Lansi broke into a cold sweat. He hadn't expected to be spotted the first time he surfaced.
How could there be humans still out here after the black storm?
A mix of emotions churned in his chest.
He flicked his fishtail, swimming just beneath the surface, circling up and down.
Lansi needed answers—why had he become a mermaid? How could he return to land? Was it still possible to live the life he used to have?
He longed to walk on dry ground again. To eat cooked food. Ideally, grilled fish.
But he wasn't foolish. He knew what might happen if someone discovered him.
They might lock him in an aquarium. Or drag him to a lab and cut him open. Whatever the outcome, Lansi didn't want to face it.
That thought left him deflated. He swished his tail and started to dive back down.
Just then, he heard singing.
It was faint and broken by the waves—but unmistakably the same melody he had sung earlier.
Lansi hesitated, clenched his teeth, and cautiously surfaced again. Only half his face broke the water as he peered in the direction of the voice.
Now he saw it clearly. A lifeboat was drifting not far away, bobbing up and down on the waves like it could tip over at any moment.
A black-haired young man stood at the bow, gripping the boat's edge. His face was pale, clothes tattered, but he was humming Lansi's song—gazing intently in Lansi's direction.
And the instant Lansi surfaced, the young man locked eyes with him—and smiled.
Lansi immediately ducked back under the waves.
Was this man… looking for him?
Suddenly, the smell of cookies drifted to his nose.
Beef-flavored.
His stomach growled.
Lansi floated a little closer to the boat, then stopped himself.
He needed to think.
Judging by the recent storm, this boat likely carried a survivor.
He stayed still, torn.
He couldn't just abandon a fellow human being. Not out here in the open sea, where survival was nearly impossible. Without fresh water, without food, they'd die sooner or later.
Lansi wavered, then turned and swam away—not to flee, but to search for nearby islands.
…
Wen Yu stood at the bow of the lifeboat. He'd seen the white mermaid peeking at him. When their eyes met, the mermaid dove again.
Wen Yu wasn't annoyed. In fact, a soft smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Behind him, a red-haired young man tossed aside a vacuum-sealed food pouch with a frown.
"Boss, what a waste," Carl muttered.
Wen Yu said nothing and sat back down.
Rose rummaged through the cabin, found a hidden oar, and handed it to Wen Yu and Carl. Then she asked:
"Colonel, what were you singing just now?"
"I heard that mermaids like to sing," Wen Yu replied, almost to himself. "Their songs are beautiful."
Carl rolled his eyes but kept it to himself.
"So, boss… did you see the mermaid?"
Wen Yu looked at Carl but didn't answer.
"Are we seriously reenacting The Little Mermaid out here?" Rose said, exasperated. "Shouldn't we focus on saving ourselves?"
"Sure," Carl added. "But we don't even know where we are. What if we just row farther from land?"
Rose glared at him but couldn't argue.
"Tonight," Wen Yu said. "We'll use the stars to get our bearings. Until then, conserve energy. Search the boat. Let's assess what we've got."
The others nodded and got to work.
Wen Yu, however, sat still, glancing back toward the spot where the white mermaid had been.
Something told him the mermaid hadn't left.
He was right.
Lansi had searched for a long time before finding an island. A fairly large one, uninhabited. After memorizing its location, he rushed back—completely exhausted.
When he returned, night had fallen.
The stars blanketed the sky, the Milky Way stretched like a ribbon overhead.
Lansi swam through the sea in silence, looking up at the stars. Peace settled in his heart.
The sky was more beautiful than he remembered. He'd never seen the Milky Way so clearly. On land, light pollution drowned out the stars. Even aboard cruise ships, the sky was usually dull, just a scattering of faint lights.
Had something happened to the human world?
He pondered the question.
The lifeboat floated silently. Lansi stayed beneath the surface, observing.
Once he finished the fish in his hand, he quietly approached the boat and peeked out.
Three people lay inside, eyes closed, asleep.
Lansi exhaled in relief.
He inched toward the stern, intending to push the boat toward the island.
But just as he placed a webbed hand on the hull, a warm palm seized his wrist.
Lansi froze.
The black-haired youth—Wen Yu—was awake. He'd grabbed Lansi's hand and was smiling at him.
"Little fish?"
Lansi panicked and opened his mouth to yell. But before he could, Wen Yu shoved a plastic bag into it.
Lansi bit down instinctively. He blinked in confusion.
"Do you understand me?" Wen Yu asked gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."
His eyes were warm. He kept his grip soft.
"Are you trying to save us? Thank you."
Lansi stared at him, annoyed. He didn't want to admit it.
"My name is Wen Yu. Do you have a name?"
Wen Yu reached for the plastic bag. "I'm going to take this out. Don't bite me."
Lansi thought for a moment, then opened his mouth and let him take it.
"You really understand me."
Wen Yu didn't let go of his wrist. "Your singing was beautiful."
Lansi blinked.
How did this human know his song?
The reason Lansi hadn't dragged Wen Yu into the sea was because the man had felt kind… and had sung his melody.
Lansi tilted his head and muttered softly, "Ya—ka—"
That's my name. Lansi. Understand?
Wen Yu looked confused. He raised a finger to his lips.
"Little fish, shh. This is our secret, okay? No one else needs to know."
Lansi was unimpressed by the answer.
Clearly, Wen Yu didn't understand a word.
Lansi looked past him toward the other two passengers.
They were still sleeping.
Good.
He exhaled, then bared his teeth playfully and pretended to bite Wen Yu's hand.
Wen Yu jerked back, then laughed when he realized Lansi had just been teasing.
"You really did come to save me."
This time, it wasn't a question.
Lansi rolled his eyes and pushed the lifeboat forward.
Wen Yu watched him for a moment, then said, "You want this boat to go… that way?"
Lansi nodded.
"Why? Are there people that way?"
Lansi hesitated, then shook his head.
"Is there an island?"
Lansi nodded.
"Thank you."
Wen Yu leaned forward, trying to pat his head.
Lansi ducked away and bared his teeth again, then resumed pushing.
But the boat was too heavy. With three people on board, even a mermaid couldn't move it far.
Lansi circled to the front, trying to pull it instead.
"Wait, you don't have to do that," Wen Yu said, stepping forward to stop him.
Lansi looked up, confused.
Did this man not want to live?
Wen Yu pointed toward the sleeping passengers.
"I'll make them row."
Lansi stared at him for a moment.
So he's the leader of this little crew.
Wen Yu tore open the plastic bag, took out some jerky, and held it out.
"As a reward for guiding us—beef jerky. Want some?"
Lansi stared at the meat and swallowed hard.
God, he missed cooked food. Sashimi every day was torture.
He eyed Wen Yu cautiously, then stepped forward and took the jerky from his hand.
…
Early the next morning, Carl and Rose woke up and found Wen Yu standing on the bow.
Two large fish lay at his feet.
Carl blinked. "Boss… did you fish those up?"
Wen Yu answered calmly, "Yes."
Then added coldly, "I'm eating first. Then we row."
"Row where?" Carl asked.
They hadn't even figured out where they were yet.
Even with their military backgrounds, they lacked proper training in navigation.
Wen Yu pointed west. "That way."
Rose squinted at the horizon. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Wen Yu said, "Collect fresh water. Cook the fish. We'll row once we've eaten."
Beneath the waves near the bow, a white fish tail flicked once, then vanished into the sea.