The book

The ocean roared around Noah, swallowing him whole. The merman’s grip was unyielding, his cool fingers digging into Noah’s waist, keeping him trapped beneath the waves.

Noah’s mind screamed for escape. His lungs burned, and his heart pounded in frantic beats against his ribs. But the merman—he wouldn’t let go.

Teeth grazed Noah’s neck, sharp yet teasing. A shudder wracked through him as the creature bit down, not enough to break skin, but enough to leave a mark.

Noah gasped, his body trembling under the weight of something unfamiliar.

Then, the movement.

The merman’s sleek tail pressed between his legs, the cool, smooth scales rubbing against Noah’s thighs, sending a dangerous heat rushing through him.

A breathless, broken “ah~” left Noah’s lips before he could stop it.

The merman paused.

Blue eyes darkened, filled with something wild.

Panic surged through Noah’s chest. His body screamed at him to move. To run.

With all his strength, he tore himself free.

His foot connected with the merman’s stomach—just enough to loosen the grip. The moment Noah felt space between them, he swam upward with everything he had.

His arms sliced through the water. His chest screamed for air. Almost there. Almost—

He broke the surface.

Gasping, coughing, Noah kicked toward the shore, his limbs aching, his vision blurry. He didn’t dare look back. Didn’t dare see if the merman was following.

The sand beneath his hands felt like salvation. He stumbled forward, running on shaking legs, his heart still racing with fear and something else—something dangerous.

Noah reached his small house, slamming the door shut behind him.

He leaned against it, panting, his whole body quivering.

Then—he saw himself.

The mirror.

Noah’s breath caught.

His reflection was marked.

Red and black love bites stained his neck and collarbone, bruises dark and blooming where the merman had held him. His trembling fingers brushed over them, his skin sensitive, tingling.

His knees threatened to give out. He needed to sit.

But the moment he did—a sharp jolt of pleasure shot through him.

Noah’s eyes widened.

A sticky warmth leaked between his thighs.

His breath hitched as he touched himself, his fingers trembling. It was…

Cum.

A shiver ran through him as he looked lower.

There—along his **inner thighs—**was something worse.

Blood.

Noah’s stomach twisted. His pulse hammered in his ears as he scrambled toward the small wooden cabinet in the corner. His hands fumbled as he ripped it open, grabbing his first aid kit.

Shaking, he grabbed a cloth and tried to clean himself, his mind racing with confusion, fear… and something he didn’t want to name.

What… what had just happened?

And more importantly…

Why did part of him want to go back?

Noah sat on the wooden floor, his hands shaking as he wiped the blood from his thighs. His mind refused to process what had happened.

“This… This has to be a dream,” he whispered, forcing himself to breathe.

Maybe he was just exhausted. Maybe the stress of his breakup had finally caught up to him, making him hallucinate.

Yes. That had to be it.

There was no other explanation. Mermen weren’t real.

He just needed to focus on something else. Something normal.

So, he did what he always did. He went to sell fish.

The village market was bustling, filled with the salty scent of the sea and the chatter of customers. Noah sat in his small wooden stall, a basket of fresh fish in front of him.

With a deep breath, he forced a smile and called out in a rhythmic chant,

"Very, very cheap, one-pound fish! 20 for five pounds! One-pound fish!"

His voice blended with the lively marketplace, but inside, his thoughts were elsewhere. His fingers absentmindedly traced the bruises on his neck, hidden beneath the collar of his shirt.

Was it really a dream?

The feeling of teeth, of cold scales rubbing against him… It felt too real.

“Boy.”

Noah snapped out of his thoughts.

An old woman stood before him, hunched over with piercing gray eyes. She eyed his fish, then nodded.

“I’ll take the five-pound offer.”

Noah quickly wrapped up the fish and handed it to her. “Here you go, ma’am.”

The woman took the bundle, then paused. She stared at him.

“You look like you’ve been through something,” she muttered.

Noah stiffened. Did she see something? Did she know?

Before he could ask, the old woman reached into her tattered cloak and pulled out a small, worn-out book.

“I’ll give you this,” she said, placing it on his stall. “It’s free.”

Noah frowned. “What is it?”

“A book about the things that live in the sea.”

The moment her fingers left the book, she vanished.

No footsteps. No trace.

Just… gone.

A cold shiver ran down Noah’s spine.

His eyes dropped to the book.

The cover was old, the edges torn from years of handling. But the title was still clear:

“The Songs of the Deep: A Guide to Sirens, Mermen, and Creatures of the Abyss.”

Noah swallowed hard.

Maybe… maybe it wasn’t a dream after all.

To be continued

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