Hidden in the bottomless depths of the Great Sea, there are many great treasures. While we may seek these out with endless hopes and dreams, we could never find one of the greatest treasures of all. They roam the briny waves, nonchalantly gliding past the lesser, naive fish and easily evading the harshest predators. Their fluorescent scales proudly shimmer in the glare of the sunlight while they search the cluttered seabed, hoping to catch the gleam from a priceless oyster or one of the ancient artefacts that they encounter so often. Except these will inevitably be dismissed to continue in the pursuit of something more like a jagged comb, which will surprisingly be preserved and cherished until the day they die- which won’t be anytime soon. As can only be expected from their extraordinary power and dazzling beauty, they are extremely selfish and vain. Hours are wasted on a lurking rock to care for their appearance: disentangling their sleek hair, smoothing out their glossy scales and adorning themselves with the most sparkling jewellery before gracing anyone with their presence, although they are definitely not a sociable species. They are undeniably the most magnificent beings we could ever wish to see, let alone meet.

Yet one cursed person did. In fact, they met one of the most peculiar.

As she peeked her crimson-covered head out of the water, her emerald tail stirred in anticipation of seeing him. The girl’s breath quickened when rough footsteps wandered out onto the deck some ways off. Her heart started pulsing sporadically while her teeth were immediately bared in an unavoidable, shining smile, to match with her glistening hazel eyes. When he stopped and looked apathetically around at the ocean, she sighed in contentment at the mere sight of him. She would have gladly kept mindlessly gawking if a drop of water hadn’t landed on her tilted head. Confused, she reluctantly pulled her glazed eyes away from the masterpiece in front of her to the greying clouds above her. They were angrily shielding the sun, darkening her view of her love, along with her mood. Except she had no idea why they were leaking, as she had never stayed above water for this long before, if ever. Everything seemed so magical- just like this water that graciously fell out of the sky, for anyone to take. The girl thought, despite their incredibly displeasing appearance, these things were quite generous.

When her mind finally returned to the boy, the girl snapped her gaze back to the deck, where she found no one. Cursing herself for allowing her mind to be distracted so easily, she hesitantly lowered herself back into the swirling mass surrounding her.

The blur of the window slightly eased and a girl with remarkably similar features could be found staring silently at the water noisily battering against the glass. Despite their freakishly similar appearances, the eerily quiet girl peering out of the haze of a window had shoulder-length hair the colour of blood. Recognising these alike circumstances, her mind quickly drifted to darker times- a scream, a patch of fresh blood, a deep scratch etched along the inside of her wrist, distressing the tender skin. When her senses came back to her, her face contorted into agony and she practically ran away from the opening, the rain and hopefully, also the memories.