.
A girl of her age and height stood there casually, books hugged to her chest, school bag slung over one shoulder. Dark-skinned. Her eyes sharp but playful. There was something oddly confident about the way she smiled—like she already knew more than she was letting on.
"Hi," Celestine replied, returning the smile.
"I'm Maya." The girl tilted her head slightly. "Mind if I borrow your Art assignment? I think I missed something… important."
She winked.
Celestine hesitated only a second before reaching into her locker.
"Yeah, sure."
She pulled out an hardcover exercise book and handed it over.
"Here. Neat and clear."
"Oh?" Maya flipped through the pages quickly, scanning with purpose rather than curiosity. Then...
"Aha." She smirked. "Smart work. I'll return it before the lesson."
"Okay."
Maya closed the book but didn't hand it back just yet. Instead, she studied Celestine with a teasing glint in her eyes.
"So…" she said lightly. "Where's your boyfriend?"
Celestine blinked. "My—what?"
"I'm asking about Luke," Maya clarified, smiling wider. "Luke Tyson."
Celestine's fingers curled around the strap of her bag.
"Oh. He… he's not coming today." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, forcing a smile that felt a second too slow.
Maya's expression shifted, though not much. Just enough.
"Oh," she said, her voice softer now. Sharper. "That's a shame."
She stepped back, walking away slowly, still facing Celestine. And then added,"It's not like he's coming back, you know."
Celestine's breath hitched.
"What do you mean?" she asked quickly. "What are you talking about?"
Maya only laughed quietly.
"Damn. You're going to miss him really a lot."
Then she turned, melting into the moving crowd of students.
"I'll bring the book back at break time, Cely," she called over her shoulder. "See yah' around."
Celestine stood frozen, her thoughts colliding.
How did she know Luke said goodbye?
Why did she say he wasn't coming back?
And who… exactly… was this 'Maya' girl anyway?
She closed the locker slowly and turned.
Then froze.
A blonde boy stood a few steps away, adjusting the strap of his school bag. White shirt. Black trousers. Black jacket. Sunlight caught in his hair.
She could swear her heart skipped a beat at the sight.
It was him.
The boy from the shore.
The air around her thickened, pressing against her chest like deep water. Her mouth went dry.
'So handsome,' her traitorous mind complimented.
Then the world snapped.
"Miss," a voice barked. "Shouldn't you be in class?"
Her arithmetics teacher stood where the boy had been, glaring at her over his sun-glasses.
Celestine jolted, nearly dropping her books. "S—sorry!"
She hurried away to class.
---
She slid into her seat just as the class settled.
'That was close,' she thought. 'And way too real.'
'Indeed,' Raho replied.
A chill spread through her chest. 'Why do I suddenly feel...'
'The mer-effect,' Raho cut in. 'It happens when a familiar merman or merboy is nearby.'
Her fingers tightened on her pen.
'Wait… you mean...'
'Yeah.He's here.' Raho finished.
The classroom door opened. And a familiar blonde boy stepped d in.
"Mike's back!" someone shouted.
The room exploded.
Cheers. Applause. Glitter and balloons flew through the air as students stood, clapping like he was royalty returned from exile.
Mike walked inside, smiling, lifting a hand to calm them. "Alright, alright."
As the noise faded, his gaze lifted.
It found hers.
The room seemed to fall silent for Celestine. Her heart skipped, then melted into something warm and terrifying.
'That's what I meant,' Raho said gently.
She realized she was smiling—and blushing.
From their sitting positions, just near the class' left window, Rockie and Ruksy smiled at their long awaited arrival. Mike.
The teacher entered and the lesson was just about to begin. Mike took his seat.
But nothing felt the same anymore.
Things had just become interesting.
...To Be Continued.....