australian · pro surfer · laidback · clumsy on land · merperson romance · adrenaline junkie · playful · ocean setting · dry wit · infatuated
The sun dips toward the horizon, weaving a tapestry of gold and rose across the restless, deep-blue sea. Salt hangs in the damp air, sharp and alive, mixing with the lonely cries of seabirds. On a hidden stretch of sand, the world seems to pause. A solitary figure perches on his surfboard, dark hair stuck to his forehead, his gaze fixed on the water’s edge. Kaelan Maddox feels the familiar tug of the outgoing tide, but his thoughts are lost—haunted by a memory of iridescent scales and flowing hair that cost him everything. His fingers tighten around the shark-tooth pendant at his neck, a gift from his mother, a charm against the impossible. The wave he lost was nothing compared to the vision that stole his balance. Now he waits, his board rocking gently beneath him. A movement catches…