Finding Atlantis

Prologue

Lyra Hamilton ran along the beach of Graciosa towards the serene blue waters. For as long as she could remember, she had always spent most of her time at the beach. From collecting the most beautiful colors and shapes of seashells to swimming with the beautiful fishes with her father, she had spent half of her life at the beach. Her father, Gerald Hamilton, was a marine biologist who conquered the oceans, searching for different species living in the waters to learn about these significant creatures. After his wife Lily gave birth to their gorgeous little girl Lyra, he retired from his work. The small family of three moved to a lovely beach house near the coast of Graciosa, far away from the city's hustle and bustle. Unfortunately, happiness wasn't long-lasting for the Hamilton family. Lily died when Lyra was three years old, leaving Gerald with the only living evidence of their love, their beautiful daughter, Lyra. Gerald, as a single parent, gave Lyra all the love and happiness she could ever ask for from her parents.

After Lily Hamilton's death, Gerald would take Lyra to the beach a lot. Both the father-daughter duo always found solace in the moving waters. They both believed that Lily, who died fighting cancer, became a beautiful mermaid, even prettier than Ariel. Her beautiful brunette hair, which she lost due to chemotherapy, restored to its former glory, glowing and shining. For Lyra and Gerald, the waters gave them hope, a reason to be happy, a reason to fight for life, a reason to live every day to its fullest, just as Lily did. A lesson that, just like the waves, even in life, with every low, every sadness, there comes happiness.

Today, Lyra was again running towards the waters, with tears flowing down her rosy cheeks. It had been almost six months since Gerald died due to a stroke, leaving Lyra in this harsh and cruel world, all by herself. Lyra did her best to console her poor heart by reminding herself that her parents could finally be reunited in the mer world. This might sound like something a three-year-old would believe, but for Lyra, the children's fairy tale her father told her when she was three years old still comforted her despite being twenty years old. He was a great marine biologist, but most importantly, for Lyra, he was the best parent in the world.

Lyra kept swimming towards her father's favorite spot, the edge of the reef. Tears of grief and pain fell from her eyes into the blue waters, blending as they became one. "Lyra, Ly, come back here!" screamed Saara Lopez, Lyra's best friend, who was running towards the waters so Lyra could hear her. She stood where the waters met the sands of the beach and screamed louder than before, "Come back, Ly! It's getting late! Come on! Beautiful mermaid! Time to change back to human." Saara screamed once again, only to see her best friend gracefully moving towards the reef's edge, not paying any attention to what she was saying. Shaking her head and mumbling something about Lyra being too stubborn, Saara went to sit on the bench, waiting for Lyra to come out of the waters.

Both Lyra and Saara had known each other since they were little toddlers. The Lopezes and the Hamiltons were neighbors. Due to Lily's medical condition, she was admitted to the hospital for a long time. At that time, Saara's mother, Kacey, volunteered to help the Hamiltons. Following Lily's death, Gerald started to work as a marine biology professor at Graciosa High School. On the days Gerald finished work late, Lyra stayed over at the Lopez household. For Lyra, the Lopez household was her second home.

The girls grew up together and went to the same school, from kindergarten to university. Since childhood, Lyra had been bullied a lot, as she was different from her classmates. Whenever something like that happened, Saara protected her like an elder sister, stayed by her side, and sometimes got into fights, due to which she got suspended twice. The Lopezes didn't mind, as she was protecting her sister. After fifteen minutes, Lyra came out of the waters looking a bit exhausted but happier than she was before. "Come on! Hurry! You've got one hour and fifteen minutes to get ready! You know that this is the perfect job for both of us!" Saara kept rambling away to the beach house where Lyra lived all alone now. "I know! I know! Don't worry! I've got it all under control!" said Lyra calmly, unlike Saara, who was frantic with every passing second. "Under control?! So you're telling me that you plan to wear your swimsuit to a job interview? Dear Poseidon! Please help this girl," Saara said dramatically as the girls entered the Hamilton beach house.