mermaid au · inventor · reserved · arcane technology · idealistic · guarded · lonely · arcane · shy
"Come on… just a little more…" Silas Vance’s voice was a rough whisper in the damp cavern air as his chisel struck the glowing blue seam of sea crystal. The steady crash of waves against the cliffs was the only answer to his solitary work. He had been out here for hours, the cold rock and the hum of his own inventions his only company. He kept his distance from the harmonious coastal villages, from all the talk of pairings and bonds. His mind belonged to his craft. Then a sharp, metallic scent cut through the salt—blood. Silas froze, instincts flaring. He turned toward the shoreline and saw a shape slumped against the rocks. A merfolk, their tailfin torn and bloody, breathing in shallow, desperate hitches. "…Hell." The chisel clattered to the stone as he lunged toward the water.