In his dreams, Erunestian was still in the sea, swimming around coral reefs and watching the sun's rays pierce the water like thin golden threads. The beautiful songs of the sirens resonated, and he delighted in their captivating harmony. Soon, he found himself out of the water, lying on the warm sand. Those songs transformed into a wordless melody that woke him up. 

The melody continued. The music was unfamiliar. There were many sounds that appeared, disappeared, and blended together, forming melodies that seemed to dance in harmony. Each sound was as subtle as raindrops, yet vibrant and fluid like the wind.

He got out of bed and left the room. He went downstairs slowly, realizing that he was getting closer to the music. He opened his eyes wide and felt how the music painted colors around him, and he saw snowflakes falling one by one onto the ground. Beneath his feet, the snow melted, and delicate flowers bloomed. He had never seen anything like it, so he believed he was still dreaming.

Lost in his vision, he walked carelessly until he bumped into something. The melody stopped.

"Erunestian! You scared me!" exclaimed Mateo.

"I'm sorry!" he replied.

"No, it's fine. It was me who woke you up," Mateo said, laughing. "I got up early today and came down here to play something."

"Play what?" asked Erunestian, still amazed.

"The piano," said Mateo. He pressed a few keys, making some chords resonate.

"That music was of you! Show me!"

"Sure, come here..."

They were in the living room and Erunestian had bumped into the sofa. There was a wall piano at the back. He walked carefully towards it and Mateo made him place his hand on the keys. Erunestian touched the piano’s body in awe. 

"I cannot believe!" he exclaimed. Accidentally, he knocked over the sheet music that was resting on the stand.

"Ah! Don't worry... I'll get it," said Mateo, bending down. The sheets of paper made a rustling sound.

"What is that?" he said, stretching out his hand.

Mateo handed him the sheet. Erunestian stroked the paper and shook it to make it rustle.

"It's sheet music. The music is written there. We read it to know how to perform a piece." He sat down again, placed another sheet on the stand, and played a different melody.

Erunestian stroked the sheets. "The music is here? How is possible?"

"Well... it's hard to explain," Mateo said. "Just as people have a writing system for each of their languages, there's also one for music. This tells me how to play the piece the composer wrote long time ago."

Erunestian continued stroking the sheets, as if looking for a hint of carving of some sort for that writing system Mateo was talking about.

"I don't think you'll be able to feel anything..." he said. "It's printed."

Erunestian smiled and handed the sheets back to him. He found it marvelous nonetheless. Human music was intricate and expressive, each sound crafted with care. The song was virtuosic in his opinion, and Mateo’s skill brought ancient emotions to life. While the piano, was an elaborate and complex instrument, like everything humans build. "This reveals the complexity of human souls," he thought.

"What is the music of the sea people like?" said Mateo.

"Well... The music of the sea is different," Erunestian said. "Most of our music, humans cannot hear, they can not hear underwater. But there is some music that can sing outside the water."

"I see, maybe the underwater one is like the songs of whales."

"The songs of whales are wonderful, but our music is more... difficult. We communicate like whales, yes, but with language... we talk and put together our voices to create music."

"Oh... I can't even imagine it," said Mateo, "and the music of the mermaids? What is that like?!"

"No, that is other thing." answered Erunestian. "Mermaids are spirits. Their music is perfect, is made to... to... How you say?" He asked, gesturing with his arms to the ceiling.

"Lift? Elevate? Praise?" Mateo tried guessing.

"Praise the sea and make magic. They use instruments, like you, and put together their voices perfectly." Erunestian opened his eyes, his gaze distant, his expression showed that he was recalling something ineffable. After all, he had been one of the few who had the opportunity to hear the songs of the mermaids without going mad. "But you know?" he continued, coming back to his senses. "I prefer our music. The music of mortals is deeper beauty."

"Are you joking? Surely our music can't even compare."

"Mortals feel life. Lives are short and cruel. Our music is not perfect, but it shows that. We sing about love, death, happy, and sadness. But music of mermaids, daughters of nature, is always same. They are not free, and I think maybe they have no life... because they can not die."

Mateo was speechless, he had never seen things that way. He decided not to tell Erunestian that the music he was just playing was refined, classical music. "Surely modern music won't appeal to him much," he thought.

"Good morning! What are you doing?" said Helena, disheveled and sleepy, rubbing her eyes. "Are you teaching him piano?" 

"Good morning!" exclaimed Erunestian. "Today we talk about music!"

"I think Erunestian is more philosophical than usual," said Mateo. 

"More?" She laughed. "Eru, did you like how my cousin plays?"

"Ah! Yes! So beautiful, I can not believe!"

Mateo felt a little embarrassed and, with a flushed face, he just said:

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm not a professional."

"He’s good," said Helena. "He should’ve kept studying."

"You too make music, Helena?" asked Erunestian.

Helena laughed nervously. "I... don't play any instrument, but I learned to sing. Studying music was tedious to me, so I quit."

"Sing? I never hear people sing! Please, show me!"

"Oh no! It's too early. I can't sing right after waking up. I promise I'll sing later!"

"Oh, It's fine..." said Erunestian.

Mateo resumed playing. Helena lay on the sofa without elegance, and Erunestian stood, soaking in every sound. Life on land was richer than he’d imagined.

Aunt Isabel came downstairs, and greeted everyone with a kiss on the cheek. Erunestian flinched.

"Sorry! In your country, you probably don't greet like this," she said "Here it's the custom."

"Very interesting..."

"How do people from your country greet each other?"

"We join our hands like this," Erunestian joined his palms with his fingers apart, "and we say..." He hesitated for a moment, translating the words in his mind. "Good fortune, creature of the sea...?"

"How do you say that in your language?" asked Isabel.

"It can only hear underwater... But out of water, you can say Alai."

"What... language is that? 

"Veihlsdinhu underwater, and Regemdinhu out of water." 

"Ah... I see..." Isabel said, giving him a confused look. She had never heard of those languages, but she didn't press further. "Well, kids! Let's have breakfast!" she said, clapping her hands. "Today we'll take your friend for a ride."

A car ride, Erunestian had always dreamed of traveling by car. His face lit up when the engine started. He looked as if he was traveling in a spaceship. He was startled by every turn, every bump, and the wind coming through the window blowing his hair. He laughed and screamed. Helena, sitting next to him, tried to explain what was happening to calm him down. But he wouldn't listen. He just closed his eyes tightly and shook his head.

Isabel was taking him to the hospital where she worked, just to get a general check-up before going to talk to the police. But before arriving, she stopped at a small shop to buy him a pair of shoes. She chose a nice pair of laceless sneakers for him, but Erunestian initially refused to wear them, saying that he wanted to 'know where he was going'. After everyone insisted, telling him that he could get hurt, and that humans always wear shoes, he finally agreed and walked awkwardly at first.

Then, they parked at the hospital, Isabel gave Helena and Mateo some money, and told them to go for a walk around town while she took Erunestian to the doctor. 

Grabbing onto her shoulder, he walked on the warm asphalt. The smell of the air didn't please him. The mixed scents confused his senses, and the incessant murmurs, and the noise of cars around him made him nervous. Turning his head from side to side, Erunestian asked:

"Where are we?"

"In town. We're going to the hospital so the doctor can check you."

"What is doctor?"

"What is a doctor?" Isabel was now more convinced that Erunestian was very disoriented. He had probably lost his memory. "A doctor is someone who heals people," she explained as if to a child. "I am a doctor!"

"Oh, but I do not need to be healed."

"It doesn't matter. Sometimes we have to go to the doctor just to make sure we're healthy."

"Okay," he replied, as they reached the main entrance.

They climbed a few stairs, and just as Erunestian stepped inside, a shiver ran down his spine. He opened his eyes wide and looked around in terror as if dozens of spectral shadows were roaming the place. The smell was terrible. He had never smelled anything like it. What does a hospital smell like?

"No!" he shouted, letting go of Isabel's shoulder, who tried in vain to stop him. Stumbling, Erunestian ran to the gardens and stood under the shade of a tree to calm down. He had let his guard down. He still hadn't confirmed whether he could trust all humans and he didn't quite understand what Isabel wanted to do with him.

Isabel was about to run after him, but a nurse stopped her and peppered her with questions. She glanced around and saw, thankfully, that Erunestian hadn’t gone far. Once she finally freed herself from the conversation, she walked over to him. He stood straight, feet firmly planted, though his expression was downcast and thoughtful.

"I'm sorry," he said as he felt her approach. He realized that it wasn't on his best interest to offend Isabel, who was giving him shelter for free. "Honestly, I never enter a different place like that, and it scare me a little."

Isabel stroked his hair. She noticed that his head was warm, his cheeks were red, and he was sweating.

"I'm sorry I scared you, Erunestian."

"I've never seen anything like it," he thought. "Shadows of death, like people crying and screaming. Added to all this noise around me... I feel like I can't take it anymore."

"I brought you here because you act in a way that's a bit... peculiar for just being a foreigner and I just want to make sure you're healthy."

"Ah, I see..." said Erunestian. "You think I have something bad in the head, and you want doctor to tell you if is true."

Isabel nodded. "Yes, I just want to make sure everything's okay with you."

He raised his face and, bringing his hand to his chin, he said, "Well, then if doctor tells you I am okay, you believe me when I tell you where I come from."

"Of course!"

Erunestian crossed his arms and spoke with a serious expression. "I don't come from anywhere on land. I come from the sea. There are people living under the sea, hidden from humans. But we have no food, and life is very hard. That is why I escape and come here."

"Really? But on the outside, you look like a normal person."

"That is my fault. I went to see the mermaids. With their magic, they change my body, and I pay with my eyes," he said, opening his eyelids, trying to show his evidence.

Isabel tried to hold back a laugh while thinking, "This is undoubtedly the most fantastic story I've ever heard in my life, and that's saying something, considering the other day an old man from the countryside came saying he fought the devil off with a machete."

Erunestian sighed. "I understand is hard to believe, so you can take me to doctor and let them check my head. But I pretend not to speak the language, so they think I am just a foreigner, not crazy."

Isabel laughed. "Alright, then we have a deal." Then, she offered him a drink. Erunestian hesitated to accept it, so she said, "I can see the heat is affecting you. Trust me, drink."

He remembered Cyrene's teachings and drank it. "I'm completely at the mercy of these humans," he thought. The drink was extremely sweet and made his mouth tingle. Soon, the color returned to his cheeks, and he felt his strength coming back.

"Is this medicine?" he asked.

"It's coke," she replied, laughing.

"And what's that?"

Isabel guided him to a nearby bench to sit in the shade. Then she slowly explained what the drink was. Erunestian felt rather frustrated for the condescendence, and replied: "Thank you for explaining. I hope I can soon learn enough of the language so we can speak like normal."

Isabel laughed, impressed. What a proud boy he was! So, she returned to the topic, "The sea people you mentioned, can they breathe underwater?"

"No," he replied. "We are not fish. We are like dolphins and whales, who carry the babies in their wombs. We breathe air, but we can hold our breath for long time."

His answer made a lot of sense, so, incredulous, Isabel continued to ask him more questions about his "culture" and life under the sea. Erunestian knew she was testing him, and between sips of his drink, he answered each question with great detail and vividness, to the point that she was amazed.

"It's impossible for a boy like him to know so much about the culture he's describing... or marine biology... or visual imagery," she thought. "It's a story too consistent to be a lie. But the part about the mermaids and magic... I don't know..."

Erunestian stood up and said resignedly, "Alright, take me to doctor. If that is what I must do to earn your trust."

She laughed and replied, "Are you going to tell the doctor about the sea people too?"

"Who am I to go around land asking everyone to believe me?" he shook his head. "It wouldn't be wise of me to do that. I told you, I just be a foreigner who does not speak a word of the language."

Isabel took him inside. They gave him a general check-up, and indeed, they found he was perfectly healthy. Just his eyes, looked like they were blind since birth. But he was given a white cane and taught how to walk with it.

Back in the car, without saying a word, Isabel looked at Erunestian's reflection in the rearview mirror. He was satisfied, with a smile on his face.

She knew she should report him to the authorities, but she didn't dare do it yet. If she did, it was possible the government would put him in an institution while investigating his case. Regardless, being in the care of the government or the police would not be a good experience for him.

She kept driving. She decided to protect him.
Luckily, she had her trusted lawyer to guide her in this situation.

When they got home, Erunestian was overjoyed, swinging and thrusting his cane to the air. "It is long like my spear!" 

Isabel watched him, laughing, and felt tenderness in her heart. Liar or not, she wanted the best for this strange boy. She took her phone and made a call:

"Hello? Love? could you give me some legal advice?"