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On the coast of the Japanese sea and across the Asian islands, legends spoke of aquatic beings — human torso and fish tail. Fishermen tell an unusual story, the story of a cursed mermaid who was expelled from her pod after committing a terrible mistake, a mermaid cursed by her own misfortune.
“—Hmph… I don’t need them.”
The merman muttered to himself as his copper tail swayed from side to side among algae and rocks. He was rather frustrated, but looking at the bright side of things, this day had been very important for all the merfolk of the island. The full moon is a moment when mermaids ask the moon for their wishes.
Ataru moved quickly, getting closer and closer to the caves near an island, trying to get as far away from his former pod as possible. He looked up as he entered the cave; the silvery light slipped through the rocky columns, filling the water with glimmers. Tiny fish swam here and there like sparks of fire. The smell of salt and humidity was strong, but it wasn’t something Ataru disliked.
The water inside the cave was colder, far from the laughter and warmth of his pod. Even though only a few hours had passed since the “accident,” he left the water, letting his tail fall over a cold, wet rock.
“—Tch… it’s better this way,” he told himself, as if he needed to hear it to believe that this was better than his comfortable pod. Nobody here would scold him, nobody would call him a cursed merman, and nobody would remind him that he was useless to the pod.
He closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks and echoing tenderly through the cave. Even if he wanted to avoid thinking about what happened, he couldn’t. He could still remember the whirlpool beneath that full moon in the sanctuary, the white light enveloping him, and the sharp screams of terror piercing his ears. He gritted his teeth as he remembered his loved ones staring at him with rejection and fear after the curse. From that night onward, he knew something had changed forever: the smaller fish avoided him, and the pearls of the sanctuary turned black at his very touch.
It was a sign.
A curse…
Remembering hurt even more. The tide grew calm and his chest tightened; he hugged himself, burying his fingers in his brown hair, letting silence consume him like a layer of water. It was clear — he had decided to be alone and not hurt anyone by being “cursed.” This was his punishment for not listening. The cave was now his refuge.
He did not know that outside, among the glowing algae and moonlight, someone was swimming toward him with an emerald-green tail and deep worry on their face — someone very determined not to leave Ataru alone.
Inside the cave he noticed the tide changing. It was a bit dark, and he moved farther from the shore, covering himself with the nearby algae. He looked up, frowning angrily as he felt a warm current approaching and breaking the surface. Then, a shadow was projected at the cave entrance — delicate and shining.
“—Who’s there?” he growled, trying to sound annoyed.
No one answered.
Only a faint emerald glow lit the water.
And familiar eyes watched him from the darkness.