Kaira had always felt a strange pull toward water since childhood. She would sit by the water for hours, watching fish, noting in her notebook where each kind lived, what they ate, and who they swam with. Over time, this love turned into her profession—she became a marine biologist.
At one point, Kaira traveled to a coastal town in South Korea for a research project. Impressed by her skills, the local university offered her a job. That's when she met Professor Kim Jun, the head of a secret oceanic project.
One day, Professor Kim called her in.
Kaira: "Sir, may I come in?"
Kim: "Yes, come in."
Kaira: "You called me… is there a problem?"
Kim: "Not a problem. I want to give you a special responsibility. It's not too hard, but not too easy either. Can you handle it?"
Kaira: "I'll try. What's the job?"
Kim: "There's a project going on in our coastal village—a huge aquarium is being constructed by the sea. I just want you to observe from a distance, make sure everything is proceeding well. But remember one thing—under no circumstances are you to go too close. And even if someone calls you… don't go."
Kaira: "Don't go if someone calls me? What do you mean?"
Kim: "Just do exactly as I say. Don't ask too many questions. Now go."
Kaira quietly left the room. The next morning, she set off for the village. Upon arrival, she found the surroundings oddly beautiful, wrapped in a kind of shadowy charm. She moved into a duplex house with a view of the sea from the window. The sound of waves stirred something deep inside her.
That night, she suddenly heard a sound and went to the window. A haunting melody was drifting in from the sea… as if someone was calling her.
---
Part 2: The Call
It was late at night. A cold breeze carried a strange tune… like someone humming a song. The curtain swayed softly. Kaira sat on the bed—her eyes tired, but her mind alert with one question: Who is calling?
It wasn't just a song—it felt like a summon.
> "Come… Kaira…"
She shivered. Someone was calling her name?
Kaira looked outside and saw something moving among the deep blue waves. Maybe it was just the wind—or… someone?
Professor Kim's words echoed in her mind:
> "Even if someone calls you… don't go."
A question arose—did he already know something was here? Was this not just a natural sound?
She took a step toward the window. Her hand touched the doorknob… Should she open it?
For a moment, it felt like she would go. Her curiosity screamed, "Go, find out what's out there!"
But the other side of her—the scientist, the realist—said, "No. Not yet. Nothing is clear."
Finally, she stood silently at the door… then slowly stepped back.
She did not go.
---
The Next Night
All day, Kaira remained restless, thinking about the previous night's sound. She couldn't concentrate on her research work. Something was pulling her… an invisible force.
That night, the melody returned—this time clearer, softer, more alluring:
> "Come… Kaira…"
She didn't go to the window. Instead, she turned on the recorder on her desk. She needed to capture the sound. To find out—was it just the wind, or something else?
At that moment, an old file from Professor Kim caught her eye. A handwritten note:
> "In our 1972 research, we first heard the melody. Three of the four researchers vanished. Only I returned… because I didn't respond."
Kaira felt a chill down her spine.
So, he did know.
Something had been calling people here for decades.
And now, it had chosen her.
She was brushing her long hair—so long it touched her ankles. The sea breeze tangled in her strands, heavy with questions.
Looking into the mirror, she noticed a strange shadow in her eyes.
Magical eyes… deep and smoky.
Her mother used to say:
> "There's something in your eyes, Kaira… You are different."
Coming from Bangladesh, now working alone in this foreign island, Kaira remembered those words.
She hadn't understood then.
But now she did—being 'different' wasn't always a blessing.
Another memory returned—her mother's whispering voice:
> "Not all calls are human, my child… some come from souls, others from destruction."
Kaira's mind was now a storm of doubt.
Was the pull in her blood, forcing her to answer the call?
Or would her mother's warnings save her?
Her eyes welled up. Her hands stopped brushing her hair.
Just then, a shadowy hand slid across the glass of the window.
Pale. Slender. Fingers unusually long.
She could see it—
The window would open with just a push.
Her hand reached toward it—
Then the phone rang.
Not a regular ring—but a trembled, continuous tone.
The old landline on her desk.
With a shaky hand, she picked it up.
> "Don't open the window, Kaira."
—a whispering female voice.
"I know they're calling you… but you're still my daughter. I can protect you…"
Her heart thudded.
That voice…
Her mother's voice?
But her mother had…
But, Mom… I mean… does that mean…?"
The voice echoed inside her head.
The line between memory and reality shattered.
She looked at the window and saw a face.
Pale. Silent.
Eyes deep, carrying lifetimes of sorrow—staring only at her.
That face… did it resemble her mother?
Kaira's lips trembled, eyes filled with tears.
Her legs felt numb, and a faint whisper escaped—
> "Mom… is it… you…?"
Then—everything went black.
---
The Next Morning
After a heavy, dreamless sleep, Kaira slowly opened her eyes.
Her body felt stiff. Her head was foggy with the echoes of last night—was it all a dream?
She got up, looked into the mirror—eyes red, face tired.
But a new determination flickered within her.
She had to find answers.
She washed up, wore black pants and a white top, tied her long hair back into a bun.
Today wouldn't be just another workday.
She knew—from today, the real search would begin.
Opening the door, she stepped out.
A cold breeze carried a strand of hair across her cheek.
She walked down a quiet path, leaves glistening with dew.
Soon, she reached the research lab.
Scientists and technicians passed her—some nodded, others avoided her gaze.
Kaira stood still.
She began observing faces—eyes, expressions.
Could some of them know something?
Her gaze caught a man in a glass cubicle.
His name tag read "Dr. Sumner."
He stared at her with a strange unease, then quickly looked away.
Kaira's suspicion grew.
Maybe… she wasn't alone.
---
The Shadow of the Blue Sea
Evening turned into night.
Everyone had left the office—only she remained.
She was staring at the computer screen when suddenly—the power went out.
A soft voice came through the silence—
> "Ma'am, there's an issue with the generator. It won't be fixed for two hours."
She nodded quietly. The building fell into a deep silence.
Her only companion—the large aquarium by the window.
Suddenly, in the dim light outside, she noticed something.
A handsome young man—shimmering like a fish.
Golden glint in his eyes, silver streaks in his hair, and a long blue tail like a ripple from a fairytale.
He stood by the aquarium, as if trying to say something—without words.
The outside world was as dark and deep as the ocean, and in the midst stood this mysterious boy—who was he?
She stared, entranced. Their eyes locked.
Time stopped.
Kaira slowly approached the aquarium.
His eyes held a strange magic.
Like he was speaking—without sound.
Kaira's feet moved quietly.
She gazed into his eyes.
The boy gently placed his hand on the glass.
Then a soft, deep voice echoed in her mind:
> "Give me your hand… Kaira…"