Once Upon a Curse

11. a siren's symphony

They share a comfortable silence, one that the mer breaks with a whispered question: "Do you want to go on a swim with me?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Jisung grins, yelping when the mer aggressively drags him into the water.

SPLASH!

It takes the mer's help and some fumbling of equipment for Jisung to fasten the snorkel over his head and the oxygen tank onto his body. Once he's ready, Jisung follows the mer into the depths of the lagoon, giggling with the polychromatic fish breeds and weaving through the coral arrays.

The mer gracefully navigates the waters, leading Jisung to the most beautiful sights he's ever seen. Sea plants sway in the current, and the vibrant colors of coral and sea life sparkle in the moonlight.

The mer stops for a moment, turning to Jisung with a mischievous grin. "Ready?" it asks.

Jisung nods, and the mer takes off with Jisung's wrist in hand, swimming faster and faster until they reach the very edge of the lagoon.

Jisung gasps when he sees the deep abyss that lies beyond the lagoon's edge, seeping into the sea, the light of the moon barely reaching its depths. They'd swum past the deep void the night before, heading full-speed ahead for mer civilization.

The mer takes Jisung's hand, leading him down until they reach the murky depths and into an underwater cave of sorts—beautiful jewels glowing off underwater rocks and creating a luminous tunnel for them to pass through.

Jisung is in awe, and the mer laughs, swimming circles around Jisung, its purple tail glimmering in the faint light.

"It's pretty, right?" the mer asks, large eyes scanning their surroundings as if it's also the mer's first time being down here. "We call it the treasure cove, because usually it collects and attracts treasures lost at sea."

Jisung's eyes widen. Since he can't speak, he holds up a thumbs up, and the mer grins. It takes Jisung's hand and leads him further into the depths of the cove, pointing out little treasures here and there.

They drift in the current, lost in the moment, until they reach the heart of the cove with a giant pale blue jewel illuminating it at the core.

"This is among my favorite places in the Phoenix Sea," the mer says, its gaze trained on Jisung's face. "I think it's pretty romantic sometimes."

Jisung chokes on his mouthpiece, eyes wide with shock. The mer notices this, and goes red at the implications of its words.

I think it's pretty romantic sometimes, rings in Jisung's brain, and no, it doesn't mean anything, but it sure seems that way.

"I didn't mean it... like that," the mer clarifies, covering its cherry-red face with its webby hands. "Come on... uh, let's keep exploring."

With the mer's words still ringing in his ears like a torturous echo chamber, Jisung follows close behind as they drift further into the depths of the cove. The water is cold and salty, but it is also strangely comforting.

The mer gracefully weaves through the water, its tail trailing behind it like a beautiful purple veil. Jisung watches in awe as it moves, captivated by its graceful movements and the way its tail glitters beneath the pale jewel lights.

Along the way, the mer fills up the silence with a soft hum, similar to the melody it hummed when they first met. It reverberates throughout the cove, vibrating through Jisung's skin.

At the end of their journey, they reach the surface and the lagoon. The moon is now a crescent, a distant twinkle in the sky. The mer lingers in the water a bit longer, its tail flicking against Jisung's shin.