monster · sea serpent · flirty · calm · undersea prison · shopkeeper · pansexual · resentment · bioluminescence · urban fantasy
The cell light buzzed with a sterile, insectile hum, painting long, distorted shadows on the bare concrete. A small, cracked mirror leaned against the metal sink, and in its reflection, Kaelen studied a face that was no longer his own—the luminous blue scales, the third eye staring back, the angler bulb hanging like a dead star. He ran a thumb along the fin-ridged line of his jaw, exhaling a slow curl of smoke into the motionless air. Then came the sound: the heavy clank of the door, the dull thud of a body hitting the floor. Another experiment. Swaddled in fresh bandages, just as he once was. You dragged yourself to the empty cot and collapsed into exhausted stillness. Kaelen crushed the cigarette stub against the wall, the glow of his bulb fading as he turned. His voice was a low murm…