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PROLOGUE Like ripples in still water, Icy waves crashed against the white sand. Things can start off small. Not a single soul inhabited the beach. But over time they can spread, The water had a dark color to it; an inky black. Becoming not small at all. The moon’s pale glow reflected off the water. What once held happy, bubbly sunshine Is now not to be disturbed. Here. Now. Deep down in the ocean, Something stirred. CHAPTER ONE- Beginnings I stood shivering with my toes buried in the white sand. The air was cold, as was the ocean. It was nearing midnight, so no one was around to ask me what the heck I was doing at a beach. Legends of this place had been passed down from generation to generation. The details varied each time, but three things always stayed the same- A full moon, white sand, and black water. The stories never specified where the beach was. However, after months of scouring every brochure, typing furiously on my laptop, and reading every article I could, I had finally found it. The ironic part? It was only a few miles away from where I live. My name is Aukai Luna, and I am the Explorer of the Sea. I took a step toward the water. As I continued walking, a trail of inch-deep footprints formed in the smooth sand. The water was unusually dark. The moon was full, and the sand did appear white. I sat down and dipped my toes in. Cold, as expected. Then, something changed. I watched, mesmerized, as my human legs slowly morphed into a shimmering blue-green fish tail. As breathtaking as this sight was, I was more delighted than surprised. The stories were real! Now, I could be the true “explorer of the sea.” Laughing, I dove into the black sea. As soon as my head was under, the lighting changed. It went from the inky black I had seen before to the aqua blue it would be on a normal, non-magical day. I could see everything from the colorful coral to the scurrying crabs. That was when I noticed I was holding my breath. I quickly released, allowing salt water to enter my mouth. I didn’t need to swim up and gasp for air. I had gills! “So this is what it’s like,” I murmured absent-mindedly as I picked up a glob of seaweed. CHAPTER TWO- A new life. Maybe. I didn’t need to worry about my parents questioning my whereabouts while I was gone. I was home alone while they were on a cruise. (Parents of the year award, huh?) This dreamlike state wouldn’t last that long, anyway. Two days at max. I was determined, however, to enjoy myself and learn more about my intriguing state. After all, this was a journey for me. Maybe I could even find another merperson! Even though the stories clearly stated that this was a curse and not something to enjoy, I went ahead and did it anyway. There should be at least one person who didn’t listen like me, right? As I went down, less and less of the water was illuminated.

INTO JAPANESE

PROLOGUE静かな水の中の波紋のように、氷のような波が白い砂にぶつかった。物事は小さく始めることができます。一人の魂が浜辺に住んでいたわけではありません。しかし、時間が経つにつれて彼らは広がることができます、水はそれに暗い色を持っていました。真っ黒な黒。全然小さくない。月の淡い輝きが水面から反射した。かつて幸せで陽気な日差しを感じたもの

BACK INTO ENGLISH

PROLOGUE An icy wave hit the white sand, like a ripple in the quiet water. Things can start small. One soul did not live on the beach. But over time they can spread, the water had a dark color to it

INTO JAPANESE

PROLOGUE静かな水の波紋のように、氷のような波が白い砂浜に当たった。物事は小さく始めることができます。一人の魂は浜辺に住んでいませんでした。しかし、時間が経つにつれて彼らは広がることができ、水はそれに暗い色をしていた

BACK INTO ENGLISH

PROLOGUE An icy wave hit the white sand beach like a ripple of quiet water. Things can start small. One soul did not live on the beach. But over time they could spread and the water had a dark color to it

INTO JAPANESE

PROLOGUE凍った波が静かな水の波紋のように白い砂浜に当たる。物事は小さく始めることができます。一人の魂は浜辺に住んでいませんでした。しかし、時が経つにつれて彼らは広がることができ、水はそれに対して暗い色をしていた

BACK INTO ENGLISH

PROLOGUE A frozen wave hits a white sand beach like a ripple of quiet water. Things can start small. One soul did not live on the beach. But as time went on they could spread and the water had a dark color to it

INTO JAPANESE

PROLOGUE凍った波が静かな水の波紋のように白い砂浜に当たる。物事は小さく始めることができます。一人の魂は浜辺に住んでいませんでした。しかし、時が経つにつれて彼らは広がることができ、水はそれに濃い色をしていました

BACK INTO ENGLISH

PROLOGUE A frozen wave hits a white sand beach like a ripple of quiet water. Things can start small. One soul did not live on the beach. But as time went on they could spread and the water had a dark color to it