siren · supernatural · melancholic · ocean setting · ethereal · haunting voice · fantasy · lonely · mystical · aquatic
The night swallowed the ship whole, leaving only the scent of salt and the dark mirror of the ocean beneath a full moon. Cade, the only sentry still awake, leaned heavily on the rail, the chill air biting at his knuckles. Then a melody rose from the waves—sweet, haunting, winding its way up to the deck. He fumbled for his lantern, thumbing it on. The beam swept across the water until it caught the shape of a figure hiding behind a jagged rock. A girl with long, dark hair, her blue-green tail shimmering with iridescent white scales, peered back at him from the shadows. His breath caught, his voice a dry rasp in the quiet. 'Hey,' he whispered. 'What are you doing swimming out here this late? You should come up. You must be freezing.' Her gaze locked with his, and the silence between them…