I'M DRAWN BY THE PERSISTENT humming, the constant melody that plays all around me. Despite being forbidden, I have to leave the safety of my kingdom and venture outside. I need to find out where the melody is coming from. The pulling is too strong.

“Mirella, wait!”

My sister follows me, but I swim faster and prevent her from grabbing me and taking me back to our father.

I'm known for being impulsive, reckless, and a daydreamer. I want more for my life. More than the magical walls that protect the underwater kingdom ruled by my father. The merfolk don't mingle with humans or other species. I think it's a silly rule.

“Mirella, I'll call father if you don't return this instant.”

I stop and turn around to see my sister, Sybil, balling her hands with puckered lips while her purple hair floats around her face.

Sybil is the oldest and the prettiest. One day, she'll rule the Atlantic Sea and protect our people from outsiders.

I put my hands on my hips and grumble, “I need to find the source of the music.”

“There's no music. You are the only one hearing it. Just stop this nonsense and come back. It isn't safe during the night.”

“It's close. I can feel it.”

“It's dark. There are outsiders on their vessels nearby. Father ordered everybody to stay inside the walls of our palace.”

I shake my head. “My intuition tells me that I must go. Just go back. I'll be home before Father knows I'm gone.”

Sybil sighs and waves her hand, invoking her powers over the sea. A columnar vortex of water moves in my direction.

Holding my ground, I launch my hands forward and stop her offensive attack. The water halts, and I smirk.

“I'm stronger than you,” I remind her.

“I'm the oldest one. You need to obey me and return to safety.”

I open my arms in exasperation. “I'm safe.”

As if the God of the Sea wishes to contradict me, a loud explosion is heard, and orange lights the bottom of the ocean where once the medusas were swimming happily around us, providing light. The ominous sound ripples throughout the ocean and screams inside my head. 

“What was that?” I ask as I look at my sister.

Sybil swims to my side. “War.”

Another explosion follows by several flashes of fire that come from the surface.

I look up. Not far from us, I see the vessels that humans use to travel across the water fighting among themselves. Maybe pirates are attacking a merchant ship. I've heard of it but never witnessed such an assault.

My sister grabs my arm. “It's not safe here. There are too many ships.”

I follow my sister's gaze and see the bottom of the ships navigating as they shoot fire and wreck the wood into pieces. Soon enough, bodies will be hitting the water and sailors will die.

My heart shrinks inside my chest. “Why are humans so violent?”

“It's in their nature,” Sybil answers with Dad's standard reply.

“I still hear the music.” I look above and point. “It comes from above, from one of the vessels.”

“All I hear are screams and explosions,” Sybil retorts.

I release myself from her hold. “Something is telling me to go up.”

“You are going to get yourself killed,” Sybil yells. 

Ignoring her, I speed to the surface. 

The first bodies fall into the water and sink. 

I halt. “We should help them.”

Sybil is behind me. “They are doomed. Plus, you know what they would do to us if they found out that we exist.”

“They are fighting too close to our kingdom,” I remark.

“We are safe. Let's just leave them to their petty wars.” 

Sibyl pulls on my arm, and I let myself go as the orange flashes keep coloring the surface. The farther we move away, the more my heart aches and my vision blurs.

Suddenly, all my senses focus on a body sinking between the debris of a destroyed ship. My head spins with the increase of the humming.

Jerking my arm away from my sister, I swim faster than ever before. Everything around me disappears until I reach the young man in regal clothes, drowning. I thought he was dead, but his eyes move and focus on my face. Our gazes lock and the humming hits me louder. The vibration comes from him. The pull guided me to him. We are connected, somehow.

I hear the sound of bodies moving toward us. Looking back, I see creatures with red eyes, holding knives. I have heard rumors that vampires are agile underwater. The merfolk fear them. If they catch me, I'm done.

Embracing the young man, I close my eyes and command the water to take us far away from there. The ocean current propels me upward so the human can breathe. He needs air to survive. 

We are still too close to the battle. I need to keep him safe from the vampires that want to kill him. 

Holding him under his arms, I swim fast. Away from the vampires, the cannons, and the ships.

He's big, and his clothes are heavy because they are wet. He seems tired, and I notice that he goes in and out of consciousness. The speed makes him swallow water. When I stop, he's not awake, and I fear for his life.

Placing my hand on his chest, I command the water to leave his lungs. He coughs before coming to his senses. The moment his eyes open and meet mine, once again, I'm sure that I wasn't wrong. He's meant to be mine for all eternity. Mermaids only love once. This man is my destiny.

He talks, but I don't understand his language. It's not melodic like mine. 

“My name is Mirella,” I tell him. “Who are you?”

He squints his eyes and covers his ears. My voice seems to hurt him. I sink to cover the redness coloring my cheeks. 

He speaks and brings me back to the surface. His hands feel gentle against my skin. I hold my tongue and let him talk as he points back.

Using my powers to keep him warm, I close the distance between us and hug him to prove to him that he shouldn't fear me and that we belong together. Once our bodies are entwined, I know that there's no more need for words. I'm his, and he's mine. Forever.